Shared flat or student housing in Bangkok: comparing the options

University residence, shared flat or studio: the options for a student in Bangkok, with 2026 prices, neighbourhoods and the visa.

The Remoters editorial team

Published on

16 July 2023

Updated on

6 October 2026

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As a student in Bangkok, you can choose between three options: a shared room in a university residence, a shared flat in a condominium (a co-owned building, often with a pool and gym), or a studio for yourself. The residence is the cheapest, the shared flat offers the best compromise between price and comfort, and the studio costs the most but leaves you free to live at your own pace.

The gaps are clear. At Chulalongkorn University, a place in a shared room on campus costs 1,800 to 3,500 baht (THB) a month. In a central condominium, a furnished one-bedroom apartment rents for 15,000 to 35,000 THB, and a two-bedroom for 25,000 to 35,000 THB: shared between two, a flat halves that budget.

This guide compares these options, indicates the neighbourhoods to aim for around campuses and along the BTS, and details the lease, the budget and the student visa.

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University residence, shared flat or studio: comparing

The university residence

The major universities run their own residences. Chulalongkorn publishes the details of its offer, a good reference for comparison:

On campus, for undergraduate students: rooms for two to four people, from 1,800 to 3,500 THB per person per month depending on the building, with a deposit of 5,000 THB. Some buildings are paid per semester (4,500 to 5,500 THB). Electricity is billed at 5 THB per kilowatt-hour.
U-Center, a partner residence near Samyan Mitrtown: 2,125 THB per person in a room for four, 4,750 to 4,950 THB in a double room and 9,900 THB in a single room, all with bathroom. The minimum lease is one year, with three months to pay on entry (deposit and rent in advance).
CU iHouse, designed for international students: a furnished, air-conditioned 25 m² studio at 13,000 THB a month for six months or more, 14,000 THB for less, and 22,000 THB for a 50 m² one-bedroom.

For Mahidol, Thammasat or another university, contact its international office: conditions and prices differ from one institution to another, and places are limited.

A shared flat in a condominium

This is the most flexible option for a student who cannot find a residence place or who wants more space. A two-bedroom in the city centre rents for 25,000 to 35,000 THB a month, or about 12,500 to 17,500 THB each between two. Further from the centre, in neighbourhoods well served by the BTS, each person's share drops sharply. You enjoy the building's facilities (pool, gym, security), rarely accessible on an equivalent studio budget.

A studio

A small studio on the outskirts rents for 8,000 to 12,000 THB a month, a one-bedroom apartment for 15,000 to 35,000 THB in central neighbourhoods. It is the most independent solution, but on an equal budget it often takes you further from your campus.

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Neighbourhoods to aim for

Traffic is heavy: a home a few stops from your campus on the right BTS or MRT line is better than one that is close as the crow flies but poorly connected.

Around Chulalongkorn

The university points to housing in the neighbouring districts of Samyan, Pathumwan, Ratchathewi, Phaya Thai and Bang Rak, close to public transport. CU iHouse, on campus, is served by the university shuttle and close to the BTS, the MRT and the Siam and Samyan districts.

Along the BTS

Ari: residential and calm, with its BTS station, cafés and markets. From 16,000 THB a month for a furnished apartment.
On Nut and Phra Khanong: more working-class, on the BTS Sukhumvit line, good value for money. From 10,000 to 20,000 THB a month, ideal for a shared flat at a reasonable price.
Sukhumvit, from Asoke to Ekkamai: central, served by the BTS and MRT, international shops. From 20,000 THB a month.
Silom and Sathorn: business and residential district, recent condos, from 15,000 to 60,000 THB a month.
Thonglor: upmarket, from 45,000 THB a month, best kept for a large shared flat.

The supply of condominiums remains plentiful. According to the Bangkok Post (October 2026), developers are cutting launches of new projects to clear their stock, while condo sales recover: choice remains wide for tenants.

Lease, budget and application

Duration: the standard lease is 12 months. A 6-month lease is sometimes available, at a higher monthly rent.
Security deposit: two to three months' rent, plus the first month. An annual lease often lets you negotiate 10 to 20% off the advertised rent.
Utilities: electricity, water and internet are generally billed on top, sometimes at a rate set by the building. Ask before signing.
Application: valid passport, visa, and sometimes proof of resources. No local guarantor is usually required of foreigners.

In a shared flat, put everything in writing

Check who signs the lease: all the flatmates, or a single one who sublets to the others. Set down in writing how the rent, deposit and bills are split, and what happens if one of you leaves before the end of the lease.

The student visa

To study in Thailand, you need a non-immigrant ED visa, applied for from abroad once enrolled. It costs THB 2,000 for a single entry and gives an initial stay of 90 days, extendable on the spot in periods of up to 90 days (THB 1,900 per extension). For university studies, the stay is extended year by year as long as you are enrolled.

The Non-ED Plus visa, created in July 2024 for bachelor's level and above, lets the university file the extensions itself, and you no longer need a re-entry permit to travel.
Attendance is monitored: institutions send monthly reports, with attendance of about 80% expected.
The visa does not give the right to work.

Check the list of documents with the Thai embassy before submitting your application.

Pitfalls to avoid

Pay no advance before viewing, in person or by live video with someone on the ground.
Insist on a lease in English if the original is in Thai, with the names of the parties, the address, the duration, the rent, the deposit and the split of maintenance.
Photograph every room and every item of equipment at move-in, with a written inventory: it is your proof for getting the deposit back.
Be wary of intermediaries who cannot prove that they represent the owner.

Searching from France

Comparing residences and condos, viewing and negotiating from abroad, a few weeks before the start of term, requires someone on the ground. A Remoters home finder based in Bangkok can search for you according to your campus, your budget and the option you have chosen, visit properties, prepare your application and review the lease before signing. The first conversation and the quote are free.