Just sign on the dotted line and give me your money!

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Dear Hillary,

I have been looking to rent long-term a condo or house and I was quite surprised to find that you have to give two months security deposit and a month in advance.  Now I am a little worried about getting my 2 months security deposit back as I do not speak a word of Thai and my girl who works at Big C, not a bar is as timid as a mouse when it comes to asking questions with the local business people.  She has since said that her cousin has a house and we would be safe renting through him.  Upon meeting the cousin at a bar he produced a contract in Thai that my girl read through and was quite happy with and relayed most of it back to me, and better still the cousin would only want 1 month’s security deposit but for me this is all going too fast.  It seems like a bargain but I would like some independent advice.  Should I go with the cousin or am I risking too much?  What would you suggest Hillary?

Patrick

 

Dear Patrick,

What you need is a minder!  Answer me this – would you blindly sign a contract for a studio in Spain if you couldn’t read the language?  Or for a pension in Portugal?  Or a condo in Kosovo?  Come on Petal, what are you doing?  Are you a man or a mouse?  (Along with your girlfriend.)  Go to a reputable real estate agency that speaks your language and employs reputable English speaking lawyers to advise you.  You are right when you say it is all going a little too fast.  You’ve gone from the checkout at Big C to checking in to Heartbreak House in no time flat.  You are setting yourself up for a fall, Petal.  Do not do it.  Get the correct advice before going another step.  By the way, the two months deposit and one month in advance is standard real estate practice in Pattaya.