Is this rent normal? Bangkok rent check by district (2026)

Put an asking rent against the band a unit of that size and age actually lets for in that district, then work through what to ask before any money moves.

Bands compiled 7 September 2026 from evidence as of August 2026: Numbeo's Bangkok rent page, 731 monthly listings read across 22 RentHub district pages, and building-level figures named in r/Bangkok threads. Indicative, not an appraisal — rents move with the season, the floor and the building.

District

Unit type

Building

Size (m²) optional — 30–45 m² is usual

Asking rent (฿ per month)

Typical band: ฿25,000–฿40,000 a month

The bulk of the market: a 5–15 year old condo with a pool, a gym and a lift, a few minutes from a BTS or MRT station.

Ask these 9 things before you transfer anything

Is the electricity billed by MEA directly, or by the building at its own per-unit rate?
Who pays the common-area fee — and how much is it per m² per month?
How old is the aircon, when was it last serviced, and who pays when it fails?
How many months' deposit and advance, and does the landlord let five or more units (one month is the cap if so)?
Is the unit condition, with photographs, attached to the contract?
Does the name on the bank account match the lessor named in the contract?
Has the juristic office confirmed the owner — checked by you, not by the agent?
Will the landlord file your TM30 residence notification? You need it for visa extensions.
What is the notice period, and is there a diplomatic clause?

Typical rent by district, unit type and building age

Three bands per district, because a 2008 walk-up and a 2024 tower on the same soi are different markets. In August 2026 there were 40 threads carrying 519 comments on r/Bangkok with rent, landlord, lease, condo or deposit in the title; the figures people named in them sit inside these bands, and where they did not, the band was moved.

Studio — typical monthly rent, 22–32 m²

District	Older / low-rise	Mid-range tower	New build / luxury	Listings read	Confidence
Sukhumvit agents in Sukhumvit	฿7,000–฿19,000	฿17,000–฿29,000	฿26,000–฿49,000	34 near BTS Asok	high
Thonglor agents in Thonglor	฿6,500–฿19,000	฿17,000–฿29,000	฿26,000–฿49,000	35 near BTS Ekkamai	high
Siam (Pathum Wan) agents in Siam (Pathum Wan)	฿5,500–฿18,000	฿16,000–฿29,000	฿26,000–฿50,000	35 near BTS Siam	medium
Silom agents in Silom	฿9,000–฿16,500	฿15,000–฿25,000	฿23,000–฿43,000	36 near BTS Sala Daeng	high
Sathorn agents in Sathorn	฿6,500–฿16,500	฿15,000–฿25,000	฿23,000–฿43,000	36 near BTS Chong Nonsi	high
Riverside agents in Riverside	฿5,500–฿14,500	฿12,000–฿21,500	฿19,500–฿36,500	37 near BTS Saphan Taksin	medium
Ari agents in Ari	฿4,500–฿13,500	฿12,000–฿20,000	฿18,000–฿34,000	38 near BTS Ari	high
Phaya Thai agents in Phaya Thai	฿5,500–฿12,000	฿11,000–฿18,500	฿16,500–฿31,500	39 near BTS Phaya Thai	medium
Ratchathewi & Pratunam agents in Ratchathewi & Pratunam	฿5,500–฿12,000	฿10,000–฿18,000	฿16,500–฿30,500	37 near BTS Ratchathewi	medium
Huai Khwang & Ratchada agents in Huai Khwang & Ratchada	฿4,000–฿11,000	฿10,000–฿16,500	฿15,000–฿28,000	39 near MRT Huai Khwang	high
Phra Khanong & On Nut agents in Phra Khanong & On Nut	฿4,500–฿9,500	฿9,000–฿14,500	฿13,000–฿24,500	37 near BTS On Nut	high
Chatuchak agents in Chatuchak	฿4,000–฿9,500	฿9,000–฿14,500	฿13,000–฿24,500	38 near BTS Mo Chit	medium
Din Daeng agents in Din Daeng	฿5,000–฿9,000	฿8,000–฿13,500	฿12,000–฿23,500	38 near BTS Victory Monument	medium
Yaowarat (Chinatown) agents in Yaowarat (Chinatown)	฿5,000–฿8,500	฿8,000–฿13,000	฿11,500–฿22,000	12 near MRT Wat Mangkon	low
Rattanakosin (Old City) agents in Rattanakosin (Old City)	฿5,000–฿8,000	฿7,500–฿12,000	฿11,000–฿21,000	10 near MRT Sam Yot	low
Lat Phrao agents in Lat Phrao	฿4,500–฿8,000	฿7,500–฿12,000	฿11,000–฿21,000	38 near MRT Lat Phrao	medium
Bang Sue & Chatuchak North agents in Bang Sue & Chatuchak North	฿5,000–฿8,000	฿7,500–฿12,000	฿11,000–฿21,000	9 near MRT Bang Sue	low
Dusit agents in Dusit	฿4,000–฿7,500	฿7,000–฿11,500	฿10,000–฿19,500	35 near Thewet	low
Khao San agents in Khao San	฿4,000–฿7,500	฿7,000–฿11,500	฿10,000–฿19,500	34 near Khao San Road	medium
Bang Na agents in Bang Na	฿3,000–฿7,000	฿7,000–฿11,000	฿10,000–฿18,500	39 near BTS Bang Na	medium
Thonburi agents in Thonburi	฿3,500–฿6,500	฿6,000–฿10,000	฿9,000–฿17,500	37 near BTS Wongwian Yai	medium
Bang Kapi agents in Bang Kapi	฿3,000–฿6,000	฿6,000–฿9,500	฿8,500–฿16,000	38 near MRT Bang Kapi	medium

1 bedroom — typical monthly rent, 30–45 m²

District	Older / low-rise	Mid-range tower	New build / luxury	Listings read	Confidence
Sukhumvit agents in Sukhumvit	฿15,500–฿26,500	฿25,000–฿40,000	฿38,000–฿68,000	34 near BTS Asok	high
Thonglor agents in Thonglor	฿15,500–฿26,500	฿25,000–฿40,000	฿38,000–฿68,000	35 near BTS Ekkamai	high
Siam (Pathum Wan) agents in Siam (Pathum Wan)	฿12,000–฿26,000	฿25,000–฿42,000	฿40,000–฿75,000	35 near BTS Siam	medium
Silom agents in Silom	฿13,500–฿23,000	฿22,000–฿35,000	฿33,500–฿60,000	36 near BTS Sala Daeng	high
Sathorn agents in Sathorn	฿13,500–฿23,000	฿22,000–฿35,000	฿33,500–฿60,000	36 near BTS Chong Nonsi	high
Riverside agents in Riverside	฿11,000–฿20,000	฿18,000–฿30,000	฿28,500–฿51,000	37 near BTS Saphan Taksin	medium
Ari agents in Ari	฿11,000–฿18,500	฿18,000–฿28,000	฿26,500–฿47,500	38 near BTS Ari	high
Phaya Thai agents in Phaya Thai	฿10,000–฿17,000	฿16,000–฿26,000	฿24,500–฿44,000	39 near BTS Phaya Thai	medium
Ratchathewi & Pratunam agents in Ratchathewi & Pratunam	฿9,500–฿16,500	฿15,000–฿25,000	฿24,000–฿42,500	37 near BTS Ratchathewi	medium
Huai Khwang & Ratchada agents in Huai Khwang & Ratchada	฿9,500–฿15,000	฿15,000–฿23,000	฿22,000–฿39,000	39 near MRT Huai Khwang	high
Phra Khanong & On Nut agents in Phra Khanong & On Nut	฿8,000–฿13,000	฿13,000–฿20,000	฿19,000–฿34,000	37 near BTS On Nut	high
Chatuchak agents in Chatuchak	฿8,000–฿13,000	฿13,000–฿20,000	฿19,000–฿34,000	38 near BTS Mo Chit	medium
Din Daeng agents in Din Daeng	฿7,500–฿12,500	฿12,000–฿19,000	฿18,000–฿32,500	38 near BTS Victory Monument	medium
Yaowarat (Chinatown) agents in Yaowarat (Chinatown)	฿7,500–฿12,000	฿12,000–฿18,000	฿17,000–฿30,500	12 near MRT Wat Mangkon	low
Rattanakosin (Old City) agents in Rattanakosin (Old City)	฿7,000–฿11,000	฿11,000–฿17,000	฿16,000–฿29,000	10 near MRT Sam Yot	low
Lat Phrao agents in Lat Phrao	฿7,000–฿11,000	฿11,000–฿17,000	฿16,000–฿29,000	38 near MRT Lat Phrao	medium
Bang Sue & Chatuchak North agents in Bang Sue & Chatuchak North	฿7,000–฿11,000	฿11,000–฿17,000	฿16,000–฿29,000	9 near MRT Bang Sue	low
Dusit agents in Dusit	฿6,000–฿10,500	฿10,000–฿16,000	฿15,000–฿27,000	35 near Thewet	low
Khao San agents in Khao San	฿6,000–฿10,500	฿10,000–฿16,000	฿15,000–฿27,000	34 near Khao San Road	medium
Bang Na agents in Bang Na	฿6,000–฿10,000	฿10,000–฿15,000	฿14,500–฿25,500	39 near BTS Bang Na	medium
Thonburi agents in Thonburi	฿5,500–฿9,000	฿9,000–฿14,000	฿13,500–฿24,000	37 near BTS Wongwian Yai	medium
Bang Kapi agents in Bang Kapi	฿5,500–฿8,500	฿8,500–฿13,000	฿12,500–฿22,000	38 near MRT Bang Kapi	medium

2 bedrooms — typical monthly rent, 55–80 m²

District	Older / low-rise	Mid-range tower	New build / luxury	Listings read	Confidence
Sukhumvit agents in Sukhumvit	฿24,000–฿47,500	฿39,000–฿72,000	฿59,000–฿122,000	34 near BTS Asok	high
Thonglor agents in Thonglor	฿24,000–฿47,500	฿39,000–฿72,000	฿59,000–฿122,000	35 near BTS Ekkamai	high
Siam (Pathum Wan) agents in Siam (Pathum Wan)	฿20,000–฿48,000	฿40,000–฿78,000	฿62,000–฿135,000	35 near BTS Siam	medium
Silom agents in Silom	฿21,000–฿41,500	฿34,000–฿63,000	฿52,000–฿108,000	36 near BTS Sala Daeng	high
Sathorn agents in Sathorn	฿21,000–฿41,500	฿34,000–฿63,000	฿52,000–฿108,000	36 near BTS Chong Nonsi	high
Riverside agents in Riverside	฿17,000–฿36,000	฿28,000–฿54,000	฿44,000–฿92,000	37 near BTS Saphan Taksin	medium
Ari agents in Ari	฿17,000–฿33,500	฿28,000–฿50,000	฿41,000–฿86,000	38 near BTS Ari	high
Phaya Thai agents in Phaya Thai	฿15,500–฿30,500	฿25,000–฿47,000	฿38,000–฿79,000	39 near BTS Phaya Thai	medium
Ratchathewi & Pratunam agents in Ratchathewi & Pratunam	฿14,500–฿29,500	฿23,500–฿45,000	฿37,000–฿77,000	37 near BTS Ratchathewi	medium
Huai Khwang & Ratchada agents in Huai Khwang & Ratchada	฿14,500–฿27,000	฿23,500–฿41,500	฿34,000–฿70,000	39 near MRT Huai Khwang	high
Phra Khanong & On Nut agents in Phra Khanong & On Nut	฿12,500–฿23,500	฿20,000–฿36,000	฿29,500–฿61,000	37 near BTS On Nut	high
Chatuchak agents in Chatuchak	฿12,500–฿23,500	฿20,000–฿36,000	฿29,500–฿61,000	38 near BTS Mo Chit	medium
Din Daeng agents in Din Daeng	฿11,500–฿22,500	฿18,500–฿34,000	฿28,000–฿59,000	38 near BTS Victory Monument	medium
Yaowarat (Chinatown) agents in Yaowarat (Chinatown)	฿11,500–฿21,500	฿18,500–฿32,500	฿26,500–฿55,000	12 near MRT Wat Mangkon	low
Rattanakosin (Old City) agents in Rattanakosin (Old City)	฿11,000–฿20,000	฿17,000–฿30,500	฿25,000–฿52,000	10 near MRT Sam Yot	low
Lat Phrao agents in Lat Phrao	฿11,000–฿20,000	฿17,000–฿30,500	฿25,000–฿52,000	38 near MRT Lat Phrao	medium
Bang Sue & Chatuchak North agents in Bang Sue & Chatuchak North	฿11,000–฿20,000	฿17,000–฿30,500	฿25,000–฿52,000	9 near MRT Bang Sue	low
Dusit agents in Dusit	฿9,500–฿19,000	฿15,500–฿29,000	฿23,500–฿48,500	35 near Thewet	low
Khao San agents in Khao San	฿9,500–฿19,000	฿15,500–฿29,000	฿23,500–฿48,500	34 near Khao San Road	medium
Bang Na agents in Bang Na	฿9,500–฿18,000	฿15,500–฿27,000	฿22,500–฿46,000	39 near BTS Bang Na	medium
Thonburi agents in Thonburi	฿8,500–฿16,000	฿14,000–฿25,000	฿21,000–฿43,000	37 near BTS Wongwian Yai	medium
Bang Kapi agents in Bang Kapi	฿8,500–฿15,500	฿13,000–฿23,500	฿19,500–฿39,500	38 near MRT Bang Kapi	medium

Where the bands are weakest

4 of the 22 districts carry low confidence because the listing sample was too small to set a floor:

Yaowarat (Chinatown) — 12 monthly listings around MRT Wat Mangkon. Condo supply here followed the MRT Blue Line extension, so the mid band rests on few buildings and moves a lot between them.
Rattanakosin (Old City) — Only 10 monthly listings showed around MRT Sam Yot. New-build supply in the old city is a handful of buildings; that band is read across from Yaowarat.
Bang Sue & Chatuchak North — Nine monthly listings around MRT Bang Sue is too few to set a floor, so the older-tier floor is read across from Chatuchak. The blocks around Bang Sue Grand Station are still filling in and new-build asking prices there are unsettled.
Dusit — Dusit has almost no purpose-built condo towers, so the sample around Thewet is apartment rooms. The mid and new-build bands are read across from Din Daeng and Ratchathewi, one station away, not measured here.

What a Bangkok lease asks for, and what the law allows

The gap between the two matters most on the deposit and on the electricity bill.

Deposit and money up front

Two months' deposit plus one month in advance is what Bangkok agents ask for. For landlords who let five or more units, the 2018 contract-control notification caps that at one month plus one month.

The market standard on a 12-month condo lease is two months' security deposit plus the first month's rent — three months' rent before you get the keys.
The Notification of the Contract Committee on residential property leasing (Gazette 16 February 2018, in force 1 May 2018) applies to any operator letting five or more residential units. For those landlords a lease may not require an advance rental fee above one month's rent, nor a security deposit above one month's rent, and may not let the landlord confiscate either.
The same notification requires the deposit back within seven days of the lease ending and the unit being handed over, unless the landlord is investigating damage.
An individual owner letting one condo is outside that notification. Two months' deposit from a single-unit owner is lawful — and normal.
Get the condition of the unit, with photographs, attached to the contract. The notification requires it for covered landlords, and it is the only thing that settles a deposit argument later.

tilleke.com — Tilleke & Gibbins' translation of the Notification of the Contract Committee Re: The Stipulation of Residential Property Leasing as a Contract-Controlled Business B.E. 2561, published in the Government Gazette on 16 February 2018 and effective 1 May 2018. It covers any operator leasing five or more residential units. Read 2026-09-07.

Minimum term

Twelve months is the default. Six is available in most buildings at a higher monthly rate; anything under a month is a different legal question entirely.

Twelve months is what agents quote first, and the deposit terms above are written around it.
Six-month contracts exist; expect to pay more per month for the same unit, though we do not hold a figure for how much more. Anything shorter is usually a serviced apartment rather than a condo lease.
A break clause — the right to leave after the first six or eight months on written notice — is worth asking for before you agree the rent, not after.
Where the 2018 notification applies, the tenant can end the lease early on 30 days' written notice, whatever the contract says.
Under a month is not a short lease — it is the Hotel Act question below.

tilleke.com — Tilleke & Gibbins' translation of the Notification of the Contract Committee Re: The Stipulation of Residential Property Leasing as a Contract-Controlled Business B.E. 2561, published in the Government Gazette on 16 February 2018 and effective 1 May 2018. It covers any operator leasing five or more residential units. Read 2026-09-07.

What the rent includes

Furniture, aircon and the building's pool and gym. Not electricity, not water, usually not internet, and — check this — not always the common-area fee.

Condo rentals in Bangkok come furnished. A commenter in an August 2026 thread put it as the reason people move around so freely: "it's easy to do that here because most places are furnished."
The common-area fee is the owner's cost. As one commenter in the electricity thread describes it, owners pay it through the building's maintenance fee, billed annually and voted at the owners' meeting. Ask what it is per m² for your unit and check the contract does not pass it to you.
Internet is usually separate: an AIS or True fibre line was quoted at ฿750/month for 1 Gbps in an August 2026 thread.
Ask what happens to a broken aircon or a leaking ceiling before you sign, and get the answer in the contract. It is the single most common complaint in Bangkok rental threads.

reddit.com — 50-comment August 2026 thread from a Phra Khanong tenant billed ฿8 per electricity unit by the building against ฿4.5 on a direct MEA meter in Thonglor; hot-season bill ฿3,200/month for one person in a ~30 m² one-bedroom. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Condo rent for 50K maximum" (17 comments, August 2026): on furnishing, "it's easy to do that here because most places are furnished"; on where to look, commenters point at Facebook Marketplace, LivingInsider, Fazwaz and Hipflat, and warn that listings stay up after the unit is gone. Read 2026-09-07.

Utilities — and the ฿8-a-unit trap

Ask one question at the viewing: is the electricity billed by MEA directly, or by the building? Buildings that bill you themselves commonly charge ฿7–8 per unit against roughly ฿4.5 on a direct meter.

A tenant in Phra Khanong posted their numbers in August 2026: ฿8 per unit from the building, against ฿4.5 per unit on a friend's direct MEA meter in Thonglor, and a ฿3,200 hot-season monthly bill for one person in a 30 m² one-bedroom.
A reply with 14 upvotes turns it into a viewing question: "is the electricity charged by the condo or directly to MEA. If you are charge by the condo, it is almost ALWAYS double the price."
Where the 2018 notification applies — landlords with five or more units — a contract may not set electricity or water fees above the rates fixed by the relevant authority. Enforcement is another matter, but it makes the charge disputable rather than simply a term of the deal.
Numbeo's Bangkok contributors report ฿2,500–6,000 a month for basic utilities on an 85 m² flat. A 30 m² studio with the aircon on at night lands nearer ฿1,000–2,500 outside hot season.
Water is nearly always billed by the building. The amounts are small; the electricity is where the money is.

reddit.com — 50-comment August 2026 thread from a Phra Khanong tenant billed ฿8 per electricity unit by the building against ฿4.5 on a direct MEA meter in Thonglor; hot-season bill ฿3,200/month for one person in a ~30 m² one-bedroom. Read 2026-09-07.
tilleke.com — Tilleke & Gibbins' translation of the Notification of the Contract Committee Re: The Stipulation of Residential Property Leasing as a Contract-Controlled Business B.E. 2561, published in the Government Gazette on 16 February 2018 and effective 1 May 2018. It covers any operator leasing five or more residential units. Read 2026-09-07.
numbeo.com — Bangkok rent per month, 1,239 entries from 194 contributors in the 12 months to 24 August 2026: one-bedroom in the city centre ฿16,000–35,000 (mean ฿22,944), outside the centre ฿9,000–18,000 (mean ฿11,789); three-bedroom in the centre ฿50,000–100,000. Basic utilities for an 85 m² flat ฿2,500–6,000. Read 2026-09-07.

Booking fees and contract traps

The August 2026 pattern: a booking fee demanded right after the viewing, contract to follow. Never pay anything before you have read the contract you are being asked to sign.

One 136-comment thread in August 2026: ฿10,000 to one agent and ฿8,000 to another as "booking fees" to hold units, both paid before any contract appeared. The drafts that followed carried ฿500-per-day late penalties, repossession after five days late, and a ฿10,000 contract-preparation fee. Refusing to sign forfeited both fees.
A separate 42-comment thread reports an agent forging an owner's authorisation letter to collect a first payment at a Hyde condominium, with a matching case at a Rama 9 building.
Transfer only to an account whose name matches the lessor named in the contract, and confirm the owner at the juristic office yourself — a Thai rental professional in an August 2026 thread put that at five minutes with the unit number in hand.
Agents in Thailand are not licensed or regulated. The landlord pays the agent's commission, not you.

reddit.com — "Is this a rental booking scam, or are Thai rental contracts really getting this crazy?" (136 comments, August 2026): the poster paid ฿10,000 and ฿8,000 booking fees to two agents before seeing either contract, then found ฿500/day late penalties and a ฿10,000 "contract preparation" fee in the drafts. Refusing to sign forfeited both fees. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Scam case - Condo renting" (42 comments, August 2026): an agent forged an owner's authorisation letter to collect a first rent payment at one of the Hyde condominiums. A second commenter reports the same pattern at a Rama 9 building. Commenters split on paying agents at all; they agree on transferring only to an account whose name matches the lessor in the contract. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "First Time Rental in Bangkok" (16 comments, August 2026): a self-identified Thai rental professional's advice is to walk into the juristic office yourself with the unit number rather than send the agent — "she gets paid when this deal closes" — and that it takes five minutes. Read 2026-09-07.

The booking-fee pattern has its own entry in the Bangkok scams guide, alongside the deposit games in motorbike and jet-ski rentals.

Short stays under 30 days

A condo unit may be let for stays of one calendar month or longer. Anything shorter is a hotel under the Hotel Act B.E. 2547 (2004), and residential condos do not hold hotel licences.

The 30-day rule

Section 4 of the Hotel Act B.E. 2547 (2004) defines a hotel as accommodation provided to travellers for compensation, then exempts accommodation let "for monthly paid service charge or upward only". A unit let by the month falls outside the Act. A unit let by the night or the week falls inside it and needs a licence under section 15.

What the host risks

Section 59 of the Hotel Act: up to one year's imprisonment, a fine of up to ฿20,000, or both, plus up to ฿10,000 for every day the operation continues. In a condominium, section 17/1 of the Condominium Act B.E. 2522 also bans trade inside a unit, with a fine of up to ฿50,000 plus ฿5,000 a day under section 65.

It has been prosecuted

The Hua Hin Provincial Court convicted condominium hosts who listed units for nightly stays in two January 2018 judgments — ฿5,000 plus ฿500 per day of violation on 5 January, ฿5,000 plus ฿100 per day on 16 January.

The small-accommodation exemption does not cover condos

Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2566 (2023) lets accommodation of up to 8 rooms and 30 guests operate on a notification instead of a full licence. It is available to houses, villas and small guesthouses — not to a unit inside a residential condominium, because the Condominium Act blocks commercial use of the unit itself.

What actually goes wrong for the guest

You are not the offender — the host is. But the juristic office can refuse you entry, and access cards for lifts, pool and gym are issued by the building, not the host.
Buildings do act. In the August 2026 thread one commenter describes their building re-issuing service-lift cards and clearing out its short-stay guests within a day.
Airbnb does not treat the listing being unlawful as grounds for a refund, and hosts of unlicensed units have no incentive to give one.
Face-scan and fingerprint access in newer buildings makes the workaround the hosts suggest — avoid the lobby, deal with the owner directly — stop working.
A host who is hiding you from the juristic office is also not filing your TM30 arrival notification.

How to check a listing before you book

If the listing's minimum stay is under 30 days and it is a condominium unit, it is not lawfully licensed. That is the whole test.
Ask the host directly whether the building holds a hotel licence, and for the licence number. A licensed condotel or serviced building will give it.
Ask whether the juristic office registers guests and issues access cards for your stay. "Just don't tell them you're a guest" is the answer that tells you everything.
Search the building name plus "short term rental" — buildings that have cracked down post signs and say so in their own listings.

What to book instead

For anything under a month, book accommodation that is licensed to take you: a hotel, or a serviced apartment that sells nightly and monthly rates openly and registers you at reception. Both file your TM30 arrival notification as a matter of course, which an unlicensed host does not. Start with the hotels and resorts we track, and pick the area against all 22 districts compared on price band, noise and rail access. From one month up, a normal condo lease is lawful and cheaper per night than any of them — that is what the bands above are for, and where to stay as a digital nomad ranks the same districts for a month-long stay rather than a week.

juslaws.com — Thai law firm's guide to the short-term rental framework (updated 30 April 2026): Hotel Act B.E. 2547 section 4 definition and the section 4(2) "monthly paid service charge or upward" exemption, section 15 licence, section 59 penalties, Condominium Act section 17/1 and section 65 fines, the 2023 small-accommodation notification, and the Hua Hin Provincial Court judgments of January 2018. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Renting an Airbnb condo in CM for 11 days. Only now found out it's illegal. Am I in trouble?" — 108 comments archived from August 2026. 39 of them discuss the law or the licence, 13 say nobody enforces it, and 34 raise building management, eviction or refunds. One recounts a building switching the service-lift cards and clearing out its short-stay guests in a day. Read 2026-09-07.

Frequently asked questions

How much is rent in Bangkok in 2026?

Numbeo's Bangkok page, built from 1,239 entries by 194 contributors in the 12 months to 24 August 2026, puts a one-bedroom in the city centre at ฿16,000–35,000 a month (mean ฿22,944) and one outside the centre at ฿9,000–18,000 (mean ฿11,789). The spread by district is wider than that: a mid-range one-bedroom runs ฿25,000–40,000 around BTS Asok and ฿8,500–13,000 in Bang Kapi. Building age moves the number as much as the district — the same district's older walk-up band starts roughly a third lower than its mid-range tower band.

Is my Bangkok rent too high?

Compare three things, not one. First, the district band for your unit type and building age above. Second, baht per square metre: a ฿20,000 one-bedroom at 45 m² (฿444/m²) and the same rent at 28 m² (฿714/m²) are different deals. Third, who bills the electricity — a building charging ฿8 a unit against MEA's direct-meter rate adds ฿1,000–1,500 a month to a hot-season bill that a rent comparison never sees.

How many months' deposit do Bangkok landlords ask for?

Two months' security deposit plus the first month in advance is the standard ask on a 12-month condo lease — three months' rent before you get the keys. The Notification of the Contract Committee on residential property leasing (Government Gazette, 16 February 2018; in force 1 May 2018) caps both the deposit and the advance at one month each, but only for landlords letting five or more residential units. An individual owner letting one condo is outside it, so two months from them is lawful.

Why does my condo charge 8 baht per unit for electricity?

Because the building meters and re-bills you instead of MEA billing you directly, and the margin covers costs the owners would otherwise pay. A Phra Khanong tenant posted the arithmetic in August 2026: ฿8 per unit from the building against ฿4.5 on a friend's direct MEA meter in Thonglor, and a ฿3,200 hot-season bill for one person in a 30 m² one-bedroom. Where the 2018 notification applies, a lease may not set electricity above the authority's rate — ask at the viewing, not after signing.

Can I rent a Bangkok condo for two weeks?

Not lawfully, in almost every residential condominium. Section 4 of the Hotel Act B.E. 2547 (2004) exempts accommodation let for a monthly charge or longer; anything shorter is a hotel and needs a licence under section 15. Section 59 sets up to one year's imprisonment, a fine up to ฿20,000, or both, plus up to ฿10,000 a day while it continues, and the Condominium Act adds up to ฿50,000 plus ฿5,000 a day. The Hua Hin Provincial Court convicted two condominium hosts on those grounds in January 2018. Book a licensed hotel or serviced apartment for stays under a month.

Which Bangkok district is cheapest to rent in?

Of the 22 districts in the table above, Bang Kapi and Thonburi carry the lowest bands: a mid-range one-bedroom at ฿8,500–13,000 and ฿9,000–14,000 a month against ฿25,000–40,000 around BTS Asok. The trade is commute time and, in Bang Kapi's case, no BTS or MRT station within walking distance of much of it. The floor drops further in older apartment blocks — the 25th-percentile monthly asking price on RentHub around MRT Bang Kapi was ฿2,800 on 7 September 2026. At the other end, Siam (Pathum Wan) carries the table's highest bands — ฿25,000–฿42,000 for a mid-range one-bedroom and ฿40,000–฿75,000 in a new build — because the Chidlom and Langsuan stock behind CentralWorld is priced as serviced apartments rather than as bare condo leases.

Where these numbers come from

Every band on this page traces to one of the 39 sources below, read on the dates shown. Nothing here is a listing feed: it is a compiled reference, and the day it stops being re-verified is the day it starts being wrong.

renthub.in.th — 34 monthly listings around BTS Asok on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿7,000, median upper asking price ฿44,000. Read 2026-09-07.
numbeo.com — Bangkok rent per month, 1,239 entries from 194 contributors in the 12 months to 24 August 2026: one-bedroom in the city centre ฿16,000–35,000 (mean ฿22,944), outside the centre ฿9,000–18,000 (mean ฿11,789); three-bedroom in the centre ฿50,000–100,000. Basic utilities for an 85 m² flat ฿2,500–6,000. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Does anyone here actually know what rent should cost?" (29 comments, August 2026). Most-upvoted figure in the thread: "minimum you would find for a decent place in Bangkok would be 10,000 bare minimum. Averages around 15-25,000 from what I have seen. It also HIGHLY depends on location." Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "1br condo <15k" (8 comments, August 2026): a commenter names Life @ Sukhumvit 65 and 62 at ฿13,000–15,000 for a one-bedroom near the BTS, plus Feliz next to Phra Khanong station and Aspire Rama 4 a kilometre from Ekkamai. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 35 monthly listings around BTS Ekkamai on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿4,500, median upper asking price ฿9,500. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 35 monthly listings around BTS Siam on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿5,500, median upper asking price ฿7,800. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 27 monthly listings around BTS Chit Lom on 7 September 2026, the Ratchaprasong and Langsuan end of Pathum Wan: CK Place 2 ฿5,000–7,000 and Bann Noppamas ฿6,500–7,000 at the bottom, then de lavender ฿13,900–19,900, The Konnect ฿15,000, Klass Sarasin-Rajdamri ฿38,000, LUXX Langsuan ฿45,000–70,000, Sindhon Midtown Langsuan ฿42,000–100,000 and Cape House ฿87,000–120,000 at the top. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 40 monthly listings around BTS Ratchadamri on 7 September 2026: rooms near Chula and Withayu from ฿3,500 and Metroresort ฿5,000–6,000, against Urban Pulse ฿15,500–27,500, The Residence Rajtaevee ฿21,500, Chamchuri Square Residence ฿25,000–27,000, a Ploenchit Mansion two-bedroom ฿35,000–45,000 and Karolyn Court on Soi Langsuan ฿50,000–55,000. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — Same August 2026 budget thread: "My rooms at north chula is pretty cheap, around 5000 thb/month (exclude bill electricity and water), its very decent and clean… But consider looking arround Banthat thong and Ratchatewi." That is the Pathum Wan apartment floor, not a condo rate. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 36 monthly listings around BTS Sala Daeng on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿10,000, median upper asking price ฿20,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 36 monthly listings around BTS Chong Nonsi on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿6,500, median upper asking price ฿15,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 37 monthly listings around BTS Saphan Taksin on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿5,700, median upper asking price ฿12,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 38 monthly listings around BTS Ari on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿4,500, median upper asking price ฿9,500. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 39 monthly listings around BTS Phaya Thai on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿5,500, median upper asking price ฿9,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 37 monthly listings around BTS Ratchathewi on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿5,500, median upper asking price ฿7,500. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 39 monthly listings around MRT Huai Khwang on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿3,500, median upper asking price ฿6,500. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Condo Recommendation Asoke / Rama 9" (25 comments, August 2026): a tenant of six months reports ฿20,000/month for a one-bedroom at Nue District R9, another ฿15,000/month for a studio at Life Asoke Rama 9. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 37 monthly listings around BTS On Nut on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿4,700, median upper asking price ฿8,700. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Is anyone in bkk living with pets(cat) in their condo?" (35 comments, August 2026): Waterford 50 in On Nut given as pet-friendly at ฿21,000–30,000/month. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — 50-comment August 2026 thread from a Phra Khanong tenant billed ฿8 per electricity unit by the building against ฿4.5 on a direct MEA meter in Thonglor; hot-season bill ฿3,200/month for one person in a ~30 m² one-bedroom. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 38 monthly listings around BTS Mo Chit on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿4,000, median upper asking price ฿6,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 38 monthly listings around BTS Victory Monument on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿5,300, median upper asking price ฿7,500. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 12 monthly listings around MRT Wat Mangkon on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿6,500, median upper asking price ฿9,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 10 monthly listings around MRT Sam Yot on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿5,200, median upper asking price ฿9,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 38 monthly listings around MRT Lat Phrao on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿4,600, median upper asking price ฿7,300. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 9 monthly listings around MRT Bang Sue on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿3,000, median upper asking price ฿4,500. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 35 monthly listings around Thewet on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿3,800, median upper asking price ฿7,000. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 34 monthly listings around Khao San Road on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿4,000, median upper asking price ฿6,500. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 39 monthly listings around BTS Bang Na on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿3,000, median upper asking price ฿5,800. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 37 monthly listings around BTS Wongwian Yai on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿3,600, median upper asking price ฿5,390. Read 2026-09-07.
renthub.in.th — 38 monthly listings around MRT Bang Kapi on RentHub.in.th: 25th-percentile asking price ฿2,800, median upper asking price ฿4,300. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Is there any way to find a clean, decent studio or room for around 5,000–6,000 baht/month?" (38 comments, August 2026): a ฿4,600/month studio in Bang Kapi, older building, 15 minutes' walk from the MRT, furnished with a bed and a cupboard only; two commenters point at RentHub as where the cheap end is actually advertised. Read 2026-09-07.
tilleke.com — Tilleke & Gibbins' translation of the Notification of the Contract Committee Re: The Stipulation of Residential Property Leasing as a Contract-Controlled Business B.E. 2561, published in the Government Gazette on 16 February 2018 and effective 1 May 2018. It covers any operator leasing five or more residential units. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Condo rent for 50K maximum" (17 comments, August 2026): on furnishing, "it's easy to do that here because most places are furnished"; on where to look, commenters point at Facebook Marketplace, LivingInsider, Fazwaz and Hipflat, and warn that listings stay up after the unit is gone. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Is this a rental booking scam, or are Thai rental contracts really getting this crazy?" (136 comments, August 2026): the poster paid ฿10,000 and ฿8,000 booking fees to two agents before seeing either contract, then found ฿500/day late penalties and a ฿10,000 "contract preparation" fee in the drafts. Refusing to sign forfeited both fees. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Scam case - Condo renting" (42 comments, August 2026): an agent forged an owner's authorisation letter to collect a first rent payment at one of the Hyde condominiums. A second commenter reports the same pattern at a Rama 9 building. Commenters split on paying agents at all; they agree on transferring only to an account whose name matches the lessor in the contract. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "First Time Rental in Bangkok" (16 comments, August 2026): a self-identified Thai rental professional's advice is to walk into the juristic office yourself with the unit number rather than send the agent — "she gets paid when this deal closes" — and that it takes five minutes. Read 2026-09-07.
juslaws.com — Thai law firm's guide to the short-term rental framework (updated 30 April 2026): Hotel Act B.E. 2547 section 4 definition and the section 4(2) "monthly paid service charge or upward" exemption, section 15 licence, section 59 penalties, Condominium Act section 17/1 and section 65 fines, the 2023 small-accommodation notification, and the Hua Hin Provincial Court judgments of January 2018. Read 2026-09-07.
reddit.com — "Renting an Airbnb condo in CM for 11 days. Only now found out it's illegal. Am I in trouble?" — 108 comments archived from August 2026. 39 of them discuss the law or the licence, 13 say nobody enforces it, and 34 raise building management, eviction or refunds. One recounts a building switching the service-lift cards and clearing out its short-stay guests in a day. Read 2026-09-07.

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