7 hours ago, webfact said:

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

I can't really disagree with that. Wherever in Bangkok I wanted to rent a condo so far, it was as simple as looking, signing the lease, handing over the initial payment and getting the keys in return. No waiting, no queues, no background checks, none of all the nonsense that can make renting in other cities a nightmare.

15 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

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.

If the pollution in Bangkok is not enough, just move to Chiang Mai ????

 

"Chiang Mai presently ‘most polluted city in world’

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30383775

Stinky expats? NO! We only want millionaires falang

2 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

a million things to do

Give 35 that aren't tourist traps. 

7 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. 

Yes I agree. Bangkok is a lovely place to come home from.

 

But then, I could say the same about pretty well every ginormous conurbation anywhere else in the world. 

1 hour ago, MRToMRT said:

So who exactly voted?

I read it as not retirees, working expats and retired expats have a whole lot of different thoughts on where to live and what's important.

8 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 is my favourite city in the world and I've been lucky enough to have spent 1-2 months a year there for the past 30 years, in the December-January period. Less keen on the modernising, such as in Docklands, but still a great place.

 

I lived in Bangkok for about 15 years before moving out to my wife's village in Issan, and much prefer the better air and space out here, with just a visit to Bangkok for a couple days every now and then.

3 hours 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.

If you get to age 60 and you are not a dollar millionaire on paper, you must have done something wrong.....

Claiming big shifts in attitudes... How about massive sampling errors!  Most surveys these days are so flawed!

Where do they come up with these misinformation studies.  Bangkok is not cheap, unless you're making 80, 90, 100,000 baht per month.  I was looking at renting a condo. Yep, lots, but I'm not going to pay 20/25,000 a month.  That's the reason so many available. The monthly rent more than the average Thai salary in Bangkok.  My family who live and work here live in the outskirts, in old buildings, and pay 2 to 3000 baht a month.  So do my wife and I.  

 

But there are other issues.  Pollution can be horrendous.  Owning a car nice, but Bangkok not ser up for the number of cars people own here.

 

Then there is work if a digital nomad. My income from such has declined by 50% in the past three years because the two highest paying companies no longer allow me to work from Thailand because they see Thailand as a security risk when it comes to personal information, especially with personal information out of the European Union.  

 

I think before making such broad statements as this, reality checks need to be made.  This week I watched a similar video that put Thailand high on the list for digital nomads because you can live here on 500$US a month...  really?

 

????????????

 

1 hour ago, JustAnotherHun said:

If the pollution in Bangkok is not enough, just move to Chiang Mai ????

 

"Chiang Mai presently ‘most polluted city in world’

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/30383775

Ah, but say, ain’t it beautiful today?!

10 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

If you get to age 60 and you are not a dollar millionaire on paper, you must have done something wrong.....

One of the reasons I came to Thailand … I am now a millionaire … in baht!

13 minutes ago, bangon04 said:

If you get to age 60 and you are not a dollar millionaire on paper, you must have done something wrong.....

 

I'm 48 and have been here 10 years "not working". 

 

Money can't buy you time and even if I was on my last baht here I lived my life on my terms and not a slave to some corp

Born in France, but grew up in Mexico and then Spain, Sevilla and Madrid (Dad was an expat). Madrid and Malaga deserve their place (or pretty much any city in Spain actually). 24h fun if you want it, sun, great food, great people for the most part, unbelievable historical & cultural places. 

9 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. 

I think that is Vienna

Bangkok is an exciting city.

 

Lots to do!

Restaurants, beautiful women, shopping.

 

If you have a nice condo to live and lots of dosh life can be pretty sweet.

3 hours ago, Card said:

KL is totally boring 

I agree 100%. I lived there 1 1/2 years, broke my employment contract early because I was so bored. Moved up to Bangkok, 100 times more vibrant. But also, yes, so noisy, so crowded, so polluted, too much heat nearly any time of the year. Like so said in this post, I have a love /hate relationship with Bangkok. How could it come up as one of the top places in the popularity list truly beats me.

until health issues hit them    hard  and return home....they all go home in the end

5 hours ago, tonysilly said:

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

Why am I not surprised ????????

44 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

Why am I not surprised ????????

I agree except you wanna buy an Apple product, brand products are usually much higher than elsewhere. Does not matter if it is Johnson lotion, the Ferrari or the Remy Martin ... all taxed crazy. In addition, in Europe I can buy non brand shower gel as all things are highly regulated. In Thailand I would not buy a local soap approved by a guy in Khasoan Rd.

5 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

So liveable that Dear Leader Jacinda Adhern is allowing Aucklanders to see their family  for the first time in months and she is allowing them the luxury of using the bathroom whilst visiting.

What a bitch

Great city, terrific beaches , average weather, horrible PM but overall better than Melbourne 

 

Given how expats feel about other expats, it should be no surprise, within the expat community, that a lack of expats, when perceived by expatriated expats, should increase the overall satisfaction of expats in their expat experience.  Expats.

Could it be that the ratings went up because all the whiners went home?
Raises hand ????

1 hour ago, Exilerunner said:

I agree except you wanna buy an Apple product, brand products are usually much higher than elsewhere. Does not matter if it is Johnson lotion, the Ferrari or the Remy Martin ... all taxed crazy. In addition, in Europe I can buy non brand shower gel as all things are highly regulated. In Thailand I would not buy a local soap approved by a guy in Khasoan Rd.

I agree with what you say about imported and branded goods. Mostly I try to buy stuff on trips back home

Bangkok has always been popular among foreigners. 

Affordable hookers, fake passports, shaft hardening medication without prescription, songthaews, that will take you to the other end of the city for 10 bucks........

 

What's there not to like?

2 hours ago, captnhoy said:

Could it be that the ratings went up because all the whiners went home?
Raises hand ????

Please have a little empathy with us! 

14 minutes ago, A1Str8 said:

Bangkok has always been popular among foreigners. 

Affordable hookers, fake passports, shaft hardening medication without prescription, songthaews, that will take you to the other end of the city for 10 bucks........

 

What's there not to like?

Careful taking fake viagra from the street. That might blow your kidneys for good!

9 hours ago, jaiyen said:

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

Sure. If you don't mind the $60 breakfasts and ridiculously expensive housing. 

These survey are very subjective and biased. Personally, I love Bangkok. But, I would not want to live there. If I had crazy money, I would likely find a 70 meter one bedroom in an excellent tower on the 40th floor. Would be great for visits. It is reasonable by international standards, for a capital city, but still expensive. Would take alot of money to live well there. But, great public transportation, good food, nice malls, spectacular birds, and plenty to do. It could use a bit more culture, though. 

Quote

Where do they come up with these misinformation studies.  Bangkok is not cheap, unless you're making 80, 90, 100,000 baht per month.  I was looking at renting a condo. Yep, lots, but I'm not going to pay 20/25,000 a month.  That's the reason so many available. The monthly rent more than the average Thai salary in Bangkok.  My family who live and work here live in the outskirts, in old buildings, and pay 2 to 3000 baht a month.  So do my wife and I.  

 

This week I watched a similar video that put Thailand high on the list for digital nomads because you can live here on 500$US a month...  really?

A lot of people are complaining that Bangkok isn't 'cheap' because they can't live the life they want on <income amount> per month. But could you live extravagantly anywhere on, for example, $500/mth? Why would you expect to be able to do it in Bangkok?

 

In fact, Bangkok is good value because experience per dollar goes far. The right comparable isn't whether you can survive on <income amount>, it's about what that amount gets you in Bangkok relative to the other cities you'd consider living in.

 

Although this might be a little harsh, I kind of think the root cause of the complaints about prices are actually due to an income problem that is then blamed on the externality of Bangkok.