It’s been a few years since I rented in BKK, but last time, I took an Airbnb for a few nights and negotiated with the owner for longer term. They were happy to give a significant discount to not pay the Airbnb tax and have a stable tenant.

30 sounds pretty good. I was on a 50/20 and found it to be rock-solid stable and consistent. Also worked during power outages.

Regarding cell provider, I have always used True, but it seems like AIS has better coverage in more out-of-the-way places (my GF uses AIS so have done some comparisons over time). Both are similar in performance around Bangkok. True is generally cheaper. AIS seems to have better wi-fi hotspots included.

Thanks for the response - Internet in the airbnb is 30mb/s, which is not too bad. How fast was your fibre connection? The key will be how consistent the speed is so I’m interested to see that.

Do you have any recommendations for a cell provider?
There is an older (2015 here that discusses it (What's the best mobile-data option in Thailand for nomads?)
This guide also was useful (https://chiangmaibuddy.com/how-to-get-phone-plan-thailand/)

Regarding location - yes I’m aware of the commute from Chatuchak, will build a routine around avoiding rush hour to get in and out of the city. I dliberated around wanting to be living somewhere a little quieter vs dealing with the travel time…

I lived in Bangkok for two years, ending March of this year. I started out in Thailand by moving to Chiang Mai, but quickly decided to move to BKK as the transportation is better and I know more people there. I actually like it enough that I’m heading back sometime this spring and setting up a place as a base to do some more traveling/business in the region.

The only real advise I’d give you is be careful regarding food (or at least know your personal limits…). I’ve gotten pretty sick there a few times as have a couple of my friends…believe me, being sick for a month plus will floor your productivity and lead to intimate knowledge of the local medical establishment and other topics you’d probably rather not know about. I now have a rule of eating no fresh/uncooked stuff in Thailand unless I personally prepare it–haven’t been sick since.

Internet speeds are generally good, but some are a lot better than others. I had a fiber connection to my apartment through AIS that was extremely fast and cheap–much better than the service I have in the USA currently which is supposedly 3x as fast. Also, as a backup, the cell-based data is cheap and they generally allow tethering (bring unlocked phone and check that it supports the local LTE bands if important that it works well).

BTW, Chatuchak is a bit of a commute to the Hive, and even more so during rush hours (those interchange stations are absolutely packed). Hoping you are at least near a MRT/Skytrain stop.

I’d say book for 7 days a AIRBNB not longer.
You can get weekly discounts.
Check out well which area you want to live, for instance use the hood map.
Second: decide whether you want to stay or move on. ,
I lived in Bangkok months and loved it.
Chiang Mai is more of a town compared to Bangkok.
Rentals beyond Airbnb are advertised on any corner of the neighbour hood you will go.
Plenty of short term options. Make sure Internet is at speed.

Can’t speak to Bangkok as I flew in and out but Chiang Mai is lovely. If you’re looking for a digital nomad community, there’s much more of one up here in Chiang Mai than down on the islands which tend to attract a lot more of tourists coming for short trips.

I was in Bangkok in August. It was not too rainy. I do agree the rain cleaned the air and streets. Otherwise, it did not stop us from doing anything. One month in Bangkok would be great. It might be too long. A week or two would be more than enough and then maybe try another city?

We are leaving for Thailand tomorrow morning. It will be our 3rd time going. We are skipping Bangkok and going straight to Chiang Mai this time because once you have done Bangkok a couple times, you feel like you are done with it. Koh San Road and MBK quickly lose their appeal. The water taxis are a cool way to get around. Definitely check it out if you’ve never been, but I wouldn’t recommend more than a week.

We love Chiang Mai and you will definitely love it there. Big enough that you can find everything you want, but not crazy like BKK. Lots of different food options and a very walkable/scooterable city. One of the best produce markets in the world if you really like fruit (durian anyone? ) and fresh produce. Probably our favorite place in the world (so far!).

We also spend time on Koh Phangan island in the south. Really beautiful there. You can go for the parties on Haad Rin (more touristy/EDM crowd) or the Black/Half Moon parties (more hippy feel and local) on the south side. You can also go for the pristine and quiet seclusion. We love The Sanctuary on Haad Tien on the south east tip. It is like no other place we have been. In the north there is also yoga and scuba.

We have also been to Railay on the other side of the mainland a little bit south. It has really nice beaches and rock climbing. Not really a place to live though as it’s pretty small and there is not much available, but really cool to visit. There is a very cool hike called “Lagoon” that takes you to the top where you can see all of Railay. Can be treacherous at points depending on the mud/rain situation.

We have done Phi Phi as well, but it’s pretty touristy and feels chaotic.

We have also heard good things about Chiang Rai and it’s temples just south of Chiang Mai, but we haven’t been (yet!)

Hope this helps. You made a great choice coming to Thailand

Comes down to tradeoffs

I lived in Bangkok a few years back and loved it. I think it gets a bad reputation, partly earned, partly because people come in for a few days and compare it to the beaches or up north which are absolutely gorgeous. For the time you are spending there, BKK is worth considering. Nightlife options are infinite and varied, food is fantastic, and opportunities to get out of the city are easy.

Chang mai is gorgeous, lots of outdoor activities to do and the food is fantastic. I think there are plenty of nomads in this forum to confirm this.

Down south there are more beach jumping opportunities than you will know what to do with. I found the food to be a little less thai and more geared towards tourist preferences.

I like suburban environments with opportunites to get out and that is what BKK was built for. For me, the beach was for visiting and really enjoying it for a few days, but maybe you are trying to get really great at snorkeling or really want to full moon party down for 9 months. Chang mai is certainly more tame than BKK, so if that is your preference over a bustling city center then go with that.

Hope this helps provide some perspective.

Don’t worry too much about rainy season. Generally, it doesn’t rain all day, but only a few hours. The rest of the day can still be as sunny as in dry season. I actually prefer the rainy season: less tourists, refreshing rain, less smog in the air,…

We recently spent a few months on Koh Lanta and really loved the island. But be aware that many hotels, restaurants and shops close in low season.

I’d go for Bangkok or Southern Thailand. Cultural experiences in BKK, then a laid back time in either Phuket or Koh Samui. I’m a backpacker who ended up becoming a digital nomad and I often use the ferry booking agent PhuketFerry as they have the cheapest prices and love their incredible customer support, so exploring these islands and trying to find the best spot for you and your fam will surely be a breeze. Both Phuket and Koh Samui have really reliable Internet too. Samui is much more relaxed though. I won’t mind working in front of the beach!

We loved in Bkk with our family and it was good apart from the oppressive heat!

There are tons of kids play groups, look on the BAMBI website.

Just make sure you get a condo with a good pool and garden for the kids and socializing.

EKAMAI gardens is a great condo in a pretty good location.

Definiitly not Manila. Prices are ridiculous high if you´re Makati area of Manila compared to other cities in SEA. The internet is really spotty. Terrible traffic. Also not really the safest city.

I was in Cebu 3 weeks ago. Bangkok is so much better in every way. The infrastructure in Thailand is much more developed.

Bangkok Internet: 20mbps
Philippines Internet: 2.5mpbs. Can’t even really watch YouTube.

I went from Chiang Mai to Cebu. Stayed in Cebu 5 days, didn’t like it at all, and went to Bangkok.

Sounds like you are already familiar with Bangkok. The only thing that would be in Cebu for you would be family. There are no other advantages to going to Cebu. I would avoid Cebu.

Hey Jon!

I’m only really familiar with Bangkok, it’s a great city with everything you are looking for. Every time I’ve been in the Philippines (Palawan and Boracay), the internet was a real challenge.

I’ll also be at DNX next month with my wife so would be great to meet up.

Cheers,
Robert

Saphaipae Hostel is great. I always stay there when I’m in BKK. It’s right next to Surasak BTS, 5 minutes of walking to the river, and the hostel is extremely clean. The beds are very comfortable, probably the biggest mattresses you’ll ever find at a hostel, the staff is very friendly, and you get a pretty good free breakfast in the morning. It’s not the typical cereal and bread that you get almost everywhere else. They actually cook breakfast food.

I personally found Sukhumvit as the best area for myself

There are many nice places to stay in Bangkok e.g. the tourist areas like Khaosan, Sukhumvit, Siam Center.

However if you like to stay near the airport link, safe, quite and easy to go to many places, I suggest the places near Phaya Thai station as it is just 5 mins from City center and it is the huge station connecting between airport link (30mins from the main airport) and BTS (the main Sukhumvit line).
Airbnb is a good website to find the places in this area.

I would suggest this place https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5356872?s=MT-7mfv8

because it is just 3 mins(by walk) from Phaya Thai station and also this building is nice and quite.
Hope my answer can help you guys:)

Hello,
If you want a very cheap hotel, I stay about 10 days in lanphu house Bangkok koh san road : http://www.lamphuhouse.com/bangkok/index.html
The cheapest rooms (shared batthroom) are at 280 bahts (about 7€). They have also better room at 900 bahts I think but not tested. I stay here because they have a nice terrace where you can work all the days (or night). With free and correct WIFI. You have picture here : http://www.lamphuhouse.com/bangkok/images/gallery3.jpg
I hate work in my room of the hotel, so this place was good for me.
You have also a very good coworking in bkk : http://hubbathailand.com/ they have also a terace/garden when you can work (don’t like work inside ).
Sylvain

I’m a Thong Lo (Skvmt Soi 55) kind of guy.

One of the few neighborhoods in Bangkok I can tolerate for any length of time without going too crazy.

It’s kind of a bougie neighborhood, but it’s not that pretentious. It has bougie amenities.

There’s a few great coffee shops around there like Roast.

Good restaurants all around like Suppanniga Eating Room.

Places to hang out like SceneSpace.

The other side of Skvmt (Soi 38) turns into a street food street at night.

Close proximity to co-working spaces.

Not too far from the train.

Great happy hour at a cool bar down the street called Bad Motel.

The place I stay there is called Grass Suites.

It’s an Ikea cheapy chic hotel, where basically, you get your own one-bedroom apartment. There is a kitchen in each room. Washing machine and some have bedrooms that are separate from the kitchen and small “living room” area.

Also, something that is nice is there is a great coffee shop called Boy Coffee right outside the front door of the hotel.

The place is a great value.

You have to book on Agoda.

I am usually able to book for around $42usd/ night.

For some reason, I don’t see them on Agoda right now. I just stayed with them for a month back in October, so who knows.

If that hotel is not available I always stay at Suite 41 (Skvmt 41) - and that’s also a great value, and a cool little Japanese pocket around there, but not as convenient as Thong Lo. I have gotten a room there for $32/ night. You can negotiate them down if you are staying longer.

If you only stay for a couple of days, try accommodations in Banghlampu or Sam Sen area near the river in Old Bangkok (also called Phra Nakhon or Rattanakosin on booking sites like Agoda). There’s something for every budget. Quiet Sam Sen area is my favorite to stay.

From Banghlampu/Sam Sen, you can reach most of the major attractions by taking the River Express Boat from Phra Athit Pier and metered taxis are also dirt cheap. You can even walk to some of the sights, if you can manage the heat.

Some sights to look into with their respective express boat stops:

• Dusit Throne Hall, Vimanmek Teak Palast and Wat Benchamabophit Marble
  Temple (The Wet Pier)
• Grand Palace (Tha Chang Pier)
• Wat Pho and Wat Arun (Tha Tien Pier)
• Medical Museum and river temple (Wang Lang Pier)
• Little India and Chinatown (Memorial Bridge Pier)
• Asiatique upscale river market with ferris wheel (switch to free
  shuttle boat at Saphan Taksin Pier)

Here’s a map I made for a friend. It’s called walking tour, but metered taxis are dirt cheap, if you don’t wanna walk.

Here’s another map, if you wanna visit sights by “Hop on Hop off” Bus Nr. 53 (It’s just a regular bus going in a circle around Old Bangkok, but you can use it as a hop on hop off bus, every ride is like 10 Cents)

Here’s a map with the locations of some of the most interesting sub culture districts such as Little India, Soi Arab, Chinatown, Sam Sen, Khao San Road and red light district Soi Cowboy

There are a gazillion of museums spread around Old Bangkok (Rattanakosin) and you can get a 200 Baht Museum pass to visit as many of them as you like. My favorite is Museum Siam near Wat Pho.

Banghlampu is also the area, where infamous Khao San road is located, but you never have to go there. It’s just a very small street, that makes for an interesting stroll, especially after dark.

Sukhumvit is a really bad idea to base yourself for travelers, unless you are really, really into shopping or red light districts. None of the major attractions are connected by Skytrain or Metro (yet) and traffic in New Bangkok is much worse than in Old Bangkok.

If you absolutely want to base yourself away from Old Bangkok, better try Silom near a river express boat stop rather than Sukhumvit.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t visit Sukhumvit. The whole Bangkok shopping mall experience is crazy, especially Terminal 21. Also Soi Arab (Soi Sukhumvit 3) is one of my favorite places to eat exotic food in town (esp. Ethiopian). Also the many seedy parts of Sukhumvit like Nana or Soi Cowboy make for an interesting stroll.

But half a day in Sukhumvit is enough as a traveler. You can take the Khlong canal boat from Banghlampu/Democracy Monument to Sukhumvit, which is a great experience in itself.

Hope you like your stay, Bangkok is my favorite place in the world!

Sweet! Thanks for the suggestions.
I should have been a bit more clearer- I will only be in Bangkok for a short couple of days. Hostel suggestions? Certain area of town to look in?

Thanks!!

It depends on your budget.

I lived there for a year and stayed near On Nut bts. It was 20,000 baht/month for a 2 bedroom 60sqm brand new condo. It was convenient as I was 500m from the BTS and about 20 minutes of travel from Asoke.

I recommend it if you can get by with a bit of thai.

Depends on what you like to do. It’s generally Sukhumvit or Khao San.The former being newer Bangkok with malls and high rise apartments (I preferred Sukhumvit apartments on airbnb, they’re nice and you can get away from the city noise.) It also depends on budget.

It’s been a few years since I rented in BKK, but last time, I took an Airbnb for a few nights and negotiated with the owner for longer term. They were happy to give a significant discount to not pay the Airbnb tax and have a stable tenant.

in vietnam if someone makes it then you can get it - not sure if the same in thailand. basically i’m saying the state doesn’t get involved when it comes to prescription meds. it’s simply a market-based economy. if you can reach someone in country they can just wander down to the local shop and see if they can get it. yes doctors in vn prescribe things, but it isn’t like in au/nz/us where a doctor needs to write on a piece of paper to authorise you getting it, you simply need to know what you want so you can then go and actually purchase it.

I went to Koh Lanta last year and it had great wifi even in remote areas. I stayed at the Ozone resort and the internet was stable at around 20mbps for download speed. Also went to Kohub but I really didn’t like it as the place wasn’t clean to me (the toilets were clogged but perhaps they have fixed them now).
One of the big downside on this island to me is the road, there are gaps everywhere and sometimes people drive like crazy, I think the road destruction is due to the 2004 tsunami.

Apart from that the island is awesome, I really liked it there and if you’re the kind of person who’s looking for a peaceful island and great people you’ll enjoy it (nightlife is also very present on the island).

I’ve spent quite a bit of time on both islands and like they both for different reasons.

But Koh Lanta wins currently for digital nomads, we had the Nomad Summit island retreat there after the conference this year.

Ko lanta is alot of tourists

Both islands are nice. They are less mainstream compared to Phuket, Samui etc. but still have pretty good infrastructure. Probably the optimal combination to get things done

Ko Lanta is smaller than Phangan.
Wi-Fi should be good on both (depending on venue), and you can use mobile internet from telecom provider (such as Ais, True etc.)

PS: Usually March-April are the hottest months in this region.

Ah same question here! I know that koh phangan has for sure good WiFi, but I would like to see ko lanta this time.
I’m arriving in Thailand on the 7th what about you?