A 145 m² Soi 8 corner condo for 85,000 baht, down from 110,000

Kathy and Hank pay 85,000 baht a month (about US$2,500) for a 145-square-metre corner condo with a skyline view, and they got there by not accepting the asking price. The listing said 110,000. Their agent said it wasn’t worth 110,000 and suggested going in at 80,000; the landlord agreed to 85,000.

The couple are American and retired, and they have lived in Bangkok for about a year. Their lessons are the practical kind: what the rent really needs to be, what to check before you sign, and who to hire.

Who it suits: retirees who can spend around 85,000 baht a month on rent and want space, a view and a BTS station close by.

The numbers

• Layout: open-plan living area, a separate office space, and a large bedroom with a wall of wardrobes.
• The kitchen: brand new, with plenty of storage and a large fridge. The oven has no dials or buttons and they have not worked out how to use it. They make oatmeal, toast, tea and coffee, and otherwise eat out or order delivery.
• The building: a refurbished lobby, a small pool with a wave-shaped edge, a basic gym, and a pool deck with views over the park and the city. There is a breeze up there even on hot days.
• Getting around: there is a building shuttle and the BTS is at the end of the street.

What they like

The view is the draw: skyline from the balcony, the living room and the bedroom, and especially at night, when the lights come on across the city. From the bedroom you can just see the Chao Phraya. They describe the flat as quiet, and the park is next door. They say shops and supermarkets are within about 15 minutes’ walk, and food and groceries can be delivered.

The trade-offs

They say they spend little time at the pool, and Kathy calls the gym “bare bones”. There are no railings at the pool steps, which they say is common in the condos they viewed.

Furnished units are the norm in Bangkok, so bringing your own furniture narrows the field. They were told their American recliners wouldn’t work with Thai power, so they left them behind and bought new ones on arrival. Check large appliances before shipping.

Their move

The research. They put in hours of YouTube before deciding, and started planning well before they came.

The visa. They chose the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa. Their advice is to start at least a year before you plan to arrive, because your US tax return has to reflect the financial requirements. Check whether the income test applies to each applicant separately rather than to a couple together, and confirm it with the BOI or your agent before you plan around it. They hired a professional agent, which was not cheap but was worth it. The agent handled the filing and took them through the office in person.

“Get connected to a good professional visa agent … it’s absolutely worth it.”

— Kathy and Hank

The LTR is run by the Board of Investment (BOI), not by immigration. Thresholds, insurance requirements and duration are set by the BOI and change, so confirm the current terms with the BOI or an agent. Our visa guide covers the visa options.

Healthcare

Health cover is a big thing to plan for, and it gets harder and dearer to arrange as you age, so look at it early. Our healthcare and insurance guide compares plans.

• Public hospitals: registering needs a passport and your address, and you are given a card.
• Finding the clinic: signs are mostly in Thai, so keep a translation app ready and ask a staff member to take you to the right clinic.
• Private hospitals: appointments can sometimes be booked at short notice, and you pay for care yourself unless your insurance covers it.

Where to live: BTS and pavements

Their location rule was to be close to a BTS station or on a building shuttle. They also say to check the pavements: some districts, such as Chidlom and Lang Suan, have good ones, and a good pavement is what makes a nearby station convenient.

BTS lifts are sometimes out of service. When the lift on your side is out you have to use the other side of the station, which puts you across the street, and on Sukhumvit there are few places to cross. A smaller place that is more convenient can be a better choice than a larger one that is awkward to leave. Delivery helps: groceries and furniture can arrive at the door.

Their advice

• Plan before you land. Know which visa you will hold before you reach Suvarnabhumi, and what it will require each year.
• Line up money and taxes first. Don’t expect to fly in and sort it out.
• Use a professional visa agent. It was not cheap, they say, but it was worth it.
• Choose an independent property agent if you can. In their view the agent often acts for both you and the landlord (theirs still got the rent down), and they suggest interviewing several, or asking someone you know for a recommendation.
• Come sooner rather than later. Health insurance gets harder to arrange as you get older.

They plan to stay. They say everything they could need is within a 15-minute walk.

What to do: Compare 85,000 baht with the rest of the city in Bangkok rents from real tours, read retiring in Thailand for the other visa routes, and price insurance in the healthcare and insurance guide before you commit to a lease.