Bangkok

Great for tourism, bad for living. The City has a fascinating contrast of old and new. You will never get bored, it’s easy to meet people and have fun. Infrastructure and food are great. Thai people are friendly and welcoming, even when it not always feels genuine. With that said, it’s not a good city for long term living. It’s too hot and humid. Felt air temperature is between 37°C-45°C almost year round during the day. It’s makes all outdoor activity unpleasant. Getting your daily dose of bad smells from sewer, street kitchen and motorbikes gets old quickly. Of course you can work around most issues, but why if you don’t have to. The biggest minus for living in Thailand is that you’re not welcome long-term. Doing border runs every 30-60 days is not feasable for longer than > 6 months. Near impossible to get a real residence permit or citizenship. Unless of course you want to buy a glorified 5 year tourist visa for 30k USD.

Incredible place. However, you need to stay at least a month to really experience it — not least because your gut needs about three weeks to adjust.

Bangkok is okay. The biggest positive of Bangkok is that you have access to all the essentials you need from luxury to non-luxury. Although, I had a hard time finding things to do that I really enjoyed. More of a beachtown person myself, so I prefer places like Phuket or Bali.

BKK is amazing but if you want enjoy it, you will need at least 100k Baht per month. If you don’t have it, better choose another city.

The Sights, the Sounds, the Scents…
Bangkok Is Beautiful Chaos And A City Of Contrasts!!!

You have here:
- modern shopping centers & traditional markets
- michelin star restaurants & street food
- sky trains & tuktuks
- skyscrapers & temples
- nightlife & culture

In my opinion, there is no other city in the world that offers so much diversity.
In addition, life there is very cheap compared to other big cities in the world.
You can get apartments with a rooftop pool, gym and co-working space for around 500$ per month.
Find all this together anywhere else in the world.
Good luck! 😉

I spent only one week here, so I can’t give super well-rounded opinion. Unfortunately BKK wasn’t for me, and I figured that out very quickly. I prefer working in cafes on USA stock market hours. I found nearly every decent cafe in Bangkok closed at 6pm or 8pm at the latest. Yes, there are some coworking places, but most don’t allow you to stay after 6pm on a drop-in basis. Traffic was hectic and stressful. Traffic jams on random streets in the middle of the day were common, so doing city travel
felt like a lot of effort and stress. There are too many cars here and not enough people using either scooters or subway trains. The train is nice, but I felt like every stop was a giant shopping center. That’s great if you want to shop, but as a nomad I simply don’t have room to carry around more stuff. I love yoga and practice regularly, and I found a shockingly small amount of yoga studios in BKK. I tried a few. One was very nice (The Green Room), but it was a pain to get to. I enjoy Thai food, but pad Thai is too greasy and carb-heavy to eat every day. The street food looked pretty unsanitary, and I definitely saw many rats running under the tables of some of the street food vendors. Western style food was expensive compared to Ho Chi Minh City and Bali. I was shocked to pay US $22 for pretty mediocre meals.

I don’t know why this city is so high on the nomad list either. I don’t think it’s a great place for a shorter-term nomad like myself.

Chiang Mai was much better in terms of work facilities, value for money, and better food. I won’t go out of my way to visit or to work in BKK again. Hard pass.

After spending almost 8 months in Bangkok, I must say that my views went on 180 turnaround. After spending here my first few months I experienced sort of a disappointment. I had extremely high expectations but found myself lost and very detached in this gigantic metropolis. I felt very disoriented and overwhelmed by the the crazy pace and shier amount of people and places. But after a couple of months I started to get used to it and now I can definitely state - it is an amazing city which has a lot to offer - but only if you are moving here for a long term (3 > months). Over-wise your time is better spent somewhere else.
Highlights:
* Food - the food in Bangkok is just on another level. That being said, as other people have mentioned - you need to know the places. I don't care much for the street so I can't comment on that regard but I can definitely say that the food in the restaurants is amazing. And there is an extremely high variety of international places - western, indian, arabic, korean, japanese, vietnamese - you name it. Thai food is also very diverse and there is food from all regions - southerns, northern, isan.
* Relatively cheap high quality accommodation - you can rent a very decent flat with more than 50 sqm of space in city center for around 500-700 usd a month. You'll be living in a high-rise condo with a private pool, gym, 24 hour reception, sauna, rooftop terrace, etc for no extra cost. And if you move further from center the prices go even lower. And for people who a willing to pay 1000-1500 usd a month you can rent a truly luxurious place.
* Extremely developed ecommerce and payments infrastructure - if you open a local banko account, you can easily go full cashless. It is possible to pay with QR code pretty much anywhere in Bangkok including taxi/bike drivers. If a person doesn't have a QR code he will most certainly remember his bank account number - so you can make the direct transfer regardless. And yeah, you can buy pretty much anything in Bangkok: Cars, motorcycles, apple products, fancy TVs, high end gaming PCs, consoles, luxurious cosmetics and cool male/female clothes - all in abundance.
* People - very good. First of all locals - they are pretty friendly. Lots of people like to hang out with foreigners - both male and female. And the expat scene is huge - I made a post on a Bangkok subreddit saying that I'm looking for friends in Bangkok and I had like 10-15 people who reached out.
* Party and nightlife - very decent but it might disappoint you if you are looking for "something crazy". It's definitely not Berlin where people stay up to 8 or 9 am in the morning or Barcelona where people having their first beer at 11 PM. Parting here is usually until 1 or 2 am. While there is a decent variety of nightclubs it is more of a bar city. Think of sky bars, pubs and eat&drink places. Beer is very good and there are weed shops on every corner for those who are interested.

I wrote the review “I'm also going to have to agree with the recent reviews. The air pollution..” and I feel I need to revise my review.

I won’t retract my comments on the air pollution, smell, or traffic/driving. All were true at the time, although the air pollution gotten a lot better since April.

I was encourage by some friends to give Bangkok another try - in particular the Wathana/Khlong Toei area, and I’m happy I did. Wathana is more upscale heavily Japanese-influenced neighborhood. It looks like part too - streets are incredibly narrow, houses/properties look more Japanese-like. From what I was told, real estate prices in this area are some of the highest in Bangkok. It also looks like wealthier Thais live in this area as well.

But if you’re making an American coastal salary, this area could be fun for you. Nice restaurants run $15-20/meal, and classy cocktail bars (A LOT of speakeasies!) are $10-15/drink. Coffee at places like The Commons runs $4. Expensive, but again if you’re coming from an American coastal city, it’s not too bad.

Apartments/hotels were surprising affordable. I think you could find something decent in this area for $700-$800/month. People are gonna cry that that’s overpaying for Bangkok, but whatever, not everyone wants to live 12 stops away on the BTS to save $200/month.

I think a good budget for this neighborhood is $2,500/month. IMO, it hits the sweet spot of big city living and good nightlife, without the degeneracy of Nana or the backpacker vibe of Khaosan Road. Could see myself making Wathana my base for Asia.

Sitting here laughing out loud at these "been here a few week" reviews where supposedly they could tell it all. You guys obviously don't know the right places, you probably ended up around lower Sukhumvit (with all the mention about hookers and lbs). Don't listen to any of this. I've lived around SEA for 10+ years. Nearly 8 of them in Bangkok. There is a reason I keep coming back. You have: excellent networking, lots of startups, awesome nightlife (if you know where to go!), amazing, international food (if you know where to eat!). Outbeats KL, Singapore, HCMC, Bali, Taipei ANY DAY.

Not great. Not sure why this is in the number 2 on the list. Makes me doubt the whole list. Stayed there for a month after seeing the good reviews here. Pollution was pretty bad, the point where I could feel it in my lungs and sinuses everyday. I had to cleanse my sinuses with salty nasal cleaner that they sell in the pharmacy. I chatted with several folks who have been in Bangkok for a while and they said that's normal. The food was good. Most of the Thai food is far too salty, and it gets to you after eating it for a month. People were nice. But this isn't a top city destination for nomads IMO. If the air wasn't so polluted then maybe it would be different.

I'm also going to have to agree with the recent reviews. The air pollution is so bad! I started wearing a mask outside at day 7 because it was tough to breathe. What's the point of rooftop pools at high-rise condos and hotels if there's a persistent haze in the sky and you can't see the sun? The smell from waste + the humidity is also bad in some areas.

Based on other reviews, I must be the only person on the planet who thinks Thai street food is just ok. To call it amazing? No.

I'll agree with traffic being chaotic and dangerous. To the reviewer who said drivers aren't aggressive and don't honk their horn: What in the world were you smoking?

What's fun about this place? Going shopping and then bar-hopping? This is a skip. Highly overrated.

I absolutely concur with the previous reviews about Bangkok being a city straight out of a dystopian novel. Bangkok was very unpleasant. While every city has its share of messed-up things, Bangkok places it all on display behind bright lights and fake smiles on every corner, trying to sell you on its depravity. Most locals seemed perpetually miserable, and many expats looked totally lifeless. Meeting genuinely nice people with sane worldviews was as rare as finding a female fan of Ben Shapiro. The food scene was a major letdown - street food, while appealing, wasn't exactly the best option for everyday consumption, and BKK doesn’t have much more to offer unless you’re ready to pay 20$+. Unless you're looking for sex, nightlife is dull and limited, (even though I found couple nice underground parties, but they were very small) and everything closes at 1 am. The only highlights of my four months in Bangkok were the lightning-fast internet and occasional bowl of Tom Kha, (massages were alright, though I've had better in Phuket).

I agree with many points of the "A city right out of a dystopian novel" review. I stayed in Bangkok for 8 days and woudn't recommend staying here for longer, I was glad when I could leave. Traffic is absolutely chaotic and dangerous, honesty isn't valued very highly, and air pollution is a real problem here. Honestly, I don't get what people find "fun" about Bangkok so they would stay here for longer. I'd love to know.

I agree so much with this review from 11 months ago. "A city right out of a dystopian novel" - that's what I was thinking on the way to the Airport after spending just a week in Bangkok.

A city right out of a dystopian novel - soulless and cynical. The air is polluted and no trees are in sight. Its inhabitants manipulative and cold-hearted - hidden behind fake smiles. A Disney Land for senile retirees. Everything is for sale and nothing has value. The streets are filled with rats - both human ones and animals. After spending time here, you understand why their king lives in Bavaria. A place that would make you feel deeply depressed if you stayed for too long.

Bangkok is a really nice city. I lived 2 weeks in Bangkok and it was a good trip !

People are very nice, smiling and the cost is affordable.

Some beautifuls temple, gardens, market etc.

Chinatown is a place to visit, and Bangkok is globally clean !

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 indifferent or even rude facade.

I've been staying mostly in Sukhumvit and it's been a very pleasant, easy stay. Nice parks, easy to go places, services and food at my fingertips. Great first impression. I also spent some time in the suburbs (around Lat Phrao). It was visibly poorer than the center and rough around the edges, but I had zero problems with either safety, food quality, or the internet. It seems that people are equally kind all around the city. The pro of going away from the center was that food prices were cut in half. I had some great street food meals for 50 baht, whereas in the center the cheapest ones will be at least double.

I've lived in Asia for 7 years, and Bangkok is, by far, my favorite city in Asia. The people are gentle, the food is terrific, it's incredibly safe, gay friendly, legal weed if you like weed, and it's a pretty clean city. I am wrapping up my 2nd month here, and I don't have any complaints about the city at all. The traffic is the only thing that can be annoying but I am ok with it since I've been in Asia so long and know that's just how it is everywhere in Asia, often worse in other cities. You can get most places on the public transit system and avoid taxis all together. When I do take one, I just get a bike taxi because they move quickly even if it is less safe. I would also recommend staying in the right part of the city. I am in Silom and everything is so easy here. I have a lap pool I joined for swimming laps, a coworking center with 24/7 access, and a wide variety of restaurants. I am looking forward to coming back to Bangkok again. I prefer it over Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Phuket. And I've been to Thailand many times and all over the country. Bangkok is terrific! It's hot like anywhere along the equator. Pack some linen shirts and all good. The AC is terrific anyway.

Housing market is becoming crazy expensive in the center. Expect to pay north of 2k USD per month to rent a 2 bedrooms 60sqm unit in a condo. In recent condos, the square meter goes for more than 10k USD (on par with Paris prices). Ridiculous

Bangkok is a place you can hate or love or have a hate-love relationship with it.
The heat and humidity are always present, so prepare to sweat.
But, great price for value, probably the best in the world, fantastic cafes and restaurants with local and western food.
Thai local cuisine in the markets feels homemade with love. Entertainment outside the red district is so Good and Distinguish.
Some people when you leave Bangkok and see it from above in their aeroplane. they wish to spend another 24 hrs in the city of Angels.

I cannot help but agree with the review from the person before me. I'm finishing my 3 weeks trip here, and something feels off. Like that person put it rightly, everything is for sale, and nothing has value. There is no soul to this city and its people, locals or otherwise. Something is wrong here.

A city right out of a dystopian novel - soulless and cynical. The air is polluted and no trees are in sight. Its inhabitants manipulative and cold-hearted - hidden behind fake smiles. A Disney Land for senile retirees. Everything is for sale and nothing has value. The streets are filled with rats - both human ones and animals. After spending time here, you understand why their king lives in Bavaria. A place that would make you feel deeply depressed if you stayed for too long.

Absolutely love this place. I was there for a few days, but cannot wait to spend a longer season there. It is THE South-East Asian metropolis you dream of. It's like "organized chaos". Massive and crowded, but everything works surprisingly well. Every corner is like a new adventure. Street food is everywhere and is great no matter where you go. Public transport just works and is cheap. It can be very oppresive because of the heat, crowds and pollution. That's why most people stay in these high-class condos where you have a swimming pool, gym, working area, etc. The vibe there is "big city" life: people spend most of their time indoors, in their condos or in malls. I suggest to go out, get a tuk-tuk and get lost. The feeling this city can give you is unbeatable, you feel like everything is possible.

Don't believe the prices on here for an apartment. 686 usd/month refers to an apartment in a high class condo, right in the city centre and seconds away from the BTS(train station).

Just remember this, people working at supermarkets make 2 usd/per hour. If you want to live like a local, then you can save a lot of money.

If you don't mind a 5-10 minute walk from the BTS, then you can easily get a one bedroom apartment for 300 USD per month, in a high class condo, plus with free golf cart service to the BTS station.

I have literally gone to a restaurant to pay 8 USD for a meal, when the exact dish was available on the street for only 1 USD and tastes much better. I ate out everyday and went partying a couple of times a week, and my total monthly expenses was still under 1000 usd.

TIPS
-Gyms are fucking expensive in Thailand. Expect to pay at least 60 USD/month for the gym, which is crazy when you consider the average wage in Thailand is 15 usd/per day.
-Vitamins and supplements cost double the price than what you would get at home. Thais do not take supplements. Maybe only foreigners and really rich Thais.

People spending 1500 USD per month must be eating steak daily and hanging out at places meant for foreigners.

Cost of living over 1.000 usd? Is any of of this website went to Bangkok? You can live on a palace above 1.000 usd rent. Mine was 22.000 bahts and was in the party street, amazing building with jacuzzi, pools and even its own cinema..

One of my favourite cities in the world for being a nomad. A great blend of both local and foreign population. Anything you could possibly want to eat or buy is in this city. Plenty of nightlife to be found (12x12 is a hidden gem I love). Most foreigners you meet are there to have a good time, there's just a laid back and comfortable vibe to the whole city. Traffic is horrible, so recommend the train whenever you can, or GrabBikes, which will allow you to weave between the traffic unlike any bus or taxi. However, the city is getting increasingly more expensive over the years. Don't expect to be living dirt cheap like other southeast Asian spots.

I traveled around from 2007 to 2010: North and South America, Europe and Asia, staying a minimum of a month (often 2 months) in each country. My work was online and I wasn't looking to settle but when I came to Bangkok on the last day of major political unrest, I was shocked by how nice people were... If kindness of local people, manners and respect for your personal space mean anything to you, you will love Bangkok.
Since 2010, I lived in condos and rented buildings in Bangkok and all is very easy, a smile and showing good will open most doors. Even dealing with burocracy is simple if you dress up and are polite - I've never met a Thai who didn't want to help. After living for 20+ years in NYFC, this was a shocking surprise...
Bangkok is great for: independent people who want access to everything. You can live here on $10 a day or a $1000 a day and still can spend more. Try doing that in other places... There is a lot of money in Thailand so there are many startups, jobs (very, very low unemployment), lots of expats and internationals.
Bangkok is not great for: people who expect it to be something else, people who are rude, aggressive (A types) who can't wait or who need things to be done immediately. This is not a place where you come in and expect things to work how you expect them to work - even if you pay for it. The reason is above: Thais can find a better boss or a better coworker in a day so people will just leave you with no notice if you're aggressive or rude. I've heard many stories of maids or employees leaving without even asking for their last pay - they value ''saving face'' more than money... Thais really value manners, patience and something they call ''jai-dee'' (being kind hearted). You see this everywhere you go - there is no honking in traffic (at all!!), if you bump into someone in a line, chances are that you'll both apologize to each other, no one smells on the trains (it is considered rude and onlly westerners do that), no one is loud in a restaurant... The streets are free of any broken glass because monks walk barefoot every morning when they are begging for alms... You have to see this place to believe that people can still live together while being nice to each other.
Finally, the traffic is not dangerous at all. I am not sure where did that info come from. In Bangkok (as you'll confirm if you've been here), drivers don't change lanes like they do in Europe - as if driving a race car. Thais are very calm, non aggressive people so you can imagine that they don't turn into maniacs once they get into a car. The only danger are people who speed but even that is predictable and common sense - late at night, when roads are not crowded: use caution.... Simple.
I've lived in all of Nomadlist top 10 cities. There is Bangkok and then there is the rest...

Bangkok has some of the best private hospitals in the world. Which is interesting if you're in Asia a lot and you want medical care better than you can get in your home country.

Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok is ranked #7 in the world. I did an executive health checkup there and it was great. Prices range from $250 to $750 depending on how many checks you want. You can get blood count, X Ray, ultrasound, hormone check, etc.

They also have most other medical disciplines. I also got vaccinations renewed. The hospital is private so it's so much better than the overloaded public healthcare systems of Europe, Canada and UK where everyone tries to avoid helping you, is overworked and angry. In Bangkok they're super nice and helpful and you can make appointments straight with a specialist. Not blocked by a GP like in your home country.

Bangkok is good for remote working. But you will feel it boring after 2 months.

Over-hyped.

Bangkok isn't what I was expecting. After a month in Thailand's capital, I couldn't wait to escape.

Chiang Mai is far superior if you have a desire to stay in Thailand. It feels unfair to compare Bangkok to Saigon... Go to Saigon.

Llargest expats and nomad community, cheap rent, cheap food, the best food city in the world, crazy night life, friendly people and city itself has a lot of energy.

You get somewhat acclimated to the weather after a while (and yes, the right wool fabric is the most breathable one so ignore that previous reviewer). I've stayed here on and off for about 4 years now. The expat crowd is great and there really is a lot of opportunity for collaboration. Many networking events every month and a vibrant startup community. The variety of food is some of the best in the world (although you will have to pay to get quality Western). Shopping is great. Nightlife could be better but should satisfy most people. The real downside is the traffic which has become basically as bad as Jakarta, although Bangkok has much better transporation (both skytrain and subway). Living expenses have risen lately so don't count on this being a budget trip unless you want to resort to street food. Internet speed generally has becoming really great. Fast 4G in all operators. If you stay in a new condo or hotel you will average at least 30Mbit – my current co work place runs at 600.

The weather is nice, a little bit too hot, but all these airconditioned spaces drive me crazy! Some people wear wool (!!) clothes at 32 degrees (facepalm). Noisy, griddy, but comfortable enough

The way to approach Bangkok is to go from aircon to aircon. You wake up in an aircon apartment, you walk out into the aircon BTS or aircon Uber and arrive at the aircon cafe or aircon mall with aircon shops. If you think you can get out of the aircon and walk for longer than 5 mins outside, STOP! You can’t, you’ll turn into a wet towel of sweat. Nights are do-able in Bangkok though, good temperatures and no traffic. But when the sun rises, get back into the aircon!

Bangkok’s digital nomad community has grown rapidly due to its comparatively low cost of living and position as a bustling metropolitan city with great co-working spaces and high-speed internet. As it is popular with tourists and has a large expat crowd, foreigners are welcome and most people speak at least some English.

The Shanghai of South East Asia. It's got everything from crazy nightlife, to hipster cafes and high-so venues.