@izokala

Was really looking forward to Hua Hin after everything we had read. On the plus side, everything is very accessible and of course loads of high quality Thai food everywhere, mixed in with a bunch of expat options. Found the western-style markets and prices in general to be considerably more (in relative terms) than Bangkok. I imagine this is due to the large expat community here. Having said that, Covid has decimated the place and many expats have left. As an example, it’s Friday evening here

Putrajaya is the only place I would recommend due to its close proximity to the airport. The Shaftsbury Hotel is modern with two convenience stores, pharmacy, restaurants, dental, and more in the actual building. There is a rain fountain in "mall" of the building that would be Putrajaya's attempt at Singapore's airport one. The location is also literally right across from the bigger mall that has restaurants, international grocery store, movie theater, bowling, electronics, etc. It's a safe a

I've been to Bangkok for almost two weeks now and I can't understand comments about the lack of soul or everything being on sale. Sure, there are some sketchy parts like massage parlour touts and an occasional ladyboy here and there, but overall my impression is that it's just a regular big city with some clear advantages. Coming from Central Europe, I find everybody to be very calm and polite. Some may argue it's just a facade and fair enough, but I prefer a calm and kind facade over cold and i

Chiang Mai used to be N.1 for the digital nomad life. It is still great and you can find really cheap apartments (300-400$) and restaurants (2-3$ for a main). Wouldn't recommend staying there during the burning season. The best area is Nimman, but it's also the most expensive. You can stay in the old city that's very nice but that gets noisy during the weekend for the night markets. Last but not least, very safe city. All in all would go back in a heartbeat.

I liked Ho Chi Minh City a lot. It has all of the convivences one could expect from the city except for an MRT system which as of September 2022, they are in the middle of building one anyway. Things are affordable although I have noticed a tamer street food scene compared to other places in Vietnam like Hanoi. Seems to be making more room for higher end dining but affordability is still easy. HCMC without a doubt has some great nightlife, so party animals are going to be very happy here. I am s

Hanoi feels more like a "large village" than a proper city. It's also what I call "unapologetically Vietnamese" given the way most places and shops are occupied and used by locals. English penetration isn't bad, but maybe because I speak Vietnamese I never had much of a problem in Hanoi. Prices for coffee, juice, smoothies, and food are insanely affordable. I wouldn't say the locals are "friendly to a fault" and mostly have left me alone. Yes, the old town city center is dirty, garbage on the