Thai · Beginnerหา ห้อง เช่า ยังไง ดี?Renting an Apartment

Follow along

93 lines
00:00Intro
Hello Ryan! Why do you look so tired today?
Hello Mia! Today I walked around looking at condos all day to find an apartment to rent.
Wow! Looking for an apartment to rent in Bangkok is very tiring, isn't it?
Yes! Very tiring. I walked to look at many areas including Asok and Sukhumvit.
Those areas have so many beautiful condos!
Yes, but it was fun! Today I learned many things about renting a room.
Great! Today our podcast will teach essential phrases for renting a condo.
Yes! Today we have 6 very common Thai phrases to share with everyone.
Our Hero Phrase today is 'haa hông châo' (looking for an apartment to rent).
And the other 5 phrases are monthly rent, nice and quiet, very good location, security deposit, and move-in date.
And in the next section, Mia has an interesting story about electricity bills to tell you!
That sounds very interesting! Let's listen to the fun story right now.
Ryan, tell us about today! What did you encounter when going out to look for an apartment to rent?
Today I walked to look at condos and apartments in the Sukhumvit area. The rooms were very nice and livable.
So have you decided to rent any room yet, Ryan?
Not yet! Because when I asked about electricity costs, I was very shocked.
Haha! This is exact thing that many foreigners don't know when coming to look for an apartment to rent in Thailand.
Apartments and condos charge electricity bills differently, right Mia?
Correct! If it's an apartment, the landlord sets the electricity rate themselves, 7 to 8 baht per unit.
That is very expensive! Then if it's a condo, how much does it cost?
If it's a condo, we pay directly to the electricity authority, only about 4 baht per unit.
I tried calculating! If using 300 units, the apartment costs 2,400 baht!
But if it's a condo, you pay only 1,200 baht! You save half the money!
That is a huge difference! If turning on aircon every day, apartment electricity is definitely very expensive.
Yes, this is a very important difference when foreigners look for an apartment to rent.
From now on, if I go to look for an apartment to rent again, I will ask about electricity costs first.
That is a very good idea Ryan! This helps save a lot of money in your wallet.
Besides electricity bills, water bills are equally important.
Correct! Some apartments charge a minimum water bill of 100 to 200 baht per month.
And for rental contracts, usually how many years contract do you need to make, Mia?
Mostly, condos in Bangkok require making a rental contract for 1 year or more.
If staying less than 1 year, you won't get the security deposit back, right?
Yes! Therefore, you must plan well before agreeing to rent a room.
This knowledge is very useful! It helps us make better decisions when renting a room.
Besides money matters, condo amenities are also very interesting.
Yes! Condos in Bangkok mostly have swimming pools and gyms for free use.
Yes! Some places even have co-working spaces and rooftop gardens.
Very livable indeed! If getting a condo like that, life will be very comfortable.
And another thing is travel to work or study, which is also very important.
Yes! If staying near a skytrain station, life in Bangkok will be much more convenient.
Now let's explain the remaining 5 phrases, Mia.
Sure! Today's second phrase is 'khâa châo dʉan lá' (monthly rent of...).
The phrase 'khâa châo dʉan lá' means the price we must pay every month, right?
Yes! For example, 'khâa châo dʉan lá nʉ̀ng mʉ̀ʉn bàat' means monthly rent is 10,000 baht per month.
If we want to know the price, we can ask 'khâa châo dʉan lá thâo-rài kráp' right away, right?
Correct! Asking like this, the owner will tell you the price immediately.
Understood clearly! Then what about the third phrase, 'ngîap sà-ngòp dii'?
This phrase refers to a room that is quiet, comfortable, and has no disturbing noise.
I like a bedroom that is nice and quiet because I can sleep comfortably.
True! If the room is not nice and quiet, we won't sleep very well.
Some people like a nice and quiet room because they work from home.
Correct! When working, if it's nice and quiet, you can concentrate much better.
Agreed! Next, the fourth phrase is 'tham-lee dii mâak', meaning located in a good position with convenient travel.
If a condo is near skytrain or subway, it is considered a very good location with convenient travel.
Right here we have the room choice preference of Team Ryan vs Team Mia!
Yes! Which team are you on, Ryan?
I am Team Ryan! I like condos with a very good location next to skytrain. Even if the room is small, it's fine.
But Mia is Team Mia! Mia likes spacious rooms that are nice and quiet, even if located inside an alley.
And what about our listeners? Which style do you prefer? Are you Team Ryan or Team Mia?
Think about it! Next, the fifth phrase, 'ngən prà-kan', means deposit money paid in advance for potential damage.
Usually, when renting a room in Thailand, you must pay a 2-month security deposit, right?
Yes, you must pay a 2-month security deposit plus 1-month rent in advance.
And when moving out, do we get the full security deposit back?
If nothing in the room is damaged, you get the security deposit back in full.
And the sixth phrase, 'yáai khâo wan nǎi', means the date we will start moving into the room.
The landlord often asks this question when agreeing to rent, such as 'When will you move in?'
If I want to move in next Monday, I can reply 'moving in on Monday', right?
Correct! Answering like that, the landlord will prepare the room for you right away.
Now it's time to test our understanding, Mia!
Very ready! Listeners, try answering along with us!
Question 1: If we are walking around looking for an apartment to rent, how do we say it in Thai?
The answer is 'haa hông châo'! For example, 'Now I am looking for an apartment to rent.'
Correct! Question 2: If we want to ask about monthly rental price, how do we say it?
The answer is 'khâa châo dʉan lá thâo-rài kráp' or 'khâa châo dʉan lá thâo-rài khá'!
Excellent! Question 3: If the bedroom has no disturbing noise and is very comfortable, how do we say it?
The answer is 'This room is nice and quiet' (ngîap sà-ngòp dii)!
Very good! Question 4: If condo is next to skytrain and travel is very convenient, how do we say it?
The answer is 'This condo has a very good location' (tham-lee dii mâak)!
Question 5: What is the deposit money paid in advance for potential damage called?
The answer is 'ngən prà-kan' (security deposit)!
And Question 6: If the landlord wants to know the date we will move in, how will they ask?
The landlord will ask 'When is the move-in date?' (yáai khâo wan nǎi khá)!
Great job everyone! How many questions did you answer correctly?
Whoever got all 6 questions correct, write and tell us in the comments!
Yes! We want to know how many points everyone scored.
Today we learned 6 essential phrases for looking for an apartment to rent.
Yes, we have: looking for apartment, monthly rent, nice and quiet, very good location, security deposit, and move-in date.
Don't forget to practice using them when you look for an apartment to rent in Thailand!
Knowing these phrases will make talking to landlords much easier for us.
Yes! And it helps us get a room we like at a suitable price too.
If you like our podcast, don't forget to subscribe and like for us!
See you again in the next episode! Goodbye!
Goodbye!

Key phrases

6 to keep
หา ห้อง เช่าหา ห้อง เช่า
look for a rental
เดือนหน้าฉันต้อง หา ห้อง เช่า ใกล้ที่ทำงานNext month I have to look for a rental near work.
ค่า เช่า เดือน ละค่า เช่า เดือน ละ
the rent is ... a month
ห้องนี้ ค่า เช่า เดือน ละ กี่บาทWhat's the monthly rent for this room?
เงียบ สงบ ดีเงียบ สงบ ดี
nice and quiet
ซอยนี้ เงียบ สงบ ดี เหมาะพักผ่อนThis alley is nice and quiet—good for resting.
ทำเล ดี มากทำเล ดี มาก
great location
ใกล้รถไฟฟ้า ทำเล ดี มากIt's near the skytrain—great location.
เงิน ประกันเงิน ประกัน
security deposit
ต้องวาง เงิน ประกัน สองเดือนไหมDo I have to put down two months' deposit?
ย้าย เข้า วัน ไหนย้าย เข้า วัน ไหน
what day do you move in
ย้าย เข้า วัน ไหน ได้คะWhat day can I move in?

ตาคุณแล้ว

Your turn
พูดออกเสียง
Today's small task

Practice speaking along with Ryan and Mia to boost your Thai confidence!Practice speaking along with Ryan and Mia to boost your Thai confidence!

cocoaหา ห้อง เช่า ยังไง ดี?
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