Bangkok increases in popularity amongst expats

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The overall popularity of Bangkok amongst expats has increased, according to a new survey.

 

The Thai capital was ranked in 11th place out of 57 cities included in the survey for the best place for expats to live. 

 

The Expat Insider 2021 survey carried out by InterNations revealed that Bangkok is now more popular with expats than it was in 2020.

 

Last year, Bangkok was ranked in 30th place out of 66 cities surveyed.

 

In 2019, it ranked in 20th place out of 72 cities.

 

The affordability of housing, the ease in finding housing and friendly locals were the main positive factors for expats living in Bangkok.

 

The survey said that finding housing in Bangkok was “a breeze”.

 

“Although it misses out on a place in the top 10 overall (11th), Bangkok comes in a proud third place in the Finance & Housing Index 2021, slowly climbing from spot four in 2020. It has consistently ranked in the top 5 of this index since 2017”, the survey said. 

 

“Just over double the global average agree completely that it is easy for expats to find housing in the Thai capital (49% vs. 24% globally). And nearly two-thirds (64%) rate the affordability of housing positively (vs. 42% worldwide). A British expat sums it up: “Whether you are renting or buying — it’s affordable.”

 

 

“A similar percentage (65%) is satisfied with the general cost of living in Bangkok (vs. 48% globally). And indeed, an above-average percentage (83%) agree that their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to buy everything they need (vs. 77% globally). This might be helped by the fact that only 18% have a gross annual income of 25k USD or less, compared to 30% of expats worldwide.

 

However, some of the negative aspects of living in Bangkok could be seen in the capital’s ranking in the Urban Living Index, where it received some of its lowest scores in the categories for Transportation, Safety & Politics and Health & Environment.

 

In the Urban Work Live Index, a lack of career opportunities was also seen as a negative factor for expats living in Bangkok. 

 

Despite Bangkok’s improvement in the survey’s rankings compared to last year, the Thai capital was still rated behind regional rivals Kuala Lumpur (1st), Singapore (5th) and Ho Chi Minh city (6th), which were ranked as better destinations for expats. 

The survey described Kuala Lumpur as welcoming and affordable for expats, saying:

 

“Kuala Lumpur (1st out of 57) also ranks first in the Getting Settled Index — nearly all rating factors make it into the top 10. “It’s easy to live here, and the people are wonderful!”, a US expat sums up her experience. (For details, see the Getting Settled Index 2021.)

 

“It boasts stellar results in the Finance & Housing Index (1st), too (see the Finance & Housing Index 2021). Kuala Lumpur comes first in the Housing Subcategory and is only beaten by Ho Chi Minh City (1st) with regard to finance: 64% of expats have a disposable household income that is more than enough to cover expenses in Kuala Lumpur (vs. 52% globally).

 

“In the Urban Work Life Index (30th), it gets mixed results. Expats are happy with their working hours (75% vs. 66% globally) and work-life balance (72% vs. 66% globally). However, 34% rate the local career opportunities negatively (vs. 33% globally), and only 57% view the state of the local economy favorably (vs. 62% globally).

 

“Lastly, the Quality of Urban Living Index (41st) is Kuala Lumpur’s weakest point. While it lands in ninth place of the Leisure & Climate Subcategory, the results for other factors are rather subpar. This includes the urban environment (38th), personal safety (42nd), and transportation (47th). For example, 69% of expats globally rate the local transportation system positively, compared to 57% in Kuala Lumpur.

 

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[Fat is a type of crazy]

I can kind of see how it could be fun to live in Bangkok but whenever I am there I spend a couple of days in the heat, traffic, and noise and I am happy to go back to Melbourne Australia. Melbourne is often voted the most liveable city in the world. If I retire in Thailand it won't be in Bangkok. 

[nikmar]

i live and work in Bangkok and have a sort of love / hate relationship with the city depending on the time of week. Monday morning vs Friday evening if you get my drift.

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, nikmar said:

i live and work in Bangkok and have a sort of love / hate relationship with the city depending on the time of week. Monday morning vs Friday evening if you get my drift.

I lived in BKK for 5 years before moving to the suburbs of Nonthaburi (GF and I share townhouse). I intend to rent/buy a condo in BKK as a second home only because I miss it so much....gardening and the  peace and solitude that a gated MooBaan offers is great but there is nothing like a city's heart beating 24 hours a day...and I'm nont even talking about nightlife...just a more scintillating environment to live in.

[Willy Wombat]

10 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I can kind of see how it could be fun to live in Bangkok but whenever I am there I spend a couple of days in the heat, traffic, and noise and I am happy to go back to Melbourne Australia. Melbourne is often voted the most liveable city in the world. If I retire in Thailand it won't be in Bangkok. 

Melbourne used be the most liveable city.

Now has the record for the most lock downs and the most days locked down on the planet.

 

 

[edwarda909]

Take away the beautiful women selling sex  cheaply and lax (no) government policy stopping it, and BKK wouldn't make the top 100. Don't have to be a genius to figure that out

[Fairynuff]

23 minutes ago, edwarda909 said:

Take away the beautiful women selling sex  cheaply and lax (no) government policy stopping it, and BKK wouldn't make the top 100. Don't have to be a genius to figure that out

Yeah right, that’s exactly why I live in Bangkok. Nothing to do with a vibrant city with some of the worlds best shopping, a million things to do and restaurants where you could have a meal for 50 baht or 50,000 baht. It’s all about prostitution innit.

[tonysilly]

BBangkok is not cheap anymore so stop lying. Again!!! Yes if you live out side of Soi 70 Maybe.  Not Cheap at all..

[jaiyen]

4 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

Melbourne used be the most liveable city.

Now has the record for the most lock downs and the most days locked down on the planet.

 

All thanks to googly eyes dumbo ears control freak Premier Andrew’s 

Perth is the best city by far ! Glad we are here,

[tonysilly]

10 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

Yeah right, that’s exactly why I live in Bangkok. Nothing to do with a vibrant city with some of the worlds best shopping, a million things to do and restaurants where you could have a meal for 50 baht or 50,000 baht. It’s all about prostitution innit.

Shopping?? You have to pay 30% more in Thailand. I stick to the MBK 80 bht Shirts lol 

[Pravda]

3 minutes ago, tonysilly said:

BBangkok is not cheap anymore so stop lying. Again!!! Yes if you live out side of Soi 70 Maybe.  Not Cheap at all..

You could have said that pre covid, unfortunately prices back home, be it UK, USA, Canada, Australia are through the roof. Inflation is really insane which is why Bangkok as metropolis must appeal to a lot of expats.

 

Was checking the price of property I bought in Toronto next to nothing in 2010 and I just realized I'm a millionaire.

[86Tiger]

2 minutes ago, tonysilly said:

Shopping?? You have to pay 30% more in Thailand. I stick to the MBK 80 bht Shirts lol 

 

My initial thought as well. 

 

You want 3rd world 'copy' I guess BKK is your place, but for anything else it ain't that great.

 

But as always YMMV

[thaibook]

The issue with surveys is that the comparator is the respondents experience.  If someonw has never lives elsewhere than Rotherham and Bangkok how much value does his views have in determining whether Bangkok is a better place to live than Melbourne, KL, or Kuching?

 

[JustAnotherHun]

Quote

Melbourne used be the most liveable city.

Quote

Perth is the best city by far ! 

Sorry, it's Auckland ????

https://www.eiu.com/n/auckland-tops-the-global-liveability-ranking/

[thaibook]

21 minutes ago, Pravda said:

You could have said that pre covid, unfortunately prices back home, be it UK, USA, Canada, Australia are through the roof. Inflation is really insane which is why Bangkok as metropolis must appeal to a lot of expats.

 

Was checking the price of property I bought in Toronto next to nothing in 2010 and I just realized I'm a millionaire.

Congratulations.

[Pravda]

2 minutes ago, thaibook said:

Congratulations.

 

Great if I was staying here I guess, but I'm going back home and now have no money to upgrade. The place is quite small.

[thaichina]

1 hour ago, edwarda909 said:

Take away the beautiful women selling sex  cheaply and lax (no) government policy stopping it, and BKK wouldn't make the top 100. Don't have to be a genius to figure that out

Of course, every expat familly enjoys Bangkok only because of ptostitutes like you do.... No you are not a genius by the way...

[JustAnotherHun]

2 minutes ago, thaichina said:

Of course, every expat familly enjoys Bangkok only because of ptostitutes like you do....

You are right.

Expat families enjoy more the pollution, the dirt, the traffic jams and the noise, I guess.

[bkk6060]

I use to live in Bangkok and now Pattaya.

I like both and miss some things about BKK in fact am looking at some rentals

for next year.  Having a place in both cities would be nice.

[bougnat]

Bangkok attracts only quality people.... those who like to live in noise, pollution, traffic and a stifling heat.

It is an essential city to restock on rare and quality products and that is all.

[Millcx]

6 hours ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I can kind of see how it could be fun to live in Bangkok but whenever I am there I spend a couple of days in the heat, traffic, and noise and I am happy to go back to Melbourne Australia. Melbourne is often voted the most liveable city in the world. If I retire in Thailand it won't be in Bangkok. 

Yeah coz they didn’t factor in the hassle and cost to stay when your visa needs renewed… It’s 1 for jokeability

[hotchilli]

A lot depends on what you want in life or possibly your age will dictate what you want..

If you want 24 hour venues, conveniences at your doorstep, you don't mind city life, traffic, congestion, noise then great.

But then again most mature out of that lifestyle and opt for a more laid back life.

[RichardColeman]

Lived in BKK for about 8 months. Whilst the shops, cinemas and markets, etc made it a great place to go out with the wife, the trade off of the dirty, smelly, polluted atmosphere was not worth it in the end and we went somewhere else.

 

I always say its like London, great place to visit , but a better place to get home from. When you grow up in a small village along the Thames, BKK is too overpowering

[MRToMRT]

So who exactly voted? It could have only been the ones living (or stuck) in Bangkok. One would assume theres a lot less of them after covid due to company closures, tightening of company belts and being locked out.

[JonnyF]

Great place to live. 

 

Nightlife, restaurants, rooftop bars, parks, open air markets, decent public transport, malls, availability of pretty much anything. Plus the beaches of Rayong, Pattaya, Hua Hin only a couple of hours away if you fancy a weekend break.  

 

I think if I lived right in the heart of it I might get burnt out on it, but being a few stops away from Asoke on the MRT I can avoid the chaos when I need to but easily get in when I fancy it. 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

I am happy in Bangkok since over 20 years and I don't want to live anywhere else.

And I couldn't care less about those popularity lists.

Or, more precisely, I prefer if Bangkok is low on those list. Maybe that will result in fewer people coming here. It's crowded enough and more foreigners wouldn't make it any better.

[Nemises]

The most visited city anywhere in the (pre-pandemic) world…without the visitors! The last 18 months here have been fantastic. 
Can understand the positive survey results. 

[Card]

KL is totally boring 

[Pravda]

2 minutes ago, Card said:

KL is totally boring 

I disagree.

 

 

[wwest5829]

More power to all, personally I prefer a smaller city and after traveling around Thailand, while I found a few cities where I think I could live comfortably in retirement, Chiang Mai got the nod. Happy here for over a decade now. International level medical care availability was a major consideration.