Bangkok Apartments | Bangkok Condos | Bangkok Serviced Apartments

If you are looking for accommodation in Bangkok, you have to first get yourself well versed with the type of property available here. This is because the properties here are called differently when compared to names of housing options in western countries. So take a look at the residential property options offered in Thailand.

Single house: - These houses are referred to as detached houses in the west. These houses stand on its own plot of land and are separated from its neighbors in some way or the other. Comparatively, these houses are the most expensive for both rental and purchase reasons.

In fact, the more expensive and higher end single houses come with private swimming pools and other luxuriates, at a premium amount. These houses, especially the new and modern types are not seen much in downtown Bangkok.

Townhouse: - These houses are called terrace or semi-detached houses in the west. They are found mostly in ‘moo baan’s’ or gated communities, usually with a full time security guard protecting the property. Sometimes, they may also come with a communal swimming pool.

While these houses are seen most in downtown area of Bangkok, there are few new structures found. It is the older, and more tired looking townhouses that you get to see more around Thailand.

Shop houses: - There is no equivalent to these houses in the west as shop houses are found mainly in Asian countries. These are houses you can most probably find on both sides of the road, practically all over Asia.

The origin of this accommodation is Chinese and is basically a terrace form of house where you find six to eight shop houses in a row. You can find the shop in the ground or street level while its owners live in quarters on the floors above.

These houses are not advised for foreigners because of its single skin walls and the traffic noise you here from outside. However if you are lucky, you may find exceptions, and perhaps will like or consider staying in a shop house.

Apartments:-Apartments are built in blocks, and are usually low rise. There are also some high rise apartments available, where the entire block is usually owned by a single family or company.

As these apartments are owned by a single entity, utilities for the building are paid by this entity. This often leads to a surcharge on utilities. Usually, there are no common area maintenance fees in apartment buildings as this amount is already included in the rent.

This leads to free of charge repair and maintenance of the apartment. Most apartment buildings also offer a swimming pool and full security on its site, along with fitness rooms in some buildings too.

Serviced apartments: - These apartments are similar to normal apartments. The only difference here is that it comes with amenities and services you find in hotels. So you may find restaurants on site, linen changes available, a maid to clean your room, a kitchen area with utensils and in addition to this, you are also provided with towels and other requirements you may require during your stay here.

As usual, you may also find a swimming pool, full security on site and fitness rooms too. However all this is usually offered to you at a huge premium. Depending on the building, utility bills may or may not be included in the rental package.

Condominiums: - This is the same condominium you find in the west. They are similar to apartment blocks and are found in large buildings. The only difference here is that they are all individually owned. There are quite a few condominiums in Bangkok, and this is the only property available for freehold acquisition to foreigners.

There is no surcharge in utility bills here, where bills are usually directed to the tenant from the relevant issuers. You may also have to pay a common area maintenance fee, in addition to your monthly rent.

So make sure you find out, and clarify all the additional payments you will have to make per month, including your monthly rent before signing the contract. Condominiums usually have swimming pools and fitness rooms on site, along with optimum security.

The latest condominiums in Bangkok are very luxurious and offer facilities found in 5 star hotels. If you are thinking of buying a condominium, it is better to do so after taking a look at the management.

It is the management that takes care of the facilities offered in the building, and the building in general. If the management is competent enough, the building will be well maintained; otherwise it will end up looking very tired and old very soon.