Looking for a dorm or apartment near a Bangkok university? Distance is a good first filter, but daily life over a semester depends on more: the real commute, the walk home after dark, building safety, house rules, the full monthly cost and a lease that fits the academic year. This guide is written for international students and their families, and ends with how to search by university on RentKrub.
Distance on a map is not travel time
Two places the same distance from campus can mean very different commutes, because Bangkok has a river, canals, expressways and wide roads that you may have to go around to cross.
- Plan the route to your faculty building, not just to a campus gate. Large campuses have several gates.
- Test the trip at class time: in the morning before your first class and on the way back in the evening.
- Count every leg: the walk to the stop or station, waiting, changing lines and the walk to class. If you need a motorbike taxi or songthaew every day, add it to your monthly budget.
- Check the last train, bus or boat you depend on if you have evening classes or a part-time job.
The walk home at night and building safety
Before you book, walk from the bus stop or station to the building once in the early evening.
- On the way: street lighting, a footpath, dark or empty stretches, and whether shops are still open.
- Getting in: key card or fingerprint access, how easily outsiders can reach the room floors, CCTV, security guard hours, and solid locks on the door and windows.
- Fire safety: fire stairs that are not locked or blocked, and visible fire extinguishers and emergency exit signs.
Save emergency numbers on your phone: 191 for police emergencies, 1669 for medical emergencies and 1155 for the Tourist Police.
On RentKrub, the "Amenities" section of each listing shows whether there is keycard access, fingerprint access, CCTV and a security guard (faded items are not available). When an owner submits a building structural inspection report or an accommodation business licence for the RentKrub team to check, the listing gets a "Building structure inspected" or "Licensed accommodation business" badge. Use these as a first filter, then check in person.
Dormitory or apartment? The rules differ
Not every place called a "dorm" is a dormitory under Thailand's Dormitory Act B.E. 2558 (2015). Under that law, a dormitory takes in residents for rent, and a resident is a person studying at a level no higher than a bachelor's degree and aged no more than 25. The operator needs a licence, and a private dormitory needs a licensed manager (a women's dormitory must have a female manager).
Apartments and other rental buildings whose landlord rents out 3 or more units come under a different rule: the Contract Committee's Notification on residential building leasing as a contract-controlled business, B.E. 2568 (2025). It does not apply to dormitories under the Dormitory Act or to hotels. For those apartments:
- The lease must be written in clearly legible Thai. If you do not read Thai, ask for a translation and go through the costs, notice and deposit clauses before you sign.
- Advance rent and the deposit together may not exceed three months' rent on a lease of up to three years.
- The lease may not set electricity or water rates above what the electricity and water providers charge the landlord, and the standard contract states the rates and how they are calculated.
- The landlord must send the bill for rent, utilities and service fees at least three days before it is due, and you may check the cost data behind it.
- On a fixed-term lease you may end it early once you have lived there for at least half of the term, by giving at least 30 days' written notice, provided rent and other charges are paid up.
- The deposit comes back immediately when the lease ends; after an inspection, within 7 days if there is no damage, or within 14 days after deducting repair costs for damage you are liable for.
Ask the landlord which type the place is, and ask for the house rules in writing: gate hours, guests and overnight visitors, cooking, pets, smoking and parking. The notification and a sample standard contract (in Thai) are on the OCPB website.
Add up the real monthly cost
The advertised rent is rarely what you pay each month. Ask about electricity (rate per unit, separate meter?), water (per unit, flat rate or minimum charge), internet, service or common-area fees, the deposit and advance rent, and your commute.
Hypothetical example: rent of 5,000 baht, about 800 baht of metered electricity, a flat 200 baht for water, 300 baht for internet and a 200-baht common fee add up to about 6,500 baht a month before transport. With a one-month deposit and one month's advance rent, you also need 10,000 baht on signing day.
Match the lease to the academic year
- Check your university's academic calendar first: semester dates, breaks, internships and exchange periods.
- Ask whether 6-month or 12-month leases are offered, whether you pay full rent during breaks, and whether you can renew on the same terms.
- Immigration (TM.30): the house owner, head of household, landlord or hotel manager must notify Immigration within 24 hours of a foreigner's arrival, using the details in your passport. Make sure it has been filed and keep the receipt slip: immigration offices ask for it for services such as the 90-day report and visa extensions.
- Keep a copy of the lease signed by both sides, together with the room condition report.
Search by university on RentKrub
- Open Rooms near universities and pick "Monthly" or "Daily". University names are listed in Thai and the search box matches Thai names, so copy the Thai name of your university from its official website, or use the links below.
- Result cards show the starting rent, the room size, the distance from the university and icons for air conditioning, WiFi and parking. Nearby stations and other universities are listed at the top.
- On a listing page, check "Costs", the "Room types" table (some owners list short-lease prices for 1, 3 or 6 months), "Nearby", and "Open in Google Maps" to see the real route.
- Tap "Add to compare" on up to 4 listings and open "Compare properties" to see rent, deposit, water, electricity and internet side by side.
- To measure from your own faculty building, use map search: drop a pin and choose a radius of 1–5 km.
Examples in Bangkok:
- Rooms near Chulalongkorn University
- Rooms near Kasetsart University, Bang Khen
- Rooms near Ramkhamhaeng University
- Rooms near Thammasat University
RentKrub never collects payments or deposits on behalf of a property. Look for the "Verified listing" badge (how verification works). For unverified listings, view the room in person, ask for ID and ownership papers, sign a written contract and transfer only to an account in the landlord's name.
