My $345 Month Bangkok Condo + Living Costs in a 'Top' Location

[@SideTripLife]

More great value Bangkok condos: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKaVqX-KpMyqjtU Buy me a beer? bit.ly/3Le6Ex8 Flights: bit.ly/3STHLvf Bangkok Hotels: www.agoda.com/search?city=9395&cid=1898974 *IMPORTANT!!!!! SOME OF MY RESPONSES TO EMAILS AND COMMENTS ON THIS & SIMILAR VIDS: Been feeling slightly alarmed (and worryingly responsible) at the amount of responses from folks stating they may just pick up and move across the world based on a 15 min YT video.... Here's an email response I just sent to a guy who said he's considering quitting his job and moving here (despite never even been here before....) ============== -Honestly, you may think you could live on $800 month/$1000 month etc here but at that budget life would be very basic (plus wouldn't include insurance, visa costs, emergencies, etc etc etc). Personally keep to approx $1500 budget and find that 'just' covers having a modestly enjoyable lifestyle here (one's milage may vary of course). Both health insurance and long term visas can be costly especially depending on age. Under 50 health insurance approx $100 month and over 50 insurance gets increasingly expensive, factor $300 month-up. Visas: Elite visa $17K USD for 5 years, 60K USD for 20 years. Retirement visa you must show either 65k THB/$1900 USD monthly income, or 800kTHB/$23,000 USD in a Thai Bank account. Many under 50's do get other visas such as education visa to learn Thai Language or Muay Thai etc but this is a short term solution and they're cracking down on abusers. Thus, BEFORE you say 'take this job and %#$@! it' and jump on a plane to move to Thailand... would recommend at a minimum coming for a visit FIRST. YT'rs like me can make it look all wonderful but of course daily life is much different than a 15 min YT highlight vid. So, please, BEFORE making any commitments (or burning bridges) come have a look first. Then, if you still feel the same and are financially sound, do a longer test (say 6 months) to see if daily life here really meets expectations, suits your lifestyle and your budget. Good luck STL

[@shibuya00]

I've been dreaming of living in BKK for quite some time and in a couple of months I'll be finally starting to experience it. I've watched so many "Bangkok condo" videos lately that KZbin doesn't even try to suggest me anything else anymore :) But I have to say yours is probably the most convenient option I've seen so far. I even found online that the co-working space you showed at the mall is free to use and that would be another big plus for me. I'm afraid it'll be hard to find a 6 months contract there, but I'll certainly try, if I can't figure out a legal and sustainable way to stay for longer. Thank you for the very informative tour!

[@paolosorentino3891]

hello, did you manage to find 6 months rentals?

[@joewalton6056]

Hard to imagine a more convenient, lively, and exciting place to live, thanks for the latest report!

[@mauihowey]

Sure is nice to be so close to the mall, and the sky train…..convenience is everything when living in BKK, nice tour of your area STL!

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks MauiHowey (enjoyed your livestream btw, thx)

[@mickjones8970]

Great to see you back in Thailand, always love your Thailand vids, so much that I'm coming back for my third visit and bringing my parents for their first time, I've been showing them your videos so they see it's not all ping pong shows and that it's a very cultural place. Thanks mate.

[@SideTripLife]

Cheers Mick

[@heatherdavies1894]

Thanks for the tour, would love that apartment. I love a minimal living space. Not having too much "stuff" is really liberating. Having recently down sized to a smaller place and getting rid of so much stuff is such a freeing experience. Looking forward to your next adventure STL 🙂

[@tomyum6163]

Could not agree more

[@thanaang1455]

Very true, you have less stress about your possessions and less burdens.

[@Call_me_The_Breeze]

Can hear a voice singing in my head. Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose!

[@FarangNick]

Have been living in Bangkok for about 25 years and have my own condo in another area. But really impressed with this gem and its location ! Will explore it and good to know when I need to recommend a place.

[@AdventureJonesing]

Wow you must have some legendary stories mate

[@TomBTerrific]

Great video and very informative. My wife is a Filipina so that will always be her preferred destination because of family and it imprinted in her mind an heart. However we took a vacation to Chang Mai and she loved it.😊 Told me we can live here. I’m American and the Philippines is beautiful too but unfortunately it’s filthy, disorganized and expensive compared to other Asian countries like Thailand. Everyone speaks about the language barrier and I understand that but Filipinos may speak English but don’t really think in English. There are lots of misunderstandings either intentionally or accidentally it’s still frustrating to and I’ve not had that big of an issue in Thailand. The medical services are light years ahead of Philippines . Thank for your video.

[@WBT714]

I just came from the Philippines. It's a sewer pit filled with idiots. I'll NEVER go back to that place again!!!!

[@randomworld4662]

You mean phili medical service better ?

[@YvetteCousin]

I agree Philippines are good to visit not live as a ex-pat.

[@incremental_failure]

Philippines will offer you some burned tiny barbecue and cup noodles for food. All that for about the same amount. The only saviors are western places and a few local ones that are often not chains. If you want a decent diet, you absolutely need to cook at home in the Philippines.

[@trader5777]

That is classic "They speak in english but don't think in english" lol. So True. I have lived in thailand for 2 years and the language barrier is not a deal breaker at all. Im torn right now about PH and thailand for a early retirement. I will keep what you said in mind...

[@simulacrae]

I agree with you on the layout. I’ve stayed in condos where the living room is by the door. But I guess that’s because they want the closeness of the kitchen to the balcony since Thai cooking needs pretty good ventilation and opening the balcony works better than a tiny kitchen fan.

[@thatcrazyuncle9195]

As always a great video from beginning to end. Thailand is top of my list for retirement. Though when that time arrives I will prefer something not so big as Bangkok but maybe something like Hua Hin. I sincerely enjoy all of your videos and you doing all the travel research for me for when I plan my next adventure!

[@travellingtascha]

I so so so agree passionately about the layout! Kitchens in front of the window instead of the living room is just plain madness

[@asiatravelhub]

Good stuff man! Sometimes I think Bangkok is getting too expensive, but you remind me that there are still very quality apartments under $400

[@Steve-cn5up]

I always love watching your videos but I especially like how you give price breakdowns for everything. You have such an awesome channel!!

[@Val_kyriee]

Still can never get over how cheap everything is in Thailand. That KFC bucket you showed us - costs about the equivalent of 325 Baht where I live. I usually never stay at 5 star hotels in my country but you can be sure I'll be in the best in BKK because they are just so much cheaper.

[@bsways]

It’s not really. Once you get there and have to deal with the baking oppressive heat and pollution you are going to feel like pampering yourself with more luxuries. If you live how the thais live then yes you can live on not very much but they live like that because their minimum wage is so low that they have no choice. The more convenience and luxury you want the more you spend and it all adds up. For example if you go up and down the bts everyday that’s going to cost at least $140 a month. Things are cheaper than the west but if you retire there and you’re on a budget you have to be careful as there are many temptations everywhere to spend.

[@brooks1958]

Welcome back home to Thailand and I did enjoy your away series and I'm sure whatever video you'll be putting up next will also be great

[@mikehunt5637]

That really looked like a perfect spot. The value for the apartment was really good, but even better I think were all the things close by. I think my favorite was the jogging trail! Awesome idea! Your building's pool/gym were nice too. I could definitely stay there for a while.

[@jaymehta4788]

Love the new Eatery that opened in August. Enjoy your vids. Keep em coming

[@TonyVsSportsShortsandMore]

Very nice spot. Way more going on in the area than I thought. Thanks for a great video. Keep up the good work.

[@sirrebral]

Nice; I'm currently on vacation in a unit at On Nut, doing a test-run of retirement condo life (and found that I prefer walking in the direction of Bang Chok); I'll have to mosey on down to Punnawithi and check it out.

[@bryancole842]

Wow- super convenient condo.❤ Being so close to BTS is #1 with rainy days, etc. Just looks incredible and your editing is awesome. Thanks.🎉

[@jgb4unme1]

I love the look of the area you are in. I think i would go to the busier areas once a week too...just to remind me what I like the quieter areas better! Thanks for the tour! That condo size is exactly what I would want as well. not too big, not too small! I especially liked seeing the board games at 10:10. I am a board gamer and that hobby will be a big consideration when I get to make my move out of the US:)

[@SideTripLife]

Thax Matthew. Btw, Google 'Board Game Cafes Bangkok' and you'll see several. You'll also likely meet new friends with similar interests. It's your move, enjoy! STL

[@Aspenglade]

Welcome back to Thailand! Good to have you back! :)

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks! 😃

[@angiez2699]

Hello Fellow Canadian, awesome wholesome dad energy!! I miss Thailand so much. Haven't been back in 10 years. So cool to see all the new places and what life can be like living there. Keep it up!!

[@MikeHoncho884]

I can’t believe how nice it is over here it’s crazy!!! Do United States so far behind, and infrastructure and design of it cities. We’re number one 🤣😂 I’m taking my pension to Thailand in the Philippines!!! I was thinking about being a Snowbird in Mexico and coming back to the United States but the more I look at it I might come back to the United States once every year maybe. Nice video videos like this show me oh nice I’m going to have it when I retire in two years. At 59 years old. All the hard work is soon going to pay off !!!

[@thanaang1455]

If you go further out of the city along the MRT or BTS line, price is much lower even at location beside the river with all amenities, gym, pool. It can be you base for traveling in Thailand or SEA.

[@roldarnesen5767]

Just found this channel and really like the way you put your video together. Very refreshing. Subscribed and going to go back and check out your previous videos.

[@Unique-jf3fp]

really nice guy, and that music you had playing in the apartment was awesome

[@joezip6389]

What a great location and seems like it has fast internet, close to everything, going to save that video as many of yours I save, for tips and trick for when I come in about a year for a 3 month test drive. Thank you !!

[@gawnjah8447]

Wow what an awesome place to stay, probably the best video I've seen on good places to rent in Bangkok

[@sherylgergen6672]

Great condo and location can't be beat. Love the green space. Thanks for info!

[@daynevickers1079]

Thanks for the tour, I'm extremely impressed by your condo; the price, the close proximity to the mall and tran, etc. That chicken dish made me SO hungry! And the real kicker? KRISPY KREME donuts? Ok, Bangkok, I hear you calling my name. I'm in, just let me get my affairs in order!

[@hugovale6360]

Looking forward for living costs video. Hopefully you will log your home hunting quest as well. Good luck!

[@markolwick2223]

You can skip ahead to 13:00 to see the building and condo. Before that is a tour of a 7-11. And the name of the condo is Whizzdom Connect Sukhumvit 101, since he decided to be annoyingly coy about telling you. He pays 12,000 THB/month.

[@antruok4950]

Great to see the STL back in BKK 👌 - what a great location for a condo and always everything within proximity - welcome back - more pls 👋👌👍🙏

[@8eck]

Great vid, thank for the info. Indeed it's very convenient to have such a good mall next to your condo.

[@paulgalea638]

Great vid and great digs. Your pool looks fantastic. Looking forward to seeing where you head to next. I'm heading over to BKK and the islands in a few weeks :)

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks Paul, enjoy your trip!

[@paulgalea638]

@@SideTripLife likewise. Cheers

[@johanandstina4472]

Really loved this series. Yes we started following after we watched a Koh Tao video, but we never miss a video. Great quality! Never stop doing this :)

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks very much!

[@KateMackie]

Absolutely amazing facilities and I noticed everywhere is spotlessly clean. ❤

[@joann5157]

I noticed that everything looked so clean too!!

[@donnabosilkovski7580]

Another great video. I was so happy to find organic ACV as I too cannot live without it.. and coffee of course!

[@slydog55]

I LOVE LOVE this video; showing all pricing and great video. I would dream of going to such a place for 4 Canadian winter months yearly but I hear this is not possible, therefore I will continue to migrate south to South Carolina my wife and I. But god how we'd rather be where you are for those 4 months! We're olders and can still dream of places like this. Even if we had a rent for a year to be there 4 months, we'd probably do it.

[@timf7111]

A well done and very informative video. I used to live nearby and while not as big as many other malls, Whizdom had most everything needed with the added benefit of not being overcrowded as many are. BTW Ginger Farm Kitchen /Restaurant was always delicious and one of our favorites stops.

[@sun_from_disco]

Thank you for the video! I liked the review , as well as your condo apartment , for a bachelor it 's the most

[@bil2ab]

Great video. I've been planning my move to BKK, and have been focusing further northwest around Ekkamai. Thanks for sharing this gem of a spot! Looks like it checks more of my boxes than anywhere else! Appreciate the intel.

[@finwest]

Ohhhhh my gosh!!! This property is so awesome! I’m very impressed with the building and especially the location; such easy access to the essentials. Sorry, but I’m going to have to up the condo size. I jumped online and see there are 2 bedroom units exactly in my budget. I’m a single guy but I need space for my home office and any “guests”! Of course I’d LOVE to live in the Asoke area, but unlikely to get the condo size and price to match my needs. I’m moving to BKK in 2 months, so will certainly ask my agent about this place. Thanks a lot! Bill

[@thecontrarians]

Greetings from Kitsilano. Love your videos and production style. Keep up the excellent work.

[@SideTripLife]

LOVE Kits, used to live on English Bay, shudder to think what a similar condo would cost there now....

[@seashell4327]

Excellent video! Thanks for sharing your current situation. Great place

[@SteveInsidious]

Yes !!! Glad you're back in Thailand, Peace

[@SideTripLife]

Ditto, thx!

[@cidershack2564]

Wow it looks amazing! What a great video thanks for making it.

[@lazarocedeno5270]

Great video of Bangkok, Thailand. Thanks

[@orionvassi]

Sweet place, love the washing machine on the balcony. For this price you can go on visa runs and you're not losing tons of money holding on to the home base. Wonder if they'd give a discount if you paid for a year upfront in cash.

[@latteoatmeal7807]

wowsa, that KaProw for that price! amazing, I'm being sold on bangkok

[@Grienkamp]

First of all: welcome back in Thailand and secondly: thank you for showing your home/area of living. If you’re a city boy, it’s a great place to stay. For me, it’s just a bit to crowded. Pathum Thani, right next to BKK suits me better. And with the new red line, you’re in the city in no time, if you need something you can’t get around here in our big mall Future Park/Zspell Rangsit.

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks. Pathum Thani, Rangsit/Future Park nice area!

[@kevin493bkk]

7:23 got to have the Bragg's ACV with the "MOTHER". Great tip STL. Thanks. (I missed the name of that Mall and store).

[@kevin493bkk]

ok...101 Street - True Digital Park, got it!

[@GaryAndAnasAdventures]

Good vid......I used to go past your BTS stop to play golf at the Ban Na course.

[@DanielSmith-sl3pv]

Dude - do up a story on good steakhouse restaurants in BKK, maybe top 5! Just a suggestion b/c it's hard to find for us folks from NA. Cheers Daniel

[@SideTripLife]

Sounds like a great idea, thanks

[@cIeetz]

what an amazing place at $345...jeez. Ive paid $1300 for such dingy old apartment in South Edmonton. Although it was by Southgate mall that I never went to and I didnt realize thats what I was paying for. Even still I like the value of Bangkok more, looks just like a better place to live in general

[@mikedimond8816]

Loved seeing the Dairy Queen pricing. I always grab a 10 baht cone from lotus on my way back to my condo in on nut. Tho I think it's 12 baht now. Inflation still is much lower than here in the states! Banana is also one of the few electronic stores i actually trust to buy from besides Jib. Great Video! 🎉🎉

[@landrodomingo981]

Great affordable tasty dishes and beverages. I love it.

[@andyinasia0]

Dude I was curious before with your vocab and accent but now I'm convinced you've spent some decent time in UK with that innit comment 🤣 Always look forward to your vids coming up, got some real good ideas for future trips, thanks. Safe travels!

[@antonioperezosorio7647]

With all the good stuff around that condo, that price is more than fair, is great.

[@juleskayak]

Looks great and everything you need to hand. Loved your Sumatra vids

[@SideTripLife]

So, YOU'RE the one!! lol. Thanks for watching my Sumatra series Jules :)

[@seashell4327]

I'll be watching those very soon! I'm a sucker for orangutans

[@Mostopinionatedmanofalltime]

Dude, $345 a month is damn near free. How is that possible 😮

[@bsways]

Because Thai minimum wage is also near free. They have to live somewhere. Also the reason a lot of stuff is cheaper in Thailand is because of insurance. For example in the west a doctor must pay a lot for insurance but in Thailand if you get botched by a plastic surgeon you can try and sue for malpractice but you won't get anywhere. The doctors know this which is why they don't need insurance which is why it's cheaper. People who do medical tourism are taking a major risk

[@beamerUSA]

I liked the one you showed in earlier vid where the kitchen had a glass partition with glass door to keep in the smell.

[@jackcorbos7676]

Would be nice if you would put the details in the description of the real estate agency that is offering this apartment for renting. Good video.

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks. Screen-shot of website I used (propertyhub) is in the vid

[@mauisunset2338]

This is a very, very informative video. I doubt there are very many units for that cheap pr. month. You were super, lucky to find that one... That area is Amazing 👏 😍 ❗️

[@blueeyedbull67]

Absolutely amazing. I'm coming in November!

[@annchee1329]

Such an awesome condo complex, adjacent to all the conveniences! Is this in the Sukhumvit area? Looking forward to your next video👍

[@billblunden1549]

Awesome insight Sidetrip. If I had to choose between Thailand or the Okanagan I'm not sure what I would pick!!

[@SideTripLife]

Both!

[@Ducla09]

Very beautiful CD and surrounded food courts Convenient store Train Stion I’ll look up for this one when I’m retired next 2/12 years front now secondly I love live by Ocean. Thanks for the tips ❤

[@juliekrol]

I miss living in BK…now moving to Phnom Penh from London… if you eat western food it can get pricey for to go meals, so I just bought my own groceries. Great video ❤

[@gheechiedan9299]

Thanks for the info and the HIGH quality video my man ! 👍🏾

[@NickyDunn]

Hiya STL. I have watched every video. Thanks for the tour around. Quite a few electric charging points. That is good. Your food looked tasty. The pool looked very inviting. Beautiful. Lovely facilities. Perfect size place for you. Always informative. Looking forward to your next adventures. All the food looked good. Great video. See you at the next one. Sorry, late in watching. My son got married at the weekend. A magical day. Have a great week.

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks Nicky & congrats! Always amazed you have any time to watch between Buddy & family, plus doing your own channel and mod on many others. Cheers!

[@NickyDunn]

@@SideTripLife Thank you so much. It was an amazing day. Always have time for a good channel. Sometimes a little late, but I always catch up.

[@andyfreer1343]

You have a great place to live and all the amenities cool

[@VegasNegus]

Very helpful video once again. Many thx.

[@Goeker]

Now your stalkers know where to look for you 😄 Great condo man. I loved it. By the way, i am finally back to Thailand. On Koh Chang, fallowing your steps. Been to Yuyu's first night but the lake view Bunglows were full. Moved on and exploring the island now. Great vibes. Thanks for the lovely video as always. Cheers!

[@SideTripLife]

Thx! Loved those lakeside bungalows! Will be returning for an update soon. Hit up Ginger & Chan's place, reggae bar just on the lake, super cool & nice couple. EDIT, here's the vid for anyone else interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpezgHSbatR8a7c

[@luisRoma747]

Hello, your place is perfect, I can't wait till I retire in December 2025

[@bkayt1992]

Awesome guide and walkthrough of your area. Wondering how are you finding these places and booking them? Everything I find is a minimum one year lease and I want to stay for that long but scared of not being allowed to stay past the normal 30-90 day tourist visas.

[@peterjohnsson6358]

Your vids are just Sooo nice and entertaining, good music too. 👍🙏🇹🇭🎈

[@DerrickWe]

I will be back in Bangkok next month where is this again you do not have it listed in the description

[@walkingwithpaul1942]

Love your work. Keep them coming.😁

[@ChrisMALUKAI]

thanks for sharing those informations as well as your journey there!

[@urbanart7325]

I just need to follow you and your recommendation. Great informative videos

[@mapleleafdavid]

Nice place. Perfect size for a single guy. Great amenities and a nice quieter location.

[@VikPatel01]

nice it s almost close to where i use to live , near THE MALL BANGKAPI

[@thekoshertourist]

So what you're saying is your building is very close to the mall/shopping center...lol Thanks for sharing looks like a nice pad. And very conveniently located next to public transport helps make up for being a little further out there...

[@Paul-vu9vo]

Great vid. Do you prefer living in BK over Hua Hin? I am still considering both options.

[@metricmoo]

Elite Visa seems to be the only way to swing a 12 month lease, so that cost has to be added in....or the education visa, but how many years can you do that?

[@dino6507]

You are so lucky you living the good life

[@SideTripLife]

For sure I feel very fortunate to be able to live in this part of the world, on a tight budget mind you but grateful to be here.

[@johnd5941]

Greetings from Tampa Florida STL. I like your vids and and subscribe and always hit 'like' ! on every video. For you a complete climate shift, not so much for me. I may end up there someday soon. I know...what am I waiting for :)

[@bill1806]

Wow, fantastic place. You're a lucky man.

[@SideTripLife]

Thx Bill, not a penthouse by any means but can't fault it for value & convenience

[@jimeadie8139]

I have been revisiting your Khanom beach series recently. I am looking forward to checking it out myself very soon. Do you think you would be revisiting there in your upcoming travels ?

[@SideTripLife]

Absolutely! Soon, stay tuned...

[@jimeadie8139]

Brilliant, thanks for replying.

[@dudereno21]

18:16 Wow kinda surprised to see TWO local Oregon, USA beers on tap halfway around the world. #2 Rogue and #6 Deschutes

[@goldiemojica7799]

Awesome video, thank you and nice condo

[@hillbillyinparadise]

Good times, good vibes!

[@Thailandbound2027]

I came across your channel probably three weeks ago and I really like how you go about showing various places in Thailand. I will be coming to Thailand in 2030. My projected monthly retirement is $1000 a month so I’m looking for places that are under $300 per month. Do you think you can do, a video about lower cost condos would be deeply appreciated

[@SideTripLife]

There are condos for $300 but to be very honest, $1000 month is an extremely tight existence for a foreigner here. You would have little for ongoing visa costs, insurance, entertainment, local trips, emergencies, etc, etc. Also western food and groceries are quite expensive so it'll be a mainly Thai lifestyle and Thai diet. So while it 'may' be just barely doable it most likely won't be a very enjoyable lifestlye. My best advice would be to try to up that monthly amount if at all possible and before burning bridges or committing, please come visit for an extended period first, to test the waters. Wishing all the best with your future plans.

[@alexander_ohl]

Thanks for the information 🙂 Which black backpack do you have?

[@pcramon]

Great vlog, new subscriber, lots to catch up on👍🏼

[@SideTripLife]

Thanks for subbing :)

[@RossBain-io4ns]

I am Ross from Brisbane Australia . I love your videos ❤️

[@pedrodaniz9664]

Yey, you're back in bkk.

[@SideTripLife]

Woohoo yup!

[@karltraveldude7817]

Great downtown location . enjoy ...