Long Term Rentals versus Hotels

This topic would only be of interest to those who visit Thailand routinely for fairly long durations.

I stayed in hotels and short-term condo rentals during my initial 6-8 week holidays, but decided that a long-term arrangement would work out better after the durations of my holidays increased to 6 months per year (two visits per year @ 3 month durations).

Remaining in a short-tern condo rental arrangement for 6 months a year at what I was paying the condo owner at the time cost me an average of 144,000 THB/year (24,000/month X 6 months). If I would have stayed in a hotel for this same duration with a nightly charge of 800 THB/night the monthly charges would have been about the same = 144,000 THB/year.

I was able to negotiate a long-term (annual) room rental for 54,000 THB/year (4,500/month X 12 months). They normally charged 6,000/month for the same room, but discounted this to 4,500 based on an annual lease. The room was 24 M2 w/air-conditioning, clean and well-maintained building, with back porch facing a private lot with lots of mature trees…just perfect. I stayed there for the next 6 years…the annual rent was never increased…and I was within walking distance to Soi Day/Night and Sunee Plaza. If I wouldn’t have decided to buy my own place after retirement I’d probably still be there now.

Short-term renting was costing me 144,000 THB/year, and I was faced with the task of constantly having to pack and unpack heavy suitcases that I was dragging around the globe twice a year (too much fun). Long-term renting (annual) was only costing me 54,000 THB/year and I never had to pack or unpacked a suitcase again. I actually had a customs official at Chicago O’Hare airport ask me once after I had just returned home, why I had been in Thailand for 3 months and was only carrying a paperback book and a half-eaten Snickers bar. I had to explain all of this to him.

The reason I’m taking the time to write about this is because I know many farang who visit Thailand for similar durations who may want to consider their options going forward.

There are many available rooms right now as one would expect – making it a renters market with lots of room for negotiating.

As a side-note: When I rented the long-term room, I had the building owner remove everything inside including the bed and air-conditioning unit that looked like it was manufacturing back during the first World War. I then furnished and set up the quarters to my liking.

Home is what you make it!

Great post Dodger.. There is of course the unquantifiable thing to consider. The mindset of living in a hotel or an apartment.

I'd always choose a hotel for a holiday. I like coming back to a freshly cleaned room with new fluffy towels , little soaps and shampoo vials, reception keeps the key etc etc.

But they also tidy up* and move things around, don't make the bed quite the way I ike it, leave door and balcony slider open so mosquitoes can come in. For a month it's ok but it could become a thing. I lived in an apartment hotel here for a year and after a while it felt very unprivate.

Having said that my hotel in Pattaya is awesome so I'd stay there and if I couldn't go out I'm 100% sure they'd go to the nearby Family Mart for me..


*Staying in a boutique hotel in Siem Reap I asked to move from a poolside room to one on the first floor. Then I went out. Upon my return they had moved all of my things to the new room. But what was really surprising was that everything was EXACTLY in the same position. They must have taken a photograph.

I have been going to Pattaya for about 17 years and usually stay for 3 months over the Uk winter plus another month in the summer.

On my first trip I stayed in an hotel for a few weeks and soon made my mind up that I wanted a condo. So ever since I have stayed in a 40 sq metre studio room. I couldn’t stay in a 24 sq metre room for any length of time...too small for me!

The rent includes weekly cleaning, change of bedding, electric and water. I was a little pissed off last winter when they made no reduction in rent when other places were going to a song. So I’m looking elsewhere for this winter trip, but it won’t be a hotel, with all the daily cleaning and bed making interruptions.

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Originally Posted by gerefan2

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I couldn’t stay in a 24 sq metre room for any length of time...too small for me!

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I agree.

My lifestyle back then was so much different - and I wasn't spending all that much time in my room.. I spent all day out at the beach and massage parlors, etc. - and evenings out at the bars and karaoke's. The only thing I really needed in my room when I returned in the evenings was a bed and a shower. I knew my lifestyle would be much different when I retired and I would need more elbow room, thus the reason I moved.

If I had it to do again, I'd rent a larger room...32 M2 would work fine...50 would be better.

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Originally Posted by gerefan2

...but it won’t be a hotel, with all the daily cleaning and bed making interruptions.

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I need room service only every few days. I would hang the sign "do not disturb" outside my door. Actually I'm staying in cheap places that don't have such a sign, but do room service only on request.

Before Covid, I used to spend about 9 months of the year in Thailand and kept renting a room throughout the year. I did put my stuff in storage for absence of 5 months twice, but find it too much trouble for my soul and body (pack and carry to nearby place all my own) to warrant the saving in money.

Its to everyones own liking. However-this is for Pattaya with a serious giant oversupply in such condoś/rooms. Also there is a substantial subrent system based on nationality-Belgians rent to Belgians only etc. It could probably also work in ChiangMai.
Situation in BKK-where I tend to stay mostly, is different from that, also the prices.
In my experience any thai building-be it house, hotel/guesthse, condo or whatever has a tendency to fall apart much sooner as such buildings in the west-or the maintenance is so bad or non-existant that is the cause. So after a few years of happy staying in some place standards get too low and you have to search for another satisfying place. Or the owners are quicker and the building is not there anymore after 8 monthes-torn down and sold off.