One of the biggest frustrations for tenants in Pattaya is what I call the online “jungle” of available listings. You find a condominium you like, send an inquiry and receive the answer: “Sorry, already rented.” Then another one. Same answer. And another.
In some cases, more than half of the properties somebody enquires about are no longer available. This is largely the result of Thailand’s open-listing system. Owners often give the same property to many agents, and when somebody rents it, not everybody updates their websites immediately.
So the internet can give you the impression that Pattaya has hundreds of suitable properties waiting for you. Reality can be slightly different.
Pets make the search much smaller
Another surprise for many tenants is pets. A foreigner may assume that because an owner likes dogs or because the apartment looks suitable, bringing a pet will be fine. Unfortunately, many condominium projects simply do not allow pets.
That is a building rule, not something an agent can negotiate away. If you have a dog or cat, tell your agent immediately. It can save everybody a lot of wasted viewings.
Short-term rentals are a different market
Professional residential brokers generally focus on longer-term rentals. If somebody is looking for a condominium for a week or two during a holiday, they are usually better looking at licensed hotels, serviced apartments or proper holiday accommodation.
So when somebody contacts us saying, “I need a beautiful beachfront condo for eight nights next week,” we are probably not the right people.
And if the request is: “I want a private beachfront villa in Pattaya for THB 30,000 per month,” I normally smile. True beachfront villas available for normal residential rent are about as common as snow in Pattaya.
What makes a good tenant?
There is sometimes an assumption that a foreign tenant is automatically more reliable. I would not say that. Nationality does not pay the rent.
In our experience, some of the best tenants are people on long-term corporate assignments. They often rent for twelve months or longer, have stable employment and simply want somewhere comfortable to live while working in Thailand.
They generally understand contracts, pay on time and look after the property. But there are excellent private tenants too.
For most landlords, the ideal tenant is actually very simple: someone who pays on time, treats the property as though it were their own, communicates properly and does not create unnecessary problems. That has nothing to do with the colour of your passport.
My advice to tenants
Do not start by collecting fifty old internet links. Tell a good agent what you genuinely need: budget, location, number of bedrooms, pets, length of contract and anything that is non-negotiable.
Then let them check what is actually available today. It saves time, frustration and quite a few messages beginning with: “Sorry, this one is already rented.”