Second option. My apartment is in an apartment complex - so I guess what you’d call a high rise unit (one of those places with pool, gym, etc. for the residents). I was renting it while living there permanently but when I bought the house I was made an offer to buy it out (they calculated the price based on the amount of rent paid, property value, etc.) and I chose to take the offer so I also still have that apartment and use it quite often when I have work until late at night in the city and stuff.

Damn, US? I paid ~70 million Thai baht for my house and that’s considered A LOT of money here.

I 110% agree with the safety. The house I bought is in a residential community really well guarded & this aspect was a major deciding factor as a public figure (a lot of other industry colleagues live here). The security in the apartment complex is top notch.

One drama.

For me the downside is that it feels a bit empty at times. In hindsight I went a bit overboard, given it’s just girlfriend & me + pets. For that reason I like having my family & friends stay over often. Apartment felt more compact.

You know, I’m kind of in a similar spot. I get a steady, constant, stable stream of work. I’m not a great groundbreaking actor but always show up on time, am pleasant with the team, try my best for the best outcome, etc. which has led to me having the reputation of being a dependable, disciplined, easy-to-work-with, consistent actor/public figure (which is why I always get gigs). I get told I “settle” a bit too much, for example I had offers from China with lots of money but for personal reasons choose to pass up on them. I’m just comfortable and satisfied with my work as it is and don’t feel the need to reach “higher”.

6 months is a good average. The rate I get per episode is considered top level in the industry. Unfortunately the majority of Thai actors don’t get paid much and have to hustle on the side. Either way the real money is made through other things such as endorsements, ads, attending events, releasing your own stuff / business, etc. For example you can get paid 500k baht just to attend an event. Acting itself is more like the avenue to keep your notoriety high for these other activities.

Yeah, work-life balance is very important. I love that in acting we shoot for a few months then have the rest of the year off during which you do various gigs and ventures and relax.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Bangkok Here’s a general overview.

Thai dramas don’t usually have seasons. It’s just 1 show of ~15 episodes. I do 1 show. It’s great money but nothing like the top in big industries such as the US, China, S Korea, Japan, etc.