| Rent a house in Bangkok
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| | need of repair and maintenance, and the
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| When I first moved to Bangkok, I rented
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| | really nice ones are located way out in
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| an apartment like most newcomers to
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| | whoop whoop district.
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| Bangkok do, but as I became more familiar
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| | I don't care as long as rent is cheap.
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| with my new home town, I decided to be a
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| | Where do I look?
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| little more adventurous and rented a
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| | Again, you won't find any agents to help
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| house. Having lived in houses over the
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| | you there and finding that perfect yet
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| past five years now, I've found that
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| | cheap and nice house is undoubtedly the
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| renting a house in Bangkok not only
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| | hardest step. It usually takes months of
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| offers more space and privacy, often it
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| | driving around moo baan after moo baan,
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| is also much better value compared to
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| | which would mean having your own
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| apartment living. More often than not, it
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| | transport and knowing your way around.
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| is also a cheaper option (per square
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| | The word "Moo Baan" translates to
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| metre) compared to renting an apartment
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| | "village" in Thai, but the term "housing
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| or condo, which are getting smaller in
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| | estate" would be far more accurate. These
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| size these days! If you enjoy wide open
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| | usually have a guard posted at the
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| spaces, appreciate some green in your
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| | entrance and are situated all over
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| life - a garden perhaps, have pets, a
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| | Bangkok. These houses usually offer much
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| large family or simply want to maximize
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| | better value than stand alone houses, and
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| your budget, consider renting a house
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| | are a good place for the house hunter to
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| instead.
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| | start his/her search. Try areas like On
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| Another advantage in renting a house is,
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| | Nut between Sukhumvit 77 - 103, Bangna,
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| apartments tend to put a high surcharge
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| | Rangsit, Ramintra, Phayathai, Mo chit
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| on your electricity and water bills. Many
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| | etc.
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| apartments have a minimum charge of 1000
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| | Concerns and other issues
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| bht for water alone. That is a
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| | 1) Security
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| significant amount considering my water
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| | Honestly, I know of many farangs,
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| bill never cost me over 500 bht living in
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| | including myself who have lived in single
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| a house with a family of 5, and we do A
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| | houses and existed peacefully without any
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| LOT of washing! Electricity can be
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| | disturbances or trouble for years. I also
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| anything between 5 - 7 baht per unit
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| | do not know anyone who has been burgled
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| compared to the actual 3.75 baht charged
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| | personally because they were living in a
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| by the MEA. Living in a house can save
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| | house. Do you?
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| you up to half your utility bills
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| | If you are considering renting a house
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| compared to living in an apartment, and
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| | and security is a main concern, rent a
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| believe me it is A LOT of difference!
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| | house in popular areas like Sukhumvit,
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| Thailand is cheap!
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| | Silom and Sathorn where there are many
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| As you may already know, Thailand (more
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| | nearby apartments and condos with
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| accurately, "Bangkok") is not the cheap
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| | security. That way, you can benefit from
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| haven many foreigners once thought it to
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| | the dense security in the neighbourhood.
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| be, especially when it comes to housing.
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| | Another option would be to opt for houses
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| Property prices and rental have gone up
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| | or townhouse within a "moo baan." There
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| considerably and that's the way it goes
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| | are plenty around and majority of them
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| everywhere around the world. The very
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| | have tight 24 hour security. Common sense
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| same 2 bedroom unit I rented 5 years ago
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| | would also tell me to explore the
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| (in Silom) has gone up by 30% in rental
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| | neighbourhood a little and have a chat
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| and hardly any refurbishment has been
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| | with shopkeepers and a neighbour who
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| done to it since! "That's ridiculous" you
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| | might be willing to share some
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| say and believe it or not, I agree! But
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| | information with you. I'm sure you'll
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| hey, I don't make the prices and if you
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| | have no problems getting a friendly
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| think agents benefit from that higher
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| | neighbour to spill the beans on the
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| commission, that's only true when clients
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| | house, its previous tenants and probably
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| actually think these houses are worth the
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| | things you don't need to know about your
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| price and that isn't always the case.
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| | landlord. Welcome to Thailand!
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| Renting a house in Sukhumvit, Silom or
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| | 2) Air conditioners
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| Sathorn.
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| | Check to see how many rooms have
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| If you are looking to rent a house in the
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| | air-conditioning; and how old the
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| the Sukhumvit, Silom or Sathorn area,
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| | air-conditioners are. If you are looking
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| then the very minimum rental you are
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| | at an older house, chances are it will
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| looking at is 30,000 bht for a BASIC 3
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| | have those big, old blocks that rumble
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| bedroom house. Even then, they are few
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| | every time you turn them on. These old
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| and far between in that range, and more
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| | air-conditioners consume a lot more
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| often than not are above 15 years old,
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| | energy than a new one, and would greatly
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| with dark parquet flooring and lots of
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| | increase your electricity bills. It is
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| wooden built-ins which many people find
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| | also unlikely that the landlord will
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| dark and depressing.
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| | install new air-conditioners for you
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| Most people prefer something a little
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| | unless they are completely dead (even
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| brighter and contemporary. That would
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| | then they will always try to revive the
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| mean newer houses between 1 - 5 years old
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| | monster before even considering replacing
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| and these start around 45,000 bht.
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| | it), so make sure that they are serviced
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| Depending on the location, size, décor,
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| | and cleaned before you move in or if you
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| facilities etc. these can go up to
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| | got a good deal on the rent, invest in
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| anything from 150,000 - 250,000 baht per
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| | some new airconditioners!
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| month. For that price, please do not
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| | 3) Water Pressure
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| accept anything less than a spectacular,
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| | Now this is important. Always check that
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| resort-like villa with a private pool!
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| | there is a water pump. Then check the
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| No, but seriously, you do get what you
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| | water pressure on the upper floors to
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| pay for so be realistic when it comes to
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| | make sure the pump has enough power to
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| expectations and budget. If you want
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| | deliver a decent jet of shower. I've
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| something new and modern but lack the
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| | learnt from experience that size does not
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| budget, then move further away from the
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| | necessarily mean power when it comes to a
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| city centre. Which also means further
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| | water pump, and sometimes a 2nd pump
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| away from the BTS line. Unfortunately, we
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| | needs to be installed to ensure constant
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| cannot have it all and something's gotta
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| | deliverance of water into the house.
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| give.
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| | 4) Telephone lines
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| Generally, if you go further towards the
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| | Again, from experience it is in your best
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| end of the BTS line and beyond i.e. Mo
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| | interest to check the phone lines to make
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| Chit, Phayathai, Phrakanong, On Nut,
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| | sure that 1) you have one and 2) it is
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| Bangna, Srinakarin, Rangsit etc. prices
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| | working, because some areas (and this
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| drop significantly and you get much
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| | includes many areas in the Sukhumvit,
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| better deals which are sometimes worth
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| | Silom and Sathorn) do not have anymore
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| the extra time commuting.
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| | available numbers and you will have to
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| Is it possible to find a house for 15,000
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| | join a looong waiting list to apply for a
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| bht?
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| | new one. Also, older houses above 10
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| Not many agencies deal with houses below
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| | years old tend to be on the old, analog
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| 25,000 bht. Just search the various
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| | system which when faulty, cannot be
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| property website in Thailand and you will
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| | replaced unless the whole area is
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| see that the minimum range for houses are
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| | re-cabled. No telephone lines = no
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| 25,000 - 30,000 bht, where the search
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| | internet. You don't ever want to be
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| usually returns 0 - 5 results. Several
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| | caught in that situation!
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| reasons for that:
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| | 5) Maintenance
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| 1) There are a lot less decent and
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| | Houses within a secured compound will
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| rentable houses at < 25,000 bht than
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| | have what they call "moo baan fee" or
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| there are at say, 50,000 bht.
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| | "community fee" which goes into the
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| 2) If there is, it is usually way out of
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| | maintenance of the estate i.e. security,
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| town, far from any BTS/MRT station.
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| | pool and garden maintenance etc. This is
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| 3) Most people want to live in town,
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| | usually included in the asking rent.
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| close to the city centre, CBD or near a
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| | However, if you try negotiating on the
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| BTS/MRT station.
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| | rent, then more often than not, the
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| 4) Apart from location, houses below
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| | landlord will exclude this from the rent
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| 25,000 bht are usually older (thus old
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| | and make you pay for it, so check to see
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| fashioned) and not very well-maintained,
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| | what your rent includes when you are
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| which makes it very hard to rent.
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| | signing the contract. This ranges between
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| 5) If a house is nice and decent with an
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| | 20 - 45 bht per square metre. Thus, the
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| asking rent of 25,000 bht or less, some
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| | larger your house the more you pay! I
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| agents mark it up!
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| | currently pay 3,500 baht per month for my
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| Thus, it's hard to find nice, decent
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| | "moo baan fee" (I got a 5000 bht
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| houses at 25,000 bht or less...
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| | reduction in rent, so it works out) and
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| Regardless, there are plenty of cheap
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| | we have 24 hour security, a
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| houses as low as 12,000 bht for rent, but
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| | well-maintained common garden and a
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| remember, and I stress again - you get
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| | superb pool that is regularly cleaned, so
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| what you pay for! And most 12,000 bht
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| | I am happy.
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| houses I've seen are usually in serious
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