Bangkok’s Culinary Scene & Nightlife Delight
- Low Costs & Comfortable Finances
- Friendly Locals & Happy Social Lives
- No Housing Woes but Language Learning Is a Challenge
- Pay Cuts & Limited Job Opportunities
- A Great Night Out
- Further Reading
In the 2024 Expat City Ranking, Bangkok ranks 8th out of 53 cities. Thailand’s capital shines in the Personal Finance (5th) and Ease of Settling In (6th) Indices but is mediocre in terms of Working Abroad (34th) and Quality of Life (37th). Overall, expats’ happiness with their life in Bangkok is firmly in the top 10, though (7th).
Low Costs & Comfortable Finances
Personal Finance (5th) is the best-performing index as rated by expats in Bangkok. Despite slipping from 2nd place after two years in a row, the city remains in the top 5.
More than four in five respondents (82%) feel that their disposable household income is about or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (vs. 70% globally). And around three in four (76%) are satisfied with the general cost of living (vs. 40%), ranking this factor 3rd. This is a good sign, seeing as 58% of respondents in Bangkok make less than 50,000 USD in gross yearly income.
Friendly Locals & Happy Social Lives
The Ease of Settling In (6th) is another star index for Bangkok. All three subcategories — Local Friendliness (6th), Finding Friends (7th), and Culture & Welcome (7th) — and their individual factors can be found in the top 10.
Noticeably, around eight in ten expats find the locals to be friendly, both in general (82% vs. 63% globally) and towards foreign residents (79% vs. 61%). Plus, the culture is easy to get used to (79% vs. 59%). A similar share (75%) is happy with their social life in Bangkok (vs. 52%).
“I love the friendly and welcoming people, the fascinating culture and lovely food, as well as the opportunity to express myself openly.” – New Zealand expat
No Housing Woes but Language Learning Is a Challenge
Bangkok’s result in the Expat Essentials Index slips to 18th place from last year’s 13th. Right off the bat, Housing (3rd) can be found in the top 3 — though it relinquished its 1st place from 2022 and 2023. Still, the majority of respondents appreciate the affordability (63% vs. 34% globally) and availability (79% vs. 45%) of housing — this is around 30 percentage points higher than the respective global average! But the excellent news ends here, as the other subcategories in this index indicate some challenges for expats new to this Thai city.
Digital Life is in 18th place. Expats can get high-speed internet set up at home (20th), but access to online services may be restricted (33rd) and there’s poor availability of government services online (44th).
This isn’t eased by the difficulties in dealing with local bureaucracy/authorities (18% positive responses vs. 36% globally) and opening a bank account (49% vs. 60%). These ratings place Admin Topics 36th.
“Language is the main barrier to getting around and making friends.” – Indian expat
When it comes to Language (37th), the majority of expats (62%) luckily finds you can get by in Bangkok without speaking Thai (vs. 48% globally). But it certainly isn’t an easy language to learn (62% negative responses vs. 40%).
Low Pay & Limited Job Opportunities
The Working Abroad Index (34th) isn’t Bangkok’s strong suit. Career Prospects (39th) and Salary & Job Security (41st) have slipped in the ranking again after exiting the bottom 10 in 2022. Less than half of expats (43%) agree that moving to Bangkok improved their career prospects (vs. 56% globally); and even fewer (34%) rate the local job market positively (vs. 41%).
“It is very hard for a foreigner to get a well-paying job or any job if you rule out teaching. I took a massive pay cut to work here in Thailand.” – US American expat
In fact, 20% of respondents in Bangkok work in the field of education, double the global average of 10%.
Work & Leisure (6th) holds a top 10 position, though, further improving in the ranking since placing 16th in 2022. Three in four respondents (75%) are happy with their work–life balance (vs. 60% globally). In fact, expats in Bangkok work fewer full-time hours per week (40.5 h) than the global average (42.5 h).
In 35th place is the Work Culture & Satisfaction Subcategory. The local business culture doesn’t necessarily support flexibility (43rd). But overall, around two-thirds of expats in Bangkok (66%) are satisfied with their job (vs. 60% globally).
A Great Night Out
In 37th place, Quality of Life is the lowest-ranking index, with its subcategories presenting a mixed picture. Leisure Options (9th) and Healthcare (11th) in Bangkok delight while Safety & Security (49th) and Environment & Climate (53rd) highlight concerns.
Bangkok is the place to be for a vibrant food and nightlife scene: more than nine in ten expats are happy with the culinary variety & dining options (93%) and culture & nightlife (92%), compared to a respective 73% and 66% globally. But expats would be hard-pressed to find recreational sport opportunities (44th).
The availability of healthcare (4th), its quality (3rd), and equal access to all kinds of medical services (10th) are all in the top 10. However, its affordability is average (26th).
Where Bangkok begins to falter in the index is the Travel & Transit Subcategory (32nd). Despite good opportunities to travel (12th), the availability (32nd) of public transportation could be better. The infrastructure for cars is poor (47th), and it may not be easy nor safe to get around on foot or by bicycle (48th), either.
In terms of Safety & Security (49th), expats worry about political stability (48th) and their ability to freely express themselves and their opinions (50th). Personal safety performs better at least, in 31st place.
Bangkok receives its worst-performing subcategory result for Environment & Climate, where it places last (53rd). Four of the six factors can be found in the bottom 5. A mere 8% of expats have something positive to say about the air quality (vs. 64% globally), ranking this factor dead last (53rd). The urban environment is in a similar position (53rd). Luckily not all is gloomy, as results for the climate & weather (58% vs. 58% globally) and natural environment (79% vs. 82%) are about average.
