5/5
4,472 reviews
Photo by Miltiadis Fragkidis via Unsplash

Bangkok

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Bangkok is a city of contrasts that tends to polarize opinions. On the upside, it’s very safe, with fast internet, widely praised food—especially at eateries locals frequent—and good public transport, especially the BTS. Many nomads enjoy the coworking spaces and relatively affordable, amenity-rich housing if you're willing to live a bit outside the core areas. There's a strong community of nomads and expats, and nightlife can be a major draw for some, depending on the scene you seek.

However, air pollution—especially during the dry season—is a serious issue for many, along with the intense year-round heat and humidity that makes walking nearly impossible. Bangkok’s traffic is notoriously bad, and the city lacks greenery and walkability, leading to a reliance on rideshares or public transit. There’s also a sense among detractors that the city is soulless or too commercialized, with rising prices and visible inequalities between expat areas and local neighborhoods. For short stints or with a high budget, Bangkok can be highly enjoyable. But for those seeking a calm, healthy, and practical long-term base, it may not be a great fit.

AI-generated summary of reviews
10 months ago

I absolutely don't understand why Bangkok is ranked number 1 on NomadList...

Why would a digital nomad, of all places, choose to live here? It makes no sense.
The city is ugly, without any nature, impractical, full of 1 week tourists, and clearly focused on sex tourism.
And don't even let me start on the food scene lol.
From trying fancy hotel restaurants, passing by the most historically famous padthai addresses, trying the street food from the night markets... I it overall very mid!

I tried to find a nice café to work in without using GPS, just by walking the streets, as I do in all places, and failed after three days of organic searching.

And the worst for me is that I don't even find the city that polluted (it's November 1st as I write this). But it's more the vibe that has nothing to do with digital nomad life.

I would never trust someone who tells me that Bangkok is interesting or for foodies.

11 months ago

Bangkok is very overrated imo

Yeah if you are young, want to date around, shop, party, live lavishly and get lost its cool an all...
But if you are looking to have a healthy lifestyle, relax and focus on your work it really is not that great. Plenty of better options in Thailand.

To me its just a vast concrete jungle with polluted air, noisy and congested streets, little to no greenspace. I love Thailand but Bangkok is just really not my thing.

1 year ago

It's not so great in my opinion, very polluted and congested. Outside of mall food its challenging to find good restaurants. Claims of 500$ a month condos are false unless you are prepared to sign a one year lease.

2 years ago

If you can't handle Bangkok, just go back to your suburb. Saying "it's a party vibe/sketchy" just exposes you for lacking basic research skills, as the overly-touristy areas are extremely easy to avoid and you can enjoy a much more reasonable experience with plenty of modern amenities.

2 years ago

Bangkok doesn't need any further introduction or elaborating on. It's great, except for two things: pollution, and food safety. Don't come during the burning season, and don't consume pork and fish, unless you really trust the restaurant (these are the two easiest protein groups to "screw up" in terms of handling, and thus the most likely to give you issues. Otherwise, it's great—just be conscious of where you book downtown. A nice family friendly area or a really scummy red-light district can be just a street down from eachother, and give you completely different experiences.

2 years ago

I'd recommend avoiding Bangkok during pollution season (dry season) which is typically from November - June. It's hard for me to go outside right now for more than a couple hours without getting a bit of a cough.

2 years ago

Good for a couple of weeks, or if you have friends/businesses.
Quite busy, quite party vibes and very sexualised.
People are super nice and it's cheap (if you choose your restaurants well) and safe.
Basically not a relaxing city, but more of a wild intense vibes.
I wasn't able to find any sport club, as they were all members only.
It is a must see in a lifetime, but I wouldn't stay more than a month or it will drain my energy

2 years ago

Bangkok is one of my favorite cities.

Very cyberpunk vibes. Huge, full of skyscrapers, impressive concrete infrastructure for the BTS skytrain, great architecture and design, super fancy shopping malls, lights, noise, tuktuks, street food vendors, prostitutes and ladyboys, cannabis shops, and advertisements everywhere for beauty products, cosmetic surgery clinics or various furutistic-sounding medical treatments.

There are two ways to live in Bangkok: either you live cheaply in a poorly insulated room and eat mostly street food, in which case it will be hard to like the city due to how hot, noisy and chaotic it is at street level. Or you have a bit more budget and live in a luxury 40th-floor apartment with AC, gym, pool, sauna, and when you go out you take the AC'd BTS or taxi to an AC'd building in which you can shop, get a massage, go to the restaurant or have cocktails on the rooftop. This is the way.
You do have to like living in big cities, but I think what makes Bangkok most attractive is the easy access to luxury at a relatively affordable price, and how nice the Thai people are.

2 years ago

Very hyped by Instagram influencers and YouTubers, it's a city with a lot of malls clubs but I don't see why it's in the top one, I really didn't like it, it's fine for couple weeks but I as a digital nomad that is working and traveling and want to save some money, it's not the right place. Very touristy and crowded with a lot of trances and sex things 🤮 good to discover but not for long stays

2 years ago

(It seems my paragraph formatting is being removed due to the length of my comment, so sorry you'll have to deal with the wall of text if you want to read this, haha) Have been in Bangkok for the past 6 months. I've been nomadic for the past 4 years across Europe & the US, and as someone who is used to walking everywhere and greenery, I found it quite difficult living here. I spent my first 5 months living in Airbnbs, which were fine for around $6-800/m, and for the last month decided to live in a luxury hotel for $1100/m. This was okay, I think the value for money is relatively good but if you are used to Western luxury standards you will notice the shortcomings, i.e. poor sound insulation, noticeably worse building conditions, lapses in cleaning standards, etc. I found the "luxury" options in BKK which were $1100-1300/m on-par with $7-800/m options in Vietnam (which is an obviously poorer country). I struggle to justify what the 50% premium is for. It seems to me that most people who like Bangkok haven't experienced living in larger, cleaner cities before (or aren't in a financial position to do so) or can't get laid in places they aren't performing "financial arbitrage" in (not surprised to see Bangkok as the #1 "Top Tinder" location).

I agree with the previous commenters that the rich/poor divide is pretty shocking. Walking anywhere is borderline impossible because of the humidity, to get my 10k steps a day I resorted to just walking around the rooftop garden in my swimsuit or spending an hour on the treadmill.

Pros: Relatively cheap overall (although Vietnam is a lot cheaper), lots of other nomads, very safe (really, it's surprisingly safe for SEA, this is one of the best points about Bangkok), locals are genuinely friendly and helpful, very good shopping, cheap electronics (one of the cheapest places in the world to buy a Macbook), good hospitals (Bumrungrad is world-class but fees are in-line or more expensive than Western comparisons, eg. $120+ to see a family doctor for 10 minutes and receive a course of antibiotics).
Cons: Way too humid & polluted to walk around so you need to take Grabs everywhere, fairly terrible smells outside (and plenty of friendly cockroaches), weird WiFi laws means there's a captive portal at every cafe/restaurant and you have to get a personal WiFi login code which makes it extremely tedious to work with a VPN (especially if like me you have a work laptop that has a mandatory VPN on at all times), a lot of homelessness and poverty, TERRIBLE TRAFFIC (expect to feasibly be stuck on Sukhumvit for 2+ hours during rush hour), seems that everywhere that uses AC has it set extremely cold - very hard on your body (either boiling outside or freezing cold inside), a lot of visible sex work/sexpats.
Neutral: Food - everyone kept talking about the food in BKK being amazing. I really have to disagree. Very salty, oily, and sugary. Have to specify no sugar every time you get a coffee. Hidden calories almost everywhere - the combination of oily food + inability to walk outside is brutal. The reason I think this is neutral is you can find health food/vegan cafes that specifically don't use harmful oils but these are usually pretty expensive if you want to live off them ($20-30 a day).

Overall, I came to BKK expecting cyberpunk dystopia, what I experienced was big shopping malls and a lot of Western sexpats. Unfortunately pretty disappointing as I really wanted to like it. Much prefer Chiang Mai outside of burning season / Hanoi / even Bali. Also - for a city so unique, it has so little SOUL! You expect a concrete metropolis to have CHARACTER, but it's so soulless here!

2 years ago

Bangkok was really disappointing and not for me.
There are some very nice malls and buildings but it's polluted, humid and lots of poverty. It felt very much like a city of extremes with the rich just hiding in their ivory towers. In the centre the costs of food and things were similar to western countries so it wasn't even that cheap.
If you're not into shopping or night life there is not much to do.

2 years ago

This city is not for everyone, if you like shopping malls and big crowded cities it is for you. It may be cheap but if you want to live in a good location with swimming pool, go to nice rooftops and restaurants, use taxis then it is similar cost to western countries. In many areas there are no sidewalks, big and dangerous traffic all the time, pollution, taxis do not want to go with meter, it can get really hot. Definitely try to live by the metro. Many foreigners, mostly friendly people, cheap flights to visit the region, good food. Bangkok atmosphere is unique.

2 years ago

Bangkok is in its own tier of how awesome it is. Not for everyone, but for those who *do* resonate with it, there's no alternative. World-class vibes.

2 years ago

A dystopian cyberpunk metropolis, a veritable Night City, both chaotic and well run, livable yet poisonous. Follow the classic advice: stay near the BTS, skyscraper condo, work from mall libraries, cafes, and commons, don’t be outside. Outsource your chores. On a western salary or with savings, you’ll be playing life on easy mode. Focus your energy on meeting people, honing your body, and learning new skills. There’s a reason it’s number 1. You can disagree, but try to find it.

3 years ago

Bangkok can be very hit and miss. But for me, it's a miss. The main two issues are the toxic pollution and the price/racial discrimination. Everywhere you go has a high opportunity of getting a higher price. Example, I went for a haircut the other day and the price was stated in the window as 100 baht. I got charged 150, despite asking for a reason. I was charged 40 for fruit when i saw a local pay 25. Some people might say, ah well, it's still cheap compared to back home. This isn't home actually, it's not ok, you are being scammed. Also price discrimination for entry to tourist sites and national parks.
Air pollution is vile, the streets are full of trash and the largest rats you have ever seen. I guess you can get away from it if you stay in a "nice and cheap" condo and only go to malls and hi-so cafes.
The weather is too hot to do much outside
The food gets old real quick and they add too much MSG, sugar, oils etc

3 years ago

My favorite city for nomading. Cheap, great food, lots to do, modern amenities, plenty of travel options nearby.

3 years ago

I've been living in/touring Bangkok nearly four months. I highly recommend visiting it—even staying here for a month or two—but I would never live here. Yes, amenities are super cheap, the people are awesome, internet is fast and easy to find, and it's only getting better with time as the country seems to be developing steadily. However, as it stands, the overwhelming air pollution and putrid smell make it impossible to be outside for more than a few minutes, which has led to me gaining weight since long walks are a staple of my daily exercise. It's bad enough that I don't see myself living here again anytime soon. Thailand, for the sake of both your otherwise splendid country and its many tourists, please pass some air pollution laws!

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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! 😉

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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).

3 years ago

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.

3 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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 !

4 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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

4 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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.

4 years ago

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.

5 years ago

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.

7 years ago

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..

7 years ago

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.

7 years ago

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...

7 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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

8 years ago

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!

8 years ago

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.

8 years ago

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

8 years ago

✅ Very safe

✅ Great food

✅ Fast internet

✅ Affordable housing

✅ Good public transport

✅ Vibrant nightlife

✅ Friendly people

✅ Affordable to live

✅ Pretty safe

✅ Lots of fun stuff to do

✅ Warm now

✅ Warm all year round

✅ Good air quality on average

✅ Many Nomads.com members here all year round

✅ Easy to make friends

✅ Very easy to do business

✅ Great hospitals

✅ Very safe for women

✅ Family friendly

✅ Very friendly to LGBTQ+

✅ Not many people smoke tobacco

✅ (Medical) marijuana MAY be legal, unenforced or decriminalized (always double check this)

❌ Severe air pollution

❌ Very hot and humid

❌ Chaotic traffic

❌ Lacks greenery

❌ Overpriced in tourist areas

❌ Crowded and noisy

❌ Limited long-term visa options

❌ Freedom of speech is weak

❌ Not very democratic

❌ Very sweaty and humid now

❌ Nomads.com members didn't like going here

❌ Feels crowded

❌ Quality of education is low

❌ Roads are very dangerous

❌ People don't speak English well

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Feels (median)

3595°
hot

3799°
hot

41106°
scorching

43109°
scorching

42108°
scorching

45113°
scorching

41106°
scorching

44111°
scorching

40104°
hot

39102°
hot

38100°
hot

3290°
hot

Real (median)

3187°
hot

3289°
hot

3391°
hot

3290°
hot

3391°
hot

3188°
hot

3290°
hot

3086°
very warm

2984°
very warm

Humidity

nice
62%

nice
67%

sweaty
71%

sweaty
75%

sweaty
77%

sweaty
83%

sweaty
81%

sweaty
88%

sweaty
86%

sweaty
81%

nice
65%

Most common

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

☔️ Rain

☀️ Clear

Rain

dry
1mm

dry
16mm

dry
26mm

rainy
72mm

rainy
92mm

rainy
51mm

rainy
165mm

rainy
159mm

rainy
245mm

rainy
199mm

dry
46mm

dry
7mm

Cloud

pockets
32%

pockets
26%

pockets
30%

cloudy
61%

cloudy
81%

overcast
91%

overcast
93%

overcast
95%

cloudy
84%

cloudy
59%

pockets
47%

Air quality

bad
126 US AQI

okay
84 US AQI

okay
91 US AQI

okay
74 US AQI

okay
73 US AQI

okay
50 US AQI

okay
54 US AQI

clean
48 US AQI

okay
55 US AQI

okay
70 US AQI

okay
90 US AQI

bad
109 US AQI

Sun

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
9 UVI

avoid sun
8 UVI

avoid sun
7 UVI

Remote workers

24,414 people

24,913 people

22,122 people

19,636 people

17,968 people

13,200 people

13,700 people

14,575 people

20,021 people

23,820 people

25,775 people

26,031 people

Green is good. Red is bad. Values shown are the medians of all daily highs in a month based on past few years, not necessarily current numbers. Remote worker count is estimated based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members.

If you'd like to filter destinations based on their climate, try Nomads.com's Climate Finder

Current weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)

Based on Bangkok's cost of living, here's selected remote jobs that would cover your costs:

Help pick the best photos for Bangkok and improve this page's look by tappingclicking on them and the site saves your feedback Vote photos

5473pts

2703pts

1526pts

1047pts

767pts

554pts

436pts

297pts

279pts

243pts

216pts

202pts

160pts

131pts

116pts

91pts

67pts

4613pts

2155pts

1370pts

981pts

701pts

549pts

368pts

286pts

264pts

239pts

212pts

189pts

155pts

130pts

113pts

87pts

51pts

2875pts

1757pts

1090pts

828pts

568pts

448pts

319pts

280pts

256pts

219pts

203pts

184pts

145pts

129pts

✈️2h

$1,839 / mo

53 Mbps

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 🧐 Pricey

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked mediocre

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 27° 81° 26° 78° Has AC AQI 72 😷

✈️10h

$3,329 / mo

🌇 Also went here1,001 people

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked bad

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 32° 90° 29° 85° Barely AC 🥵 AQI 26

✈️14h

$5,090 / mo

🌇 Also went here1,204 people

New York City, NY

United States

⭐️ OverallAll

💵 Cost 😳 Extremely expensive

📡 InternetWiFi 🏎 Fast

👍 Liked good

👮 Safety mediocre

Tap to open

☀️ Feels 28° 82° 27° 81° Has AC AQI 25

✈️19h

$7,392 / mo

🌇 Also went here1,022 people

36,000 remote workers in Bangkok now, of which 48+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Values shown are estimated visits by traveling remote workers based on the total amount of trips logged by Nomads.com members. Visits to a place are only counted once per year per user, even if they visit more in that year. Visits are also normalized by overall trips added per month on the site, so if site usage goes up or down it does not affect trends. Not all digital nomads are on Nomads.com, and not all Nomads.com members log their trips. So the data is only indicative.

The chart below shows visitors by nationality normalized for population size. This means we take all trips logged on Nomads.com, check which country of origin the user is from, then divide that total visit count by the country of origin's population. If we didn't, it'd just show the big countries like US, Brazil and India always on top. Instead, this shows which nationalities worldwide proportionally visit more or less, which is more useful.

🎒 Nomad Score™	5/5 (Rank #1) 4472 reviews
❤️ Liked by members	👍53 liked it 👎24 disliked it
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Okay
🎒 Community score	Great
🤯 Overcrowding score	0% is nomad here
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $1,664 / mo
📡 Internet	🙂 Good: 32 Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Good
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🥵 Hot: 29°C85°F (feels 37°C99°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	🥵 Sweaty: 86%
❄️ % of buildings with AC	😍 Very high: 90%
💨 Air quality (now)	🌱 Good: 47 US AQI
💨 Air quality (annual)	🌱 Good: 55 US AQI
👌 Safety	Good
👩 Safe for women	Good
🌈 Safe for LGBTQ+	Great
🤮 Food safety*	Good
👮‍♀️ Lack of crime*	Good
🤝 Lack of racism*	Bad
🎓 Education level*	Mediocre
⚡️ Power grid	Great
🌊 Resilience to climate change	Okay
💰 Income level*	Very poor: $493 / mo
🙊 English speaking*	Bad
😤 People density	🧘‍♀️ Low density: 5k ppl/km² (1 per 14x14m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
🚦 Traffic safety*	Bad
✈️ Airline scores*	Great
🧳 Lost luggage*	Great
🏥 Hospitals	Great
😄 Happiness*	Good
🍸 Nightlife	Great
📶 Free WiFi in city	Great
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Great
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Great
🗯 Freedom of speech*	Okay
🎅 Startup Score	Bad

🌍 Continent	Asia
🚩 Country	Thailand
🗓️ Average trip length	9 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	32 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	🌥 29°C 85°F + 🥵 Sweaty (86%) = feels 37°C 99°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 47 US AQI 🍃 OK
💨 Air quality (annual avg)	👎😷 55 US AQI
🔌 Power	230V 50Hz
🧔 Best neighborhood to stay	Phra Khanong
🚀 Upcoming neighborhood	Phra Khanong
🚕 Best taxi app*	Grab
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
💸 100 THB in USD	USD 3.03
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	THB 10,000 = USD 303
💸 Tipping	Yes, 5%
💳 Cashless	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
💻 Best coworking space	The Hive
💻 Best alt. coworking space	The Great Room
☕️ Best coffee place	True Coffee @ Siam Paragon
🏪 Best 24/7 coffee place	Too Fast To Sleep SCB
🚰 Tap water	🚫 No, not drinkable
♻️ Return rate	👍17% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	23,270,600 visitors
📸 Tourists now	445,980 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	18,000,000 people
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 GDP per capita*	$5,911 / year
😤 Population density	🤨 busy: 14x14m (196m²) per person
👫 Gender ratio (population)	👨 45% 👱‍♀️ 55%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 52% 👱‍♀️ 48%
👫 Gender ratio (nomads)	👨 85% 👱‍♀️ 15%
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Lazada
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Air Asia
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Emirates
🏥 Best hospital	Bangkok Hospital

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$1,664 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,371 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$3,138 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$897 / month
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$623 / month
🏡 Airbnb (median price)	$2,117 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$709 / month
🏠 Median home price	$211,144
🏨 Hotel (median price)	$29 / night
🏠 Airbnb (median price)	$69 / night
🏢 Coworking hot desk	$141 / month
🍛 Dinner	$3
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer in cafe (0.5L)	$3
☕️ Coffee in cafe	$3
👩‍🏫 International school	$16,665 / year
📱 Mobile data (~10GB)	$5 / month
🚕 Taxi price (avg trip ~3km/2mi)	$4 / trip

Bangkok

36,000 remote workers in Bangkok now, of which 48+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

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