Frequently Asked Questions - Relocating to Bangkok
Renting a property and relocating to Bangkok
Some FAQs - questions and answers on line

Category - The rental premises: 

1.  Bedrooms - one to five:

If you come to Bangkok thinking that two or three bedrooms would be enough, you should still add one more bedroom, as you sometimes might have more visitors in this location who want to come to stay with you. Relatives or friends will love to come and stay with you for holidays in Bangkok to explore the sights or get away from a cold winter.  In Bangkok with the traffic it might also pay to use one bedroom as a home office.

The average number of bedrooms is three. It is normal, however, for a family with two children to have at least four bedrooms. In Bangkok the make-up of the bedrooms is usually one master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and one or two other bathrooms to cover the other bedrooms One bath (with a bathtub) is the master bathroom - the other bathrooms may just have showers.  Some luxury apartment blocks have baths and showers en-suite for each bedroom.

You should look at the following when you check bedrooms:

• Is it quiet at night ? - check road noise

• Do the curtains have a black-outs  and/or a protector sheet for the bright sunlight ?

• Are there telephone connections in the master bedroom only or in all other bedrooms too ?

• Which bathrooms serve which bedrooms ?

• Check for hot water in the kitchen and bathrooms and at the    hand wash basins

• Check for water pressure - turn on taps in bathrooms.

• Check the beds and mattresses - some people like soft mattresses;  others harder ones. Also, will the owner change mattresses ? - make sure that this is agreed to beforehand.

All prices are asking prices, therefore you should make an offer, if you consider the rental price too high. One way to get a discount on the monthly rental fee is, to pay the rent for a year or six months in advance.  Some areas of Bangkok are tenants markets others like the Central areas are also an owners market.

3.   A House or an Apartment:
 
It depends which way you look at it:

AN APARTMENT:

• From the security aspect an Apartment is always more safe, because everyone has to go through one entrance & exit and is seen by staff and guards
   

• From the safety aspect Apartments and high-rises with balconies may not be safe, if you have small children.
   

• From a mosquito's point of view: An apartment above the 7th floor or so may not have a mosquito problem. The 'mosquito level' is about seven floors, therefore the higher the better - you can sleep with the windows open, no screens. 
   

• From an utility bill-paying point of view: Usually the office downstairs will always assist in paying utility bills for you, there may be a service charge though. Obtain receipts.
   

• Some more things to check out:
  You should check before signing a lease agreement that utilities are charged at the same rates as applied direct by the Thai authorities, as in some apartment blocks there may be a premium for electricity, water and phone usage and this should be written into the lease agreement.
  
  You should also check that there is an IDD line - International Direct Dial telephone connection or a ADSL high speed Internet link possible, some building already have High Speed Telephone Connections Installed.
  
  Is there a garbage collection service, or rubbish, garbage chute  (garbage chutes though are not popular in Thailand) ?
  
  Is there a exercise room, swimming pool, outside furniture. Are charges included in the lease ?
  
  What is extra ? UBC Cable Television ? Service charges and Maintenance for common areas and also for the swimming pool ?
  
  Does the exercise room door or the pool close at a particular time

A HOUSE:

• For a garden and some more space and be more independent and private, but there are a few points to bear in mind as well:
   

• If located outside a secure gated community, you will have to look after your own garden maintenance. Garden maintenance is usually done twice a month and the cost varies accordingly to the size of your garden - no more than Baht 2,000 per time for a very large garden.

In a house you will have to be careful about your own security. Your maid, driver should be carefully selected i.e. not from a newspaper advertisement or recommended if you are living in a village where there is not or only a minimum security checking of outside vehicles.

The majority of maids and drivers are, of course, very loyal and honest. However, if a maid and a driver of unsuitable characters are employed without your knowledge, they might well take advantage of an opportunity while your family is away - be careful !

In private houses a small amount, usually not more than Baht 500 per month, depending on the area of the house, has to be paid to the village office for security, common lighting, etc. Garbage is collected by the municipal authorities - check if there is such a service !

In a house you will be responsible for payments of all electricity, water and telephone bills and you should be aware how to make these payments on your own.

Checkpoints:
Check whether the area you like does not flood in the rainy season - you can clearly see water tides on nearby walls - or ask directly, if this area floods.  Some roads off Chaengwattana flood during the rainy season and are impassable, particularly in Muang Thong 1 - Muang Thong Nivet around the side and rear of the Big C department store area.

Check water pressure - check also, if there is a large water tank for reserve water.

Check the area generally - what are the neighbours like ?

Are there any open spaces to the side or rear of the property ? If so, is the area going to be built on ? Is it safe ? Is the house secured by iron railings around the house ?

Is the house in a wholly residential area ? Check for factories nearby, also for noise and other related problems - pollution, people burning wood and other materials which will produce smoke drifting into your house.

4. Apartments:  Service charges for use of the swimming pool and common areas:

Service charges apply in all apartment buildings, some are inclusive others make a charge, read your lease. 

You should ensure that all service charges are included in the agreed rent and that this is clearly written into the lease agreement, unless you really want to pay them that is, and they can be substantial, as much as 25% of the possible monthly rent.

5.  Popular Apartment Buildings:
 
There are over 300+ apartment blocks in Sois (Sois are side roads or lanes) off Sukhumvit Road just between Sois 1 - 63 - see Apartments on line in this website. 

6. Popular locations for foreign families:

The most popular renting areas are:

7.  Moving to another property if your 1st selection is not suitable:

This depends on how the lease agreement has been written.

You should have the 'Diplomatic Clause' inserted into your lease anyway; this gives you the right to leave Bangkok if you are suddenly transferred to another country.

Another important clause to get inserted is a clause relating to unsatisfactory or unusual living conditions as a result of nearby new construction or buildings works that make it impossible to live normally & comfortably and so necessitating a possible move of residence.

Otherwise, a contract is a contract. If you have not agreed beforehand to certain circumstances where you cannot live in the house you have selected, the contract is binding. The only other option is to move on regardless and forfeit your security deposit.

8.  Domestic help, drivers:

It is not easy at the moment. Young girls do not want to be servants these days, they want to work in factories where they can find many new friends and a good salary. Similarly, drivers are difficult to find, however, it is not impossible. The best thing is to take a young girl or couple from an expatriate  family that have to leave Thailand.

It is not recommended to place an advertisement in the newspaper looking for staff; they must come from a recommending party.

Young maids, unless they have been with a foreign family already, cannot speak much English, their education has only been to minimum level. The cheapest possible salary is Baht 5,000 per month for a maid and Baht 15,000 plus for a driver. However, foreigners are usually more generous employers - a maid working for a foreign family could get Baht 7,000 per month or more and a driver Baht 18,000 per month. The driver usually lives out, but not with the car, whereas the maid usually lives in, occupying her own separate quarters outside, a television is normally provided and she has one day off a week at least.

The maid lives in with meals included although she eats by herself. It is not recommended to get too familiar with your domestic help; they would feel uncomfortable if they were considered part of the family.

A maid would expect a few days off at Songkran /Thai New Year as well as all the usual public holidays even Christmas Day which is now celebrated in Thailand at the moment as its getting more and more popular with Thais giving each other gifts nowadays.

9.  Being a good  tenant:

The best way to be a good tenant is for you to try not to complain too much even if things are not absolutely as they should be, or you would like them to be.

Even if an agreement has been reached to finish the house by a certain time, it will not be ready completely at the lease commencement time. Yes, it will be ready for occupation and everything will follow shortly - do not complain or get angry, this gets you nothing. Polite persuasiveness is the best way to get things done.

Pay your rent on time every month, this goes a long way to getting maintenance work completed.

Some expatriates believe that holding back monthly rent will help towards getting work done but this rarely works - the landlord tends to dig his heels in and refuses to co-operate until the rent is paid.

Any questions re content to:   enquiry@bangkok-homes.com