Can I get my deposit back if the place I just moved in has a cockroach infestation?

ngl the german cockroach thing is brutal, they breed fast and hide deep. since you're on floor 40+ in a luxury building, ask the juristic office if they've done any building-wide fumigation recently. a lot of these towers in bangkok have a contract with a pest company that only sprays common areas, not individual units, so the roaches just migrate into yours when they get flushed out.

if the landlord already sucks and the building has a known issue, you might be better off talking to the juristic manager directly about breaking the lease. some buildings will let you transfer the contract to a new tenant with no penalty if the unit has a recurring problem, saves you the headache of fighting the landlord for months over 20-40k baht. just make sure you get any agreement in writing, even if it's just a line message screenshot.

arrow_drop_up 15 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

honestly, that sucks but you're in a decent spot legally. under thai law, a rental unit has to be habitable and an infestation like that counts as a defect. you've got the consumer protection act on your side too, not just civil code. take photos and videos of everything, the roaches, the trash you found, the dirty spots. send them to the landlord in writing, line or message is fine, and state clearly that the unit was not in a livable condition when you moved in.

if pest control doesn't fix it and the landlord refuses to return the deposit, your next step isn't police. go to the consumer protection board, there's an office on ratchadaphisek road. they handle this kind of thing all the time and landlords usually fold once they get a letter from them. a lawyer is overkill for this amount of money unless we're talking like 100k+ baht deposit.

one thing though, german cockroaches are tough. even with pest control they might come back if the whole building has them, which is common in older luxury towers. you might just want to cut your losses and find a different place if the landlord is already this useless. make sure you document the pest control visit and its results, that's your evidence if you need to fight for the deposit later.

arrow_drop_up 11 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

german cockroaches on floor 40+ is almost certainly a building-wide problem, not just your unit. they travel through plumbing and electrical chases, so even if your unit gets sprayed, they'll be back from neighbors within a week. i'd ask the juristic office directly if other units have reported the same issue, they might be more honest than your landlord.

for the deposit fight, you've got a solid angle under section 47 of the consumer protection act since they rented you a unit that wasn't fit for use. skip the lawyer and go straight to the consumer protection board office on ratchadaphisek, they're actually helpful and fast with these cases. but honestly, if the whole building is infested, you're better off negotiating a clean exit now rather than waiting through multiple pest control rounds that won't work long term

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