Survey – Bangkok among 5 best cities for expats to live and work in 2022

[MrJ2U]

45 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Dear me!

 

Thailand is cheap! Many farang living a great life here on under 20k a month.

"Great life"?

 

20k a month.  650 baht a day.

 

That's just barely surviving.  

 

I can't wrap my head around that. 

 

I guess it's possible if you don't drink, smoke, travel, health insurance, or deal with those pesky Visa's. 

 

But if I was on that budget I definitely like to be in Thailand because it truly is possible and you could still be happy! 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by MrJ2U

[MrJ2U]

Bangkok is a great City!

 

Definitely not for everyone but you'll always have something to do.

 

If you have the dosh it's a blast with great restaurants, plenty of women, and nightlife that no city in Asia can rival.

 

Having two International airports you can cheaply fly anywhere for a quick getaway. 

 

Beaches within a few hours drive.

 

 

[gearbox]

49 minutes ago, dallen52 said:

Hard to describe in words how a country with high poverty, mega corruption, tourists robbed, military junta, dual pricing, corrupt police on the take, can even figure in these survey.

 

That country sounds like a terrible place. Hopefully you are not living there.

[owl sees all]

12 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

"Great life"?

 

20k a month.  650 baht a day.

 

That's just barely surviving.  

 

I can't wrap my head around that. 

 

I guess it's possible if you don't drink, smoke, travel, health insurance, or deal with those pesky Visa's. 

 

 

 

 

I'll break it down for you Sir. Per month.

 

Rent, leccy, water and internet 7k

Food 4.2k

Beer 1.8k

Motorbike upkeep and fuel 2k

Donations to local Wat 1k

Donations to wayward ladies 2k

Other items, flip flops, hats etc 1k

Fishing fees 1k

 

Comes in at exactly 20k.

 

 

[owl sees all]

45 minutes ago, Raphael Hythlodaeus said:

For all the miserable naysayers on this forum who I wish would just leave, and from someone who has lived in Bangkok for over 40 years, I love Bangkok and Thailand as a whole, for reasons beyond the understanding of the moaners. Any survey is irrelevant to me.

Did love BKK. I was a frequent visitor to Bang Kapi. Lured by the fishing at Bansumran. Then the developers bought the place and now it is condo blocks.

 

I know there is a 'New Bansumran' somewhere or other, but I think it terrible that the owners sold up.

 

I've not been to BKK on principle since.

[spidermike007]

I find Bangkok to be a very pleasant city. Of all the major capitals in the world, the local people in Bangkok are some of the most pleasant and well adjusted, the women might be the most beautiful, the food is good and reasonable and the crime does not seem to be much of an issue. 

 

Dubai is the last city I would want to work or live. It is down on the bottom of the list with Delhi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Khartoum, Damascus, Harare, Karachi, Dhaka, Lagos and Moscow. 

[IamNoone88]

The world is really being dumbed down when you see articles such as this. Living costs of GBP 1,725.00 per month and an average salary of GBP 492.00. The cost of living is 3.5x more than the salary and the 5th best place in the world. Who writes this rubbish ... no, I don't need to know....

[Lucky Bones]

Metrics. Favourite new word.

[Lucky Bones]

39 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

"Great life"?

 

20k a month.  650 baht a day.

 

That's just barely surviving.  

 

I can't wrap my head around that. 

 

I guess it's possible if you don't drink, smoke, travel, health insurance, or deal with those pesky Visa's. 

 

But if I was on that budget I definitely like to be in Thailand because it truly is possible and you could still be happy! 

 

 

 

 

Pretty hard to disagee with that.

[Old car dealer]

I live in North Pattaya for 10 years, , have lived in Thailand for 15 years, 5 in Bangkok liked BKK , 10 in Pattaya, I live alone, get 45,000 Baht each month and save money most months, have a car and motor bike , pay 10,000 Baht rent for a house, very nice big house,  make all my own meals cook most nights, , do not go to restaurants very much, never go to bars or go out at night much. do not drink or smoke, live a nice quite life, do not have a lack of ladies, not ladies bars or freelance, I find Thailand cheap to live, 

The only reason most men come to Thailand is for the ladies and the cheap living.  have been to Kuala Lumpur many times hate it,  like up country in Thailand to visit, Thai ladies are great. would like to know how the guys that think it is bad here live, they never say.  

[Photoguy21]

2 hours ago, crazykopite said:

My brother has worked there for more than 10 years and loves the place he has a far better life style than when he worked in the U.K. 

Most places have a better life style than in the UK

[Raphael Hythlodaeus]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

Your choice, but the air pollution & congestion would get to me after short time, especially the air.  Congestion & flooding can almost be avoided, but one does have to breathe, and preferably without wearing an N95 all day when out & about for way too many months.

Yes, it is my choice. The air pollution is way ahead what it was 20 or 30 years ago. The public transport system is excellent and beats the congestion. Maybe you miss the hidden gems and amazing things going on. Try smiling if things don't meet your high expectations. Be happy wherever you are or go back from whence you came.

[DGS1244]

Where do they get their crazy financial figures from, i am sure they just make them up. I have lived both in KL and Bangkok and neither should be in the top 10. Great if you want to live in a one room bed sit and spend hours a day going to and from the office.

[LennyW]

59 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Bangkok is a great City!

 

Definitely not for everyone but you'll always have something to do.

 

If you have the dosh it's a blast with great restaurants, plenty of women, and nightlife that no city in Asia can rival.

 

Having two International airports you can cheaply fly anywhere for a quick getaway. 

 

Beaches within a few hours drive.

 

 

Thats the key.... If you have the dosh!

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Bangkok has been ranked 5th among the world’s top 10 cities for expats to live and work this year, according to the global expat index by the online language learning platform Preply.

Yeah okay

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, kotsak said:

Yeap u bet!

 

Lifes a drag right now.

[happydreamer]

Article seems like clickbait.  The rents are cheaper and at least you have the option to live in a great place for under 600 a month if you really wanted to economize and pay down falang-land debt. 

 

As far as a long term solution...options seem limited and expensive with quite a bit of administrative processing.   Remote work is subject to taxation and that's if they don't hassle you for not having a work permit so not sure how it was voted a great place to work. 

 

Groceries are a little bit  cheaper. You can't exist on street food unless your diet has been <deleted> your entire life.  Then it's just a transition from garbage western food to garbage thai food.

 

On average ordering a grab meal for myself daily runs anywhere from 250 - 350 baht depending on the restaurant and 400-600 for dinner when I order for my wife and I.

 

I will say this tho...as far as things to do it's great.  Love visiting new cafes, lounges, and restaurants every weekend.  Love being able to get out to a beer garden and revert to year 1 - 3 living for a night.  Makes me remember all the reasons I fell in love with this place.  Now that we have legal weed I have pretty much everything from my falang life here at a reduced cost.

[Billy Bloggs]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Another one of those all inclusive surveys, (on a site I never heard of), with a choice of 60 cities, in a world of how many ?

 

Hard to believe a Muzzy country/city is #1, if taking AN member's top concerns of:

Alcohol

Hooker ... not necessarily in that order ????

Have you been to KL or any part of Malayasia for that matter, the alcohol while a tad expensive is freely available all over I found and the hookers dont know dont care.

[Gandtee]

Must be good swimmers.????

[Andrew65]

I lived in BKK for 20 years and loved it like my home, it will always be a special place for me.

However, horrendous traffic, sometimes overly hot, crowds of people mean that I reckon there are probably lots of better cities to live in, if you consider every aspect of living.

[Andrew65]

38 minutes ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Have you been to KL or any part of Malayasia for that matter, the alcohol while a tad expensive is freely available all over I found and the hookers dont know dont care.

I've spent a bit of time in Malaysia (often on visa-runs from Thailand). It is my second choice of countries to live in SE Asia. If you disregard the 'nightlife' and food (which are not so important for me), it has many similarities with Thailand..

(I've been in KL, Penang and Sarawak).

[Andrew65]

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

I'll break it down for you Sir. Per month.

 

Rent, leccy, water and internet 7k

Food 4.2k

Beer 1.8k

Motorbike upkeep and fuel 2k

Donations to local Wat 1k

Donations to wayward ladies 2k

Other items, flip flops, hats etc 1k

Fishing fees 1k

 

Comes in at exactly 20k.

 

 

Yeah right!????

I lived there for 20 years, and you wouldn't have much of an existence on 20k/month!

(That's around 650 Baht a day, for everything!)

Edited October 5, 2022 by Andrew65
Thought of something

[Hanuman2547]

Whoever came up with these numbers is way off.  Either that or they work for peanuts.  They also didn't take into account the air pollution in Bangkok or the chemicals found in the food that are prepared with too much salt and MSG.  There's a lot more to living in a city besides how cheap one can go.  

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, Nemises said:

Thanks for that information. Might have to move to somewhere better. Where in Thailand do you live?

That's top secret as not wanting any more nemises here ????

Great name for a forum ????

 

Really depends what you want and need for your lifestyle.  I love Krung Thep, but couldn't live there half the year due to the smog.  The other half year would be no problem, and quite welcome, as always something going on, and the variety of 'whatever' to pleases anyone, is there.  Actually considered it more than a few times, especially since daughter lives there now.

 

Simply Hua Hin and above, gets a wee bit too much smog for my liking.  We even get a bit ourselves and we're below HH.  AQI gets knockin' on 100, and I'm not happy.

 

If your finance can afford Krung Thep, then I'd recommend Phuket to anyone, especially a beach person, since at the Andaman Sea side, and has everything needed/wanting.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Raphael Hythlodaeus said:

Be happy wherever you are or go back from whence you came.

Agree with that, but since you don't know me or have read any other posts of mine, apparently, about Krung Thep, then the rest of your reply really missed it's mark.

 

ENJOY

[owl sees all]

17 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Yeah right!????

I lived there for 20 years, and you wouldn't have much of an existence on 20k/month!

(That's around 650 Baht a day, for everything!)

Many do Andrew. But you are over-simplying things. Out of the 20k, must first put aside the monthly spend. Take out the rent, leccy and internet. That leaves 13k. Put aside 2k for the m/c. Also the 1k for Wat donations. What we have left is 10k. You just spend as you go for the month. If you can't go fishing then that's a saving there. Celibacy for the month! Gonna be a surplus.

 

I suspect you are a big spender Andrew.

[KhunLA]

3 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Dear me!

 

Thailand is cheap! Many farang living a great life here on under 20k a month.

Great is relative, but yes, very doable ... not on a marriage or retirement visa though, legally anyway. 

 

We're living great now on <20k a month, BUT no rent/mortgage, utility bills except ph/internet.  Almost non sippers of alcohol & weed smoking. 'We' could easily do it on 10k a month, as only mandatory expense for us now is food.  300 a day would be more than enough.

 

Married, and no kinky stuff ????, so no P4P needed.  No CC, or any interest payment or healthcare cost, aside from yearly-ish check up, which adds 1k a month to the budget.

 

Aside from food, our largest bill now will be watering the garden during dry season, maybe 500 baht a month.????  That does take a few  million baht invested though, for a comfy, 'monthly cost free' environment .... OR add 10k for rent & utilities.

 

20k living expense at Krung Thep would not be enjoyable, and simply bare existence.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Have you been to KL or any part of Malayasia for that matter, the alcohol while a tad expensive is freely available all over I found and the hookers dont know dont care.

Hell NO, I'd never make it out alive in a Muzzy country.  Someone might ask for my opinion of Mohammed ... I like my head.

[MrJ2U]

2 hours ago, owl sees all said:

Donations to wayward ladies 2k

Your a good man.

 

More powerful to you! 

[Andrew65]

10 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Many do Andrew. But you are over-simplying things. Out of the 20k, must first put aside the monthly spend. Take out the rent, leccy and internet. That leaves 13k. Put aside 2k for the m/c. Also the 1k for Wat donations. What we have left is 10k. You just spend as you go for the month. If you can't go fishing then that's a saving there. Celibacy for the month! Gonna be a surplus.

 

I suspect you are a big spender Andrew.

Depends what you call a big spender. My old, late, (and very rich) Swedish friend would spend 1500 on a lump of cheese, and think nothing of it! He was a big spender (and a generous guy too).

I used to spend 50,000 to 60,000 on a basic, single lifestyle (20k rent).

To my way of thinking, your standard of living on 20k Baht a month in Thailand would be like being on the dole in the UK (I did that in my younger years).

Edited October 5, 2022 by Andrew65