Quick answer
A furnished studio or one-bedroom condo in Pattaya rents for about 7,000 to 22,000 THB a month and a two-bedroom for 15,000 to 45,000 THB, more on the Wongamat beachfront. Expect to pay two months' deposit plus one month in advance, electricity at 4 to 9 THB per unit and 500 to 900 THB for fibre internet. Your landlord must file a TM30 notification with Immigration within 24 hours of your arrival.
Pattaya has one of the largest stocks of furnished condominiums in Thailand, spread along 15 km of coast from Wongamat in the north, through Central Pattaya and Pratumnak Hill, to Jomtien and Na Jomtien in the south. Most are owned by individuals who let them by the month or the year, fully furnished, with a shared pool and gym. Renting one for a winter or a year is simple once you know the usual prices and paperwork.
Which areas of Pattaya are best for a long stay?
The choice comes down to how you want to live day to day, since rents overlap more than the areas do.
- Jomtien: the widest choice and the best value near a beach, with a long seafront, markets and a large long-stay community. The provincial immigration office is here too.
- Pratumnak Hill: quiet, green lanes between the two bays with sea views and low-rise buildings. A scooter or car makes life easier.
- Central Pattaya: malls, hospitals, restaurants and transport on the doorstep, with more noise and traffic.
- Wongamat and Naklua: the calmest swimming beach and the highest rents on the beachfront, with cheaper buildings inland along Naklua Road.
- East of Sukhumvit Road: the lowest rents and most of the houses, for residents with their own transport.
Each district has its own guide: Jomtien, Pratumnak Hill and Naklua and Wongamat, with a side-by-side comparison in the best areas to stay in Pattaya.
How much is the monthly rent by size and area?
The table shows asking rents for furnished condominiums on a lease of six to twelve months. A studio is typically 25 to 35 square metres and a one-bedroom 35 to 50. The low end of each range is an older building away from the sea, the high end a newer building or a sea view.
| Area | Studio or one bedroom (THB) | Two bedrooms (THB) |
|---|---|---|
| Jomtien | 7,000 to 18,000 | 18,000 to 35,000 |
| Central Pattaya | 8,000 to 18,000 | 15,000 to 32,000 |
| Pratumnak Hill | 10,000 to 22,000 | 22,000 to 45,000 |
| Wongamat and Naklua | 10,000 to 20,000, up to 35,000 on the beachfront | 20,000 to 40,000 |
East of Sukhumvit Road, comparable units rent for 2,000 to 4,000 THB a month less than in the centre. Lease length changes the price: a monthly or three-month let costs roughly 15 to 20 per cent more than the same unit on a full-year lease. Season matters as well. Demand peaks from November to February, so landlords negotiate most readily between May and October.
To see how rent fits into a full monthly budget, read the guide to prices and budgets in Pattaya.
What deposit will you pay, and what should the contract say?
The standard in Pattaya is two months' rent as a security deposit plus the first month in advance, so three months' rent before you get the keys. Some buildings add a key card deposit. Leases normally run six or twelve months, and many owners accept one to three months at a higher rent. Stays of less than 30 days are not allowed in most condominium buildings, which makes one month the practical minimum.
Thailand regulates residential leases through a notification of the Contract Committee of the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, in force since 4 September 2025 for anyone letting three or more units. Its main points are worth knowing even when your landlord owns a single condo, because they describe what a fair contract looks like:
- Deposit and advance rent together are capped at three months' rent on a lease paid monthly.
- The deposit is returned within 7 days of the end of the lease when there is no damage, or within 14 days after deducting repair costs when there is.
- A move-in condition report signed by both parties is attached to the contract.
- The tenant can end a fixed-term lease after half the term with 30 days' written notice.
- Rent cannot be raised during the term, and normal wear and tear is not charged to the tenant.
- Water and electricity cannot be billed above the official tariffs.
Ask for the contract in Thai and English, with the rent, deposit, utility rates, lease dates and the owner's name as it appears on the title deed. The Office of the Consumer Protection Board, on hotline 1166, is the official source for these rules and the place to take a dispute.
How are electricity and water billed?
This is the line that changes a monthly budget most. Electricity is billed in one of two ways. With a direct meter from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), you pay the government tariff: from September 2026 the energy charge is capped at 3 THB per unit for the first 200 units a month, 4.16 THB for units 201 to 400 and 4.36 THB above that, which works out at about 4 THB per unit. Where the building or the owner resells power, a flat rate of 5 to 9 THB per unit is common.
With air conditioning at night, a studio uses 1,500 to 3,000 THB of electricity a month at building rates, and bills rise by a third or more in the hot months of March to May. Water is cheap either way: 18 to 45 THB per unit, or a flat 100 to 300 THB a month. Ask for the rate per unit in writing before you sign, ask to see a recent bill for the unit, and photograph both meters on the day you move in.
How do you get internet in a rented condo?
Fibre is available in almost every building from AIS 3BB and True, at 500 to 900 THB a month for an entry package. A new line means a fixed-term contract in your own name, so for a stay of a few months the simplest solution is a unit where the owner already has a line and includes it in the rent or passes on the bill. Ask the building office which providers serve your floor. The free Wi-Fi in lobbies and pool areas is too slow for video calls. A mobile data package on a Thai SIM is the fallback for the first days.
What is the TM30 and why does it matter to a tenant?
The TM30 is the notification of residence of a foreign national. Under section 38 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), the owner or possessor of a dwelling where a foreigner stays must notify the local immigration office within 24 hours of the arrival. Hotels do it automatically. In a rented condo the duty falls on your landlord, and so does the fine for not filing.
It matters to you because Chonburi Immigration, on Jomtien Beach Road Soi 5 and open Monday to Friday from 08:30 to 16:30, asks for proof that a TM30 is on file before it handles an extension of stay, a 90-day report or a certificate of residence. The landlord files free of charge online through the Immigration Bureau's TM30 system at tm30.immigration.go.th, or in person, using your passport details and proof of ownership. Before you sign, ask the owner or agent to confirm that the TM30 will be filed on the day you move in, and keep a copy of the receipt with your passport. The Immigration Bureau is the official source for the current procedure.
Visas, banking, phone plans and the rest of settling in are covered in the practical guide to living in Pattaya.
How do you search, and what should you check before signing?
Book a hotel or a short let for the first week and search on the spot: photographs hide street noise, building works and tired furniture. The main channels are the property portals (FazWaz, DDproperty, Hipflat and Thailand-Property all list Pattaya rentals with prices), local agencies, Facebook rental groups for Pattaya and Jomtien, and the management office of a building you like, which usually knows which owners have units to let. Confirm who pays the agent's commission before a viewing. View at least three units, including one visit after dark.
- Check that the person signing is the owner named on the title deed, or holds a signed power of attorney.
- Read the electricity and water rates in the contract and compare them with a recent bill.
- Run every air conditioner, the water heater, the taps and the washing machine, and test mobile signal and internet speed.
- Ask about building rules: pets, visitors, and whether short lets next door bring a stream of new neighbours.
- Agree in writing who pays for air conditioner cleaning and small repairs.
- Sign a dated inventory with photographs of every room, and get a receipt for the deposit.
- Confirm the TM30 filing and ask for the receipt.
Frequently asked
- Can you rent a condo in Pattaya for just one month?
- Yes. Many owners let by the month, especially outside the November to February peak, at a rent roughly 15 to 20 per cent above the yearly rate, and some accept a smaller deposit when the stay is paid in advance. Choice is widest in Jomtien and Central Pattaya. In high season, units that accept a single month go early, so start looking several weeks ahead or take a three-month lease to secure a better building and price.
- Do you need a long-stay visa to sign a lease?
- No. A lease is a private contract and landlords ask for a passport copy, whatever your entry status. What changes with your visa is what you need from the landlord afterwards: anyone applying for an extension of stay or filing 90-day reports at Chonburi Immigration needs the TM30 receipt and usually a copy of the lease and of the owner's documents.
- When do you get the deposit back?
- At the end of the lease, after a joint inspection of the unit against the move-in inventory. Under the consumer protection rules for landlords with three or more units, the deposit is returned within 7 days when there is no damage and within 14 days when repair costs are deducted. Give notice in writing, settle the final utility bills, attend the inspection and leave a bank account or agree on cash.
