Long Term Rentals versus Hotels

[Dodger]

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!

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