Originally Posted by DWB

What city?

Most people working here use a VPN, which slows the already slow net down even more. I use StrongVPN.com. I don't know if it's the best, but it works well for me.




If you are renting, the biggest issue is if you get to pay the electric and water company direct or not. Many landlords want you to pay THEM directly, and they double and sometimes triple your bill. This can add up very fast.

Example, the government rate for 1 unit of power is around 3baht. That is what you will pay if you deal directly with the electric company. It is not uncommon for landlords (especially Chinese/Thai landlords) to charge you 5, 7, 10, and even 12baht for 1 unit of power. So an electric bill that should normally only cost you $100, now costs, $230, $330 and so on. They do the same with water. So knowing who you pay for power and water is important unless you just want to throw money around.

It is also not uncommon for some condo buildings to have special deals with internet companies, which means you are stuck using whatever they have. So you need to find out if you are allowed to install your own internet, from a provider of your choice.

Room rate can be negotiated sometimes. A few thousand baht maybe, or more if you are willing to pay them more in advance. However, you really have to be careful doing that here because until you've slept a full night or two in the place, you really don't know the kind of noise or issues you may have. Example, there is a nearby club nearby with an outdoor band playing until 4am. Not a big deal unless you go to sleep at midnight. But if you get a nice condo in a good area, you shouldn't have this problem. Things to look out for when choosing one... night clubs, motorbike repair shops, karaoke bars, intersections, and anything else that may cause lots of noise.