I'm making the move to Bangkok. My budget is $500 USD (18,000 THB). Where do I start looking for apartments?

honestly for 18k near asoke you're gonna struggle unless you're okay with a studio or a shoebox. look along the bts extension past on nut, like prakanong or even bang chak. you can find decent studios for 12-15k there and still be 10-15 mins from asoke by train. fb marketplace is where most listings are, just search "asoke area condo rent 15000" and sort by newest. also check hipflat or ddproperty but fb tends to have the most direct from owners

arrow_drop_up 13 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

yeah 18k near asoke is tight but not impossible if you go for one of the older buildings on suk 11 or 15. those are mostly walkable to asoke bts and you can find a 20sqm studio for 15-17k if you look hard enough. the catch is they're usually on deep sois so you'll be walking a bit through the soi dogs at night

honestly i'd check the small soi off asoke-din daeng road too. it's a 7 minute walk to petchaburi mrt and like 10 to asoke bts, but the buildings there are way cheaper cause they're off the main drag. i've seen studios for 12-14k in that area, just older and no frills

for searching try renthub or hipflat and filter by "asoke" area then sort by price low to high. fb marketplace is good too but you gotta message fast cause the cheap ones go quick

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

For 18k near Asoke you need to pick your priority: space or location. If location matters more, check the old Nana area on Sukhumvit 3 or 5. The buildings are older but you can find a 25sqm studio for 14-16k and it's a 5 minute walk to Asoke BTS. The trade off is no pool or gym usually.

If you want something newer with amenities, look at On Nut or Bang Chak like the other person said. The BTS from Bang Chak to Asoke is about 12 minutes and you'll get a much better bang for your buck. I'd start with Hipflat over Facebook because you can filter by price and see floor plans, then cross reference with Google Maps to check walking distance to the station.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply