I spent several years in Isan. Various provinces. Some were quite enjoyable, while others seemed like places to escape from — even if that meant marrying a farang. 

 

I've been exploring Bangkok recently. My question now is:  About what percent of people in Bangkok do you think actually want to be there (other than for the improved job prospects)?

 

Perhaps another way of asking this question is:  How often do you hear a Thai person who grew up outside the BKK metro area say that they like Bangkok?

22 minutes ago, BananaBandit said:

Perhaps another way of asking this question is:  How often do you hear a Thai person who grew up outside the BKK metro area say that they like Bangkok?

Another way of asking this question is:  How often do you hear a Thai person who grew up outside the BKK metro area say that they don't like Bangkok?

Good question.

My, gf, who lives with me since many years in Bangkok, told me that when I die, hopefully not too soon, she will go back to her family.

And her family lives somewhere up country, so she will go away from Bangkok.

 

I think the important part for many Thais is the question where their family lives. If their family lives in Buriram then they want to be there, if the family lives in Krabi, then there. And I guess if the family lives in Bangkok, then they want to be in Bangkok.

 

For many farangs we have no "our side" family in Thailand. If we think we like Phuket or Bangkok, then the decision is about the location and not about family. 

Young people looking for a partner like bkk. 

Older people liking nightlife and or culture like bkk.

People earning money like bkk.

 

Most others prefer somewhere else.

About 21% (14.6M) of TH's population (69.6M) lives @ Krung Thep metro area ... nuff said

 

Daughter enjoys living there, past 6+ yrs, from Udon Thani (18 yrs), and we're at PKK, which is too boring for her.

 

Wants nothing to do with UT, and never visits.  She's popping down here/PKK for a long weekend.   I always enjoy visiting, more for her now, and less so, since hotels are getting a bit silly priced sometimes.  Could easily live there, I think, though never spend a smog season there.  So maybe not.

 

Main negative, it's not dog friendly.

Edited December 20, 20232 yr by KhunLA

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How often do you hear a Thai person who grew up outside the BKK metro area say that they don't like Bangkok?

Often. 

But I never heard a Thai say "I like Bangkok". Foreigners,  on the other hand,  say that often 

My wife is from Bang Khen.  She says she likes Bangkok.  Sometimes talks about how she would like to live there.  But I think she remembers Bangkok of 50 years ago.

 

Bangkok is good for shopping but the traffic kills it for me.

7 hours ago, KhunLA said:

About 21% (14.6M) of TH's population (69.6M) lives @ Krung Thep metro area ... nuff said

 

Daughter enjoys living there, past 6+ yrs, from Udon Thani (18 yrs), and we're at PKK, which is too boring for her.

 

Wants nothing to do with UT, and never visits.  She's popping down here/PKK for a long weekend.   I always enjoy visiting, more for her now, and less so, since hotels are getting a bit silly priced sometimes.  Could easily live there, I think, though never spend a smog season there.  So maybe not.

 

Main negative, it's not dog friendly.

 

"Main negative, it's not dog friendly."

 

For me, that's the only positive!

5 minutes ago, jesimps said:

 

"Main negative, it's not dog friendly."

 

For me, that's the only positive!

Besides accommodations, you have to travel a bit to find 'green areas'.  A negative for myself, as enjoy walking around parks, and many don't allow pets.   A problem with our dog, as not of fan of doing her business on concrete, unless desperate.

 

Makes picking hotels & guesthouses a challenge, besides simply finding ones that have secure parking.  2 requirements for us.  

 

I can definitely relate to how some folks are anti pets, as many don't tend to the pets as we do.  She gets a bath before we go O&A, we bring a top sheet for beds, and wife sweeps up dog hair before checking out.  Room is as clean as when we checked in.  And she's extremely house broke.

2 hours ago, rwill said:

My wife is from Bang Khen.  She says she likes Bangkok.  Sometimes talks about how she would like to live there.  But I think she remembers Bangkok of 50 years ago.

 

Bangkok is good for shopping but the traffic kills it for me.

with the trains/metro going just about everywhere, why drive?  I moved to CM to get out of traffic 10 years ago, then daughter began college in BKK and wife and I wanted to be closer to her if there were any immediate problems so we kept our house in CM and rent a house in BKK.  Now with the trains etc, there is no reason to drive at all in BKK and now be able to go anywhere in a very comparatively shorter time.  But, I still like CM better but recognize all the available conveniences now in BKK.

I like Bangkok, and 40 years ago I married a girl born and bred in Bangkok. She likes Bangkok, it is, after all, her home town. We do, however, have a country place in Rayong where we spend about 50% of our time. We always stay in Bangkok during festive seasons. At those times Bangkok is a delight. Easy to get around with hardly any traffic.

Bangkok is a city with lots of choices...

 

Let's see, should I walk one kilometer in 15 minutes and be soaking wet with sweat?

 

Or sit 60 minutes in an air conditioned taxi in order to go one kilometer in rush hour traffic.

 

So many choices! 😆

Edited December 21, 20232 yr by SiSePuede419

My parents thought me that when staying in a foreign country you should stay in the place with the largest international airporr.

 

Probably the best piece of advice I ever got.

2 minutes ago, Celsius said:

My parents thought me that when staying in a foreign country you should stay in the place with the largest international airporr.

 

Probably the best piece of advice I ever got.

You must be from Europe, a place with inferior secondary cities. 

America is different. 

The best places aren't anywhere close to JFK Airport. 😂

To me Bangkok was one of the most exciting place when I first visited in '75.

 

Now I won't go at all, or if I go, do it as quickly as possible.

I like BKK, the airport, a lot. Very well planned and run.

 

However, It is a great place and has high ranking among all big cities:

"Bangkok ranks as the 4th most searched tourist city in the world for 2023."

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 20232 yr by GypsyT

Wife likes the hometown more, kids like Bangkok more.

39 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Bangkok is a city with lots of choices...

 

Let's see, should I walk one kilometer in 15 minutes and be soaking wet with sweat?

 

Or sit 60 minutes in an air conditioned taxi in order to go one kilometer in rush hour traffic.

 

So many choices! 😆

Loose some weight.  Also one kilometer to walk should take 10 min not 15. There are also shady sides of many streets. 

7 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

Loose some weight.  Also one kilometer to walk should take 10 min not 15. There are also shady sides of many streets. 

It's "lose" some weight, not "loose" some weight.

 

Sorry, but I don't think I will be taking health advice from someone who isn't educated.

 

There's no correlation between sweating a lot WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE and obesity (I'm not obese, either)...

 

67% of Americans are overweight or obese but only 3% sweat a lot WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE.

 

It's genetic. 

 

And it's HOT OUTSIDE IN BANGKOK A LOT. 😂

 

How common is hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is common. Research suggests that an estimated 3% of adults in the United States between ages 20 and 60 have hyperhidrosis.

👋

Edited December 21, 20232 yr by SiSePuede419

7 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

It's "lose" some weight, not "loose" some weight.

 

Sorry, but I don't think I will be taking health advice from someone who isn't educated. 👋

 

is it really health advice to tell someone to walk in the shade rather than in the hot boiling sun ? i would think that falls under common sense. 

 

     Thai spouse's family lives outside of Bangkok near Impact and we have a getaway condo in center city Bangkok.  We visit about once a month and enjoy our visits.  When my spouse retires we might end up relocating from Pattaya to be closer to his family.  If we did we would probably look for a place in the BKK suburbs.

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

with the trains/metro going just about everywhere, why drive?  I moved to CM to get out of traffic 10 years ago, then daughter began college in BKK and wife and I wanted to be closer to her if there were any immediate problems so we kept our house in CM and rent a house in BKK.  Now with the trains etc, there is no reason to drive at all in BKK and now be able to go anywhere in a very comparatively shorter time.  But, I still like CM better but recognize all the available conveniences now in BKK.

They haven't extended the lines to Ratchaburi yet.

A Thai teacher I once had said she hated Bangkok. I love the city, so much to explore that’s accessible by public transport or crazily cheap taxis.

1 hour ago, stoner said:

is it really health advice to tell someone to walk in the shade rather than in the hot boiling sun ?

And impossible to do at noon one of the hottest times of the day because the sun is directly overhead and there is no shade.

 

Gee thanks for the sage advice. 😋

There's one thing Bangkok doesn't have.

 

It's quiet.

 

When I listen at my house, I don't hear traffic noise.

 

I don't hear dogs barking.

 

Usually I hear birds chirping.

 

Or the chop chop chop of a Thai chef preparing food.

 

Occasionally I hear a baby cry.

 

Or a Grab motorcycle delivery.

 

But mostly I hear silence.

 

Something you will never, ever hear in Bangkok.

 

I used to live in NYC.  First thing I did when I got my van was drive upstate and camp out in nature.

 

Couldn't sleep a wink.

 

It was too quiet.

 

There were no <deleted> taxi drivers honking their horns outside my window (which had to be open because NYC landlords are too cheap to buy AC). 😂

 

Edited December 21, 20232 yr by SiSePuede419

1 hour ago, rwill said:

They haven't extended the lines to Ratchaburi yet.

Well the operative word there is "yet".  I was totally surprised when I came back to BKK and the ease with which we can get around the city

now.  The way things are going, maybe progress will more the trains everywhere unless of course the city is under water by then.  Yeah, if

I lived in Ratchaburi, I would have  vehicular transportation.  I really like the several visits we made to Ratchaburi, some nice areas there,

especially near the Myanmar border.  The night skies when we stayed overnights were spectacular too.  Happy Holiday Season

36 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

And impossible to do at noon one of the hottest times of the day because the sun is directly overhead and there is no shade.

 

Gee thanks for the sage advice. 😋

 

Ok.

3 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Or sit 60 minutes in an air conditioned taxi in order to go one kilometer in rush hour traffic.

 

I once had a car like that 🤔 

To me its the Utter Pitz 

2 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

67% of Americans are overweight or obese but only 3% sweat a lot WHEN IT'S HOT OUTSIDE.

 

That's false ... exaggerate much 

Edited December 21, 20232 yr by KhunLA

6 hours ago, rwill said:

My wife is from Bang Khen.  She says she likes Bangkok.  Sometimes talks about how she would like to live there.  But I think she remembers Bangkok of 50 years ago.

 

Bangkok is good for shopping but the traffic kills it for me.

What kind of traffic in the sky train??🥴