For those who have never lived in a big city before but have been toying with the idea of moving to Bangkok, you may be feeling apprehensive about what life would be like. If that’s the case, then you may find this article helpful. We’re going to list the pros and cons of living in a big city like Bangkok so you can decide for yourself.
The Pros of living in Bangkok
- Attractive cost of living: the cost of living in Thailand is comparatively cheap to Western countries. Bangkok in particular is very cheap as far as capital cities go. The average cost of living in London for example, is significantly higher.
- Excellent infrastructure: Bangkok has fantastic infrastructure. From a quality public transport system (See BTS and MRT) and brilliant schools, to world-class healthcare facilities, and more.
- World-class cuisine: the food in Bangkok is unrivalled. Not only is the local street food to die for, but the selection of 5-star international eateries is seemingly endless.
- Vibrant nightlife: The Big Mango is a city that rarely sleeps! There are many pubs, bars, night clubs and gogo bars for you to enjoy – many of which go into the early hours of the morning.
- Beautiful culture: if you love exploring gilded temples and watching traditional Thai dance performances, you’ll find no shortage of culture to lap up. You don’t need an app to discover beautiful places when you travel around Bangkok because the city has them in abundance!
- Friendly people: Thai people are world-renowned for being the friendliest people. It’s not called the land of smiles for nothing!
- Stunning weather: the tropical sunshine is beautiful and Bangkok has excellent weather most of the year round (save for the monsoon season).
- Health & fitness: Bangkok has plenty of parks, open spaces, Muay Thai gyms, fitness centres, and more – thus promoting a healthy lifestyle for those who are interested.
- Accommodation options: you’d be amazed by the seemingly endless choice of accommodation options available in Bangkok. Check out HIVE Sukhumvit 65 for some inspiration!
The Cons of living in Bangkok
- Insane traffic: while the BTS skytrain and MRT underground rail systems are excellent for getting around the city, trying to grab a taxi at certain times of the day is horrifying! Bangkok spends many hours of the day gridlocked.
- Pollution: while there are plenty of parks and green spaces, Bangkok is very polluted. This can take its toll on you if you are used to living in nature.
- Hustle & bustle: Bangkok never stops and at times, the hustle and bustle can feel very overwhelming.
- Visa issues: unless you are permanently employed, remaining in the country on a decent visa can be quite tricky. That coupled with regular visa runs out of the country can be a source of much frustration for expats.
- Flooding: when the rainy season rears its head, Bangkok experiences heavy rainfall. Unfortunately, the city is not very well prepared for dealing with heavy rainfall and often floods quite dramatically.
Final thoughts: It’s way worth experiencing
While there are certainly a few cons to living in Bangkok, all of them are bearable. That, and when you weigh up all of the amazing advantages of living in such an awesome capital city, the annoying aspects soon seem insignificant. The verdict? Bangkok is well worth experiencing!
