# Renting an apartment in Bangkok



## pamela0810

A friend of mine has recently found a job in Bangkok and is in the process of looking for an apartment to rent. He has a few questions and would appreciate your response:
1. What is the most convenient location to rent in Bangkok in terms of access to transportation and a decent neighbourhood.
2. What is the average rent for a fully furnished 1 or 2 bedroom apartment?
3. What is the deposit required to rent an apartment and how easy is it to get the deposit back? We were told that once you put down a deposit to rent an apartment, if you vacate the premises after the contract expires, it is very difficult to get the deposit back. Is this true?
4. What are the general procedures to rent an apartment in Bangkok?
5. Any reputable real estate agents that you can recommend?

Thank you in advance for all your replies!


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## pamela0810

Just a follow up...hoping that someone will respond. Thanks!


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## gino

A friend of mine has recently found a job in Bangkok and is in the process of looking for an apartment to rent. He has a few questions and would appreciate your response:
1. What is the most convenient location to rent in Bangkok in terms of access to transportation and a decent neighbourhood.

That depends to some extent on where his job is situated. Apartments near the BTS and MTA lines offer more convenient access to central business areas in BKK, but may be inconvenient to the job site and tend to be more expensive. 

2. What is the average rent for a fully furnished 1 or 2 bedroom apartment?

There are a number of cost-of-living sites and articles on various TEFL and expat sites. Ajarn.com has good apartment and rental house guides. He might also consider a short-term rental arrangement until he gets a feel for the lay of the land. These are a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive, but may be preferable to getting stuck in a year-long lease that isn’t the best deal to be found.

3. What is the deposit required to rent an apartment and how easy is it to get the deposit back? We were told that once you put down a deposit to rent an apartment, if you vacate the premises after the contract expires, it is very difficult to get the deposit back. Is this true?

For reasons I don’t understand, landlords seem to want larger deposits for longer term leases. It seems to me the risks are higher with short-term rentals. First and last and possibly a one-month security deposit would be typical. 

4. What are the general procedures to rent an apartment in Bangkok?

One article suggested walking around and looking for “For Rent” signs. I tried it one afternoon, but didn’t find the suggestion practical. For one thing, it was about 90º F out and Bangkok isn’t big on intersections or pedestrian crosswalks. Crossing the street often entails climbing the equivalent of two flights of stairs to access an elevated catwalk. 

5. Any reputable real estate agents that you can recommend?

If he happens to be a homicidal psychopath, I might forward the names of a few rental agents. 

Thank you in advance for all your replies!


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