Suburbs VS Central Bangkok

[pedro01]

We hear a lot of people in Thailand talk about how they couldn't live in Bangkok because it's too crowded/noisy/polluted. I feel like a lot of people who make these comments have probably only been to the CBD and not spent much time out in the suburbs where life runs (in my experience) at a much slower pace and it's less crowded.

 

Anyone got any thoughts on this? Did you choose to live in the center of Bangkok or somewhere quieter? And how is it working out?

 

 

 

 

[Lorry]

I used to live out there in the sticks. 

Now I live in Central Bangkok. 

(I didn't move)

[Lemsta69]

I chose to live in Central Bangkok and it's working out great. The only downside is that I can't afford to eat at the posh restaurants, of which there are many.

[smokie36]

We have both...condo in town and house the dark end of Pattanakan....and I love both.

 

The fresh air and peace of the burbs is wonderful contrast to the condo near Asoke.

[OneMoreFarang]

6 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Did you choose to live in the center of Bangkok or somewhere quieter? And how is it working out?

Center of Bangkok, since forever. I love it.

It happens seldom that I want to go anywhere more than 10min away from home.

In a high floor the air quality is acceptable then the view is great.

[smokie36]

9 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

I chose to live in Central Bangkok and it's working out great. The only downside is that I can't afford to eat at the posh restaurants, of which there are many.

 

Some of the restaurant prices are insane for sure.

 

My favourite krapow joint charges 139 Baht for a regular plate....its not a lot of money granted but for krapow its madness.

 

The spot I used to enjoy a lamb stew for 500 is now about 1500 for the same stew....now that just prices me out I'm afraid....ya gotta draw the line somewhere lol

[Will B Good]

Central BKK every time....it is only manic at street level......a condo can be an oasis of calm.

[Lemsta69]

25 minutes ago, smokie36 said:

 

Some of the restaurant prices are insane for sure.

 

My favourite krapow joint charges 139 Baht for a regular plate....its not a lot of money granted but for krapow its madness.

 

The spot I used to enjoy a lamb stew for 500 is now about 1500 for the same stew....now that just prices me out I'm afraid....ya gotta draw the line somewhere lol

 

This is my first time living in Bangkok as a "normal" person versus my previous life as a cheap backpacker in the Khao San Road/Soi Rambuttri area.

 

I must admit I'm shocked at the poor value-for-money one gets here now. At least it seems that way, my cheap charlie phase was the late '90s/early noughties so the memory is a bit hazy.

 

Also I prioritised beer over food back then so the 20 baht street food was good enough for me. "Fancy" restaurants were Pizza Hut and KFC 😅

[Lemsta69]

23 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Central BKK every time....it is only manic at street level......a condo can be an oasis of calm.

 

Until the wrecking crew moves in on the building next door 😉

[JimTripper]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Center of Bangkok, since forever. I love it.

It happens seldom that I want to go anywhere more than 10min away from home.

In a high floor the air quality is acceptable then the view is great.

Where in the center?

[isaanistical]

18 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

Until the wrecking crew moves in on the building next door 😉

I was about to say the same. Three times in my earlier years living central I had to move from spacious and very agreeable condos as construction started, and it was not so well regulated then as to hours.

More recently I located literally 30m across the border into Samut Prakan. If I do need to be in, say, Asoke, it's a reliable 20 minutes; BTS is cheaper (as far as On Nut); you can get a seat on a bus (or BTS); and I don't have to go to Chaengwattana.

Edited October 27, 2023 by isaanistical
spelinge

[OneMoreFarang]

9 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Where in the center?

Halfway between Nana and Soi Cowboy. 😉 

[pedro01]

17 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Where in the center?

 

Well not dead center - but the CBD - Sukhumvit, Sathorn, Silom....

[Will B Good]

29 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

 

Until the wrecking crew moves in on the building next door 😉

We had the idiot above us change his marble floor (almost new)......took six weeks of hammering......builders installed the wrong tiles and had to do it all again...........aaarrrggghhh!

[NativeBob]

Everything has its own benefits and downsides. 2 storey house is superb, but rains and floods can be annoying. 

Room with a view is nice, but sudden neighbors ...

 

I'd rather stay in condo, sometimes it feels very lonely in big house

[Lemsta69]

34 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

We had the idiot above us change his marble floor (almost new)......took six weeks of hammering......builders installed the wrong tiles and had to do it all again...........aaarrrggghhh!

 

Oof! A few months after I moved into my first ever rented condo in Thailand they proceeded to start tearing down a nearby building floor by floor with concrete saws and jackhammers.

 

Luckily for me the windows are very thick so the noise was minimal with them shut. Which was 24/7 as it turns out thanks to the PM2.5 and mosquitoes even though I was on the 14th floor!

 

The aircon makes a big racket as well despite the hefty rent, another thing I wasn't prepared for and had to quickly adapt to.

 

Living here as a retired expat is quite the different experience compared to being a cheap backpacker down the "Koh San Road".

[KhunLA]

What is the center of Bangkok/Krung Thep to you ?

 

50 neighborhoods make up Krung Thep.  I doubt if most people could name & locate 5 of them accurately.

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by KhunLA

[richard_smith237]

I think it also depends on your transport options and needs as a single person or family, also where you are working of course (if working).

 

I've lived in Bangkok for 25 years (Klong toey, Wattana, Suan Luang).... Traffic and transport is the key issue with anywhere you live in the centre.

 

We lived near Asoke and I hated it, we couldn't get anywhere in the evening - the amount of times we just didn't go out for dinner because of the traffic. 

The BTS was a little too far to walk (perhaps 10mins) not ideal with a child and push-chair. 

Traffic in the area was horrific.

 

We are now slightly further out (Suan Luang) but still central (close to Sukhumvit 71 - Petchaburi end) and close to expressway & motorway entrances which makes life extremely convenient, especially for school transport. 

 

Going out into the 'centre' i.e for dinner on a Friday is hassle because of traffic, but everywhere else is easier. 

 

 

IMO - the better options: 

- Single Person, in the centre - within walking distance to the BTS.

- Family Person, away from the dead centre - with family transport (car).

- Family Person, Suburbs, with family transport.

 

The key reason for us to remain in Bangkok is to have our son at a quality school and also because we have many friends here. If our son wasn't at school, I'd perhaps want to live in the south of Phuket. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by richard_smith237

[expat_4_life]

I would say my order of preference is something more suburban than CBD.

By this I mean, any location that has not been totally upended by gentrification.

I like the ability to get out onto the street and find food vendors, a local fresh market and restaurant/entertainment options.  This is becoming increasingly difficult along the Sukhumvit corridor, condos, hotels, malls, and municipal policy have pretty much destroyed the local neighborhoods.

We do a lot more cooking at home and spend less time out for an evening than in the past, as so many "local" options have vanished. Mind you, the Mrs loves her close proximity to the skytrain - always tradeoffs. 

Edited October 27, 2023 by expat_4_life

[mfd101]

We lived in the Trendy (Sukhumvit soi 13) for a couple of years while we were deciding our longterm future. Loved it - quiet, lovely landlady, swimming pool & gym, easy walk to everything and anything. And my b/f knew all the shortcuts across hotel & other private properties to get anywhere on foot.

 

Now when visiting 2 or 3 times a year from Surin we stay in a hotel nearby (Asoke). Still love it all, but just for a week at a time now.

[pedro01]

29 minutes ago, expat_4_life said:

I would say my order of preference is something more suburban than CBD.

By this I mean, any location that has not been totally upended by gentrification.

I like the ability to get out onto the street and find food vendors, a local fresh market and restaurant/entertainment options.  This is becoming increasingly difficult along the Sukhumvit corridor, condos, hotels, malls, and municipal policy have pretty much destroyed the local neighborhoods.

We do a lot more cooking at home and spend less time out for an evening than in the past, as so many "local" options have vanished. Mind you, the Mrs loves her close proximity to the skytrain - always tradeoffs. 

 

We moved not far from Krungthep Krita golf course about 7 years ago. We have a market that opens every day in Moo Baan Nakkila and another that's every other day just around the corner. That was pretty much in 7 years ago but now

- There's more international schools in the area

- There's more restaurants in the area

- There's an excellent gym 4km away - with Onsen, Sauna, Steam Room, weights, aerobics room, badminton courts, climbing wall, outdoor swimming pool - and it's cheap

- There's more villages in the area 

 

And there's no traffic to speak of at all - so getting to these places is a breeze. 

 

Not sure if this counts as gentrification or not - but life is much better now than when we moved here.

 

Baan Thap Chang airport link is just a 5 min walk away, so getting into town when we need to is easy  enough - with or without driving. We tend to only drive into town on Sundays as it's the least painful traffic wise.

 

On top of this we have the Klongs - canals with walking paths. You can do up to 80km on the Klong paths believe it or not - they look like this - 

 

 

We have sidewalks too - so you can actually walk around a bit by the roads. 

 

It's not for everyone but I think it's a good balance between having access to Bangkok and having a bit of open space and not being stuck in traffic all the time. The school run takes about 12 mins.

[pedro01]

47 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

What is the center of Bangkok/Krung Thep to you ?

 

50 neighborhoods make up Krung Thep.  I doubt if most people could name & locate 5 of them accurately.

 

 

 

Cool map - I'm out in SaphanSung area

[JonnyF]

I prefer the 'burbs.

 

Less traffic, less polluted, no tourists, no police shakedowns, local style shops/restaurants, open air markets etc.

 

The only thing I need to go downtown for is pubs and 'fun', in which case I can get the MRT to Asoke in 15 minutes. I normally do that a couple of times a week. It keeps me from slipping into too much of an unhealthy lifestyle as well, I'd end up going out every night if I lived downtown. 

[pedro01]

10 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

I prefer the 'burbs.

 

Less traffic, less polluted, no tourists, no police shakedowns, local style shops/restaurants, open air markets etc.

 

The only thing I need to go downtown for is pubs and 'fun', in which case I can get the MRT to Asoke in 15 minutes. I normally do that a couple of times a week. It keeps me from slipping into too much of an unhealthy lifestyle as well, I'd end up going out every night if I lived downtown. 

 

Can I ask which area you live in?

[KhunLA]

46 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

Not sure if this counts as gentrification or not - but life is much better now than when we moved here.

Lots of people complain about the the 'gentrification' when I think all the changes have improved things greatly.  Most importantly, vendors off lower Suk, as now, you can actually walk on the walkways, without forming single file, or worry about being burned by a vendors bbq or hot oil.

[JonnyF]

3 minutes ago, pedro01 said:

 

Can I ask which area you live in?

 

Ladprao. Near Wat Ladprao. 

 

Ladprao MRT is super convenient. It has plenty of parking for motorbikes, bikes and cars, a gourmet market, food court etc. so I can pick up some farang essentials while I am passing through without having to make a dedicated trip to a supermarket. Then the MRT takes under 15 minutes to Asoke.

 

For malls we have Central Eastville, CDC, Crystal Park within a 5 minute drive. Huamum night market is good (although better before Covid). The new yellow line monorail. Very convenient. 

 

I have a small farm near Korat so it makes escaping the city at weekends easy as I can hop on the Chalong Rat Epxressway heading north.

[pedro01]

34 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Ladprao. Near Wat Ladprao. 

 

Ladprao MRT is super convenient. It has plenty of parking for motorbikes, bikes and cars, a gourmet market, food court etc. so I can pick up some farang essentials while I am passing through without having to make a dedicated trip to a supermarket. Then the MRT takes under 15 minutes to Asoke.

 

For malls we have Central Eastville, CDC, Crystal Park within a 5 minute drive. Huamum night market is good (although better before Covid). The new yellow line monorail. Very convenient. 

 

I have a small farm near Korat so it makes escaping the city at weekends easy as I can hop on the Chalong Rat Epxressway heading north.

 

Thanks - I'm a Big fan of CDC for a night out.

Edited October 27, 2023 by pedro01

[NorthernRyland]

5 hours ago, smokie36 said:

The spot I used to enjoy a lamb stew for 500 is now about 1500 for the same stew....now that just prices me out I'm afraid....ya gotta draw the line somewhere lol

so it's way more expensive than America now? Still lots of good $20 meals to be had in America and the portions are in excess of what you need anyways. BKK can piss off with those prices.

[newnative]

     We live in Pattaya but we have a Bangkok condo that we visit about once a month.  It's close to the Phetchaburi MRT and the Airport Link so easy to use it to get around Bangkok and trips we take from the airport.  

[swm59nj]

When I lived in Thailand up until recently.  I lived one year in On Nut.  The last two years CBD.  Near Terminal 21. 
I personally like the city vibe and convenience . But when it was too crowded it did get annoying at times.  
I left Thailand because I couldn’t see myself living there long term.