How to Find an Awesome Apartment in Bangkok

If you're thinking of moving to Bangkok, whether it's for a few months, a year or longer, it's usually prudent to wait until you get here before organizing a permanent place to stay. Many long-term hotels and apartment buildings will charge you a lot more money if you book your apartment while you're still outside the country. Rule of thumb from most expats here is this - book a place for a short stay and plan on organizing a permanent place when you get here.

I moved to Bangkok in September, 2003, and booked a small apartment online for a month, while I was still in the USA. When I got here however, I found my permanent apartment the first day, so moved into it right away, having spent less than 24 hours in Thailand. You may not be so lucky, so allow yourself at least a week to look.

There are many ways to find good apartments in Bangkok. There are plenty of apartment locator services here, you can also search the internet, find a Thai friend to take you to some places, or simply walk the streets.

Walking the Streets

A lot of my friends have found great apartments, just by wandering down streets or sois (small lanes) that look interesting. They've usually decided which part of the city they want to live in, then spent a morning walking down sois in that area and going into any apartment building they like the look of. Thailand is very different than the US, in that most buildings have somebody in the reception area who can show you available apartments right away. They also usually have several to choose from. So find an area in Bangkok that will be convenient for you (especially considering your job, social life plans, how much time you're willing to spend in Bangkok's horrendous traffic etc) and check out the buildings in that area. In most cases, my friends found an apartment the first day they looked. Don't however feel pressured to sign up for the first one you see. It will still be there if you go back in a few hours.

Internet Searches

There are many places you can search online for suitable apartments in Bangkok. Almost all of them are organized by:

Location

Size of Apartment

Price Range

Amenities