Tenant Behavior by Nationality — What to Expect from Different Cultures in Thailand

A follower once asked me —
They’d read my post about Indian tenants
and wanted to know what other nationalities are like.
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So here’s a short, fun summary —
a little field knowledge for agents and owners alike.
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#Chinese Tenants 🇨🇳

😊 Pros
✅ Pay rent on time — often 6 months or 1 year upfront (whether they stay that long is another story)
✅ Decide fast — if they like the place, they book it immediately
✅ Usually take responsibility for damages
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👿 Cons
✖️ Say they live alone, end up 6–8 in one unit (family reunion zone)
✖️ Noise level = festival
✖️ Cigarettes everywhere
✖️ Ask for everything free before move-in
✖️ Install hidden CCTV in the room
✖️ Turn balcony into “secret kitchen” — hotpot, BBQ, frying heaven
✖️ Tape box noise 24/7 — online business central
✖️ Never read contracts
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#Indian Tenants 🇮🇳

😊 Pros
✅ Polite and soft-spoken
✅ Easy to deal with if informed early about costs
✅ Family-oriented, peaceful
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👿 Cons
✖️ Cook daily with industrial-strength spice — kitchen smoke PTSD guaranteed
✖️ Strong curry aroma — you’ll taste it in your dreams
✖️ Hardcore negotiators — will bargain to Olympic level
✖️ Don’t remove shoes
✖️ Read price, not contract
✖️ Talk fast, head wobble bonus
✖️ Different standards of cleanliness
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#Russian Tenants 🇷🇺

😊 Pros
✅ Silent, independent, private
✅ No noise, no smell, no drama
✅ Use whatever’s given, never demand extras
✅ Straightforward — say exactly what they need
✅ Love bathtubs like religion
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👿 Cons
✖️ Quiet… until they party — nuclear level
✖️ Rearrange furniture without telling
✖️ Randomly ask for rent discount because “gold prices dropped”
✖️ Destroy furniture like it’s free
✖️ Quote Russian law to argue Thai contracts
✖️ Friends = minimum ten
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#American Tenants 🇺🇸

😊 Pros
✅ Friendly and talkative
✅ Honest — report damage immediately
✅ Open to feedback and willing to adjust
✅ Clean and tidy
✅ Build good rapport with landlords
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👿 Cons
✖️ Often late on rent
✖️ Hide pets
✖️ Modify interiors without permission
✖️ Music and movie nights = personal concert hall
✖️ Move-in like dating, move-out like divorce
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#South Korean Tenants 🇰🇷

😊 Pros
✅ Very clean and detail-oriented
✅ Polite and respectful
✅ Understand Thai rental systems well
✅ Decorate rooms beautifully
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👿 Cons
✖️ Redecorate like they own the place
✖️ Wash clothes daily — water pump begs for mercy
✖️ BBQ smell forever
✖️ Scream during K-drama scenes
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#Japanese Tenants 🇯🇵

😊 Pros
✅ Politeeeeeeeeeee beyond imagination
✅ Neat, disciplined, clean freaks (in a good way)
✅ Pay on time, return room cleaner than before
✅ Respect rules, never complain
✅ No noise, no drama
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👿 Cons
✖️ Install appliances without telling
✖️ Need privacy — won’t let anyone enter without 3-week notice
✖️ Want everything documented
✖️ Move-out silently — leave key, disappear
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#Western European Tenants (Germany, France, etc.) 🇩🇪🇫🇷

😊 Pros
✅ Extremely punctual
✅ Respect contracts word-for-word
✅ Rarely use AC — love open windows
✅ Pay on time — moral duty level
✅ Prefer calm and minimal design
✅ Great taste in furniture
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👿 Cons
✖️ One scratch = demand rent reduction
✖️ Argue logically (and legally) about every clause
✖️ Hate hidden costs
✖️ Request tiny repairs constantly
✖️ Sensitive to local smells
✖️ Pay in weird split installments or strange apps
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#Thai Tenants 🇹🇭

😊 Pros
✅ Easy to talk to — same language, same vibe
✅ Cooperative, polite, helpful during inspections
✅ Follow agreements when reminded
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👿 Cons
✖️ Chronic late payers — always last possible day
✖️ Hard to contact when problems arise
✖️ Night-shift tenants = messy rooms
✖️ Leave unpaid utility bills
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#Arab Tenants (Saudi, Egypt, UAE) 🇸🇦

😊 Pros
✅ Deeply respectful
✅ Quiet and private
✅ Long-term, loyal tenants
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👿 Cons
✖️ Extreme privacy — never allow room checks
✖️ Always closed curtains
✖️ Big families but won’t tell
✖️ Replace furniture with their own
✖️ Never reply to messages — must contact via building staff
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#African Tenants 🇿🇦

😊 Pros
✅ Energetic, cheerful, friendly
✅ Respect landlords
✅ Strong sense of community
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👿 Cons
✖️ Loud by nature — gatherings feel like concerts
✖️ Music 24/7 — Gospel, Hip-hop, Afrobeat
✖️ Treat public hallway as living room
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#Myanmar Tenants 🇲🇲

😊 Pros
✅ Humble, polite, helpful
✅ Pay on time
✅ Rarely complain or demand extras
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👿 Cons
✖️ Many people per room
✖️ Cook strong-smelling food inside
✖️ Hang clothes in corridors
✖️ Don’t report damage
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Again, this is all from personal experience.
#Not stereotyping anyone.
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Every nationality has good and bad apples.
Experienced agents will tell you —
“We’re not afraid of where people come from,
we’re afraid of repeating patterns we’ve seen too often.”
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Some may never encounter these at all.
But many have — enough for it to become cultural habit.
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The goal of this post
is simply to raise awareness
for agents and landlords
before accepting bookings or signing contracts.
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If a tenant fits one of these “types,”
ask yourself —
can you handle it?
If yes — go ahead and close that deal. 😉
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Join the discussion at
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