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Where To Live In Bangkok


Mekong

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The age old question, where is the best place for a Farang to live in Bangkok.

 

When I first relocated from Pattaya I was staying out at Pattanakarn, not the most logical place to stay I grant you.

 

when I split up with my then ex I decided to live in Farang Ghetto, sukhumvuit soi 13, I made a plan to stay for one year and I stuck to it, a year to the day I moved in I moved out to Chan Road Sattraprdit, nice area actually but alas a female was involved and I had to move away.

 

I had the apartment is Soi Narwin for 7 years until the wife decided she wanted to move out to Lam Luk Ka, big mistake by me.

 

I now live on sathorn 3 aka Suan Phluu, I just love the area, 7-11 is 75meters away, familymart is only 60 meters I have branches of all main banks within walking distance, the market is open 24-7, it only cost me 5 Baht on a Song Taew to go to Lumpini park. I have often said that Bangkok is an infestation of 1,000 villages, and I like my village, I can go to local restaurants and bars and be recognized I real do feel a local, so much so I have taken out another 12 months lease on the place.

 

So Guys, where is your favorite part of the city and why?

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Lived for many years in mid Sukhumvit, the area between Asoke and Ekamai.

There are many mid to high end condos and apartments. Plenty of good restaurants covering all cuisines I like (Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, French). Close to nightlife (SC, Washington etc.) but still in decent distance to the sex tourist ghetto between Asoke and Nana. Many pubs, bars and non p4p related nightlife as well. Shopping in close distance (Emporium, Villa, Robinson, Carrefour, Lotus etc.)

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south and east villages above covered I guess the north area of lower rachada or alternatively phayathai/victory/rangnam/pratunam is a jungle of decent villages.

while loving what a big city has to offer there is no beating the convenience of the village within the city as ones hometurf & even the most central ghettos have some kind of villages ;)

but camping out at suan plu the former immigration hq is kinda humorous & apart from the excellent access to the citis greatest park there's also the BNH hospital & MRT I guess. Good choice I'd have to say & a bit away from the worst crowds I suppose :)

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WF

 

I have to agree with BNH, a year ago when I suffered a heart seasure I was technically dead for 5 minutes before landing in ICU at BNH and they produced miracles on me.

 

As I said Suan Phlu is like a small village in the heart of the city,the fact that current Miss Mekong's family are basically the Koh Lan Wan (Thai Mafia) In the district earns me respect.

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The age old question, where is the best place for a Farang to live in Bangkok.

 

When I first relocated from Pattaya I was staying out at Pattanakarn, not the most logical place to stay I grant you.

 

when I split up with my then ex I decided to live in Farang Ghetto, sukhumvuit soi 13, I made a plan to stay for one year and I stuck to it, a year to the day I moved in I moved out to Chan Road Sattraprdit, nice area actually but alas a female was involved and I had to move away.

 

I had the apartment is Soi Narwin for 7 years until the wife decided she wanted to move out to Lam Luk Ka, big mistake by me.

 

I now live on sathorn 3 aka Suan Phluu, I just love the area, 7-11 is 75meters away, familymart is only 60 meters I have branches of all main banks within walking distance, the market is open 24-7, it only cost me 5 Baht on a Song Taew to go to Lumpini park. I have often said that Bangkok is an infestation of 1,000 villages, and I like my village, I can go to local restaurants and bars and be recognized I real do feel a local, so much so I have taken out another 12 months lease on the place.

 

So Guys, where is your favorite part of the city and why?

 

I guess you always "love your first," and the first place I lived in BKK was just off Convent Rd. (off Silom), on a little soi called Phiphat 2.

 

It was ideal for me at the time: definite a village feel with old-style wooden houses still on the soi, little Chinese-run convenience shops, a hair salon, lots of great Isan food...yet just a stone's throw away from bustling Silom, and of course Lumphini Park. And of course I came to appreciate Patpong in a way most expats don't, haha...though I still spent my fair share of time on Nana and Cowboy. Rent was 7k, of course that was 9 years ago now!

 

I also have a soft spot for the second place I lived, Sukhumvit soi 81, if you look southeast from On Nut station and find the tallest apartment building with what looks like a house on the top (about 500 m away), that's it. That was my "low cost Thai living" experience: 3,500 for that apartment (actually, a sublet condo). Seemed kind of "out there" 8 years ago, though much less so now!

 

I also did time on Ratchada soi 1, behind Fortune Mall...another nice, pretty cheap "village".

 

My favorite place in my 6 years here, however, was where I spent the longest time, and which was by far the most expensive (and probably most comfortable): good 'ole Soi Rangnam. Other than the traffic jams if you took a taxi to Nana area anytime before 10 pm, pretty damn convenient place to live, and tons of great restaurants on that short little soi. Century Mall and the Sky Train a short walk away, too, and a decent little park to exercise in.

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I tend to have a hard time staying in one place, so in the short time relatively that I lived in Bkk, I've been in a few areas. Soi Rangnam has its positives, including the little restaurants, the park, and proximity to... whatever. Also has that neighborhood feel that is nice - feels like a small town lane, in the center of Bkk. Saladaeng Soi 1... meh, take it or leave it. I didn't mind being close enough to tons of sushi (by which I mean the Japanese fish-and-rice dish), as well as Patpong for those nights I wanted to remember my early visits to town - or just to pop in for that post-work bj before heading home! It's alright.

 

Sukhumvit soi 8, end of the soi was a great apartment, big view, but I do not have nearly enough will power or self-control to live on Sukhumvit. Hell, just making it down soi 8 proves trouble for me. Certainly no sense of village there, just another farang up to no good at night, and in the middle of traffic in the mornings - not my thing.

 

First little place I had in town was out on Suthisarn, out past Ratchada massage towers and all. It's out of the way, and kind of looks like it might have that village flavor - but no, road is narrow, nowhere to walk, traffic was always passing inches from me, I never felt settled there - perhaps it didn't feel like a village because my whole building was basically full of girls working the body massage places. Nice neighbors, but not a village. And I was living in one of those one room plus bath-and-balcony Thai apartments - totally without soul and overly institutional.

 

My favorite: Dalat Ratchawat! Great little neighborhood, lots of families (mostly government workers for nearby offices), friendly street vibe, tons of topnotch street food and familiar vendors, everyone knew me, I knew them, plus big market in there and perfectly situated for me. Had a great spacious and light apartment surrounded by trees and flowers in an old compound of a rich family's house, backed up on the little khlong, wat nearby, really pleasant - the good life! So that's the verdict for me: Dalat Ratchawat over by Ratchadamnern and the palaces and zoo, not far from Khao Sarn and Chinatown and the river.

 

YimSiam

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I lived in Lat Krabang for a couple years with the gf. She had an apartment there in a group of complexes. Far enough out of the city to keep me out of trouble.

 

Then we moved to On Nut Soi 30 into a house and that was the kiss of death. Pretty close to the action for me and it all went downhill.

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A common theme seems to be proximity to nightlife, for better or worse - for me, that will inevitably be 'worse'. I initially told myself that if I can find something near Carrefour on Pattaya Khlang, I might have a chance, but who am I kidding ? I'm now thinking 'Rayong seems nice'. :grinyes:

 

Keep this up and I might as well go straight to Nong Khai. :banghead:

 

Er, back OT, is Chonburi considered 'living in Bangkok' ?

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Stop the presses- just found this gem from 2007:

 

There is a large expatriate family community in Pattaya, with an active expatriate support group 'Pattaya International Ladies Cub' - They publish a book 'Expat's guide to Pattaya and Rayong' which would be a good starting point for the general family stuff.

 

Am I the only one who would love to read that book ? 'What to tell your children about the ladies on Beach Road' would be worth whatever they are charging for it ! :clown:

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