Bangkok Apartment Rental Information

To help you get started with finding your ideal home, CB Richard Ellis has prepared a "Guide to Renting a Bangkok Apartment" for people looking to rent a house in Bangkok. Alternatively here is our latest Bangkok Apartment rental listing.

We specialize in high quality Bangkok apartments with good facilities, detached houses for those who need outdoor space or a garden of their own, townhouses in gated communities, and serviced apartments. Typical types of properties for rent in Bangkok are:

Bangkok Apartment
An apartment in Bangkok is usually defined as a mid or high-rise building owned by a single landlord. Apartment rentals are normally furnished with major appliances, and most have common facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, and car parking. The owner looks after the management and maintenance of the whole apartment building, including the interiors of the individual flats.

Bangkok Serviced Apartment
A serviced apartment in Bangkok is rented fully furnished and equipped, including linen, cutlery and crockery. A daily maid service is also provided. Most serviced apartments in Bangkok have swimming pools, gyms, a coffee shop or restaurant, as well as telephone lines and internet access. They offer a similar level of service to hotels and can be rented on a daily or monthly basis. A serviced apartment is ideal for people needing to rent in Bangkok on a short stay basis and also expats who have just relocated to Bangkok.

Condos
A Bankgok condo or condominium – also known as an apartment or flat in other countries - is a building where individuals own the residential units and where common areas and facilities are jointly owned by all the co-owners.

Units are normally furnished and facilities are similar to apartments. The main difference between a condo and an apartment is the ownership structure and the property management. In a condominium, the building management maintains the common areas of the property and the individual owners are responsible for their units.

House Rental
A house can be located in a gated real estate development or be a stand-alone property. Almost all rental houses in Bangkok belong to individual owners who are responsible for the maintenance. Some gated communities offer a clubhouse, swimming pool, playground and gym. There are also Townhouses which are multi-level and terraced. They may have a small rear garden which is not particularly private. In Bangkok, there are some gated townhouse developments which provide facilities such as a pool for residents. Maintenance services in a rented house may not be as good as a well managed rented apartment, especially for stand-alone properties.

There are 6 main residential rental areas in Bangkok:
(Rent a Bangkok Apartment - Detailed Location Information)

Bangkok Apartment Rental Areas: Definition

Sukhumvit Apartment Rental
Sukhumvit Road between Sois 1-63 remains the most popular area for expatriates to live. Most people who rent here tend to rent a Bangkok apartment (single-ownership) or a Bangkok condo.(multi-ownership).

There are some detached houses in Bangkok for rent some with gardens or a swimming pools. There are also a limited number of townhouses situated in secure compounds with/without facilities.

Central Lumpini Apartment Rental
Lumpini is in the Central Business District (CBD), and offers a range of modern buildings with both apartments and condos for rent.

Apartment and condo unit sizes tend to be smaller than in Sukhumvit as well as more expensive. The area also has few single homes or townhouse developments especially with facilities.

Sathorn / Silom Apartment Rental
The Sathorn/ Silom area close to the CBD is popular and again the majority of people rent a Bangkok apartment or condo although there are some homes situated off Sathorn Road.

Riverside / Rama lll Apartment Rental
Riverside / Rama lll area incorporates Charoenkrung, Charoennakorn, Rama lll and Narathiwas-Ratchanakarin Road on the both sides of the Chaophraya River. The main attraction is water front living and river views.

The Bangkok side of the Chaophraya River has a limited number of apartments/condos for rent. The Thonburi side of the river is less attractive because of the limited number of bridges consequently restricting access to the CBD, although some of the condo buildings provide a free boat service.

East Bangkok
East Bangkok is a major suburban housing location. Popular among parents who want access to the Bangkok Patana School which has a British curriculum and is consequently a favourite among ex-pat apartment renters.

There are also a limited number of housing estates again all popular among expatriates. some offering single homes with clubhouse and swimming pools.

North Bangkok
In contrast to East Bangkok, North Bangkok has the International School of Bangkok (I.S.B.) with an American curriculum. This area is attractive to American expatriates looking for houses to rent.

Nichada Thani, (the most popular housing development and consequently very expensive) is a secure housing estate where I.S.B. is located. Here there are a mix of single houses, condos and townhouses for rent. The site includes a clubhouse offering a wide range of sports facilities.

For those wishing to rent a Bangkok apartment there are several apartment buildings just outside the compound as well as a number of townhouse developments with facilities.

(Rent a Bangkok Apartment - Detailed Location Information)

    Quarterly Highlights

• In Q1 2010, there was a slight increase in total supply. The total number of apartment units increased 0.5 % Q-o-Q and 2.3 % Y-o-Y, from 11,268 units in the last quarter to 11,327 units.
   
• There were three apartment projects completed in Q1 2010, with 59 new units. The Grand Villa and S 16 Residence are located in Sukhumvit; whereas Baan K Residence is located in Silom/Sathorn.
   
• Occupancy remained high at 88.2%, slightly down from 89.8% in Q4 2009. The total take-up was 9,991 units for this quarter down from 10,117 units in the last quarter.
   
• The Central Lumpini area posted the best results and the highest achieved rents with Grade A rents of THB 455/m2/month, up 18.5% Y-o-Y and 0.2% Q-o-Q.
   
• As of Q1 2010, the number of work permit-holding expatriates in Thailand increased from 105,122 to 105,530 in total. Japanese made up 20% of the total.
   

Detailed information on Bangkok Apartment Rental Research

Each country has slightly different practices for apartment rental agreements and Thailand is no exception.

Types of Rental Lease Agreements
There are a wide variety of rent agreements used in Bangkok. Most lease agreements are short and in English and it is not usual for either the landlord or the tenant to use a lawyer.

Each lease is usually segmented into three separate rental agreements:

• Apartment. Condo/ House - Space rental
• Furniture rental
• Management / services

The agreement separation is in an effort to reduce the landlord’s liability to local property tax.

CBRE has been servicing the ex-pat Bangkok apartment rental market for over 20 years and consequently we understand the common problems/ and misunderstandings that can occur therefore we have developed a standard lease set which is drafted to reflect all the vagaries of renting a Bangkok apartment/property and which clearly sets out each party’s obligations.

Rental Taxes
For residential property rentals in Thailand, different taxes are paid depending on whether the lease agreement is made with an individual tenant or a company.

Detailed information on typical Bangkok Apartment rental terms & conditions

As part of our service we try to provide you with as much information as possible on not only the Bangkok apartment rentals available but also facilities in the local area. The Australian/New Zealand Women’s Group’s Bangkok Guide is probably the most comprehensive guide to life in the city. For more information on Bangkok Apartment Renting Website.

We also have further information available for people renting a Bangkok apartment or finding a Bangkok apartment. 

The list includes:
Bangkok Schools and Hospitals
Information on:
- Water, Electricity, Gas Supply
- Pest Control
- Security
- Furniture
- Kitchenware
- Air-conditioning etc

Further information on how to rent a Bangkok Apartment or Bangkok Apartment rental listing.

BTS (Bangkok Transit System)
The BTS or sky train is a critical transport system in Bangkok, covering much of the city centre and its many commercial, residential and tourist areas.

MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)
The MRT is Bangkok’s first subway or underground system and currently has one line, although various others are being planned.

ARL (Airport Rail Link)
A new airport rail link is currently under construction and is expected to start operations in 2009.

BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)
Bangkok’s first BRT line is now under construction. The buses will run from a new sky train interchange at the Chong Nonsi BTS station

Expressways
For drivers, a comprehensive network of expressways cross Bangkok.

Buses
Bangkok has a comprehensive bus network, consisting of publicly run and private buses, both air-conditioned and non-air-con. The quality of buses is variable so choose the orange air-conditioned Euro buses are the best in terms of comfort and safety.

Taxis/Tuk Tuks
Bangkok’s taxis and Tuk Tuks are plentiful and relatively cheap. Taxis tend to have meters with the Tuk Tuks being a negotiation each trip.

Detailed Bangkok Travel Information

CBRE are specialists in assisting ex-patriots rent a Bangkok apartments – see here a few of our Bangkok rental case studies.

Bangkok Apartment Rental Case Studies