# Newbie moving to Bangkok - advice please



## EdT73

Hi Forum Members,

I have just received a job offer to move to Thailand (Bangkok) as an international transfer. 

I have a few questions that I was hoping members could provide advice on:

We will be looking at living on the East Side of the City for ease of access to work e.g. BangNa... are there any other options in this area? Where is a good place to live in BangNa? Cost of rentals? I like my creature comforts, so a nice rental would be good.

What is traffic like this side of town?

What Expat clubs are there in the area? And how long would it take to get to the British Club (for example) if living in BangNa?

Insurance (travel) is something I am trying to get my head around. Does anyone know of a good insurance provider that will cover Expats and travel to and from Thailand?

Any other general advice would be great.

Cheers,

Ed.


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## cnx_bruce

EdT73 said:


> What is traffic like this side of town?
> 
> What Expat clubs are there in the area? And how long would it take to get to the British Club (for example) if living in BangNa?
> 
> Insurance (travel) is something I am trying to get my head around. Does anyone know of a good insurance provider that will cover Expats and travel to and from Thailand?
> 
> Any other general advice would be great.


Hi Ed and congratulations on your job appointment

I suspect that to get very specific info like that you will need to hunt out an expat forum that is either BKK specific or which has a BKK-specific area within it. 

Based on my limited experience in BKK, expats tend to either live very close to their work, or live very close to the underground or BTS service, or have a driver and work in the back whilst stopped in gridlock. The traffic goes from moving and chaotic to gridlock in the blink of an eye and you can then sit and sit and sit.

Be sure to check the embassy and local chamber of commerce web site for your country - easy to find with google - as they all have helpful events calendars and free guides/reports.

If you are based here then you will probably use a Thai-based expats insurance package rather than travel insurance (unless perhaps your work sees you jetting around the world all the time). To get you started you could look at someone like worldnomads and take however many months cover you need to get here and get established and explore local insurance options. Lots of local brokers but one option is AA insurance - again just google them

Cheers
- Bruce


EDIT: Refer Rule 10: Links that advertise other competing forums will be removed immediately.


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## Jonta

Hi Ed, first of all Im one of the owners of Bangkok Condo Finder, we are an apartment locating service in Bangkok, free of charge. 

I suppose your work place is in Bang Na. Bang Na is outside and not at all in downtown. If you are going to drive in everyday you are in trouble because traffic in this city is a nightmare on rush hours. However they just opened the BTS line all the way from BangNa. The rentals are cheap and spacious in BangNa and you get a lot for your money. 

Cheers,

Johannes


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## joseph44

cnx_bruce said:


> Hi Ed and congratulations on your job appointment
> 
> I suspect that to get very specific info like that you will need to hunt out an expat forum that is either BKK specific or which has a BKK-specific area within it
> 
> Based on my limited experience in BKK, expats tend to either live very close to their work, or live very close to the underground or BTS service, or have a driver and work in the back whilst stopped in gridlock. The traffic goes from moving and chaotic to gridlock in the blink of an eye and you can then sit and sit and sit.
> 
> Be sure to check the embassy and local chamber of commerce web site for your country - easy to find with google - as they all have helpful events calendars and free guides/reports.
> 
> If you are based here then you will probably use a Thai-based expats insurance package rather than travel insurance (unless perhaps your work sees you jetting around the world all the time). To get you started you could look at someone like worldnomads and take however many months cover you need to get here and get established and explore local insurance options. Lots of local brokers but one option is AA insurance - again just google them
> 
> Cheers
> - Bruce
> 
> EDIT: Refer Rule 10: Links that advertise other competing forums will be removed immediately.


A popular area is Udomsuk (Sukhumvit 101-105). Loads of affordable condo's, shopping-possibilities, BTS-station. 
Not in the center of town, but within reasonable time you'll be where ever. 

Insurance? Check out the ad at the bottom of this web-page: April Medibrokers.


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## Overandout

st_bangkok said:


> Hi Ed
> 
> I live in Bangna area, love it. I spend about 10 years living in the popular expat enclave of lower Sukhumvit but it has gone downhill so much now i just could not stand to stay there any longer. I live in a newish development called Regent home Condos. There are 8 low rise towers there, all 7 floor affairs. I have a two bed there of 65sqm and pay just 11,000 per month. I also run a small home based real estate advisory service (free of charge) as sideline so i can easily advise you on where to live and where NOT to live based on your own desires, wish list and interests. There are a few nice towers around Bangna intersection and BTS where i am, but not so many as say, Onnut or such like, but then of course prices will rise slightly. If you want to check out where i am, let me know and we can meet up and i will take you there.


Interesting post.

I am also in the process of negotiating a move to Bangkok with my company and if things go as planned I would greatly appreciate some advice on where to look for accomodation. BangNa would be a possibility for me also. I find the towers near the BTS particularly interesting.

As far as insurance is concerned, I would make sure that your relocation package includes this, I have requested this and will seriously reconsider if this is refused.


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## MattDavies86

Lucky man! Grats on the job offer and wish you luck moving out there! Keep us posted with how it goes etc, be nice to get more info on it


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## stednick

*Commuting Time*



Overandout said:


> Interesting post.
> 
> I am also in the process of negotiating a move to Bangkok with my company and if things go as planned I would greatly appreciate some advice on where to look for accomodation. BangNa would be a possibility for me also. I find the towers near the BTS particularly interesting.
> 
> As far as insurance is concerned, I would make sure that your relocation package includes this, I have requested this and will seriously reconsider if this is refused.


Overandout: 

(Comment: This thread is aged, started in the fall of 2011, although the advice requested is timeless.)

Where to look for accommodations in the city of Bangkok. Select your long-term accommodations on the basis of your commuting time. To and from work, shopping, entertainment, services and friends. Bangkok transportation is "horrific". Transit times can be killers. Public transportation is plentiful and erratic. So, commuting time is of the upmost importance. 

Upon arrival check in to a medium price hotel close to where you will work. If the hotel is "OK", negotiate a longer term price for a two-to-three week stay. Become familiar with the local transportation, then start your accommodation search. Pay attention to shopping (availability of provisions), noise from traffic and entertainment venues, pollution, smells, flooding and services.

You really need to investigate the above criteria before you select long-term accommodations. 

Good luck.


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## Overandout

Oops 

I hadn't seen the date of the original post.... makes me wonder if EdT73 ever made it to BKK !

As far as my acomodation goes, you're right in that I have to take into consideration my daily commute, but that was why I am considering BangNa, especially as it appears to be more economical than the east end of Sukhumvit.

But in the end I will have more than my own commute to consider as my oldest child will be in an international school, yet to be identified, so that will have a heavy influence on our choice of residence.

I know the area around my workplace from previous work visits, and we will almost certainly have to live in an appartment hotel nearby on first arrival until we find anything to rent. I just wanted to do some groundwork before hand so as to not start from scratch when we get there...... I want to keep the hotel stay to a minimum for my family's sake.


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