APARTMENTS & CONDOS

The Bangkok skyline has changed dramatically over the last decade or so as new apartment buildings and blocks of condominiums get knocked up faster than the office bike at the Christmas party. The options and choices are daunting, but we’ll help give you the lowdown on the high-rise at Naked Farang.

Bangkok Apartments

Choosing an apartment in Bangkok is sometimes daunting, simply because there are so many choices. You can find cheap, Thai-style studio rooms from as little as 2,500 baht per month near enough to the central business districts to make commuting possible, but most farangs take something a little higher up the price scale.

Expect to pay anything from 8,000 to 25,000 baht for a small downtown studio with standard facilities. If you prefer a separate bedroom, you will be looking at 12,000 to 40,000 baht, although there is really no limit on how expensive these can be if they provide enough bells and whistles.

For families, apartments can cost you more than an English teacher earns in a month. I know of 2-bedroom serviced apartments costing the best part of 100,000 baht per month. Any sane man would deem it better to be investing that much money in buying a place rather than renting, but there is always a steady stream of expats on big bucks and short contracts to perpetuate this industry.

Bangkok Condos

The price of a condo is primarily determined by the size and location. Obviously, Silom, Sathorn and Sukhumvit are prime real estate because of their convenience to the business districts.

While you may get a condo for less than 50,000 baht per square metre in the boon-docks, you’re more likely to be paying 70,000 or higher in the CBD. If it’s a prime location and a high-end development, you could be paying anything up to 250,000 baht.

This means that a small studio might cost 2 million baht out of the centre but 4 to 5 million downtown. Larger condos can be more expensive than similar-sized properties in European capitals if you really want to spend that much money.

A centrally located 2- to 3-bedroom condo should cost the best part of 10 million baht.

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