Thai Digs: MY NEW PLACE!!!

My Oasis

Best view I can show you of my apartment - with the bathroom, kitchen and
bedroom all off in separate sections...

I cannot tell you how long I have searched, or how many apartments I have seen…and tonight, I cannot tell you how HAPPY I am…that I have found my place.  I experienced searching for housing in New York City, and assumed if I could tackle that, I could handle anything.  Wrong.  Imagine a city eight times the size of Manhattan, with four times the amount of people, a student scholarship budget (which believe it or not, is less than my previous “I want to save the world” New York budget)…oh and a language barrier?!  It took me about three days of endless searching to realize that the budget I had given myself for housing was too small and I needed to spend more (a LOT more) than I wanted to. 

Where I "study"

I also did not plan on the fact that most other schools started back in August, so there were slim pickings left on housing because most students moved in several months ago.  It was torture however, to see these prices, and think, my apartment in New York cost nearly THREE times as much – for none of the amenities that the apartments in Bangkok have.  So while I know that you will not believe me when you see these pictures – please understand that it was a very difficult search (it took me NINE days of JUST looking!), and there was a huge gap in price range between the tiny studio on the street without security, and a giant condominium equip with a pool, gym and the works.  Enough about the search – let me tell you about what I found: my new home.

My Room!

I am living outside the center of the city on the BTS Skytrain transportation line.  For $533 a month, I have 24 hour security, doormen, a concierge, a fitness center, a pool, amazing views of the city…and a one bedroom apartment, fully furnished.  My building is less than one-year old and has a great mix of foreigners and Thais – mainly students who are studying for their Masters like me.  Don’t get me wrong – I loved my little New York shoebox, but my little studio walk-up in Manhattan is being put to shame right now.

I am posting pictures in hopes that it will give my friends and family some incentive to come visit my not-so-little slice of heaven. 

The Gym - because I'm worried all that curry is going to catch up with me!

I am going to get back to unpacking now…and watching Thai soap operas.  Until my cable is installed (I know – I have never has cable before, but for $33 a YEAR I decided to splurge J) I only have 6 channels, all in Thai.  I am actually obsessed however with these Thai soap operas.  They are far better than any American soap opera (although I will admit I never watched those…) here they have beautiful women and hunky ninja men who all of a sudden just start kung-fu fighting without warning.  Who needs to understand the language when you have that!

Infinity Pool - with a view!

The Lobby

Part of the sunny lobby - where I COULD study...if I weren't "studying" out
by the pool ;)

Living Room - before they even took the paper off the windows...
that is how new this place actually is!

Kitchen - with a porch outside attached...

Park on the 26th floor with an amazing view of the city.