Neil McDonough

A palace for one

Quality one-bedroom Bangkok condos and apartments to rent


Of course many expats move to Bangkok with their spouse or family. In those cases they are looking for a 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom or even 4-bedroom accommodation. Perhaps they are even looking for a house.

However, many teachers arrive in Bangkok on their own. Perhaps they have been teaching in another part of Thailand and fancy giving the big mango a try. Or perhaps they are serial expats, and have been teaching in Korea, China or elsewhere and Thailand had just been chosen to be part of their latest adventure. Whatever the background is, it is unusual for a single teacher to look for a property larger than a one-bedroom.

I have avoided referring to studios here as a way to demonstrate what great value is available whilst still having the luxury of a separate living area, kitchen and bedroom. The expansion of the metro system between the BTS and MRT has meant that getting around town is so much easier and faster than it once was. Now locations such as Bang Na, Lat Prao and even Thonburi do not feel that far away, where once they appeared to be unreachable for those living in areas like central Sukhumvit. This expansion has also led to the growth of modern, practical an well designed condos an apartments and the focus has been on producing studio and one-bedroom units.

Not that long ago - 6-7 years in fact - it was actually hard to find a quality, luxurious, but well priced one-bedroom condo within walking distance, or even reasonable motorbike ride of a BTS or MRT station. The city did of course have plenty of accommodation, but in the city center it fell into one of two categories.
It was either very cheap or very small and quite unappealing for most westerners.

I am of course talking about the Thai-style apartment blocks which offer 16-20sqm studio rooms, very few facilities and often quite a bit of noise, and even creepy crawlies - not overpleasant for the newly arrived English teacher.

The second type was large, almost palatial with 2, 3 or 4 bedrooms. With huge rooms, often a lot of built-in wooden furniture (not modern) and the building would offer a swimming pool, car-parking, a gym etc. However with all that room and access to the BTS etc the costs were high. This type of accommodation was mainly the reserve of well-paid expats on contracts from their respective countries. There just seemed to be no middle-ground.

There were of course plenty of westerners out there who did not want to live in Thai style accommodation, that would perhaps not even pass building standards back in their own countries. They had more than THB 2-5 000/month to spend and were willing to spend it if the right accommodation existed. However they did not need a 150sqm 2-bedroom condo or an apartment in town costing THB 30-40 000/month.

It's quite amazing really that it took Thai developers so long to realize this market was out there. And when one looks around town now and sees so many fantastic, well-designed, well-located and excellently appointed condominiums and apartments brimming with happy residents mostly housing studio and one-bedroom units, it is hard to imagine how the city functioned without them. I mean it begs the question - 'Where did all these tens of thousands of expats live before?'

So what are some of the best ones on the market today? Well the choice is excellent and if I was to list all the excellent one-bedroom properties out there, it would never end. So here are just a few to whet the appetite. The only factor that has guided me in my choice is to try and cover East, South and North of Bangkok's city center.

The Wyne in Phrakanong some would refer to this as a partitioned studio and not a true one-bedroom, given its size. However this offers excellent value, is brand new and the structure of the building gives it a quirky character. Just a few minute's walk from the BTS.

The Kensington in Bearing one of the most up and coming areas in Bangkok. A great place to invest and to live, especially if you are a teacher. Loads of international and local schools near-by. Yes the units are only 32sqm, but feel 5-10sqm bigger than that. The design and use of space has to be seen to be believed.

The Pulse Lat Phrao great value condos within walking distance of the MRT station. You can really get value for money in Lat Phrao.

One of our favourites over the River. Villa Sathorn great quality, huge condos and could not be closer to the BTS. With 40 storeys too, there is a chance you'll get an excellent river view.


Neil McDonough is a Director of EasyHomes Property Services Co., Ltd. which specializes in renting and selling Bangkok residential and commercial property to expats. You can contact him directly with any questions or queries relating to Thai real estate




Comments

"worst of all just soo many Thai people"

Uhmm.... I wonder why that is ?

I've just moved into a small newish 1 bedroom at On Nut that has much better storage than a friends place that is older and nearly twice the size and rent.

By another Michael, On Nut (16th October 2013)

Would be nice to get the authors reply on the above to comments ^^. I also agree that the locations mentioned is scrappy to say the least

By Peter, BKK (15th October 2013)

I generally agree with the first reply although i certainly wouldn't agree that some of these areas are ghetto's. I've been to slums around the world and they are certainly not like these areas. The areas you mention are just normal Thai districts-the same as all over Thailand.
I agree that the quality of new condos has significantly improved. I too have noticed that the space saving designs are very effective compared to older units and make them appear much bigger given their size. I would certainly not write off a small one bedroom unit these days based on it's size.
However, your article seems to suggest that this is all to cater for the expat market. True, plenty of expats buy units in new developments but so do Thai's and probably significantly more. I think it has just been a natural evolution of the Thai property market to cater for this demand and adapt according to the requirements of buyers.
I had a slight chuckle when you said Bearing was 'one of the most up and coming areas in Bangkok' -please. The area around Bearing is a dirty, boring dump. Yes, there are some new condos that have been built there -so what. I wouldn't recommend to anyone to live there.
I used to live in Prakanong. Yes, there's quite a few expats that live around there but in is not very clean and smells from all the klongs that are there, that's why i left. There are better areas to live than here. I have not lived in Lat Phrao but it is a very busy area so likely to be of poor air quality. I would recommend On Nut as a good affordable area to live. It's predominantly a Thai area of course but now there are significant numbers of expats living here, drawn by the good quality affordable accommodation and good facilities. When i came here the skytrain stopped at On Nut. The other day i went for a look at the areas around all the other stops to Bearing. When i got back to On Nut i was extremely glad. This is the first stop that has a busy city buzz to it and modern, convenient facilities: Night markets, Tesco, Big C, good restaurants, coffee shops etc.
The other day i was around Ari for a short time -this seemed a nice area. I'm sure there are plenty of other good spots around the city that i don't know but i wouldn't recommend these areas you suggest. Where you choose to live should not only be decided by your condo -are you going to live in your room all the time?

By Kevin, Bangkok (14th October 2013)

While I realize my comment probably wont get published as you are not allowed to criticize anything in this country I will go ahead and post it regardless. Im sorry but this is a BAD article. Imagine new comers to Thailand reading this article thinking...ill just go get a one bedroom in Phrakanong, Lat Phrao or Bearing. Those places are nothing short, of what we call in the western world, Ghetto or Township. Its ugly, its dirty, noisy, poor, and worst of all just soo many Thai people. No! you an find a nice one bedroom anywhere in the city you just have to look!! They charging about 15k pm for a one bedroom in disgusting Phrakanong. You can get a TWO bedroom 130sqm, 500 meters from Phrom Phong or Asoke BTS, which is much more western, and so much nicer. For less than 20k pm. Why go live in the slum. Its sad to see so many foreigners going backwards in Thailand. #RejectsOfTheWorld

By Michael, bangkok (13th October 2013)

Post your comment

Comments are moderated and will not appear instantly.

Featured Jobs

Teacher of Mathematics

฿94,500+ / month

Bangkok


Primary Teacher / Early Years Teacher

฿45,000+ / month

Bangkok


NES English, Math and Science Teachers

฿60,000+ / month

Bangkok


English, Science and Math Teachers

฿42,300+ / month

Thailand


Nursery & Kindergarten Teachers

฿45,000+ / month

Bangkok


Whole School EAL Teacher

฿60,000+ / month

Bangkok


Featured Teachers

  • Elna


    Filipino, 31 years old. Currently living in Philippines

  • Stephen


    British, 73 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Artem


    Russian, 34 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Barry


    Australian, 60 years old. Currently living in Thailand

  • Chris


    American, 36 years old. Currently living in USA

  • Tanwie


    Cameroonian, 31 years old. Currently living in Thailand

The Hot Spot


The cost of living

The cost of living

How much money does a teacher need to earn in order to survive in Thailand? We analyze the facts.


Contributions welcome

Contributions welcome

If you like visiting ajarn.com and reading the content, why not get involved yourself and keep us up to date?


Teacher mistakes

Teacher mistakes

What are the most common mistakes that teachers make when they are about to embark on a teaching career in Thailand? We've got them all covered.


Air your views

Air your views

Got something to say on the topic of teaching, working or living in Thailand? The Ajarn Postbox is the place. Send us your letters!


The Region Guides

The Region Guides

Fancy working in Thailand but not in Bangkok? Our region guides are written by teachers who actually live and work in the provinces.


Need Thailand insurance?

Need Thailand insurance?

Have a question about health or travel insurance in Thailand? Ricky Batten from Pacific Prime is Ajarn's resident expert.


Will I find work in Thailand?

Will I find work in Thailand?

It's one of the most common questions we get e-mailed to us. So find out exactly where you stand.


The dreaded demo

The dreaded demo

Many schools ask for demo lessons before they hire. What should you the teacher be aware of?