Update: my Bangkok rent went from $850 to $420 in 6 months, here is what changed
When I moved to Bangkok I grabbed the first spot I found on a Facebook group, a furnished 1BR in Phrom Phong for $850 a month. Six months later I signed a lease on a bigger place near Ari for $420. The difference came down to two things: I stopped looking at expat group listings and walked my own streets, and I started asking Thai coworkers what they actually pay. The prices in those groups were marked up for people like me, and my landlord even told me the real rate after I asked in person. So now I want to know, how do you all find housing without getting the tourist tax on it?
Wait your landlord straight up told you the real rate?? That blows my mind. I always figured once they see a foreigner they just toss out a number and stick to it no matter what. So he was just charging you double because he could and then admitted it when you asked face to face? That is wild. I gotta try the in person thing next time because clearly the facebook groups are a trap.