Renting A House In Thailand For Foreigners

How much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand is one of the most popular questions when moving to Thailand. Therefore, in today’s article, we will be covering this subject by going over the total costs to rent a house in Thailand. In addition, we will also be exploring how much it costs to rent a townhouse, a condominium, an office, and other property types in Thailand.

What’s the difference between a house and a townhouse? Considering we are exploring how much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand, it’s important to understand the two differences. A townhouse is often much smaller in shape and can sometimes have a lower quality design. However, they can also be attached to other buildings, stores, etc. In Thailand, some large houses and villas can be rented with the amenity of a swimming pool.

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How Much Does It Cost To Rent A House In Thailand

There are many areas to consider when estimating how much it costs to rent a house in Thailand. One example is that naturally, renting a house in the northern mountains of Chiang Mai will be much cheaper than the hotspot areas of Phuket or Bangkok. Another consideration to take into account is the size and facilities.

As an estimate, for a small two-bedroom house in Thailand, the rental cost will be between 10,000 – 20,000 Thai Baht. Larger houses, including those with extra facilities such as a swimming pool, cost 20,000 – 40,000 Baht a month.

There are also premium houses to rent in Thailand. This, if you are looking at how much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand, you may find this information relevant. Premium houses such as those found near the BTS line in central Bangkok typically cost around 150,000 Thai Baht a month. Most often, these premium houses are large complexes and usually have a minimum of four bedrooms.

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Townhouse In Thailand

As we discovered earlier, townhouses are very similar to houses in Thailand. The main difference between the two is the size. Therefore if you are looking to save money when renting in Thailand, it’s recommended to opt for a townhouse rather than a house. This is because, as we’ve discovered when looking at how much it costs to rent a house in Thailand, prices are often on the higher end of the scale.

If you want to live in central Bangkok and a house is too expensive, you will find cheaper options with townhouses. This is still not the most affordable option for living in Bangkok, but townhouses are cheaper than larger houses.

Prices for townhouses in Thailand can range between 8,000 – 75,000 Thai Baht. On the lower end of the scale, a townhouse is more frequent in the north of Thailand and more remote areas. Those on the higher end of the scale are typically in popular areas such as Bangkok & Phuket.

It is also expected that townhouses mix with houses on comparison sites (where agents post their available property). Therefore, you will likely find many properties in Thailand that are in the wrong category on comparison sites. But on most occasions, the prices above serve as a good guideline.

As we are looking at how much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand, it’s essential to add that it is possible to find a property under or above the estimates. This is because the current property market in Thailand is continuously changing, and due to recent developments around Thailand, prices can fluctuate.

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Condo In Thailand

Condos are some of the cheapest forms of living in Thailand in terms of high quality and essential facilities. This may not be the same if you are purchasing the condominium as you will often have to pay for condo dues, taxation, insurance, etc., but if you are renting, there are fewer concerns and expenses.

A common question we get asked here at Owl of Asia HQ is, what is the cheapest type of property in Thailand?

Often the cheapest property types in Thailand are condominium units or a townhouses. Considering the facilities of each property, a comfortable living experience can cost between 6,000 – 10,000 Thai Baht a month. However, between the two options, the cheapest property type in Thailand is commonly the townhouse. This is because extra expenses such as condo dues are not included in a townhouse.

But now we know how much it costs to rent a house in Thailand. So the next question is, how much does it cost to rent a condo in Thailand?

A standard condominium in Thailand has a rental cost of between 6,000 – 15,000 Thai Baht on average. The location, size of the unit, contract length, and facilities can all impact the rental price of a condominium in Thailand.

If you wish to live around central Bangkok, also known as Sukhumvit road, a small condominium unit starts around 12,000 – 13,000 Thai Baht. However, this rental price can be lowered if the condominium is older, slightly outside of significant hotspots or if the infrastructure is lower quality.

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Villa In Thailand

Villas in Thailand are some of the most volatile property types on the market. For example, you can calculate the estimated price of a standard condominium due to its location, facilities, etc. However, with a villa, many moving components make it challenging to label a particular type of villa as a “standard” villa in Thailand.

Nonetheless, prices for villas can be reasonably low if you are looking to rent a smaller villa without the added extras, such as a private swimming pool.

Premium Villa’s with a minimum of four bedrooms in Thailand typically cost around 150,000 – 200,000 Thai baht to rent a month. Smaller villas with less than four bedrooms cost per month between 85,000 – 150,000 Thai Baht. The overall price will depend on many factors, but the most prominent is the villa’s location.

But what about if you are on a budget and looking to rent a cheap villa in Thailand? In this situation, you have options. Most cheap budget villas can be found on the small islands of the south, such as Koh Samui. Often these have a minimum of two bedrooms, and the price ranges from 18,000 – 30,000 Thai Baht a month.

Due to the current pandemic era, there are increasing numbers of villas that have lowered their rental and selling prices. Of course, this is common across the property market, but personally speaking, I’ve noticed the most significant discounts on villa rentals in Thailand.

How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Office Or Warehouse In Thailand

Offices and warehouses come in all shapes and sizes, and often the cost to rent an office in Thailand and the cost to rent a warehouse in Thailand will be calculated due to the facilities included (computers, kitchen, etc.) and the square foot of the premise.

It is possible to rent a tiny office in Thailand, and in some cases, this can be just big enough for one or two people or one large desk and one person. A small private office can be found between 5,000 – 10,000 Thai Baht a month.

A large office in the central area of Bangkok can range between 90,000 – 120,000 Thai Baht a month. This typically holds anywhere from 12 – 18 people on average. Therefore to summarise….

The cost to rent a small private office in Thailand is between 5,000 – 10,000 Thai Baht. A larger office in a central area can hold between 12-18 people at a rental price of 90,000 – 120,000 Thai Baht a month. The office price will fluctuate depending on the location, facilities, and square feet of the premises.

Warehouse prices also fluctuate in Thailand. Some warehouses have a rental price between 15,000 – 20,000 Thai Baht a month, but these are often very small warehouses similar to a standard townhouse. A larger warehouse in Thailand has a rental price of between 50,000 – 1 million Thai Baht.

From our calculations, a reasonable estimate for every square meter is around 250 – 300 Thai Baht. This is based on rental and not purchasing. Therefore if a warehouse in Thailand is 300 square meters, we can calculate that the total price will be between 75,000 – 90,000. Still, as mentioned, this is an estimate and will fluctuate from warehouse to warehouse.

Now that we have discovered how much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand and also covered costs of other properties in the Kingdom, it’s time we look at some crucial tips for renting in Thailand.

Tips For Renting In Thailand

Rent Long Term In Thailand

One of the benefits of renting is that if you can rent long term, you often have a stronger position in the negotiation stage (more on this below) and prices are often much cheaper if you can sign up long term.

Naturally, there are some pros and cons to this method. As the deposit is often a two-month rental price if the contract has been broken on your part, likely, the deposit will also be forfeited, so it’s only recommended to investigate long-term rental if you believe you will stay for the entire duration.

Always Negotiate With Houses & Other Property

One of the benefits of looking at how much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand at this current moment is that whether you decide to rent a house in Thailand or another type of property such as a villa, you have many advantages on your side and the current market is one of them.

Things will likely start to improve over the upcoming years, but many properties exist without tenants during the pandemic era. Thus renters are in a stronger position to negotiate as there is more availability and the good news for those looking to save money is that there are also some great deals to be had with real estate across Thailand.

Use The Power Of Social Media When Renting In Thailand

Social media in Thailand is massive, and many agreements and announcements are made through social media. If you are looking at how much does it cost to rent a house in Thailand, then I would suggest taking a look at some of the property groups across Facebook. This is because many landlords and tenants are advertising their houses and other property types every day.

In addition. If you decide to go with an agency, it’s often recommended to keep in touch with a few different agents. Like every country, there are some good and bad agents in Thailand, and therefore, to avoid delays or disappointments, it’s best to have a few plates spinning in the early stages.

Exchange Your House Deposit Into Thai Baht

One of the disadvantages of living in Thailand as a foreigner is that when you rent or purchase any property in Thailand, you will need to pay the deposit in Thai baht. I highly recommend using Wise. This service allows you to transfer your USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, CAD, etc., into Thai baht. The process is straightforward, and Wise has one of the cheapest currency exchange rates across all markets.