Information on Office for Rent in Bangkok There is a wide range of offices for rent in bangkok, many near BTS and MRT, with an extensive choice of locations. Prices for offices for rent in Bangkok reflect the locations, access to public transportation and the grade of office building and facilities. Office areas in Bangkok are concentrated around the Central Business District (CBD) which covers Silom, Sathon, Wireless and Sukhumvit roads. However, there are offices for rent in Bangkok near MRT stations all over town including the Ratchadapisek area. CBRE covers all types of office property in all Bangkok locations from the areas above through to suburban and midtown locations such as Ratchadapisek, Viphavadi-Rangsit, Chaengwattana and Bangna. When looking for offices to rent in Bangkok, proximity to mass transit systems is a priority for most office tenants. There are two existing mass transit systems: the BTS sky train and the MRT subway, which serve primarily the central and midtown locations of Bangkok. Office for Rent in Bangkok Listings Bangkok Areas/Locations Office locations for rent in Bangkok can be geographically classified into two main regions, which are: 1) Bangkok CBD (Central Business District) Defined as the area incorporating Silom, Sathorn, Rama IV Road, Ploenchit, Wireless Road, Asoke, and the early Sukhumvit area (Sukhumvit Road up to Soi 24). BANGKOK 1.1 Core CBD The core CBD includes Silom, Sathon, Wireless and Ratchadamri Road, passing through Rama IV and Ploenchit Road.The majority of grade A offices for rent in Bangkok and the headquarters of many multinational companies are located here. The area is served by both of Bangkok’s mass transit systems. 1.2 Outer CBD This area covers the primarily residential areas of Bangkok along the BTS sky train route, specifically the early Sukhumvit area and Asoke up to Sukhumvit Soi 24. 2) Non-CBD There are several suburban and midtown offices for rent in Bangkok that are located outside the CBD area. These are popular with companies requiring convenient access to downtown as well as the industrial areas and the airport. Office locations along mass transit routes in non-CBD areas have become increasingly popular. Chaengwattana, in the north of Bangkok, is a major government administrative center. To the east of the city, close to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, is the Bangna-Trad district. This area not only provides convenient access to the airport, but is also the gateway to the Eastern Seaboard. Petchaburi Road and Sukhumvit Road extend to the east of Bangkok, with the BTS running along Sukhumvit and the Airport Link running parallel to Petchaburi. Rama 3 Road runs along the river, providing good road access to the city center and easy connections to eastern Bangkok via the Industrial Ring Road. There are many offices for rent near the BTS along Sukhumvit Road. Bangkok Office Types Bangkok offices for rent can be segmented into two core types.1) Single OwnershipMost office developments are high-rise purpose-built properties owned and operated by a professional office landlord or property management company.2) Multiple OwnershipThere are also a limited number of multiple ownership office developments, known as office condominiums in Thailand (in other countries, they are called strata title offices) with premises sold to individual owners.  The main difference with single-ownership offices is property management, where a management company, supervised by a committee of co-owners, manages the common areas. The individual owners are responsible for the maintenance of their office units.   Bangkok Office Classification CBRE has developed a grading system to classify office space for rent. Grade A offices for rent in Bangkok have the following characteristics: A floor plate with a regular shape, and without structural encumbrances, which can be easily subdivided An air-conditioning system with a central chiller and variable air volume, instead of constant air volume from a water-cooled system. There should be a separate 24-hour air-conditioning supply for tenants’ computer rooms Lifts with low waiting times. Lifts should be allocated to different floor zones and a separate service lift with its own lobby The common areas, particularly the main entrance and floor lobbies, should have an impressive design and high-quality fittings and decoration Ceiling heights inside offices should be at least 2.8 metres The building should have professional building management The car parking layout have efficient entry and exit routes Some buildings have environmental certifications such as LEED and WELL Most buildings have access control turnstiles and/or destination control lifts There is also a broader class of popular and successful office buildings for rent in Bangkok, which CBRE classifies as grade B: These buildings meet the safety standards for office spaces. However, they may not have the same level of features or prime locations as the Grade A offices. This may be offset by lower rental costs Bangkok Travel Infrastructure BTS (Bangkok Transit System/SkyTrain) The BTS SkyTrain is a critical transport system in Bangkok, covering much of the city centre and its many commercial, residential and tourist areas. The sky train and subway systems intersect at Silom, Siam, Asoke and near the weekend market, enabling Bangkok’s residents to access a large part of the downtown area. There are many offices for rent in Bangkok near BTS stations offer convenient locations for commuting workers. MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) The MRT is Bangkok’s first subway or underground system with one line in operation, although various others are being planned. It connects to the Bangkok Transit System at several interchange stations. ARL (Airport Rail Link) The ARL is a rapid transit line that connects Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Central Bangkok. The ARL transport system is divided into two lines, a city line and an express line. The city line train is about a 30-minute journey, while the express line takes about 15 minutes. BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) Bangkok’s BRT line starts from the sky train interchange at the Chong Nonsi BTS station and ends at the Ratchadapisek-Ratchapreuk Intersection in Thonburi. The buses mainly travel along exclusive lanes; however, it also shares lanes with other vehicles on some parts of the route but has priority at traffic lights. Expressways The main expressways, Sirat, Chalerm Maha Nakhon, and Udon Ratthaya, are a network of highways across Bangkok and nearby provinces. They are accessible via tollways and can accommodate a high volume of vehicles. Buses Bangkok has a comprehensive bus network, consisting of publicly run and private buses. Bus fares are paid to the conductor for each trip. Buses are both air-conditioned and non-air-con. The quality of buses is variable so choose the orange, air-conditioned Euro buses, which are the best in terms of comfort and safety. Taxis/Tuk Tuks City taxis and tuk-tuks (three-wheeled motorized rickshaws) are readily available in most areas of the city. Taxis tend to have metered rates, while tuk-tuk fares are negotiable for each trip.   Bangkok Office Rental - Example Lease Terms A Bangkok office for rent usually has the following terms and conditions: Office Lease Term Leases for commercial office space in Bangkok are usually valid for 3 years. Options to renew are available. The rental for the renewed lease terms is subject to mutual agreement. It is possible to have an office lease term for longer than 3 years. However, this requires the lease to be registered, which can incur additional costs and taxes. Basis of Measurement Most office landlords quote areas on a net lettable basis, measured from the window to the core area including columns but excluding common corridors, washrooms and plant rooms. Deposit Office deposits are generally for 3 months’ gross rental, non-interest bearing, refundable upon expiry of the lease Rent-free Fitting Out Period This depends on the size of the Bangkok offices for the rented space leased. For example, a tenant with 1,000 square meters should be able to get a two month rent-free period for fitting out.   Bangkok Office Running Costs In addition to the rent, there will be other costs as listed below: Electricity The standard rate is THB 5 - 6 per kilowatt per hour and bills are paid directly to the landlord. Air-conditioning Almost all offices for rent in Bangkok have central air conditioning systems; however, two standard systems are used in Bangkok offices which affects your occupation costs. If the building uses a water-cooled package, tenants will pay for the electricity consumed by their package units, adding THB 40-50 per square meter per month to the rental. If the building uses a central chiller system, the landlord absorbs the cost of providing air-conditioning. Air-conditioning after hours (overtime air-conditioning) Normal office hours at most buildings are 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays. If air-conditioning is required outside of these hours, the tenant usually pays a surcharge of THB 2 - 3 per square meter per hour. Telephone lines Office tenants usually apply directly to the telephone service provider to install the lines required but will pay a non-refundable installation charge to the landlord. Bills are paid directly by the tenant to the telephone company. Car parking Most offices for rent in Bangkok have been built according to a minimum standard set by the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA), which is one space for every 60 square meters of lettable area. Few Bangkok offices for rent provide a more generous parking provision. Tenants can expect one parking space free of charge for every 100 square meters of office space leased. Extra spaces can be rented on a monthly basis, if available. Management Fees, Service Charges and Local Property Tax These are usually included in the gross rental which is quoted for leased office space. The gross rental will be split between two or three contracts to reduce the landlord’s tax liability. Up to 60% of the gross rental will be allocated for services or rental of equipment for which 7% VAT (Value Added Tax) is levied. Usually property tax of 12.5% per annum (based on the rental of commercial office space) is paid by the landlord. Fitting Out Costs The capital costs of fitting out, including loose furniture but excluding office equipment such as the PABX, will be THB 15,000 – 20,000 per square meter. Normally, the leased unit will have to be reinstated to its original handover condition upon expiry of the lease.