@ pokerchris, I am not really an expert about real estate. i knwo ofdabeat knows a lot about it so pming him might be best.
As far as I can tell there are a lot of good areas and where i rent is where i can get the best deal setup for me. It realyl depends what important for you, size of teh house, pricing, furniture, style, location.
There will be a big meetup of players in bkk in new years eve imho, if youre cool your welcome to join us imo.
In regards to thai people helping you , BE CAREFULL! Im serious, DONT trust them.