There should be a point 6.a) about apartment building staff (esp. counter staff and management staff). The hotel/apartment building where I’ve lived for the past 18 months has seen counter staff coming and going. The only counter employee who has been there for a longer time is a gossipy middle-aged woman who likes to insult tenants and spread lies about them. (And those lies and rumours are very serious!) Complaints towards the management didn’t lead to anything, as they need this nasty woman as the only one who speaks English. Other complaints about termites and ants were simply ignored by the management/owners, who are seldom at the building at all. Warning - don’t ever stay at that crappy hotel/apartment building with a two-letter name + ‘Tower’ in the Onnut area.
Thanks for all the very useful information. For the first time I have some understanding of how utilities are figured Only one negative comment: Why on earth is the writer living in Thailand since he apparently has such a low opinion of the Thai people? One can criticize physical surroundings and services without making them personal. My guess is that his home country is not perfect. I have lived in countries other than my own and have always found the saying “When in Rome do as the Romans do” a good guide.
This article is very informative, and it was a pleasure to read. Human interest, for sure!
Regards, Marco.
Hi , I am so glad i read this article , I have been to Thailand twice before but only for a short period of time , now i decided i would like to stay longer and have been doing the whole internet thing , looking for a teaching post . I have had a revelation with this article and i will most certainly be taking your advice and i also now am more sceptical or rather more wary . Thanks for a very informative and enlightning article , will send you more news and keep you posted on my experiences when I get to Thailand.
The author of this article suggests spending as much as possible on creature comforts. Which is what some of my friends do, including one who is earning about 35k and spending 14k a month on rent alone, not including utilities! Sure he has a nice place, but when you’re spending that much there is no room for error in your budgeting. More to the point, what happens when your visa expires and you have to make a border run, and you get to the month of October when you most likely won’t be paid! Just to sweeten his deal, he had to sign a 1 year lease (so he’s stuck, he can’t move anywhere else) and I would imagine that he had to pay 3 months rent as a deposit, this is standard in most places. 3 x 14k = 42k, more than he earns in a month.
My point is, moderation. 10-15% of your salary is what you should be spending for rent. If you’re doing over 20% I’d suggest taking a long hard look at what you’re getting. As a farang in Thailand, there will always be those unexpected expenses coming up to bite you where it hurts. If you’re earning 90k a month, by all means go for 10-15k range of apartments. But if, like me, you’re on a fairly standard salary, stick to the 5k or less.
Better to be comfortable, and financially safe, then in luxury and all but broke. And remember, we’re in Thailand guys and girls. If you’re spending all your hard-earned cash on your room, how are you going to have fun when the holidays come round?
By Alan, Bangkok on 2011-06-26