| 1.
What are standard lease terms in Thailand? |
| Normally
the lease terms are 1 year. You can sometimes
negotiate a lease for more than a year to get a
better rental rate or some other concessions from
the landlord. Leases for less than a year
are the exception, most landlords are reluctant
to enter shorter term agreements. If you do
require shorter term accommodations, serviced apartments
are an ideal solution, with monthly or weekly rates. |
 |
|
| 2.
What deposit is normally required? |
Normally
the landlord will ask for two months deposit and
a month paid in advance. This means that you pay
3 months rent by the time you move in, and then
at the beginning of each following month.
You may have heard of deals with only one month
deposit, but these are rare, and getting harder
to find as the economy recovers and buildings begin
to fill. |
|
|
| 3.
What is "Booking money"?
|
| Booking
money is part of your deposit that is paid
when you want to reserve an apartment and begin
the contract process. It is usually non refundable,
but as we said it does go toward the deposit money. |
|
|
| 4.
What is a Serviced Apartment? |
| A serviced
apartment is best described as a cross between a
hotel and an apartment. You get a suite and
a kitchenette. In a hotel-like building, with
all the amenities of a hotel including daily maid
service. You need only bring your own clothes,
all linen, kitchenware and appliances are provided.
Serviced apartments tend to cater to the singles
and couples with studios, one and two bedroom accommodations.
Typically you can lease monthly or any period you
require. |
|
|
| 5.
What furnishings are standard in an apartment? |
| Most apartments
are fully furnished and have major kitchen appliances.
However, they are not equipped with linen, or kitchenware.
Although some apartments may also provide kitchenware
on a case by case basis. |
|
|
| 6.
What taxes am I subject to pay for rentals? |
| Thailand
does not charge any resident taxes. Any property
rented to a private individual is free from VAT
(Value Added Tax). Properties rented to a
company are subject to 7% VAT. Any apartment
building that charges service as a separate billing
item must collect 7% VAT, however this case rarely
arises except for serviced apartments. |
|
|
| 7.
Does the law protect me as a tenant? |
| Your
major protection is obtained through your contract
agreement. Without a solid contract, you are
at some risk. The wheels of justice turn very
slowly in Thailand and any legal action can take
years to go to court and to resolve. This is where
we can help. Because we represent many tenants
of the landlord we have negotiating power with the
landlord and can help to resolve any disputes.
Also we will never place you with landlords that
we know have not been able to deal with disputes.
You are our priority, not the landlord. |
|
|
| 8.
Are
there areas of Bangkok that I should avoid?
|
Bangkok is
a very safe city by international standards. But
like any city, there can be some areas that are less secure
than others. Generally, if you are in a "farang"
(foreigner) area, you are very safe. If you choose
to rent in some of the lower income areas, servicing local
workers, you would be wise to check with us or trusted
locals to ensure that area will provide you with a living
environment that you are comfortable with.
There is another consideration, in choosing a living location...
Traffic!! Bangkok is a maze of one way streets and
dead ends. Choosing a location that is poorly situated
relative to your work can cost dearly in travel time,
cutting into your valuable free time. We can help
make sure that we minimize your time spent in transit
by locating properties that are easily accessible to your
work place. |
|
|
| 9.
What areas are best for access to international schools?
|
| Bangkok has
several top quality international schools servicing the
families of visiting executives and diplomats. These
are located around the city and each has its specialties
in servicing different levels of education from Montessori
and preschool to university. The selection
of a school is an important choice that you must make.
We cannot recommend any particular institute as it is
really a choice you must make. We can however tell
you that most of our customers use the international schools
on Sukhumvit 49 , Soi Ruam Ridee and Sukhumvit 15 depending
on your chosen school we can help located a living location
that is suitable. |
|
|
| 10.
I travel a lot. What areas are best to access the airport?
|
| To get to
the airport you will want to find accommodations situated
close to the expressways that pass through the city.
Most traffic congestion occurs on city streets not on
the expressways. You should consider locations such
as the low numbered sois (lanes) on Sukhumvit,or odd numbered
sois between 23 and 55, additionally some locations near
Rama 4 road are also good. We remind you that due
to the numerous one-way streets and hidden shortcuts some
locations only one soi apart may be quite different in
their accessibility to the expressways. We can help you
find the perfect spot that makes your life getting to
the airport easier and painless. |
|
|
| 11.
I
heard everything is negotiable in Thailand, does that include
rents? |
| Yes, you
can negotiate on rents. As with everything in a free market
economy, the final price is a function of supply and demand.
There are a number of factors that influence how much
you can negotiate, including: the building management,
the number of available units, the term of the lease and your
company profile in the marketplace. Generally the
longer the term of the lease the more the landlord will
make concessions. Moreover, it is not just the rent
that can be negotiated, often you can have some other
concessions such as televisions, updated decor, kitchen
appliances or even laundry services. Exactly what
one will ask for and be able to gain will be on a case
by case basis. This is one important service that
we provide for you. We assist you in negotiations,
and ensure that you are not overcharged and that you get
the best deal for the property you want. We will
represent you to the landlord, we also have the added
advantage of dealing many times with the landlords and
gaining concessions that may not be otherwise obtainable.
Likewise we can advise you as to the flexibility and limits
of each landlord. |
|
|
| 12.
Can I bring my electronics and appliances? |
| We generally
recommend against bringing major appliances: Stoves, refrigerators,
washer/dryers and televisions. Most of these are
already provided or we can negotiate these for you in
your rental agreement. Certainly you can bring your electronics,
but there are several things you should note. The
voltage in Thailand is 220V if you are coming from a country
that uses 110 volts power such as North America, you will
have to purchase transformers in order to use your electronics.
Some more sensitive electronics such as computers may
not operate correctly when using a transformer, you should
ensure that such devices are compatible before paying
to transport them to Thailand. Normally apartments
will come with major appliances thus there is little reason
to import your major appliances. Asia video standard
is PAL if your VCR is NTSC format, you will not find compatible
videos for rental except at specialty stores. Multi-format
VCRs are available for purchase at very reasonable prices
in Thailand. Also DVD players usually have regional
settings Asia is a distinct region and your DVD player
may or may not be usable here, check your owners manual
to avoid unpleasant surprises. |
|
|
| 13.
What is normally included in the rental fees?
|
| In Thailand
the rent is usually all inclusive. There are no
hidden charges for maintenance, security, parking, facilities
or cleaning of common areas. Things that you pay separately
for are: Phone, electricity,cable TV service, and water.
A typical family in a two bedroom apartment may expect
to pay an additional 2,000 to 3,000 bahts per month on
these charges. |
|
|
| 14.
My company pays housing. Will the landlord include utilities
in the rent? |
| Yes, this
type of arrangement can be made. Understandably,
the landlord will want to ensure that they are not loosing
in this arrangement, and they may ask for a "safe"
amount. Alternatively some landlords may include
an allowance in the rent and any charges over this, you
are asked to supplement. We can help you negotiate
the best arrangement for your case. |
|
|
| 15.
Can I have a rental agreement in my company's name? |
| Yes, companies
can enter in rental agreements. However if an apartment
is rented to a company the landlord is obliged to collect
7% VAT on the service portions of the rent. Also
many rental units are actually privately owned condominiums
and the owners are not setup to handle VAT or issue official
tax receipts. Thus the apartments available to companies
may be more expensive due to VAT and fewer in number due
to the formalities required to enter agreements with businesses
versus individuals. |
|
|
| 16.
What if I have to leave Thailand before the lease is finished?
|
| Generally,
if you have to leave before your first year is complete
you will forfeit your deposit. We can negotiate
that after the first year in an apartment you can leave
with 60 day notice without forfeiting your deposit. |
|
|
| 17.
When
and how do I get my deposit back? |
| Your deposit
is returned to you 1 month after the termination of your
lease. This allows the landlord to ensure that all
the bills incurred for phone and utilities are cleared
before releasing the security deposit. Under Thai
law they are liable for any outstanding bills on their
premises. Sometimes your company will handle the
receipt of this money, or as our customer we will ensure
that the funds are wired to your overseas bank account. |
|
|
| 18.
Is traffic really that bad in Bangkok?
|
| Unfortunately,
yes. Traffic in Bangkok has a serious impact on
your lifestyle. Some true "horror stories"
tell of commuters spending 4 hours commuting 2 kilometers
in heavy rainfall. While this is not the norm, you will
very rarely find yourself zipping from one place to another
in Bangkok. Happily, Bangkok has opened a new sky-train
mass transit system last year. You can easily commute
across the city on the sky-train in 15 minutes.
We often advise our customers to consider properties close
to the sky-train in order to enjoy the freedom and ease
of movement that this wonderful transport offers. |
|
|
| 19.
I
prefer to have a shorter contract. What are the chances of finding
this? |
A normal lease in Thailand is
1 year. We can sometimes negotiate a six month lease,
but this is an exception and difficult to do. We
can certainly try for you, but you must understand few
landlords are interested in such arrangements unless we
can offer a higher rent or they desperately in need of
tenants.
A better solution for short term rentals is the
Relocation
Enquiry .
|
|
|
| 20.
Where do you place most of your customers? |
| We place
the majority of our customers in the Sukhumvit and Sathorn
areas. These are the prime locations for expatriates
and they are both serviced by the Sky-train mass transit
system. |
|
|
| 21.
I
heard everybody has a maid, is this true? How much does
this cost? |
| We would
not say that everyone has a maid, but many people do have
one. They can be a great help in making your life
in Bangkok more comfortable. Performing such tasks
as shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry and childcare.
A maid's pay will depend on her experience, abilities
and if you provide housing. Many larger apartments
have maids quarters. You should pay between 4,000
to 10,000 baht a month for a maid. Usually if they
live out they require the higher end of the salary scale
to help them with their living costs. |
|
|
| 22.
Can I find decent medical services in Bangkok? |
| Yes.
In Thailand there are some excellent private hospitals.
These hospitals are world class. Don't be frightened
by the word private, the cost of medical services here
are a fraction of the costs in most European and North
American hospitals. Of course a good medical insurance
policy is always advisable. You should rest assured
that the private hospitals such as Bumrungrad and Somanjeiv
offer excellent and immediate service at a reasonable
cost. |
|
|
| 23.
Can I use my deposit as my last month's rent?
|
| No.
The landlord is responsible for all bills such as phone
and utilities should you fail to pay. To protect
against tenants leaving behind large unpaid international
telephone bills or other bills, the landlord retains the
deposit until the final bills have cleared. This
is why the landlord collects two months rent, one for
damage deposit and one for bills. If they were to allow
you to use this deposit as the last months rent, then
they would have no protection for bills and damages. |
|
|
| 24.
Do I need air conditioning? |
| Yes.
Bangkok has one of the highest average temperatures in
the world. The relative humidity is always high.
While one can live with a fan, it would hardly be a comfortable
existence. All the properties that we place our
customers in are equipped with air conditioning units
Only the most basic accommodations would not be fitted
with air conditioners. Of course, you can always
control your units as you please. |
|
|
