Low budget Apartments in Bangkok for Pattaya getaways?

I am an expat in Jomtien but find I like going to Bangkok often. Happy to live in Jomtien but I think I would go to Bangkok more if I didn't have to pay for hotels.

So I had an idea. How about renting a local style apartment in Bangkok to go there for maybe 10 days every month?

So if the apartment was 5K baht a month thats 60K per year. much cheaper than a hotel for that many days.

Is anyone here doing such a thing, have ideas about, or have specific suggestions for ways to find such an apartment?

My other idea is finding another expat to share the apartment with as it would be free for 20 days out of each month.

Good idea? Bad idea? BTW, I am not talking about a nice apartment. More like the type of place a Thai clerk at 7/11 would rent. Not worried about the theft aspect as there would be nothing in there but a bed and basic furniture.

I am an expat in Jomtien but find I like going to Bangkok often. Happy to live in Jomtien but I think I would go to Bangkok more if I didn't have to pay for hotels.

So I had an idea. How about renting a local style apartment in Bangkok to go there for maybe 10 days every month?

So if the apartment was 5K baht a month thats 60K per year. much cheaper than a hotel for that many days.

Is anyone here doing such a thing, have ideas about, or have specific suggestions for ways to find such an apartment?

My other idea is finding another expat to share the apartment with as it would be free for 20 days out of each month.

Good idea? Bad idea? BTW, I am not talking about a nice apartment. More like the type of place a Thai clerk at 7/11 would rent. Not worried about the theft aspect as there would be nothing in there but a bed and basic furniture.

At left hand side of Central Complex, Silom there is a small Soi with some large apartment houses. From most apartments you look directly to Central Complex back entrance.

There usually have some very nice furnished condos or apartments available, for 12 k BT monthly up. They usually looking for rentals contracts of 6 month or more ....

Somewhat more expensive are condos or apartments on Saladeang Soi 1. Just go round and ask. Some are simply stunning but not above 25 k TBT monthly.

Saladaeng is a good area. Totally central but not too noisy.

Thanks but if I was going to spend 12 or 25K baht a month I would be better off in a hotel like Pinnacle.
I suppose I need to chat up some Thai boys in Bangkok who actually live in the kinds of places I am talking about. I met one who was paying 3000 baht a month and he said it was really nice, but too far away for me (near Khao San Road) so I figure I would have to pay more for location. Location wise I think upper Sukhumwit close enough to Skytrain would be ideal. Or even Saphan Kwai area.

I am really talking about a room with no aircon, no kitchen, and maybe even a Thai toilet (yuck). Not a place to live in full time or a place I would want to live in full time.

Check the ads in the Bangkok post. There are quite a few lower cost apartments there but be careful and if possible take a thai friend to check them out. Be prepared to put up with laundry and cooking being done on the balcony's. Nicer apartments abound tho so don't settle on the first you see.

[llz]

This link could be of some interest :
www.lookthai.com/eng/aptmap/taptflm.htm (http://www.lookthai.com/eng/aptmap/taptflm.htm)

This link could be of some interest :
www.lookthai.com/eng/aptmap/taptflm.htm (http://www.lookthai.com/eng/aptmap/taptflm.htm)
Thanks very much!
That link is excellent. Could be a real adventure trying this out.

... and the low-end Sois (Petchburi 5 in particular) have basic rooming houses; not sure what the prices are these days. It's also relatively near BTS. A friend who lived there once told me there were quite a few girls from Patpong there - but he never ran across any boys!

I always like "slumming". Actually, the Pradiphat area sounds most interesting. So much Thai oriented gay night life there, it would be interesting to mix in the native elements.

The Tarntawan Place hotel has down-market apartments for rent just round the corner in Soi Thantawan (nearly opposite where Tawan bar is). I think some of them may even be unfurnished. Don't know the going rates but Lucas or the office in the hotel will be able to let you have them. I do know of a farang who became down on his luck and rented an apartment there for some time at quite a low rent (I think about 7000 or 8000 Baht a month - that was a few years ago) until he was able to sort himself out.

[DJB0Y-old]

You can try Orchid Apartment in Suan Plu Soi 6 (all the way at the end of the soi, turn left down a sub soi and its the last building on the left hand side). It's tucked away behind the Sukhothai hotel but you have to enter from Suan Plu Soi 6 and go all the way around.

You can probably find a small furnished room with a nice western toilet there for less than 3,000 baht per month. The rooms are quite small, but may be just what you are looking for.

They rent mostly to Thai students.

They don't have a web site and I don't have a phone number. It books up fast but also has a large turnover.

[TrongpaiExpat]

I guess what your suggesting is a condo/house swap between a Pattaya resident and a Bangkok resident?

Many Bangkok resident take trips to Pattaya from time to time and likewise I guess some Pattaya residents like to make trips to Bangkok. Also, it does not have to be limited to just Pattaya and Bangkok.

Maybe, a new forum can be created listing swaps?

The Tarntawan Place hotel has down-market apartments for rent just round the corner in Soi Thantawan (nearly opposite where Tawan bar is). I think some of them may even be unfurnished. Don't know the going rates but Lucas or the office in the hotel will be able to let you have them. I do know of a farang who became down on his luck and rented an apartment there for some time at quite a low rent (I think about 7000 or 8000 Baht a month - that was a few years ago) until he was able to sort himself out.

Very good, clean and easy: UK Manion, Silom Soi 6 = Soi Tantawan (next to the BKk Christan Hospital. About 8 500 TBT per month plus utility fees.

The Tarntawan Place hotel has down-market apartments for rent just round the corner in Soi Thantawan (nearly opposite where Tawan bar is). I think some of them may even be unfurnished. Don't know the going rates but Lucas or the office in the hotel will be able to let you have them. I do know of a farang who became down on his luck and rented an apartment there for some time at quite a low rent (I think about 7000 or 8000 Baht a month - that was a few years ago) until he was able to sort himself out.

Very good, clean and easy: UK Manion, Silom Soi 6 = Soi Tantawan (next to the BKk Christan Hospital. About 8 500 TBT per month plus utility fees.


Dear ttom,

I am fairly sure Snowcat is referring to the alley immediately off SURIWONGSE next to Tarntawan Hotel,I've seen the place, it is facing Tawan almost and the Soi is opposite the Tawana Ramada Hotel.

Maybe, its the same soi!!

The Tarntawan Place hotel has down-market apartments for rent just round the corner in Soi Thantawan (nearly opposite where Tawan bar is). I think some of them may even be unfurnished. Don't know the going rates but Lucas or the office in the hotel will be able to let you have them. I do know of a farang who became down on his luck and rented an apartment there for some time at quite a low rent (I think about 7000 or 8000 Baht a month - that was a few years ago) until he was able to sort himself out.

Very good, clean and easy: UK Manion, Silom Soi 6 = Soi Tantawan (next to the BKk Christan Hospital. About 8 500 TBT per month plus utility fees.


Dear ttom,

I am fairly sure Snowcat is referring to the alley immediately off SURIWONGSE next to Tarntawan Hotel,I've seen the place, it is facing Tawan almost and the Soi is opposite the Tawana Ramada Hotel.

Maybe, its the same soi!!

Hello Kevin,

It's the same Soi but a totally different accomodation, nothing to do with Tarntawan (which is actually just behind.
UK Mansion is very well maintained and clean, good security. There are about 48 rooms with many long staying guests. It is also very gay friendly.
Actually Dee's Silom is next to it and a very popolar place for proper Thai food.
From Thanon Silom you're facing the building. Where the Soi wings left (if you pass on directly you might end up in X Boom bar) and just sharp around the UK-Mansion building the Soi is turning right again you will pass the Mango Tree (tourist rip off) but ending straigh on infront of Ramada Hotel on Thanon Suriwong.

In 2000 I moved my office very close to this area.

I guess what your suggesting is a condo/house swap between a Pattaya resident and a Bangkok resident?

Many Bangkok resident take trips to Pattaya from time to time and likewise I guess some Pattaya residents like to make trips to Bangkok. Also, it does not have to be limited to just Pattaya and Bangkok.

Maybe, a new forum can be created listing swaps?
Actually I wasn't suggesting that at all, but it is an idea I have thought about, but it is problematical. I think you would have to have a level of trust with the other person to let them stay in your primary home, especially considering so many people who holiday in Pattaya are constantly bringing back new sex partners.

I would like to spend about 10 days every month in Bangkok and thought renting a local style room would be a way to do that. It also occurred to me that if another farang wanted to use it, we could split the rent and just communicate with each other to coordinate the days in and out, it would become almost ridiculously cheap, which in my book, ain't a bad thing. I don't think sharing such a "pit" would be too stressful because nothing of great value would be left there.

Perhaps if I do go through with this idea, I will post details about the place and perhaps someone might be interested in sharing it. Or not. Its encouraging to note that you can commit for 4 months rather than a year at some places.

Dear ttom,

I am fairly sure Snowcat is referring to the alley immediately off SURIWONGSE next to Tarntawan Hotel,I've seen the place, it is facing Tawan almost and the Soi is opposite the Tawana Ramada Hotel.

Maybe, its the same soi!!
The place I am thinking of is about 20 metres up on the left hand side of the (Tawan bar) Soi as you turn into it off Suriwongse.

Dear ttom,

I am fairly sure Snowcat is referring to the alley immediately off SURIWONGSE next to Tarntawan Hotel,I've seen the place, it is facing Tawan almost and the Soi is opposite the Tawana Ramada Hotel.

Maybe, its the same soi!!
The place I am thinking of is about 20 metres up on the left hand side of the (Tawan bar) Soi as you turn into it off Suriwongse.

Yes, there are some rooms too. They look pretty runned down but you can never tell from the outside.

Opposite Tawan bar behind behind the T-junction infont of Ramada Hotel there are some Thai style apartments who are sometimes also frequented by short timers. I doubt they will ask for more than 3 000 TBT monthly but for sure – you will get what you’re paying for. You might need to buy your own air-con ....

The owner of Tawan bar, an elderly gentleman, is usually sitting at the bar entrance next from around 21 hrs onwards. Allow yourself some time for some small talk and ask him about accommodation near Soi Tarntawan. As one of the veterans of Bangkok gay nightlife he knows the area very well. And he is trustworthy

Take into consideration the utility costs which can run up to a nasty surprise. They vary often substantially.

I am really talking about a room with no aircon, no kitchen, and maybe even a Thai toilet (yuck). Not a place to live in full time or a place I would want to live in full time.

Have you considered a cardboard box under Pra Phin Klao bridge Dear?

I am really talking about a room with no aircon, no kitchen, and maybe even a Thai toilet (yuck). Not a place to live in full time or a place I would want to live in full time.

Have you considered a cardboard box under Pra Phin Klao bridge Dear?
Not familiar with that bridge. Are they nice boxes?
Everyone is a comedian. When you live in Thailand, there is no need to spend as if you are a two week millionaire. But the more I think about it, aircon and a western toilet would be good. Anyway, not talking about a primary residence; rather a getaway pad.