Ascott Sathorn Bangkok

Serviced Apartments  and Residence

There  are 177  serviced apartments in the Ascot ,  from studio, 1, 2and 3-bedroom units, Ascott Sathorn Bangkok provides all many luxuries.  Each unit offers a good size  living and dining area, great kitchen, and bedrooms furnished fitted to the max. For business travelers these residents include wireless internet connections.This is high end for the business travelor who wants the best.

There are fine restaurants, cafes  and these are haunts for many ex patriots.Walk down the street and you will meet many from England, France United States and Asia,

The Sathorn area and its serviced apartments are perfect in this noted business district of Bangkok.

Some other apartments , buildings and landmarks  in the area:

• Empire Tower
• Rajanakarn Building
• Bangkok City Tower
• Sathorn City Tower
• Asia Centre Building
• Sala @ Sathorn Office Building
• Chong Nonsi Skytrain Station
• Royal Sports Club
• Sathorn Thani Complex
• Standard Chartered Bank
• Chao Phraya River
• Australian Embassy
• Ambassade de France
• Singapore Embassy
• BNH Hospital

For more information contact us at bangkokfinder.com your rental specialist.

Other aspects about Sathorn Area Of bangkok aside from the serviced apartments are :

This is located near busy  Silom area. As you can see in the above list Sathorn has many high-rise buildings, embassies with corporate HQs. This a district on the move. The upscale serviced apartments for the foreigners are throughout the area and intermingled with new glistening architecture of these buildings. The area is indeed one of the fasting growing.

The Bangkok Skytrain (BTS)  has  stations at Surasak and Saphan Taksin, making it close to most serviced apartments located here.

Night Life is good with such upscal Hu’u Barand Zuk Bar at Sukhothai Hotel are noted as Bangokoks  best. Vertigo which is one of  rooftop bars and restauraunts is in the area, it is very popular.

I like this new blog software and we will see what it will do.

Do you want a nice condo to rent in this upscale �business district?

This may be the one.

This is located �upscale Silom area, Sathorn has many cooperate offices high rises that glimmer. The skyline around Sathorn Road, one of the city’s most beautiful and well lit. �Lumpini Park all the way to south to the river, Bangkok’s �trendy hotels like the Metropolitan, the Sukhothai and Banyan Tree. The area also has many upscale serviced apartments and a variety of fine restaurants serving up excellent local and international cuisine. This condo for rent is right in the heart of this area.

It’s very popular to the increasing expat community, long-stay visitors and business travelers.

This is a real find at the Empire tower, Bangkok city tower. Close to the BTS a great rental clean and will rent fast.

For more detailed information bangkokfinder condo Santhon

Many clients ask me this and the one I always recommend is Unity Thai Language School which I myself attended some years back. It’s pretty intensive though – 4 hours a day, 5 times a week for less than THB 7000 a month! They are definitely one of the best, and if you make it through module 6 (month 6) you’ll be reading the Thai newspaper! I only persevered through module 2 and I think I do pretty OK, so hope you manage to make it past me and learn to read/write too!

Maddy

The rental process in Thailand is much more straight forward than in many other countries such as Japan or Singapore if for no other reason than there is generally only one agent/agency dealing with your property. Agents in Thailand work both sides of deal, acting for both the owner of the property, and the potential tenant, again, unlike many countries where each party has their own representative.

So, first things first, you identify an agent with which you would like to work, and let them know your criteria for property selection. Generally, the most important criteria to consider when looking for rental properties in Bangkok are:

· Proximity to children’s school

· Proximity to parents workplace

· Proximity to lifestyle pursuits for the family.

· Type of property, e.x. Single detached house, Townhouse, Condo or Apartment

· Whether pets are acceptable should the potential tenant have them

· How many bedrooms are needed

· Whether furnished or unfurnished accommodation is required

· The budget that the agent should work within

· Any other important information that would help the agent select suitable properties for your viewing days should be given, even if you think the information may be insignificant.

Once all this information has been garnered by your agent, they should send you a shortlist of properties which they think may be suitable for your needs. You should peruse this list to ensure that the agent is working in the correct ballpark for your wants and needs before heading out to view properties which may be unsuitable. This first step is where many agents fall down and when you find out whether your agent is worth their salt. You will be surprised by how many agents out there do not take into account this information and then go ahead and waste both their own time and that of the client by showing completely unsuitable properties.

Once the shortlist has been prepared, the agent should make an appointment with you go to view the selected properties. Most reputable agencies will pick you up in their own vehicle from your hotel or wherever you may be staying, and drop you off back their after your viewings have finished for the day. Your route and timings will be planned to be the most efficient route around the properties which have been selected to view. Normally, from mid morning onwards is the best time to a viewing if there are 4 or more properties so as to miss the morning rush hour traffic, and return before the traffic deteriorates during the afternoon school run from around 3.30pm.

When viewing the properties, make sure you take lots of notes as to the positives and negatives of each, relevant to your needs. Your agent should not be very vocal during your viewings unless you wish them to be. Viewings for rental property are very different from the buying process. They shouldn’t be trying to sell you on a particular property; rather they should be showing you the features of each and letting you make up your own mind. Main things to check when renting property are:

· Water Pressure. If its low, there probably isn’t a lot than can be done about it!

· Air Conditioning. Make sure it is relatively new looking, not noisy and does a good job of cooling the room.

· Check the land plots nearby. Is there any construction ongoing or possible construction sites which may interrupt your enjoyment of the property.

· Who are the neighbors?

· If pets are allowing on the property, what pets do other keep?

· What is the access to the property like? Is there more than one route to access?

These really are the main points, and these are the things which really cannot be changed. Any other small defects which you may find can generally be repaired/fixed along the way, or before you move in, but any of the above are beyond your control.

You don’t have to limit yourself to one day of viewings. This is a personal preference. Some people are more than happy with the first property that they view and make an offer on it right away, while others want to view every available unit in Bangkok! We at Bangkok Finder generally recommend seeing 6-8 properties which match your criteria. We would recommend however sticking with one agent, whoever that agent may be (See related article for explanation to this).

Once you have found a property which is suitable for your needs, you should instruct your agent (verbally is fine) to go ahead and make an offer for the property. Your offer should be a monetary offer, along with a list of any improvements/additions which you would need made to the property, and a tentative move in date. Once armed with this offer, the agent will immediately contact the owner with your offer. Obviously, the owner may counter offer, but in nine times out of ten an agreement is generally reached very quickly.

Once the agreement has been reached verbally, the agent will prepare a lease contract for the property on behalf of the owner. This contract should be in the English language. Check it thoroughly. Standard terms should be prevalent. These would be:

· Lease term 12 months minimum.

· Security Deposit equal to two months rental amount.

· Rent to be paid monthly, in advance, along with the bank account details to which the rent should be paid.

· Complete details of the owner of the property and their residential address, along with full name and passport details of the tenant.

Occasionally, you may see the lease agreement split into two documents, one lease for ‘property’ and one lease for ‘furniture’ or ‘fixtures and fittings’. This generally only happens with higher end property and is done to minimize the property owner’s tax liability. Once the lease agreement has been approved by both the tenant and the owner a date for signing will be agreed and all parties will meet, usually at the property to sign the lease agreement. This is a good opportunity to get to know the owner of the property. This is very, very important in Asia where first impressions count much more so than in western countries. If the tenant makes a good impression on the property owner, this will cement a good relationship for both, and visa versa. The lease agreement should be made in triplicate, with copies of the tenant’s passport and owners ID Card attached as appendices. One copy is for the tenant, one for the owner, and one for the agent’s files.

This contract signing meeting is also a good time to arrange the deposit payment. Bear in mind that Thailand is a cash economy, and credit/debit cards cannot be used for deposit/rent payment. The only forms of payment available are cash, bank transfer or cashier’s check. Make sure to have this process completed before your move in date, as most property owners will understandably not let tenants take possession of the property without correct payment having occurred already.

During this period between contract signing and move-in date, your agent should be helping you to arrange such things as Internet connections and cable T.V. There should be no charge to you for them to carry out this service, though they will ask you for the funds to pay each of the utilities upon installation.

Upon contract signing and deposit payment, the only thing left is to go ahead and move into the property on the agreed date. Normally unless you specify otherwise, your agent will meet you at the property on your move in day to present you with the keys, and also to compose a furniture inventory for the property. This document is very important to both tenant and owner as it represents the exact state of the property on the date of handover, thus eliminating any potential arguments at a later date.

At this point, it’s up to you or your moving company to get yourself moved into the house. Should you encounter any problems with the property, a quick call to your agent should have that problem solved immediately, leaving you to just deal with the important task of getting your things sorted out and getting yourself settled into your new home.

You should not hear form your agent for a couple of days when they should give you a follow up call to make sure that you are well settled in and that you have no problems. Of course, if you do have any problems, you should feel free to contact the agent so that they can get it sorted on your behalf!

Some important points to note:

· Do NOT start negotiating on more than one property at a time. Put your shortlist in order, and start with the no.1 property. If this deal falls through, move to the number 2 property. It sheds your agent and their agency in a very negative light should the landlord agree to your offer, only for you to reject the property anyway.

· Work with only one agent in the same way as the point above. Of course, if you lose confidence in your agent for any reason, move onto another one, but use only one at once.

· Remember, the services of the agent are completely free to the Tenant. The agents fees are paid as a commission by the property owner.

· Do not put in an offer which may be insulting to the property owner. Of course, there are some bargains to be had, but in our years of being in this business, I have never heard of a discount of 50% being given! Putting in a low ball offer is fine in the right circumstances, but don’t be offended if your agent refuses to lodge an offer which they deem as inappropriate.

· The negotiability of the listed prices differs massively from property to property and therefore we cannot generally say that these listed prices are negotiable by x%. Obviously, the longer a property is vacant, the more willing an owner would be to negotiate, however he still me be unwilling to negotiate at all if he has a desirable property which enjoys high occupancy rates.

· The minimum lease period of 12 months is NON-negotiable on the vast majority of private property in Bangkok, particularly Condominiums and houses. Serviced Apartments are the only places where lease agreements of less than 12 months are available.

Check out Bangkok Photo School’s first evening course of 2009 that will kick off in February and offer sessions on camera control, composition, lighting, metering, portraiture and creativity. We will discuss ways to use your camera to capture a variety of scenes and subjects just as you see them in your mind’s eye.

This course is perfect for photographers who want to understand how they can make the most of their camera equipment to realise their creative vision. Participants will, by the end of the course, have a firm grasp of exposure settings and metering and be able to accurately expose photos in even the most challenging lighting conditions. Our aim on this ten-week course is to give you the confidence to step out on your own, knowing that you will be able to use your camera to photograph subjects that inspire and excite you.

We will examine other photographers’ work, discussing what makes a successful image and exploring ways in which we can learn to emulate the photographers whose work we admire. The course includes a local field-trip where we put the lessons into practice with a review and critique session where we see how far we have progressed. We will leave you with ideas for future development and, we hope, greater confidence in your own photographic abilities.

Course details:

Venue: The British Club, Silom Soi 18

Dates: Monday evenings from February 2nd, 2009

Time: 6pm to 9pm

Cost: 7,500 Baht

Participants: Maximum 12 people

Any questions?

If you have any questions about the course content or would like to speak to one of the tutors, please feel free to e-mail or telephone.

e-mail: enquiries@bangkokphotoschool.com

Gavin Gough: 084 907 3330

Jackie Rado: 087 052 3344

NFS -The International Parenting Network 25/Nov

The IPN is a rapidly growing network of international families, counselors and child-care professionals. The IPN organizes monthly networking events for parents; offering them an opportunity to connect with professionals in child care: child psychologists, counselors, pediatricians, authors of children’s books, and families & parents with years of valuable counsel, information and experience to share with others on how to raise happy, healthy and wholesome kids in this ever changing modern day world.

November Event: “”The Challenges of Sex Education & Adolescent” by Dr Pansak Sugkraroek of Bamrungrad Hospital

Venue: Dusit Thani Hotel,Silom Road (BTS: Saladaeng/MRT:Silom)

Date: Tuesday, November 25th 2008

Time: 6:30pm-9:30pm

IPN Members: Free

Non-members: 300 Baht (includes light cocktail snacks, wine and presentation)

For more information:ipnbangkok@gmail.com or call 081-450-2134, 081-864-7861

So what next, after you have finally found that rental property that is perfect for you?

The first thing you should know is that properties change hands fast in Bangkok. Especially the good ones! I would imagine it’s the same situation in any big cities, especially when the apartment is popular amongst expats. So, when you have finally found that one property you like, try to stop yourself from wanting to see more “just in case there is something else out there” because from my experience, people always come back to the first one they like. Those who are decisive move in without a glitch, while others who hesitate a little too long end up settling for second best and sometimes, paying much more for something similar.

The first thing you need to do is tell your agent you want to go ahead with that particular property. You then need to decide what extras you need in the property and the price you are happy to pay. Then the agent can go off with your offer; and negotiate on your behalf. Once the rental price and extra items are settled, you need to arrange for an initial deposit, or what we call a “booking fee” to secure the property. Without a booking fee, either party can change their mind on the deal but for you, it means that the landlord can rent it to someone else while you are happily packing up for your big move! To prevent that from happening, the initial deposit required here is usually the equivalent to one month’s rent (assuming you are moving in within a month’s time) with the remaining to be paid just before you move in. This can be done once the contract is approved on both ends. Your agent will then arrange for a meeting where the contracts are signed and the booking fee paid. Once this is done, you are pretty much free to go arrange with your movers, cable Tv and internet providers. Depending on your lease agreement, this may either be installed by the landlord or yourself. The process is really quite painless but give yourself at least 2 weeks to get everything sorted and working in your new home.

If you are renting an apartment, which is owned by a single entity or business, chances are the contracts are not going to vary very much since these are very standard leases, thus you can quite confidently put down the deposit and then have the contract sent to you later. Most apartments are flexible on simple clause changes (within reason) but if you require a diplomatic clause included, it’s best you settle that before you put down the booking fee.

Once the booking fee is paid, remember to ask for a receipt. Your agent should make sure all this is settled before you go off and arrange with your movers. Unlike some neighbouring countries, where landlords often change the rental price AFTER a booking fee has been made, I am very happy to tell you that this does NOT happen in Bangkok. At least, not in my years of dealing with Thai landlords. Someone else cannot come along and offer a landlord more for their property after you have put down a booking fee for it, regardless of whether the contract has been signed. Apparently, this is not the case in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and China. A client of mine who just moved from Singapore told me that they had a landlord who raised the rent on them three times, after a deposit has been made only to rent it to someone else after my client refused to go any higher after the third increment. Of course, they got their deposit back, but this should not happen at all especially when an agreement on price has been made! Thankfully, it doesn’t work like this here.

The standard security deposit in Thailand is two months, plus a month’s rent in advance. Therefore, you pay three months upfront when you move into a new premise. You are entitled to have that security deposit returned to you at the end of your lease term, provided the property is handed back to the owner in good condition, taking into account normal wear and tear. Should you terminate the lease before your lease expires, the landlord shall have the right to retain your deposit unless you have a diplomatic clause in place. However, a diplomatic clause is only applicable in case of overseas job transfer, termination of work or political crisis, and requires company supported documents as proof. You not liking the place you rented does not render that clause effective!

A diplomatic clause will always require a minimum stay of at least 6 -1 2 months, depending on the apartment and owner, before it can be applied in any case. Thus, if you are transferred overseas after only 5 months stay in a rental property, your deposit will be forfeited even if you have a diplomatic clause in your contract.

Please bear in mind that the above information applies for long term rentals in Bangkok, Thailand. If you cannot sign a one year lease, then your best option is a serviced apartment that works like a hotel but more suitable for long term stay since it has some sort of pantry and a little more space. 90% of apartments, condos and houses in Bangkok require a minimum stay of one year minimum. A main reason is because every time a tenant moves out, the entire unit has be repainted and renovated before the new tenant takes over. Thus, you can understand why no one wants to be doing that every few months when a tenant moves out.

Majority of condominiums and houses for rent in Bangkok do not come readily with internet connection. Usually, this is done by the tenant in his/her own name and is easily obtainable by submitting your passport and work permit, along with a small installation fee. Not unless it is a serviced apartment which works pretty much like a hotel or you happen to be one of the lucky minority who has a landlord who understands that internet is not option but a necessity in this day and age. Some of us are not so lucky; and what you need to know is that this is the norm in Thailand and not something to fret about. Here’s what you do…

Basically, there are two main telecom companies in Bangkok – TOT and TRUE. The latter is government-owned and definitely the larger of the two, with almost every home in Bangkok installed with a TOT phone line. However, this is not to say that TRUE is in anyway inferior to TOT. In fact, the only way you’re going to get TRUE broadband, is through a TRUE line and TRUE is currently the biggest and most popular ISP in Bangkok.

There are a host of ISPs in Bangkok that use TOT phone lines i.e. CS Loxinfo, Buddy Broadband, KSC internet and yes, TOT which also has their own broadband service but a common problem faced by TOT users in older housing estates (this includes many areas in Bangkok including Sukhumvit, Silom, Sathorn etc) is that the phone lines in these older estates are on the old analog system which affects the connection speed and there is nothing TOT can do about it. Your only option is to get a new digital phone line installed, preferably by TRUE. However, here’s the other problem….

Bangkok is seriously short of new numbers, and this includes many areas in the CBD. Thus, applying for a new line from TRUE or TOT can mean getting on a long waiting list, and patiently waiting for up 6 months. To avoid this catastrophic situation, make sure you first check that there is existing phone line in the house/condo you are renting. It’s much easier with apartments since they already have lines readily available for every unit, and all it takes is a week to get ADSL connected in your apartment unit.

This is also known as the UN clause and it is usually required in the lease agreement by multinational companies who may transfer their employees anytime from country to country. It should go something like this:

“Should the Lessee be compelled to leave Bangkok due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the Lessee i.e. overseas job transfer, the lease may be terminated after completing a minimum stay of XX months on the premise, by giving 60 days advance notice in writing with supported company documents, and the deposit paid in advance shall be returned. “

Different apartments have varying policies regarding the diplomatic clause and will require a minimum stay, ranging from 6 – 12 months in order for this clause to be applied. Naturally, the more popular apartments tend to require a minimum stay of one year, regardless of a diplomatic clause. Same applies for condos and houses.