Bangkok is a huge city with many areas to stay in. But some of the most popular locations for tourists are not very well-suited for expats to grow some roots in.
A booming nightlife every day of the week isn’t always welcome when you need to work in the morning.
Transportation is another important consideration when choosing where to live in Bangkok. You’ll almost certainly want to locate yourself near one of the train lines, whether it be the subway (MRT) or the skytrain (BTS).
Of course, you’ll be paying a premium for accommodation within a short walk of the most popular train stations. It’s possible to save a lot of money on rent by picking a building some distance down one of the sois (side streets) and using motorbike taxis to get to and from the station quickly.
Here are a few areas to consider:
Asok
The intersection of Sukhumvit Road and Soi Asok is a busy junction where not only the roads, but the MRT and BTS train lines cross as well. Sitting right at the corner is the fancy new Terminal 21 shopping center, containing all sorts of shops and restaurants.
The entire area is also packed with cafes, pubs, and restaurants featuring every type of cuisine imaginable, while nearby Sukhumvit Soi 11 has long been home to some of the city’s trendiest nightspots.
Iglu’s Bangkok office is in Sukhumvit Soi 13, a 5-minute walk from Asok intersection, making your commute negligible if working from here.
On the downside, the lower Sukhumvit area can become a bit seedy at night and noisy near the main roads. Still, some quiet spots can be found tucked a little ways down some of the sois in the area, especially the dead end roads.
Thonglor/Ekamai
The Thonglor and Ekamai neighborhoods mark the beginning of upper Sukhumvit. Thonglor in particular is known for being Bangkok’s hipster district. It’s full of great places to eat and has a vibrant nightlife, but without the rowdiness of Khaosan Road or the shock factor of lower Sukhumvit.
Many of Bangkok’s biggest shopping centers can be reached within a few stops on the skytrain from Thonglor, while Ekamai bus terminal is where you can catch a ride out of town to locations on the eastern seaboard to get away for the weekend.
Silom/Sathorn
Aside from the Patpong nightlife section, Silom and Sathorn are largely ignored by tourists. Silom is Bangkok’s main business district, and many countries have their embassies located here as well.
The local Thai residents tend to be wealthier in this part of town, and so there’s a good selection of upscale condos.
Lumphini Park provides 142 acres of green space, perfect for morning or evening jogs. The MRT and BTS lines also both cross through here to connect you with other parts of the city.
Victory Monument
The area around Victory Monument may be a little bit less popular with expats, but has the advantage of cheaper accommodation than the previously mentioned neighborhoods.
Basing yourself here will give you a more authentic Thai experience as the restaurants and shops cater more towards local Thais and not tourists.
On the BTS line, a few stops to the north will take you to the sprawling Chatuchak Weekend Market, while a few stops to the south gets you to the mega malls MBK, Siam Paragon, and Central World.
A few other hip and popular neighborhoods to live in are Ari, On Nut, Lad Phrao, and Rama 4.
Now that you have an idea of where to live, how do you go about hunting down your accommodation?
Jagon real estate is your answers. We are happy to serve you.
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