Apartment Hunting in Thailand- How I Found My Perfect Condo!

JozaWorld
Aug 8, 2024
7 min read

One of the most stressful parts of moving (especially abroad) is finding accommodation / housing. Once I knew that I would be going to Thailand, I must've watched about 300 videos on TikTok about relocating to Thailand. Although some of the info I found was helpful, I didn't see many people explain the process from start to finish, so ... I knew I had to write this article for you guys. Here's how I found my dream condo in Pattaya, Thailand-- the good, the bad, and the ugly.

First, I had to figure out what city I wanted to live in and why.

After I made the decision to move to Thailand, I began scouting out cities that would be a good fit for me. My top choices were Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, or Pattaya. After looking through YouTube videos and researching each country, I decided on Pattaya, Thailand. (Pattaya is located in the east gulf of Thailand, about 60 miles south east of Bangkok.) Although I wasn't a fan of Pattaya's growing reputation for being "sin city," I was intrigued with the lower prices, less crowds, and smaller city feel. The only "downside" that I saw with moving to Pattaya was the fact that it's really "foreigner-heavy". A majority of the people who as said to live in Pattaya are foreigners, (which seemed like it would take away from the authentic feel of of Thai culture. Even with those slight reservations, I chose to move to Pattaya and take my chances.

How I found apartment options in Pattaya...

THE BEST sites for connecting with people in other countries for services, or apartment hunting is Facebook. After dusting off my old FB account, (I never used it,) I began to look for groups that were used to promote renting in Pattaya. I joined the groups and began to see posts like this:

This is also a good time to point out that I began to create a list of what I did and didn't want in an apartment. I also set my budget and tried to stick to what was fair and realistic for me. A few of the things on my list were:

Budget = Between 17,000 Baht - 30,000 Baht ($470 - $825)

1 bedroom / 1 bathroom (Bedroom separate from bathroom /living room area)

Good lighting / Lots of windows OR a balcony

Quiet & Cozy

Gym & Pool Access

Easy access to city, markets / Not secluded

Parking (for a scooter)

Once I had a set list of what I wanted, I narrowed down my search by finding properties that fit into my preferences. Now, I was still in the States at this time, so securing a place was a bit more challenging. I noticed that mostly all of the apartment postings I saw had a LINE phone number attached as the "contact." At the time, I didn't have a LINE account, so I downloaded LINE, put up a good profile photo, and began to reach out to the property realtor through the app. THIS WAS THE BEST DECISION I MADE when looking for my apartment.

My TOP apartment choices! (They were all soooooo cute!)

Once I was about 5 days away from arriving in Thailand, I began setting up "viewings" to see my top choices. My plan was to arrive into Bangkok (I was in Bangkok to lead my Thailand Tour.) After arriving, I set up a ride to Pattaya from Bangkok the following day, (it was about a 2.5 hour drive,) then viewing my 3 top choices, and then riding back to Bangkok. (I hired a private driver for the entire day to stay with me and take me to each of the apartments viewings.) This was also THE BEST decision I made because it made things SO MUCH EASIER. (If you're planning to arrive directly in the city where you're looking for an apartment, I would suggest booking an airbnb for a few days while you view places.)

Once I arrived to Pattaya, I used LINE to communicate with the realtors and began my search. I also created a list of questions to ask at the viewing and prayed over my choice.

APARTMENT ONE

13,000 Baht per month (approx $360)

I was met by a lovely younger realtor in the lobby of the complex. (We even exchanged LINE info so we could hang out once I moved to Pattaya!) I LOVED this apartment because of the beautiful balcony and the open and bright windows. Once I arrived to the apartment, I got out of the car and was IMMEDIATELY hit with the smell of the sewage system. (Now, I am aware that there are tons of smells to experience in Thailand, but this odor was SO strong.) I was turned off instantly, but continued with the viewing. The living room was beautiful, but the bed was pretty much concrete and there was minimal storage in the closet. Also, the balcony and view was MAGICAL, but the smell of sewage that hung over the area made this a big NO for me.

APARTMENT TWO

18,000 Baht per month (approx $498.00)

This second apartment was immediately my favorite. I LOVED the fact that it had a cute staircase and a HUGE walk-in closet. This unit was a two-story, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo. Beautifully decorated. It was located in a giant resort-style building that was crawling with foreigners, (specifically, older caucasian men and their young Thai girlfriends.) That, to me, was a bit of a turn off, as I was looking for a place that was quaint and a bit less foreigner-populated. Now, don't get me wrong-- there's NOTHING wrong with foreigners, but in my experience, whenever I've lived abroad, (in an area that was mostly foreigners, I've noticed a lack of "respect" for the culture and country in which we live. I just didn't want it to be like that. So, although I LOVED this place, I left feeling a bit sad that the area felt like I was living back in my hometown, Los Angeles.

APARTMENT THREE

16,000 Baht per month (approx $433.00)

I actually thought that this apartment was really cute! Sadly, by the time I had seen it, I was already in love with the 2nd apartment I had seen. Plus, I distinctly wanted to find a place that had a separate bedroom & bathroom. I've always been one to feel a little awkward having to walk through someone's bedroom in order to get to the bathroom. (That was the case in this apartment.) So, as soon as I left this apartment, I already knew it was NOT the choice for me. Cute and likeable, but not quite for me.

MY CHOICE.... (Insert drumroll here)

After my tour of all the apartments was over, I called my realtor from the 2nd apartment I saw and told her that I would like to pay my deposit on the apartment. She was excited and so was I. I felt like I made the right decision for myself and what I needed. :)

Securing my Thai apartment

After I called my realtor, I was told that I would need to pay a deposit of 54,000 Baht (which equals to about $1,496. I would pay 10,000 Baht ($277.00) that day and then the rest when I move in. (I would be moving in a week and a half later after I finished leading my besties on their Thailand Tour. We set up a time to meet and I then asked my driver to take me to her location before we headed back to Bangkok. When I got there, my realtor, "A" had everything ready for me to sign. She took photos of the deposit money, her Thai Identification card, and my passport. She was AMAZING and the meeting took only a few minutes.

I felt so proud and accomplished after securing my apartment. I was also still a little nervous because I wasn't quite sure if it was a scam, but being that I had all of her identification and receipts, (she sent all of these documents to me on LINE after our meeting.) As I rode back to Bangkok, I stared out the window and thanked God that the search process for my apartment, which seemed tedious at the time, was over. Knowing that the hardest part was finished, I was able to fully focus on my tour and enjoy my time in Bangkok.

A FEW TIPS:

Have cash available for whatever the amount of the deposit is. (I had a limit on my debit card for how much I was able to withdraw, so this was a bit difficult. Try to plan this a few days in advance.
Have your list of questions about the apartment and do not deviate from it. (This will ensure that you don't forget to consider anything important.
If ANYTHING feels sketchy about the place or realtor, DO NOT do business. Just tell them that you need more time to think. There's no harm in walking away.
Download and use LINE to contact realtors, I wouldn't use Whatsapp or Facebook to communicate because the realtors don't often see the messages.
HIRE A DRIVER! (I looked on Facebook and found a transportation company and hired a driver to take me to Pattaya for the day. Facebook was really helpful when finding my driver, it's probably easier to hire a driver for a round trip transfer to where you're going.

This wonderful journey is ongoing for the entire year of 2024 and 2025. If you want to see how I ended up swimming on a beautiful Island in Italy or jumping for joy in Dubai, please continue reading.

I post (2) new blogs every week, as well as videos onYouTube and TikTok. I can't wait to share every step of this journey with you! If you have specific questions, shoot me a DM on INSTAGRAM.

Would love to hear from you!

Until our next adventure,

You're LOVED & CAPABLE of living the life of your dreams.

-Joza

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