8 Questions to Ask When Choosing Warehouse for Rent in Thailand

Selecting a suitable warehouse rental is imperative to business success. The current business landscape demands strategic rental warehouses, in which you can store your goods and raw materials effectively. As your sales increase, the proper rental warehouse space that suits your business operation can foster your competitiveness. Also, renting (rather than buying and owning) a warehouse is a convenient way for business owners to expand their business immediately since this option requires fewer capitals and does not undermine the cash flows of companies. Another significant benefit is, from the vast array of warehouse rentals offered in Thailand, the business people can choose the most suitable specifications, locations, and sizes to their needs. From these advantages, renting a warehouse has become a popular strategic choice for business operations.

Some Preliminary considerations before you search for a rental warehouse.

As previously mentioned, your purposes and requirements for a rental warehouse are distinct. For example, you may expect your Thai rental warehouse to have specific attributes and locates near the seaports.  Or, you may have a large pool of 18-wheel trucks, and thus, the rental warehouse should accommodate this condition. Therefore, when you select an inappropriate rental warehouse, the severe costs from mismatch and inefficiency can quickly escalate. To avoid these problems later,  you should evaluate your requirements carefully. This article aims to help you select Thailand’s warehouse rentals that fit your business needs best.

 The initial consideration is that you should know your basic wants and usages in a warehouse rental. You should have some initial ideas on its location, size, functions, office spaces so that you can swiftly narrow down your search. It would also help when you know other technical specifications, such as loading capacity per square meter, buildings’ height, number of loading bays, and raised or on-ground platforms. Your demands should reflect not only your current operations but also later expansions.

The next step is to find a rental warehouse that can accommodate those needs. We suggest you visit 3-4 locations to compare. Moreover, you have to visit the actual sites before finalizing your decision. In this article, we have assembled eight crucial questions you should ask the landlords before signing the rental contract.

1. What zoning area does this rental warehouse locate in?

 According to Thailand’s zoning laws, you can use your rental warehouse only following the area’s specific criteria.  For example, some warehouse rentals can only facilitate warehousing and storage activities, while for others, you can use them as a warehouse as well as a manufacturing facility.  The usage of the property would vary, and you have to ensure that you can perform your operations in the prospective rental warehouse.

When you have manufacturing processes, you must be able to apply for a factory license from your rental property. Similarly, if you wish to store dangerous goods, the necessary permit would follow the zoning regulations.

2. How much electrical power can I get?

Another crucial question is how much electrical power the rental warehouse offers. If you find the current level offered inadequately, you should question whether you can obtain more power. Also, would the landlord apply any extra charges?

Moreover, you should find out what type of electricity the rental warehouse is using. Is it a 1-phrase or 3-phrase system?  Finally, since warehousing activities consume a substantial amount of electricity, you need to ask whether the owner is adding surcharges to electricity bills or not. These surcharges can significantly impair your profitability.

3. What is the height of the building?

When you wish to maximize the storage capacity, you should explore the racking option. The rack shelves would allow you to maximize the storage capacity in the rental warehouse. The number of levels you can install would depend on the warehouse’s height. Therefore, you should choose the rental warehouse with an acceptable height, so that you can install rackings when your business expands.

 4. What is the loading capacity of the rental warehouse (tons/ square meter)?

Another crucial characteristic of a rental warehouse is the floor loading capacity. Loading capacity would dictate how many stories of racking shelves you can install. I would also entail how much stacking and how many products you can store in the facility. It would be useful if you consult with the racking specialists to determine how many stories you can install before selecting a warehouse rental. 

Also, different products would have distinct weight requirements. You should ensure that the prospective rental warehouse can handle your storage needs. Otherwise, you can cause severe damages to the build’s structures. In Thailand, the typical rental warehouses’ loading capacities are 2-5 tons per square meter, and this specification is ample for most operations. Nevertheless, if your business requires a higher loading capacity, you should search for built-to-suit rental warehouses.

5. Do the loading bays support my operation?

The operator should examine the loading areas of the rental warehouse. You should search for a warehouse for rent that has spacious loading areas with numerous loading bays so that you can efficiently load and unload your products from the vehicles. Also, the height of the loading bays plays another pivotal role when you use forklifts to move your products between the warehouse and the vehicles.

Some warehouses for rent offer electronically-operated dock levels-this mechanism is useful when you have different types of vehicles and need to adjust heights accordingly. Moreover, operations with 18-wheels trailer tucks would require a warehouse for rent that has a sufficient height in the loading areas.

Besides another critical consideration is the types and characteristics of the loading docks. We have summed up the features, advantages, and disadvantages of each dock type as follows:

Open Dock: This is the most basic dock type. Usually, you would find warehouse rentals with this type of loading bays when you look for cheaper rental warehouses. This type is challenging to operate when the weather condition is not very good. Damages may occur to your products during loading and unloading activities.

Depressed Dock: This is a slope in the loading area. You may have difficulties when moving your products in and out of the vehicles. Also, your trucks can easily cause damages to the warehouse during reversing.

Flush Docks: In Thailand, you will find warehouse rentals with this type most commonly. You can efficiently transfer your products between the vehicles and the rental warehouse. Also, with this type, you should check whether the offered property has bumpers to prevent trucks from inflicting damages to the building.

Enclosed Dock: This type is one of the best models for most operations. It offers large extensive covered shelters for your vehicles, so you carry out your activities even when the weather is poor. Warehouse rentals with enclosed docks typically command higher rental prices. With this type, you should add one caution-the loading area should have for proper ventilation.

Saw-Toothed Docks: Warehouse for rent that employs this type of loading bays usually have limited space.  Its main benefit is that trucks can move in and out swiftly.

6. Is there enough parking space for 18 wheels and trailers?

When your business relies heavily on 18 wheelers and trailers, the selected warehouse rental should offer plenty of parking space for your vehicle pool. When the property lacks the necessary parking space, you should look at other rental properties. On average, the length of a trailer is between 12 to 16 meters long, and the drivers would also need extra room for maneuvering and u-turns.

Fortunately, some properties, despite the limited parking space, the design layouts, and the width of the outside roads, can help accommodate trailers. It would be most beneficial if you can visit the site in person.

7. What the fire protection systems and security systems does the warehouse rentals offer?

Since dependable security systems and fire protection systems are vital to every business, you should only look for warehouse rentals with acceptable systems.  These prevention devices help protect your most valuable assets-your products and people. Unexpected catastrophes, from fires to burglary, can severely disrupt your business. Therefore, you should not overlook these vital features in a warehouse rental.

If you find the equipment against these hazards lacking, you should consult with the landlords whether they can provide more or simply search elsewhere. In other cases, the tenants would pay additionally for this equipment themselves.

8. Is there a parking space?

Another mandatory feature you should evaluate is whether there is sufficient parking space for your cars and your customers’ cars. Plenty of parking space can create a positive perception for your customers. Some of Thailand’s warehouses for rent locate in inappropriate zones or have poor designs, and the tenants of such warehouses often face conflicts with their neighbors and local communities.  Therefore, you have to check whether the rental warehouse offers plenty of parking space.

In sum, we have listed eight crucial questions you have to check before selecting a warehouse rental in Thailand. We hope you find the information useful. The breadth of warehouse rentals offered in Thailand is very extensive. You can apply these eight insights when evaluating a property.

Also, the uniqueness of your operation would affect the suitability of a rental warehouse. We have provided other articles on how to select a property that most suits your business’s requirements. Some of our relevant articles include: 

5 Things you should Know Before Renting your First Warehouse. 

6 Factors in Choosing an Ideal Rental Factory or Warehouse for Your Business.

10 Features of Excellent Rental Factory and Warehouse Layouts.

10 Effective Ways to Prevent Factory and Warehouse Fires.

If you are interested in renting a high-quality factory or warehouses in Thailand, please feel free to contact us anytime. Our properties have complete functions, and they are in excellent locations. Plus, we support our customers with free repair services throughout the leases as well as a full range of customer support services. Our projects have high-security systems with 24-hour security guards, and CCTVs.

Sources:

https://www.loopnet.com/learn/8-questions-to-ask-when-touring-warehouse-space/1801105339/

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