How to rent a house in Thailand – 5 ways from personal of experience

I have long wanted to write this article and collect everything related to search for houses (apartments) in Thailand, in one article. You can count This is a generalizing post.

In fact, you have only 5 ways to book accommodation in Thailand, but they can be divided into 2 parts – in advance via the Internet or arrival on site. In each of the ways there are advantages and disadvantages, as well as three characters with whom you may have contact: homeowner, real estate company and illegal helped. Below are the nuances of communication with each character, and It also gives instructions for finding a home based on personal experience.

The content of the article

• 1 My experience
• 2 Options for how to rent a house in Thailand
  • 2.1 Booking with the homeowner via the Internet
  • 2.2 Booking at the agency via the Internet
  • 2.3 Booking with a black realtor via the Internet
  • 2.4 Rent with the owner upon arrival
  • 2.5 Rent through an agency or a black realtor upon arrival
• 3 General recommendations when renting a house
  • 3.1 Consider the season
  • 3.2 What to ask about the house
  • 3.3 How much money to cook
  • 3.4 Request a contract
  • 3.5 Check counters and equipment

My experience

To begin with, I will list my experience of self-housing search links to homes and reviews. I lived in Chiang Mai in a condominium (1, 2), on Phuket in houses (1, 2, 3), on Samui in houses (1, 2), in Bangkok apartments (1, 2, 3), in Krabi in the house (1), in an apartment in Hua Hin (one).

When I lived on Samui and Krabi, I rode around the neighborhood and Made 2 catalogs of houses for self-rent, use. There is a map, photo, contacts. There are not many objects there, but will be something to rely on in their search.

Catalog of houses in Krabi in Ao Nang (72 houses) Catalog of houses on Samui (72 houses)

Features of renting a house on Samui – the beach, weather, prices, shops Features of renting a house in Krabi – the beach, weather, prices, shops Features of rental housing in Hua Hin – proximity to the sea, prices, shops Tips for renting a home in Phuket How agencies work real estate and help in Thailand

For apartments, too, there have been several smaller reviews. scale, and also given search tips.

Tips for renting apartments in Thailand How to rent an apartment in Bangkok – guide, examples, prices, areas Review of 8 apartments on Phuket Overview of 12 apartments in Bangkok Overview of 30 apartments in Chiang Mae

Options for how to rent a house in Thailand

Reservation with the landlord via the Internet

First of all, this is an option for those who speak English. and will be able to disassemble in a tube a mixture of Thai and English, on which Thais speak and which expatriates ironically nicknamed “taiglish”. Yes, yes, you have to communicate by phone or at best. case by email, because nothing like RoomGuru for rent no private houses.

Hotels in Thailand →

Looking ahead, I want to say that you should not count on This option is so rented a negligible amount of housing, because that business is going so well. Moreover, many Thais do not know well English and you just can not really talk to phone (taiglish requires live communication experience to at least somehow parse the phrase in the tube). And only some advanced homeowners use the internet in their business, with them you can chat by email. But know, if you wrote to the owner in the mail, but he did not answer, then it is a common thing, and 2 weeks may also respond. BUT more often than not there will be no answer at all. For me, remains a mystery Why do they indicate their e-mail on business cards, maybe so more solid.

The e-mail is listed, but will they answer

Suppose you decided to try to find accommodation in Thailand remotely, it means you need the contacts of the owners, better all emails You understand, usually such information does not lie in the network freely available, but you can find something. Where can I find out contacts:

• From friends / relatives / members of the forum / colleagues. Advice may seem banal, but start from this point, because sometimes they come up useful contacts from a boss or an unfamiliar office colleague, who returned from vacation last week.
• In social networks. Like VKontakte and Facebook in this regard equally useful. You can ask a question in a lively public or run a search for “rent house samui” or “rental villa Samui “- as a rule, each resort has several villas or resorts that belong to the Russian-speaking owners. Asking question, get ready for your black spell Realtors, but you leave them “for later.” You should be interested kind soul that will throw you the number of the owner of your resort, just like that or for two packs of buckwheat as a gift. And in English speaking social programs have a chance to contact the owner of the house directly.
• Bloggers who live or lived in the resort where you are are going to. You can always ask a blogger with a question about contacts of the owners of the place where he lived. At the same time on your hands You will receive a current review of the terms of rent and stay, photos and exact location There are some bloggers who have traveling and finding housing, a small base of houses has accumulated, for example, like us: Samui and Krabi.
• Search Google, with the queries “samui house for rent”, or “samui apartment for rent”, or “samui villa for rent”. Accordingly, instead of samui you need to substitute the resort you need. The format of housing, choose according to your financial capabilities, the main thing – when searching cut off the websites of agencies. The option is not the best because most Thais still work the old-fashioned way: with agencies or posting a sign on the gate. Exception expensive villas, under which the whole can be made site.

When you get the contacts, when communicating with the landlord specify details regarding the house. Do not get carried away with questions write down the data for the transfer of money in the deposit and make a transfer. Only for this you need to have a currency account and be able to transfer from him on thai account. There is (well, there is always) the possibility run into an unscrupulous Thai who will take the money as well when you arrive – will be gone. How to deal with this then – topic a separate post, but for now we believe that the guy is honest and your money guarantee you a quiet settlement in the house that you liked it.

There is another way to rent a house from the owner – through Airbnb. it a service for renting houses, apartments, apartments, etc. Works as well as any hotel booking system, but only for private housing. The advantages are that there are photos of housing, detailed description, reviews, payment by ordinary bank card, and guarantee, that if there are problems upon arrival, the money will be returned. Minuses – in addition to homeowners, agents are also there, and there is not always a discount for month.

Register here and get a discount of $ 33 from Airbnb on apartments around the world. Valid on the first booking must be from $ 70, you can use it for a year after registration.

Get a discount of $ 33 →

In any case, you should definitely look on it too, sometimes come across good options.

Booking at the agency via the Internet

Option for those who do not know English, or do not want to spend time to search for live contacts and telephone calls / correspondence with the hosts. By the way, on the spot upon arrival you can also find a house without knowledge of English just by applying sign language. But to those who do not wants to spend 3-4 days on independent searches (and in season and week leaves), you too to the agencies. It is agency agencies, to several immediately, because communicating with each in turn you risk to hang in long correspondence with people often prone to tropicosis.

Contact the official firms better if there are no proven ones. contacts. Each resort in Thailand has several licensed, working “in white” agencies. These agencies can take more than the owner or the black realtor, but in return undertake certain obligations for the selection of houses and verification rental conditions, escorted upon check-in. Well, permit (work permit), as a kind of guarantee that the company is real exists and works. But you need to understand that almost about any the agency has negative reviews, so it all comes down to searching the least of evils.

You have only 2 options, how to rent a house / apartment in Thailand: through a realtor or independently on the spot. Last thing very much to the amateur. Believe, combing the streets for several days in a row in 30-degree heat, not for everyone, you can rest are driving.

I recommend to book accommodation in advance through a realtor. You avoid unnecessary trouble in an unfamiliar country. Than before refer, the better option will get. Send me a request, I have her I will send to a proven person whom I trust myself. And then in The last time scam has become a lot.

Make an application →

• Look for the house yourself on the site. If you want to get fast result, do not be lazy – pick up several options yourself housing on the agency’s website that suits you by description. Then, in the letter, indicate the numbers of objects from the site and wait for an answer. – which one is now available. Employment data on the site is not always correspond to reality.
• Do not write a poem. If it is important for you to find a house agents themselves – specify the minimum information in the application. Area, number of bedrooms, pool, kitchen, distance from the beach and your budget. Be sure to read the agency’s FAQ on the site where it is posted sample application form, it will save your time and speed up selection of housing. Guaranteed long agent response will be If you paint them in detail all the important things for you, including the height of the water tower and wait until they find something the very thing. Your application is 100% retracted. queues until they receive clear requests for options already available in the database. Of course, if you specify a budget in Amount of 100 thousand per month, it will change the case. But it’s cheaper, right?
• Get ready for money transfer expenses. The fact is that the agency pays the homeowner in baht. And you have a card Ruble dollar euro, but not bat. This means that when transfer agency rubles euro are converted into dollars, and only then – in baht. These operations are not free, and the costs of them you cover. For exact double conversion numbers, please consult your bank, but you should understand that these are necessary expenses which will go in addition to the cost of booking. Should also remember that baht is not equal to a ruble.
• Book your accommodation in advance! Not a month before the trip, but six months, especially when it comes to a trip for the New Year or so. Or no be surprised then that the agent offers you options in several times more expensive than you expected. Separately, I wrote about housing prices and when to book.

Booking with a black realtor via the Internet

Terms of communication with such realtors a little easier than with by the official. Clients are not standing in line, so black the realtor has to be more sociable, not to dismiss questions and make more effort not to lose the customer. The official in this regard zazhralis and can afford to be silent and to dynamite

• When you find help online and get off on some option of housing, before sending him money, think – it is necessary whether? You are risking. In the pursuit of cheaper trips you get a chance to run into a crook. Not once or twice such topics surfaced in the social networks and on traveler forums. Stories of naive victims which not only made 3-5 thousand rubles of the deposit, but paid first and last months of residence. Then the victims of deception posting screenshots of payments online, scans of some documents, received from scam artists and links to their profiles in social networks, but no point.
• Look for a person with a reputation. There is always black Realtors are scammers, but there are normal guys who earn not quite legally. To know who to turn to, either for a long time to study online reviews and draw conclusions, or trust someone you know and contact only recommendations. In any case, the risk remains, because yesterday positive comrade “Vasya-Thailand2012”, today may die knock down a Thai or get caught on drugs, then pick up on a major amount and turn into a negative character, because in Thai nobody wants jail. There are no guarantees. True, and in the case The official company is also not a 100% guarantee.
• Do not pay large amounts. Per villa can request 100% prepayment for the first month. But the security deposit for booking a house is like As a rule, Thais take in the amount of 30-50% (but sometimes it happens 100%) from the cost of a monthly rental and no matter how long you plan rent a house. Homeowner is important date of your arrival. Same as everything happens: helped is represented by your friend, pays for you pledge and gets a receipt with the signature of the owner. Pledge is a guarantee that you intend to come and settle down. And then you come and pay the homeowner the rest of the rent. The black the realtor tries not to contact the owner as an agent, because he understands what threatens illegal work. If suddenly you are not you come – you lose money, but not the owner (the deposit is not returns), he is already in the evening will hand over the house to another person. Therefore, if helped requires a large amount, for example, for several months, it is an occasion to think.

Receipt of deposit

Rent with the owner upon arrival

Even if you are enthusiastic to search from the ramp believe the word – long flight, quick change of sentries belts and the tropics will dot the “i” already at the airport. The more if you have a child.

• Book a hotel room for 3-5 days. Day come to life then look for accommodation. I recommend always with independent searches. lodging book a hotel. I use a search engine for this RoomGuru, it shows the price of hotels at once in all systems reservation, which is very important for Asia, where their own systems reservation. As a result, you will receive a search by the maximum amount. hotels, and then choose where it costs less. You need a hotel, because things may not be as cloudless as you imagine drew. If the goal is to find a home that will answer everyone requirements, it will take time. Hotel area is best choose the one where you will be looking for a house, and where there will be no problems with rental vehicles, shops.
• Buy a SIM card before starting the search. Telephone connection, as well as Mobile Internet for geolocation in the search process is vital are needed. Sims are sold at points of sale in shopping centers (operator’s offices) or in any minimarket 7-Eleven and Family Mart at the checkout. You can connect to the Internet package using USSD commands, which are posted on the website of the cellular operator or ask Thai in the operator’s office. I wrote about the mobile Internet from DTAC.
• Progrute yourself a map on the hotel Wi-Fi. It will save you money on the mobile internet if you took a package with a little amount of traffic. Download Google Maps in great detail, in satellite mode, the area where you plan to conduct searches. In that The application has an offline map mode, a useful thing. As an option, put the application Osmand or any other equivalent, where there is also offline maps that do not require internet.
• Rent a bike. Believe me, this shortens the search time in times. I tried to look for housing on foot and on a bike, the difference is huge. On the bike you can scour the area very quickly, on foot in the heat of you enough for just a few hours of walking, and look you for it time is just a couple of options. Just don’t take your wife with you or baby, why don’t they hang around with you, especially if you don’t feel confident behind the wheel. Better take a camera and detail take a photo of all the nuances, then it will be easier for yourself get confused. Separate post about renting bikes in Tae.
• Rent a car. This option is more suitable for those who needs to watch the house with the family, or who does not know how drive a scooter I’ll say right away it’s better than walking, but because features of the movement will not be very convenient. First, the car will be right-hand drive and left-hand traffic. Secondly, the roads narrow and just turn around or park in the right place may not work. Still, the bike gives much more opportunities. for maneuvers. And the speed is less, you lash yourself along the side of the road and look out for options, while on the car you will collect for a whole string. Separate post about car rental in Tae.
• Drive into each lane. The main difficulty for a beginner in Thai locality is getting used to reduced size the whole surrounding. Small houses, narrow roads, imperceptible lanes At first you will feel that you are driving along the solid walls of houses and wires. Then you will get used to it, but the main thing is the beginning of the search – do not rush. This is not Moscow and no one will be you honking nervously in the back, if the speed is 20-30 km / h, they will see what are you farang and go round. Unless you are on the motorway. AND such a moment, the lane may look very unsightly (for example, crushed-stone small path), as if he was not going anywhere at all leads
• Look for signs that read “House for rent”. Saw, inspected the house is outside, like – call the number on the plate and make an appointment. It should be understood that the house with signs surrender the fastest, so in season it may well be that at home already busy, and the plates just are not removed.
• Do not look for signs “House for rent”. Very often houses for rent are not indicated at all by any signs, you need to go in and to ask. After a while, you will understand what those look like. houses that are rented, you will immediately isolate them from common array. Usually it is several identical houses from one colored rooftops and located a handful. There are also detached houses, but it is also often seen from them, whether the Thais live in them or they give up.
• Ask everyone. To speed up the search process, ask. In the hotel you can ask at the reshepn, whether they have friends, who is home rents out When you rent a bike, ask at the box office. When You will scour the area, you can ask in a shop or cafe. Or ask the taxi driver / tuk-tuker, as a rule, they know what in the area surrenders. And, of course, go to one or another complex of houses and look for someone from the guests to find out home contacts
• Learn a couple of phrases for a telephone conversation. Seriously, you are not You will moo into the phone or gesticulate. Phrases “Ai nid house for Rent and Hau Macks is the minimum set. Or look for a translator from local expats, or learn basic phrases and response options for them to understand the interlocutor, otherwise all your hope to rent a house only on the owners, caught in place.
• Carry cash with you. In case of a sudden discovery most “home, you should take care of cash in baht. By the law of meanness, if you agree to drive up with money tomorrow or even tonight – the house will leave more prudent and quick clients.
• Approximately 30-50% of the monthly cost, and may generally be limited to one thousand, if like the owner. Prices are taken from the ceiling and mood. Only if the house is really good, and money to you in any If you give him a case, it’s better not to waste money and carry around. larger amount.

Typical houses for rent in Thailand

The sign House for Rent points to the lane

The inscription of the lease can be in Thai

Rent through an agency or a black realtor upon arrival

Upon arrival it is better to look for a house yourself, if time permits and outside the window is not the peak season. But, if you decide to contact agencies, here they work on the same algorithm, which Officials that helped. The main feature of communication with agents already in place – they terribly do not like to show customers at home, because renting housing remotely is much less labor intensive.

The application for the house is filled in the same way as it was told above. If you want your query not to be dynamic and quickly found home – immediately tell me that you have no complaints. What you need to see Only two or three houses and you absolutely choose one.

If this is an agency with a large staff, then in person on the phone, god knows who is sitting there) promise the agent an additional 1-2 thousand for the selection of the house, and then he will to engage you more eagerly because this money is passing by box office. After all, with the amount that you pay the agency for renting a house, he will receive only a small percentage, which means in his interest hurry to settle another person and not mess around for a long time you. But there are also small agencies where the director and the agent are in one face, here you will have more attention.

And yet – the smaller your budget, the less attention you have to hand agents. Houses are cheaper than 10 thousand to engage them unprofitable. So don’t count on them if you are looking for modest housing and do not plan to fork out to pay for taken away from agent time. The exception are those agents who work for fixed payment house selection regardless of his cost.

General recommendations for renting a house

Consider the season

Book homes for the winter people start in May-June, and with August begins the rush of booking, which does not subside until November Online booking of houses is convenient in any season, but the sooner you start doing it, the greater the chance of grabbing a decent house inexpensive.

Most good options in convenient places are buried for years and you are only new buildings or suddenly vacant housing. Closer to September, agencies will already categorically state that there is only one option, maximum two. Or take, or – to dating But in place, if you have time, you can find more. options. Only I recommend to come no later than the end. October-November, because it is very hard to search further.

What to ask about the house

Ask the owner or agent for the following:

• Rental price per month. Even if you are going to call in at 6 months, first talk about the month, and then start ask about 3 months, half a year, and watch the price drop. Although, if the yard is the end of autumn or winter, the decline will not work – high season.
• The presence of a separate kitchen and whether it is possible to cook in the house. Yes Yes, There are houses / apartments with kitchens where you can use only Microwave
• The cost of one unit of electricity. State price – 3.5 baht If they call you exactly 3.5 baht, then you are You will pay in the office of electricians or in 7/11. But more often the hosts themselves set the price, on average they ask for 5-7 baht per unit, and greedy homeowners can take and 10 baht.
• The cost of one unit of water. Very often it is included in the cost of renting a house. Normal price – up to 20 baht per unit.
• The presence in the house of the Internet and whether it is included in the cost of rent houses. On average, they ask 600-1000 baht per month, but it happens that Internet is included in the rental. If they say the internet is coming soon connect, and you are a freelancer (that is, the Internet is very necessary), it has meaning to look for another house.
• Is pooling and house cleaning included in the rental price? (if you rent a villa).

Payment receipt on 7/11

How much to cook money

As a rule, if you rent a house / apartment / villa monthly, then upon arrival you have to pay the monthly rent. A plus – the same size deposit you take in case you break the house. With a long lease you may be asked to pay. also over the last month.

If, at your request, tiles will be installed in the house, then the purchase of a stove and gas cylinder is the care of the owner of the house (not always, but more often). If the tile is, but the gas ran out – immediately ask the owner to bring a balloon and cook another 370-500 baht – This is the cost of gas with delivery. The first digit is the normal price, the second is the price of a greedy homeowner.

Any necessary improvements for you in the house, like holding Internet (if suddenly), installation of mosquito nets or wickets from dogs on the veranda, you will have to pay too. Although, it often happens that the owner himself is involved in money in the amount of from 50 to 100% cost of work and materials. Then how do you get. Also, the owner still at the stage of the first viewing of the house you can try to ask additional furniture.

Separately, I want to mention that if you want to rent a house for 2-3 weeks, it is better to take off for a month and leave earlier, so cheaper will come out, the daily rent, especially not all the houses for rent for rent (there are houses in general with a minimum rental period of 3 months). Just tell the owner in advance that you need a house for a month, but you may need to leave early. Most likely, he will tell you that the money for the remaining days will not return, and you just for this agree (it can be written in the contract). The main thing is not forget to take the deposit, so in advance and need to be notified to the owner did not go anywhere.

Require a contract

Even if it is only in Thai – you need a contract for police or immigration, in case of purchase technology or design of a local bank card. To the contract must to be attached to a copy of the passport holder with his autograph, a copy your passport and a copy of the Thai counterpart of the house book, which is listed address and owner.

And as you must give a check, which will indicate the entire amount, which you paid. These checkbooks are sold in each minimarket, in fact – this is a beautiful receipt for you of money. And you need it in case the relationship is clarified, if such will happen.

The check is issued every month, for rent and komunalku

Check counters and equipment

Record the meter readings. Be sure to ask the owner show where the electric meter and the water meter. Take a photo of the testimony, it will allow you to avoid disputes about what you owe for the light is not 3 thousand, but only 500 baht. if you declare the price of a 3.5-baht unit of electricity, the meter does not so important, for you will pay yourself, without participation the owner is the state price. But here, too, should be considered nuance – payment according to the state price occurs at the beginning of the month, and if you you enter the house at the end of the month, then very soon you will receive a bill, which may be a round sum from previous tenants, we are so hit once.

Check electricity and water meters

Check furniture and appliances. TV should show fridge to cool, kettle – to boil, light bulbs – to burn everywhere, and on the street including. Air conditioning – do not flow and work with the remote, ceiling fans – spinning in several modes, and gas in tile burn. Check the door locks, mosquito nets, water heater in the shower, the work of the sinks and the toilet, the work of the Internet, furniture doors, mirrors and glass.

In fact, it is not necessary to do all this in the presence of owner, you can complain about the problem in the evening of the same day. But all expensive and fragile devices and items need to be examined and turn with him. Be sure to smile, without this one of ours, Russian severity, when we make it clear with our views that if Now the telly does not turn on, then someone will get in the face. At all, get used to smile, this is a good habit in Thailand.

The only thing that is worth checking straight ahead is if you work through the Internet, then this is the speed of the Internet. When will The first time to watch the house, ask for a password from Wifi and measure speed with some Speedtest (I always have this on my phone application), get a rough idea. Also not superfluous will ask how many routers in this complex of houses, if just one, this is not good. It is better if the router is either in each house, or at least one for a couple of houses.

P.S. With apartments, the situation is almost the same. There is something add? Be sure to write in the comments.

Life hacking 1 – how to buy a good insurance

Choosing insurance is now unrealistically difficult, therefore, to help everyone travelers, I make a rating. To do this, constantly monitor forums, I study insurance contracts and use insurance by myself.

Insurance Rating

Life hacking 2 – how to find a hotel 20% cheaper

First, choose a hotel on Booking. They have a good base offers, but the prices are NOT the best! The same hotel is often possible find 20% cheaper in other systems through the RoomGuru service.

Discount hotels