If you have just moved to Bangkok or if you’ve lived in an apartment or condo in Bangkok, you may think about renting a Bangkok townhouse or detached house with its own garden area. However in the past it has been difficult to find a good townhouse in Bangkok to rent and even more difficult to find a detached house to rent in Bangkok, but recently Thai property developers have been building some great new housing estates or Moo Baans as they are called in Thailand.

Renting a townhouse or leasing a detached house in Bangkok always faced the following compromises:

• Price – often a detached house or townhouse would cost far more than the equivalent condo or apartment in Bangkok
• Location – most expats want to live as close to the BTS or MRT as possible and many townhouses or detached houses were located too far from a BTS or MRT station to be practical
• Quality – to find a townhouse or detached house in Bangkok to rent that was in most expats budgets, often quality had to be compromised leading mot expats to prefer a condo or apartment over renting a Bangkok townhouse or detached house.
• Age – a lot of townhouse and detached houses in Bangkok had been built in the 1970’s and 1980’s and they looked it. With old style design and out of fashion fittings. Often bathrooms and kitchen looked very tired and unattractive.

However with the advent of the new BTS stations due to open in August 2011, http://www.ajarn.com/blogs/neil-mcdonough/property-possiblities-on-the-bts-sukhumwit-extension/ more attractive residential land had opened up to Thai property developers and the sharpest ones have been keen to pick up on this trend.

Here we can review some of the best townhouses and detached houses to rent near the MRT and BTS in Bangkok’s city center. The first one is located on the new BTS extension near the BTS Bearing station. Supalai Ville Bearing is a townhouse development located within a few minutes of the new Soi Bearing BTS station. With 3 bedroom townhouses to rent for as little as THB 17 000/ month these Bangkok townhouses represent great value for money and are ideal for those working in the Srinakarin and Bang Na areas of town. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/supalai-ville-bearing-2096

And of course with the opening of the BTS station as Soi Bearing, there has never been a better time to rent a townhouse in the Bang Na area. The Moo Baan also has a swimming pool and secure parking so there are very few sacrifices being made in regards to facilities.

Hop on the BTS at soi Bearing and you could be in central Sukhumvit in approximately 20 mins and even in Siam Square BTS within approximately 30 mins, all in the air-conditioned comfort and without the hassle of Bangkok traffic.

Staying in the same area, The Centro Srinakarin development offers another great way to rent a townhouse or detached house in the Bang Na and Srinakarin areas of Bangkok. A more luxurious development Centro townhouses will rent for approximately THB 25 000/month for a 3 bedroom unit. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/the-centro-srinakarin-2095

Once again the development containing The Centro townhouses also has a swimming pool, security and garden areas. Ideal for small families looking for a safe modern environment for their children, The Centro Srinakarin again offers a great option for those who work in Bang Na, Srinakarin or even Sukhumvit. Once on the train at Bearing BTS station anyone renting a townhouse at this Bangkok suburb could be in the centre of town within 30mins or so.

Moving on to detached housing, but staying in the Bang Na area of Bangkok, Cosy House Bang Na, offers an excellent place to rent a detached house in a leafy suburb or Bangkok.

A 3 bedroom modern styled detached house in Cosy House Bang Na will cost approximately THB 25 000/month to rent and the Cosy House development offers not only a swimming pool, security and a garden area, but is also surrounded beautifully by a lake, and attractive landscaping. Once you rent a detached house in this Bangkok suburb, you can feel you are in a different world, and yet only be 30mins from the city center via the new BTS extension. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/cosy-house-bang-na-2097

Moving away from the BTS, but still remaining on the Bangkok metro system we find a beautiful new townhouse development in Lat Prao, ideal for those who want to rent a townhouse in the northern part of Bangkok. Town Plus Lat Prao features 3 bedroom townhouses to rent near the Lad Phrao MRT station for as little as THB 20 000/ month. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/town-plus-lad-prao-2094

A brand new development with covered parking, modern stylish design and 24 hour security, this is an ideal way to rent a Bangkok townhouse near the Bangkok city center. For those working in Lat Prao, Phahonyothin or eve n Ratchada, this offers a viable and inexpensive way to enjoy the comfort of a 3 bedroom family property.

So thanks to a new drive by Thai property developers there has now become an increased and improved selection of modern and attractive townhouses and detached houses to rent in Bangkok. And for those who want to rent a detached house near the BTS or a lease and townhouse near the MRT choices are both attractive and reasonably priced.

A few months ago I posted a blog outlining how Ideo condominiums that had sprung up all over Bangkok were offering the Bangkok condominium market some of the best ways to rent a condominium near the BTS and MRT lines. In the article I looked at the following Ideo condominium buildings: Ideo Mix Condo Sukhumvit 103; Ideo Mix Condo Phahonyothin and Ideo Condo Ratchada – Huay Kwang. Since then there have been several new Ideo condominium buildings opened along the BTS and MRT lines. Here is an opportunity to look at some of the new stylish Ideo condos that have been launched most recently.

The Ideo Q Condo at Phayathai is conveniently located near to both the Phayathai BTS station and the Ratchaprarop Airport Link station. This makes the Ideo Q Condo Phayathai an ideal location for those who want to live both in the heart of the city, but also take advantage of a possible jet-set lifestyle or those who have to travel abroad for business. As a break away from the other Ideo condos we looked at it the previous blog, the Ideo Q Condo offers a more varied selection of condominium units, such as duplex one bedroom units.

Renting a condo in the Ideo Q Phayathai condo can start from as low as THB 15 000 for a small partitioned studio, also termed as a small one bedroom measuring approx 30sqm. However moving up to renting a one bedroom duplex will cost over THB 30 000 however in addition to a more luxurious and versatile living environment the condo measures approx twice the size at just over 60sqm. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/ideo-q-phayathai-phaya-thai-1902

The Ideo Q condo Phayathai of course keeps in with the Ideo condominium concept of providing a large stylish recreational area complete with swimming pool gymnasium and saunas. Of course for those who don’t want to take advantage of the Phayathai BTS and Ratchaprarop airport link stations located near by, there is also adequate indoor secure parking.

Staying in the north of the city center of Bangkok, but moving in the ever popular Lat Prao area, we find the Ideo Condominium Lat Prao 17. Located in Lad Prao the Ideo Condo Lad Phrao 17 takes advantage of the MRT Lat Prao station just a few minutes walk away. This stylish modern condo unlike many other Ideo condos is a low-rise and so has a more homely feel. With the main low-rise buildings centered around an attractive large swimming pool and sun deck.

Ideo Lat Prao 17 condos for rent start at approx THB 16 000 for a small one bedroom unit which will feature a small bedroom, small living area and bathroom. And the Ideo condos are sensibly designed to allow a separate kitchen area. It is amazing how well an Ideo condominium can be designed to accommodate so many features in a small area. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/ideo-ladprao-17-1156

Finally we travel down the south west area of the city to Thonburi and on to the relatively new BTS stations that opened 2 years ago. And we look at Ideo Sathorn-Taksin. The Ideo Sathorn-Taksin condo couldn’t be closer to the Krung Thonburi BTS station, just 10m from the station. This makes renting a condo at the Ideo Sathorn-Taksin one of the most convenient in the city. http://www.easyhomes.tv/property/ideo-sathorn-taksin-klong-san-1896

Again another chicly designed condominium building with modern fittings and quality finishes throughout. The building also provides a beautiful swimming pool, fitness studio, well equipped gymnasium and of course secures car parking and 24hr security associated with the quality Bangkok condominium.

So renting a condo at an Ideo building whether it is on Sukhumvit, Sathorn, Phahonyothin or Lat Prao is a excellent choice for bachelors, bachelorettes, couples and even young families. And for those expats that appreciate both the convenience of the BTS, MRT and Airport Link train systems and well designed tasteful and stylish architecture the Ideo Condominiums are hard to beat.

Each year Ensign Media organize and host the Thailand Property Awards here in Bangkok. The awards ceremony has now entered its 6th year, and has continually snowballed in terms of interest and importance within the Real Estate industry. And this year the trend has continued with the awards ceremony receiving a record number of nominations for categories varying from developers to developments, Real Estate agencies to websites dedicated to Real Estate.

Starting off as a relatively insular and limited awards ceremony in 2005, mainly concentrating on high-end developments built for wealthy expats and locals buyers alike, the awards have started to embrace a wider range of the market with the introduction of the category this year ‘Best Affordable Condo Development’. And as the awards ceremony expands and increases credibility and recognition amongst both the Real Estate industry and the general public alike, there is hope that the categories will increase to absorb more of the Thai property market and acknowledge more of the players on the ground, as apposed to just the usual suspects.

The judging panel varies from independent real estate experts to lawyers, engineers, agents and surveyors. And although there are many nominations and a wide range of categories there can of course only be one winner in each category.

The gala event will attract over 600 guests and will be held at The Grand Hyatt Erawan in Bangkok on November 5th 2011. However the awards are not solely centered on the Bangkok property market and will include many nominations from Phuket, Samui, Pattaya and other coastal and resort areas.

Previous winners will be up against some tough competition and as the awards continue to be held and develop surely the competition will only increase.