Moving to Bangkok

[Guest]

Way to go Ozzie
Having recently finished my 6 month ''road test'' I am eagerly awaiting the next one Unlike you, my time was pure unadulterated hedonistic pleasure and I would never have been able to work during those times.
I'll be back again soon enough to have a frew more beers with you, last time I saw you I was about to carry Jane to my motor bike from Jenny Star Bar

Congratulations Mate

[Guest]

(ShockToe @ Mar. 25 2007,19:51)

(ozzie @ Mar. 25 2007,16:22) I actually am only intending to stay for 12-18 months.

I'm sure you've probably sorted it out already but if not, do be aware that there are requirements for a visa for a long term stay. On a tourist visa exemption, aka 30-day stamp, you can now only stay 90 days within a 180 day period. A multiple-entry Non-Immigrant B visa, which requires that you leave the country every 90 days, might be the best option?

All sorted mate. You can also get a Tourist visa stay 60 days, extend for 30 days without leaving and then do 3 x 30 day entry permit. Then do it all again. Not ideal but will give me a chance to see surrounding countries also.

I will also come back to Australia from time to time.

[Guest]

(pentire @ Mar. 25 2007,20:02) Way to go Ozzie
Having recently finished my 6 month ''road test'' I am eagerly awaiting the next one  Unlike you, my time was pure unadulterated hedonistic pleasure and I would never have been able to work during those times.
I'll be back again soon enough to have a frew more beers with you, last time I saw you I was about to carry Jane to my motor bike from Jenny Star Bar  

Congratulations Mate  

Ah yes I almost remember that night

[Guest]

Ozzie,
Here is my list of things to consider when you hit the ground in Bangkok.

** Location, Location, Location €“ How far away is the nearest BTS skytrain station, MRTA subway station, expressway entrance, hospital, international school, supermarket, mini-mart, restaurant, pub, and park? Are they within walking distance? How easy is it to get a taxi? What is the rest of the neighbourhood like?

** Price €“ What's the rent and is it negotiable? Do you get a discount if you sign a long-term lease? Are you required to leave a deposit and how easy is it to get it back when you leave? What are the electricity and water charges? Are there frequent rate increases, late fees and charges for additional guests? For example, will you get charged extra if your favourite ladyboy decides to come and stay with you for two months?

** Decor €“ Are you happy with the apartment's decor and can you re-decorate it yourself if you so desire? Some residences may not allow you to change the interior design of the rooms. So make sure to ask before you start drilling holes in the wall to hang up photos of Mint's dick.

** The Lobby €“ A lobby says a lot about the residence. And because it's the first thing people see when they enter and the last thing they see when they are leaving; it is worth taking into consideration.

** Facilities €“ Does the property have its own restaurant, fitness centre, swimming pool, spa, and business centre? What are their operating hours? Are they free for residents and, if not, how much will it cost you to use them? Is the equipment new, does everything work, and how crowded do they get?

** View €“ Views can make or break any apartment, which is why great views come at a premium.

** Natural Lighting €“ How much natural light does the exposure and windows provide and is it enough to fill the entire apartment during the daytime?

** Service & Friendliness €“ Do things operate in a timely and orderly fashion? Are the staff polite and helpful? Can they speak English and are you easily understood? How long does it take to get your requests filled? Is the GM visibly on the premises and easily accessible.

** Cleanliness €“ No need for a white glove or a magnifying glass but you might ask how often the rubbish is taken away.

** Upkeep €“ Is the outside of the property well maintained? Take a walk around: all the way around. How often does the exterminator come? How often are the air-conditioners serviced?

** Security €“ Are security guards, doormen and front desk personnel on duty 24-hours and do they stay awake? How easily can non-tenants gain access to the residential floors? Are there key card locks and CCTV?

** Housekeeping €“ Is housekeeping included in the rent and, if not, how much does it cost? Also, how often will they come, what will they do while they are there, and how thorough are they?

** Pets €“ Do you plan to bring your big, smelly, English sheep dog into an executive serviced apartment where the cheapest room goes for 100,000 baht per month? Ask first, because some posh places politely say "no" to life with Lassie.

** Telephone, ADSL, Cable/Satellite TV €“ Find out what the serviced apartment has in the way of telephones, internet and television and whether or not you need to pay extra for it. For private telephone lines, find out what the baht per minute charge is. For high-speed internet access, test it out first to see how fast it really is. With cable/satellite TV, make sure you can get all your favourite channels and ask if the signal is affected during rainstorms.

** Storage €“ Does the property provide additional storage space available for big, bulky items like bikes or your favourite over-sized, hard-shell suitcase?

** Special requests €“ How far will management go to keep you happy? A good way to gauge this is by seeing how willing they are to grant your special requests.

** Square Metres €“ Once you get all your stuff moved in and add your own personal touches, will the apartment be big enough to keep you from going crazy during the rainy season?

** Closets €“ Does the apartment have ample closet space? Can it accommodate all of your clothes and the items you wish to store? Insufficient closet space can easily undermine an otherwise great residence.

** Garden & Playground €“ Many residences that cater to families with children normally maintain a garden and/or children's playground area.

** Utilities €“ Check to make sure there is hot water in the shower/bathtub as well as all the sinks. Visit the apartment at night to find out whether the lighting is sufficient.

** Laundry €“ Does the property provide washing machines/dryers in the rooms or do they have a laundry room? How much is the laundry service?

Okay i am sure there is more but its a start. Hope that helps and be sure to ask questions and dont be in a hurry to rent something as there is a huge amount of stock. I did find a pleasant New Zealand guy in a real Estate office on Sukhumvit Road bewteen Soi 22 and Soi 24 just before you get to the park and the Emporium shopping Centre. He has a list of apartments owned by foreigners which may help when trying to get your deposit back. The only problem is most of his stock is based in and around Sukhumvit which is really expensive compared to the rest of Bangkok. If you are prepared to travel a little bit you can save a lot in rent. You will also learn alot about Bangkok and Thai people simply by going through the process. Good luck. Newcumer

[Guest]

Thanks mate appreciate any and all advice. I am not new to Thailand but new to this. I speak a bit of Thai and will have a native Thai person with me whilst I look so hopefully I will not be ripped off too much.

Owe you are a couple of beers if we ever meet up.

[Guest]

No worries Ozzie, see in June/July. I will be there for the Asian/ World Soccer Cup Qualifiers.Having the advice of an honest Thai will be an asset. Good luck!

[Snick]

and important for you,

do you have your own phone line ?

is it TAT, CAT or True ?

can you get internet installed ?, how fast a connection, etc..

In general you want True, they have the newest lines and best connection.

BUT many buildings have the phone line in their name, and THEY NEED TO APPLY for DSL NOT YOU.

Get it sorted out before signing/paying anything

[harvey]

cheers ozzie and good luck to ya mate I have no doubt you will settle in noicely

[kahuna]

And am I to understand you have already enlisted the services of
a well-known Obsessions apartment locator...

[jaime24]

Cheers for the info Ozzie as to your circumstances, & when im hopefully back in BKK around August/September hopefully!! i'll have to say thanks with a beer or 2

[Guest]

Thanks for the advice also Snick.

You are welcome Jaime24 and look me up when you are in town.

Kahuna mate, news travels quickly. What better way to look for an apartment than with a sexy ladyboy on your arm, especially one who speaks great English and is about as trustworthy as you will find in Nana plaza.

[stogie bear]

There is some great advice on this thread...

Don't forget that apartments make their money from re-selling utility charges, so make sure you know the meter rate for the water and electric and phone as it will NOT be the same as buying directly from the supplier.

A dedicated phoneline is important (actually vital) if you are working from home. But the phone company and the apartment complex will both charge you a lot for the installation. (That's if the apartment are willing to do it and that's if the phone company are willing to spare you a line and install it. (DON'T take the apartment's word for it (they'l say anything to get you to sign a lease!) - CHECK with the phone company first and make them test the line for DSL access... you may have a weak signal or dirty lines.)

You may want to consider a house eventually as this will save you a fortune in bills.

Also - what is the procedure and how long is the wait regarding the return of your deposit? They will make this very difficult and complicated as they won't want to refund your money. Also they will shave off most of it in supposed 'wear & tear' so you will have to negotiate hard to get all your money back.

Having a Thai person with you is invaluable. Well done for doing that... but what she thinks is a great crib won't be what you think is even habitable so make sure she knows what you want before she puts together a list of prospective properties.

Everyone is different... you may want privacy and lots of space... you may just want a room to sleep off your hangovers and get laid in. Kids and the smell of food may not bother you but it may make you crazy. As was mentioned before location is important... do you want to spend the next 18 months on top of the action near Nana Plaza or do you want to distance yourself from it?

The cost of living in central Bangkok in any degree of comfort is high. Then again you can get a room further down the BTS line for a lot less...

All in all (like some savvy poster mentioned) you'll learn more about Thais when you are looking for an apartment than you will on all the holidays you've been on here in the past!

So get ready for a lot of frustration, outright lies and multiple rip offs... and that's just trying to rent an apartment!

[diablo80]

Ozzie,

the most important question is where (area) do you want to live in Bangkok and how much you would like to spend. I can talk to you about a couple of some very good deals...

Diablo Le Grec

p.s. Welcome to the LBs Paradise...

[Road Runner]

(stogie bear @ Mar. 27 2007,10:34) The cost of living in central Bangkok in any degree of comfort is high. Then again you can get a room further down the BTS line for a lot less...

Stogie makes several very good points.

To expand on what he says about living further out. The price of property/rents drops noticeably from Ekkami BTS station onwards.

Herself's apartment is in Soi 71 - where you can find several other ladyboys living
This is handy for Phrankhanong or On Nut BTS
Near to On Nut there are several new apartment buildings being built.

Getting to one of these three stations in a taxi is easy as you can chose the best one to miss the traffic jams.

Even going by taxi to Nana takes only 20-25 minutes and about 80 Baht from On Nut when the traffic is slow.
When it's good we have done it in 15 minutes.

RR.

[Guest]

Wow , i will be interested to hear how things go with the apartment hunting and you apartment finder , i May have to grab her next time im looking for a new place if she gets the job done . Last time i was apartment hunting , the LB i was with said after looking at 2 places this will do im tired i dont want to look anymore LOL , so i got stuck with a reasonable place which i feel is a little bit overpriced .

Also news on the Visa front ( well how it has recently been explained to me by a guy who owns a company which does tourist and border visa runs ) its not a 180 day period its actually 6 month period which is more like 183 days on average , and well each visa is actually a day shorter than you think as the day you get the enter the country counts as day 1 , so you wil have to get a new visa either 59 days or 29 days later .

So that give you 59 ( tourist visa ) + 29 Tourist extension + 29 X 3 ( border stamps ) which is 175 , so doing the math 183 - 175 means you a 8 days short , so need 8 days out of thailand every 6 months or else find a plauseable reason to get a 7 day extension somewhere ( which will be 6 days ) and then spend 2 night out of country , 1 of which will mostly likely happen when you get a new tourist visa anyways .

Its just like a episode of SOAP really .