Job Discussion Forums

[Marmalade]

Sooooo,

I've done the CELTA, am having a wee break, and then I shall be deciding which of the lucky ECC branches I will be allowed to employ me

This then brings me on to finding somewhere to live.

Obviously it will all depend on where exactly I wil be working, but I would like to be in a fairly lively area, ie, bars, clubs, restaurants, and not too far from a BTS or MRT stop.

What is a good way to look for rooms?

Are there papers, agencies, or websites worth looking at? Or is it just a case of going to an area, hiring a motor bike guy and scooting around?



M

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hello there Marmalade!

Congratulations on your new CELTA !!!

Sorry for the late reply.

Yes; there are many ways to find flats in and around Bangkok, but one of the best ways is to go to the area you like, based on the branch you'll be working at --- and just walk around for an hour or 2 on foot.

On foot, you can often find smaller, unadvertised & cheaper blocks of flats which are kind of 'sandwiched in' between tall buildings, or hidden away from view in the back Sois. These smaller blocks of flats are sometimes 'invisible' from the main Soi ... and you might ride straight past them on a motorbike or in a taxi.

If you have a Thai friend, it would be REALLY helpful to bring him/her along, since many landlords speak little or no English at all, and they can get nervous when confronted by a tall, English-speaking white man. Your chances of being over-charged (as Farang often are in Bangkok) also diminish with a native Thai speaker at your side.

You can browse the following 3 websites for some tips, phone numbers & general info:

http://thaiapartment.com/ (BKK apartments - search by location and/or price)

http://www.click4apartment.com/ (BKK apartments - search by location and/or price)

http://www.asiatradingonline.com/apartments.htm (Bangkok budget apartments)

And one caution: the term 'serviced apartment' means that it will be larger & nicer (with more amenities, like a swimming pool or fitness centre) and also much more expensive. You can also basically forget about realty agents, since they generally don't bother with the cheaper 3,000 to 7,000 Baht-per-month studio flats that we TEFL teachers require.

(links reposted from The Master Index ~ Virtual Bangkok)

[Marmalade]

A fountainhead of useful info as ever.

Cheers KFK.

Shall got on to it as soon as I get back from Penang, and Langkawi.

M

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Sounds like a plan.

One additional note: the first link above (thaiapartment.com) crashes a lot - very frustrating.

Unfortunately, it also contains the largest database of budget-priced BKK apartments.

When it goes down, it usually comes back online the next day. (fyi) Try to be patient.

... and happy hunting!