| lot of people don't realise about Thailand is that | | | | improves quite a bit when paying over 5,000 THB |
| there's an absolute plethora of cheap places to | | | | Month in rental costs (especially in other towns |
| stay. Thailand accommodation has literally | | | | and cities around the country). For 5,000 Baht and |
| thousands of hidden gems scattered all over the | | | | over, you can expect a living space of between |
| capital Bangkok, and starting from as little as $80 | | | | 28-35 SQM. It will be in a good central location and |
| US/Month. | | | | not too far from a BTS (Skytrain) or MRT |
| If you're on a world tour and would like to stay in | | | | (Underground Train) station. The room will have |
| the kingdom for a few extra weeks or months, | | | | air conditioning as standard, a king or queen sized |
| then low budget hotels or guest houses are | | | | bed, Cable TV, telephone, refrigerator, bathroom, |
| probably not your best option. Then again, they | | | | and a small balcony. More common these days |
| could be. Keep reading to find out why. Decent | | | | too is a wireless internet connection, but this |
| Bangkok rentals can be had for just a few dollars | | | | usually offered at an optional cost for those who |
| a day, but you need to know how to find them, | | | | want it. |
| which is easier said than done if you're a stranger | | | | On the ground floor there is likely to be key-card |
| to the this Jungle city of South East Asia. | | | | security door access for residents (plus a 24 hour |
| Description of a Cheap Apartment in Bangkok | | | | security guard out front), a minimart, laundry |
| So just what will you get for under a hundred | | | | service, beauty salon, and in some, a very |
| bucks a month? Well, as this is at the low end of | | | | reasonably priced restaurant that will include room |
| the Bangkok rental market, such apartment | | | | service at no extra cost. The down side is that |
| blocks are occupied mostly by working class Thai | | | | you may be asked to secure at least a 3 month |
| nationals. The rooms will be basic and may or | | | | commitment for which there will be a contact |
| may not have air conditioning. Most will include an | | | | drawn up and a deposit put down. |
| overhead fan, a bed, refrigerator (maybe), private | | | | When you move up to Bangkok accommodation |
| bathroom, and very basic storage facilities. They | | | | nearer the 10,000 THB/Month bracket, then the |
| will be studio rooms no bigger than 22-30 SQM | | | | choices and living standards get even better. More |
| max. | | | | space, better designed rooms, and an |
| The majority of these budget rentals will have 24 | | | | improvement in furnishings overall. The facilities in |
| hour security guards manning the entrance, and | | | | some places may also include a gym, and a pool. |
| perhaps a 24 hour minimart on the ground floor. | | | | You also start to get some options in condos as |
| Such accommodation might not sound much like a | | | | well as apartments in this price bracket. The main |
| home away from home for most travellers, but | | | | differences between apartments and condos are |
| when compared against a bog standard guest | | | | that condos are privately owned units within a |
| house that uses communal squat toilets, has more | | | | building, whereas an apartment block has a single |
| mosquitoes than an African swamp, and a list of | | | | owner who possesses the entire building and all its |
| house rules greater than an Asian Jail, then the | | | | rooms. |
| pros well outweigh the cons for long-stay tourists. | | | | With condos, both water and electricity is usually |
| Don't forget too that your monthly Bangkok | | | | billed direct from the government which can lead |
| apartment rental will be less than half what you'd | | | | to huge saving on power costs over a duration. |
| be paying at a backstreet Guesthouse. | | | | Water and electricity in apartment blocks is fixed |
| Finding these Cheap Bangkok Apartments | | | | by the project owner and the charges are far |
| Obviously the Bangkok real estate agencies will | | | | greater than that of a condo. At the time of |
| not be prepared to help foreigners find | | | | writing, electricity charges in Bangkok apartments |
| inexpensive rental properties. They make their | | | | that charge over 5,000 THB/Month in rents, are |
| money purely on commissions, and so there's no | | | | around 8 Baht/Unit, whereas government charges |
| reasonable gain to be had with inexpensive rents | | | | are less than half that. |
| that require no long term contracts. Some of | | | | Apartment Accommodation | Bangkok |
| their websites might list a few budget dwellings, | | | | Apartments Competing with Hotels |
| but if you really want to uncover the array of | | | | New construction projects seem to be never |
| hidden gems out there, then the best places to | | | | ending in Bangkok and the rest of Thailand. One |
| look are the Thai property websites. If you do a | | | | can't help but wonder how they're going to fill |
| search for the word ' horpak' you shall find a | | | | them all with tenants. And if that's not enough, |
| couple of good ones. Horpak roughly translates as | | | | nowadays many of the apartments are |
| 'building to stay'. | | | | competing with hotels, especially the newer |
| Most of these sites are have no English version | | | | constructions. It's not unusual to see Daily, |
| though, so you'll probably need to ask a friendly | | | | Weekly, and Monthly rates advertised outside an |
| local to help you translate. Even so, just by | | | | apartment building. However, the hotels are |
| browsing the property pages and reading the | | | | striking back too. Many hotels are beginning to |
| English numerals next to the photos, you will soon | | | | offer vastly reduced rates for long term |
| come to realise just how much of this | | | | residents. Those who want to live in hotels are |
| 'easy-on-the-pocket' accommodation is out there | | | | usually placed on the higher floors. The available |
| for grabs. | | | | facilities, security, and prime locations of hotel |
| Bangkok Rentals Between 5-1000 THB/Mo | | | | accommodation are making them quite an |
| At the time of writing, 5,000 Thai Baht equates | | | | attractive living option for some, especially older |
| to around $155 US dollars. The standard of living | | | | folks who have retired in the kingdom. |