Why Live On Sukhumvit?

[daveh]

I no longer live in Thailand, but when I did I never considered living on Sukhumvit. Aside from the nightlife, why do so many expats choose to live in the Sukhumvit area? It seems overly priced. You can find nice places to live all along the BTS and MRT, so getting to Sukhumvit can be very easy from much less expensive areas.

[eurasianthai]

Aside from the nightlife

You're close to everything.

The skytrain.

The MRT.

The international schools.

The malls.

The farangs

[britmaveric]

Convenience! (LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION)

[daveh]

Aside from the nightlife

You're close to everything.

The skytrain.

The MRT.

The international schools.

The malls.

The farangs

Don't forget the traffic and all the tourist related scams. During my visit this month, I was getting really annoyed with the taxi and tuk tuk drivers constantly clapping their hands to get my attention so they can as if I'd like a ride from them instead of the tens of other vehicles I've just passed.

When I lived off of Phahon Yothin road, I never ran into these problems. In my entire 18 months there, I never had a taxi driver tell me their meter was broken. But it seems just about every taxi driver around Sukhumvit won't use their meter.

Except for being near other expats, any place near skytrain would be just as good and much less expensive.

[TheLaughingMan]

Been living on on Sukhumvit for 6 years and never encountered the problems you mentioned, thoese are problems you get in tourist areas like patpong and maybe nana, but living on sukhumvit doesnt mean you have to deal with that, you do know sukhumvit is a very long road right?

I live on Sukhumvit because it is close to all the places I need to go including work. Also Im not a backpacker and have no interest in super cheap dirty unsafe apartments and restaurants. Give me as much modern amenities as possible please.

[astral]

Have you considered the Village of Sukhumvit out at the end of the road, in Chantaburi province?

[Birdman]

It's Trat, dear Astral. A really nice place to live.

[phetaroi]

Don't forget the traffic and all the tourist related scams. During my visit this month, I was getting really annoyed with the taxi and tuk tuk drivers constantly clapping their hands to get my attention so they can as if I'd like a ride from them instead of the tens of other vehicles I've just passed.

When I lived off of Phahon Yothin road, I never ran into these problems. In my entire 18 months there, I never had a taxi driver tell me their meter was broken. But it seems just about every taxi driver around Sukhumvit won't use their meter.

Except for being near other expats, any place near skytrain would be just as good and much less expensive.

I agree with you about traffic on and around Sukhumvit.

Living just off Sukhumvit for 7 months now. Never had anyone clap their hands or otherwise try to get my attention to take their taxi or tuk tuk...unless I was around Nana. Never had a taxi driver say his meter was broken.

[ExpatJ]

I have lived along sukhumvit for the last 2 years- never encountered any tourist scams or related problems- the problem is really only around nana area.

Why do i live along suk? Good schools, great expat apartments (with large open playing areas for kids, pools etc), best super markets (gourmet foods in emproium and villa market are good- i think Tops, Tesco are terrible (but cheap and you get what you pay for i guess), good British pubs around bts phrong pong.

[Alwaysright]

Convenience! (LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION)

DITTO,I can spend the rest of my life and not venture more than a klick and have everything I need.10 minute walk to Emporioum,Tesco, and anything I desire.You get what you pay for.

[YanTree]

Well I've never lived anywhere else so I can't say for sure but while there are many things technically close to me via BTS or MRT I don't go to those places very often. Everything is here and since traffic sucks so bad in Bangkok I like to be close to everything I need. Plenty of different types of restaurants, plenty of bars and nightlife venues, two red light districts, plenty of grocery stores, BTS, MRT, several Starbucks location which I use frequently, great shopping, several language schools, at least one excellent movie theatre, a world-class hospital, great medical facilities and clinics of all types and probably a bunch of other stuff I'm forgetting. Also most people in the service industries speak English because of so many farang, people don't even notice you because there are so many foreigners here while in other places I seem to stand out more, people also don't know whether I'm a tourist or an expat which can work to your advantage in different situations where you can pretend to be the one that benefits you - in other areas you would be much more likely to be one than the other.

Drawbacks are that you can't get away from the sex industry in your face on a regular basis (on lower sukhumvit at least). There are ladyboys everywhere, bar girls coming and going from work, shady massage places, touts offering sex or massages, beer bars with bar girls touting out front etc. I can't go a single day without being offered sex in some form. That gets annoying. There are also touts of all kinds everywhere from Tuk Tuk drivers to Indian tailors and street vendors clogging up most of the sidewalks - along with beggars with missing limbs everywhere.

Traffic is especially bad if you need to take a Taxi someplace though the BTS and MRT make up for this for the most part. It is also somewhat difficult to find a 'good girl' in the bars and clubs here as there are tons and tons of 'working girls' in some form or another, many of them pretending not to be working girls - whereas you can go to RCA or Ratchada and find plenty of uni or office girls to choose from. Here you have to have a keen eye and know what questions to ask (and be able to decipher their bullshit replies) to figure out who you are talking to, even with all of that their lying ways can still make it difficult to tell.

All-in-all I haven't found an area I'd rather live at in Bangkok, though I like to live in or near the action - if you prefer a nice quiet place, this is not for you. There are undoubtedly much cheaper places to live. Though when comparing the rent or sale prices of a condo here to one back home, this is still an excellent bargain.

[givenall]

Been living on on Sukhumvit for 6 years and never encountered the problems you mentioned, thoese are problems you get in tourist areas like patpong and maybe nana, but living on sukhumvit doesnt mean you have to deal with that, you do know sukhumvit is a very long road right?

I live on Sukhumvit because it is close to all the places I need to go including work. Also Im not a backpacker and have no interest in super cheap dirty unsafe apartments and restaurants. Give me as much modern amenities as possible please.

Too many Farang is Sukhumvit. I want to live in Bangkok and not US.

I prefer Rachada or Petchaburi. It is as convenient and close to everything as Sukhumvit but you can fine a lot local places to shop or eat.

[YanTree]

but you can fine a lot local places to shop or eat.

a- you can find a lot of 'local' places to shop or eat on Sukhumvit too

b- for me the absence of western places to shop or eat is a bad thing (understand this might not apply to everybody)

[t.s]

Aside from the nightlife

You're close to everything.

The skytrain.

The MRT.

The international schools.

The malls.

The farangs

Don't forget the traffic and all the tourist related scams. During my visit this month, I was getting really annoyed with the taxi and tuk tuk drivers constantly clapping their hands to get my attention so they can as if I'd like a ride from them instead of the tens of other vehicles I've just passed.

When I lived off of Phahon Yothin road, I never ran into these problems. In my entire 18 months there, I never had a taxi driver tell me their meter was broken. But it seems just about every taxi driver around Sukhumvit won't use their meter.

Except for being near other expats, any place near skytrain would be just as good and much less expensive.

i live at the end of a busy lower sukhumvit soi.

i have rarely if ever had issues with broken taxi meters on my soi.

i am five minutes away from shopping, restaurants, bars if desired, work etc.I could eat somewhere differnet daily for a month and still never need to take a taxi to find a new restauraunt.

I rarely encounter touts in my day to day life, and those i do encounter soon seem to recognise me. in fact i rarely set foot on sukhumvit proper unless i want to.

visiting friends are usually located in hotels a few minutes away.

I have my choice of about 15 healthclubs and pools in the area.

i walk my daughter to school.

i have my choice of 2 skytrain stations and 1 mrt

1 minute access to 7-11 or food stalls 24 hours a day.

rarely takes longer than 10 mins to get onto expressway.

the vet is 5 minutes away.

the hospital is 5 minutes away

anything you can imagine can be delivered or collected by a motorcycle taxi.

a nearby pool of cleaners, handymen electrician etc are always at hand

No soi dogs -- i have met a few folks who actually come to my soi to walk their dogs!

klong boat access should i ever need it.

the saturday morning walk of shame as lovlies exit the condos that surround my house is always good for a laugh.

baby sitters on tap if required.

two weeks (or however long) in a hotel is hardly an indicator of the experience of a resident.

[Ulysses G.]

For me, it has to be all the VERY freindly girls!

[Newguy70]

Simple observation.

Most of the expats are old, and refuse to change/adapt; They refuse to learn the language, the culture , the landscape, etc... Close down the bars for a few weeks, and they will be leaving by the loads. Why do you think every other posts on here is about Sin sod, or in some form of fashion bashing thais i.e why don't they or why do they. Here is a question, why not stop and ask and individual on the street, that way you can attempt to interact other than sitting behind a lap top all day.

I agree with the OP, it's overpriced; If you do not know the difference then you really need to get out and about!

Thus the reason I call Sukhumvit the "Suck"

I could go on , and on , but really what would be the point : )

[carmine]

Simple observation.

Most of the expats are old, and refuse to change/adapt; They refuse to learn the language, the culture , the landscape, etc... Close down the bars for a few weeks, and they will be leaving by the loads. Why do you think every other posts on here is about Sin sod, or in some form of fashion bashing thais i.e why don't they or why do they. Here is a question, why not stop and ask and individual on the street, that way you can attempt to interact other than sitting behind a lap top all day.

I agree with the OP, it's overpriced; If you do not know the difference then you really need to get out and about!

Thus the reason I call Sukhumvit the "Suck"

I could go on , and on , but really what would be the point : )

I don't know, maybe you can't afford to live on Sukhumvit, but yes it's somewhat overpriced but as Ts post makes very clear, it's also very convenient for nearly everything.

Also, a lot of people earn a living working on laptops thus enabling themselves the income to live on Sukhumvit

[DP25]

You'd have to pay me to live in lower Suhkumvit. The place is just awful, I can't imagine living there voluntarily. Some of the higher number sois would be fine though.

[Newguy70]

Simple observation.

Most of the expats are old, and refuse to change/adapt; They refuse to learn the language, the culture , the landscape, etc... Close down the bars for a few weeks, and they will be leaving by the loads. Why do you think every other posts on here is about Sin sod, or in some form of fashion bashing thais i.e why don't they or why do they. Here is a question, why not stop and ask and individual on the street, that way you can attempt to interact other than sitting behind a lap top all day.

I agree with the OP, it's overpriced; If you do not know the difference then you really need to get out and about!

Thus the reason I call Sukhumvit the "Suck"

I could go on , and on , but really what would be the point : )

I don't know, maybe you can't afford to live on Sukhumvit, but yes it's somewhat overpriced but as Ts post makes very clear, it's also very convenient for nearly everything.

Also, a lot of people earn a living working on laptops thus enabling themselves the income to live on Sukhumvit

Why would I pay 30k+ for a unit, when I can have more square footage, at half the price any where away from the "SuCk", and spend those additional funds elsewhere (Seems like simple logic to me, but what do I Know). "Somewhat overpriced" > Keep your head buried in the sand!

Anyone who defends the "Suck", tells me more than I need to know about the individual.

[carmine]

Simple observation.

Most of the expats are old, and refuse to change/adapt; They refuse to learn the language, the culture , the landscape, etc... Close down the bars for a few weeks, and they will be leaving by the loads. Why do you think every other posts on here is about Sin sod, or in some form of fashion bashing thais i.e why don't they or why do they. Here is a question, why not stop and ask and individual on the street, that way you can attempt to interact other than sitting behind a lap top all day.

I agree with the OP, it's overpriced; If you do not know the difference then you really need to get out and about!

Thus the reason I call Sukhumvit the "Suck"

I could go on , and on , but really what would be the point : )

I don't know, maybe you can't afford to live on Sukhumvit, but yes it's somewhat overpriced but as Ts post makes very clear, it's also very convenient for nearly everything.

Also, a lot of people earn a living working on laptops thus enabling themselves the income to live on Sukhumvit

Why would I pay 30k+ for a unit, when I can have more square footage, at half the price any where away from the "SuCk", and spend those additional funds elsewhere (Seems like simple logic to me, but what do I Know). "Somewhat overpriced" > Keep your head buried in the sand!

Anyone who defends the "Suck", tells me more than I need to know about the individual.

Tells you what about them? That they have more disposable income than you. That a certain sum of money significant to you might just be relatively irrelevant to them?

Sorry, your arguement does'nt stack up.

[dddave]

Sukhumvit is a capsule that allows foreigners to live in Thailand without actually having to deal with anything Thai.

Within a few steps exist almost all the western amenities one could wish for with the added pleasure of paying similar western prices.

It provides comfort for those who become anxious when they don't have enough opportunity to spend their money and amusement to those for whom spending money is a form of recreation and self validation.

[Newguy70]

Argument, not at all.

Take sometime, and look inside.

Enjoy your stay

[ashacat]

Wouldn't live anywhere else!!

[ExpatJ]

Sukhumvit is a capsule that allows foreigners to live in Thailand without actually having to deal with anything Thai.

Within a few steps exist almost all the western amenities one could wish for with the added pleasure of paying similar western prices.

It provides comfort for those who become anxious when they don't have enough opportunity to spend their money and amusement to those for whom spending money is a form of recreation and self validation.

I think this smacks more of envy than anything else. I live on suk and pay alot for the convenience of having access to western amenities together with the thai ones and for the best apartments and the best schools. Are you telling me you wouldn't want to give your family the best you could if you could afford it?

If you are single and younger then i understand more the attraction by living in more 'thai' neighborhoods to save money and for the experience (been there, done that and i enjoyed it at the time when i was in my 20s).

[Groongthep]

Simple observation.

Most of the expats are old, and refuse to change/adapt; They refuse to learn the language, the culture , the landscape, etc... Close down the bars for a few weeks, and they will be leaving by the loads. Why do you think every other posts on here is about Sin sod, or in some form of fashion bashing thais i.e why don't they or why do they. Here is a question, why not stop and ask and individual on the street, that way you can attempt to interact other than sitting behind a lap top all day.

I agree with the OP, it's overpriced; If you do not know the difference then you really need to get out and about!

Thus the reason I call Sukhumvit the "Suck"

I could go on , and on , but really what would be the point : )

I do not live on Sukhumvit but I do go there occasionally (OK, fairly frequently) but I know many expats who do live there. Many are very knowledgeable about Thai culture and speak enough Thai to be quite functional, some even speak fluently.

Most of the questions I have seen on this forum about sin sod are not from people who live on Sukhumvit, but rather from newcomers and those with intentions of getting married and moving upcountry or back to their home countries.

The place has good aspects and bad but once you get used to it your brain can kind of automatically filter out most of the bad. Yes, it can be overpriced, especially the rents, the footpaths are nearly impassable and in lower Sukhumvit the sex industry and scammers are always right in your face.

On the other hand it is super convenient. There is an intersection of the MRT and BTS is at Asoke, the scammers and whores you can easily ignore,

the Times Square Building is full of Thai language schools, Thong Lor and Ekamai are loaded with respectable bars and restaurants, the Emporium has a top notch cinema, lots of pubs around for those who like them, the Eastern Bus terminal is at Ekamai, good restaurants, Thai, Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexican and European aplenty in the area, Bamrungrad hospital is just off Sukhumvit, the Siam Society is just around the corner on Asoke and I'm sure there's a lot more that I'm leaving out.

If you don't like Sukhumvit don't go there but I contend that it is one of the most vibrant areas of the city. It just wouldn't be Bangkok without it, warts and all.

[DP25]

I think this smacks more of envy than anything else. I live on suk and pay alot for the convenience of having access to western amenities together with the thai ones and for the best apartments and the best schools. Are you telling me you wouldn't want to give your family the best you could if you could afford it?

If I had a family I certainly wouldn't want them living anywhere near lower Suhkumvit. The place is a complete dump.

[bkkjames]

I think this smacks more of envy than anything else. I live on suk and pay alot for the convenience of having access to western amenities together with the thai ones and for the best apartments and the best schools. Are you telling me you wouldn't want to give your family the best you could if you could afford it?

If I had a family I certainly wouldn't want them living anywhere near lower Suhkumvit. The place is a complete dump.

I think we need to divide Suk a bit. The part between Soi 1 and Asoke and the rest.

Bit like saying Walking street is all of Pattaya.

[Ulysses G.]

Anyone who defends the "Suck", tells me more than I need to know about the individual.

Anybody who whines about it tells their own story.

[YanTree]

I think this smacks more of envy than anything else. I live on suk and pay alot for the convenience of having access to western amenities together with the thai ones and for the best apartments and the best schools. Are you telling me you wouldn't want to give your family the best you could if you could afford it?

If I had a family I certainly wouldn't want them living anywhere near lower Suhkumvit. The place is a complete dump.

While I disagree that it is a 'complete dump' I agree that it is not the best place to raise a family. If I had children I would not be living where I do now.

Beyond Asoke is quite nice though, I could see raising a family between Soi 18 and Soi 26 pretty much anywhere along with Ekkamai and some areas of Thong Lor.

[hhgz]

"I no longer live in Thailand, but when I did I never considered living on Sukhumvit...."

Why id this pop into your mind after you left Thailand? Why didn't you ask this while you were living here?