Well the search is finally over but the journey for finding a suitable apartment in Bangkok was a bit more arduous than I had initially anticipated. If you are keen on moving to this fun filled, yet slightly sinful city, staying for more than a couple weeks you can get a better feel for the life in a booming Southeast Asian Metropolis. If you are looking to relocate overseas and want to find a cheaper cost of living but one that still has the fun extras (food that doesnt give you dysentery, women in high heels, mega shopping malls, “high speed internet”, and anything else your little Westerner heart desires), Bangkok is an awesome city with a ton to offer.
For me, evaluating where to get an apartment came down to:
-location (less than a 20 minute cab ride to the center)
-access to the BTS (skytrain/metro in Bangkok is key, as the traffic crazy, ie 1-1.5 hour for a 15 minute journey).
-pool (Bangkok is surprisingly hotter than hell and a utterly fucking filthy bit dirty, so having a pool is a big plus)
-gym
-access to street food
-access to bars/nightlife and other health problem causing activities
Price points for a “fully serviced” apartments, which means it is more luxury and they have cleaners etc I found to be like $600-$1000 for a studio or a one bedroom. You can get something less than fully serviced with all the mentioned above but depending on the location it is going to be closer to $500. If you are splitting a place, ie 2 bedroom or more, you can score better deals. Or if you are Thai or have been living in Bangkok for a long time and are reading this, you are probably saying this farang is an is idiot who is getting ripped off. Well to you, all I have to say is, shit.
Really like the video. Got a few questions.
- How crappy is the Internet at your place? Do you have to go somewhere else to get online?
- How did you find the apartment? Seems great except for the Internet situation.
- Do you have AC in your apt?
AC yes. And I just got high speed broadband for 650 baht a month ($20) – wifi the works. I am happy now. I found it just by going walk about. I am sure you can get something else even more central, maybe a bit cheaper, but the “oasis” pool/balcony sold me.
What a steal! We loved BKK, we started our 3 week honeymoon there! We leave for our RTW trip in 4 months, and hopefully will determine where we want to move to after this trip. Bangkok is up there!
pretty solid diggs my man, where exactly is it?
Near victory monument. 10 minutes I can be in Nana/Sukumvit area…15 minutes to cab there or Khao san. 5-10 minute walk to BTS depending on the station.
Can you speak in English? Lol
Diggin’ the apartment.
How’d you manage to find it? Just through a local real estate agent? I know I’ve had some luck using airbnb, craigslist as well as couchsurfing (how I found my current flat in Turkey), and all of these sites usually have really reasonable prices.