Guide

Activities and Lifestyle in Bangkok

How to actually enjoy living in Bangkok once you are settled in.

Food Delivery

→ GrabFood and Foodpanda are the two main delivery apps. Both are fast and have enormous selection.
→ Delivery from most restaurants takes 20 to 40 minutes. Traffic in Bangkok means timing varies.
→ LINE MAN is popular with locals and often has better Thai restaurant selection than the international apps.
→ Delivery fees are low, usually 20 to 50 THB. Minimum orders are rare.
→ You can get extremely high-quality food delivered for 150 to 400 THB including delivery. One of the best parts of living in Bangkok.

→ Bangkok has a strong gym culture. Options range from cheap local gyms to high-end international chains.
→ Virgin Active and Fitness First are the main international chains. Monthly memberships cost 2,000 to 4,500 THB.
→ Local Thai gyms (look for the word "fitness" painted on shopfront buildings) cost 500 to 1,500 THB per month and are often excellent.
→ Muay Thai gyms are everywhere and are a popular training option for expats. Classes start at around 300 to 500 THB per session.
→ Most condos in the mid-range and above come with a pool and gym. Check this before signing a lease.

→ Bangkok is not a green city but it has a few excellent parks worth knowing.
→ Lumpini Park near Silom is the largest central park. Good for morning runs, paddleboats, and weekend markets.
→ Benjakitti Park near Asok is newer and has a large lake. Popular with cyclists and joggers.
→ Chatuchak Park near the weekend market has good shade and is great for a slow weekend morning.
→ The heat means most outdoor exercise happens before 9am or after 5pm. Plan accordingly.

→ Koh Samet is 3 hours from Bangkok and has good beaches. Easy weekend trip.
→ Kanchanaburi is 2 hours west and has waterfalls, jungle, and the Death Railway Bridge. Great for a change of scenery.
→ Hua Hin is 3 hours south and is a quieter beach town popular with Bangkok residents for weekends.
→ Ayutthaya is 1.5 hours north by train and is one of the most impressive temple complexes in Southeast Asia.
→ Chiang Mai is a 1-hour flight or 10-hour overnight train. Worth doing for a long weekend at minimum.

→ Bangkok has one of the most diverse nightlife scenes in Asia. There is something for every taste and budget.
→ Thong Lo and Ekkamai have the best rooftop bars and cocktail bars popular with expats.
→ RCA (Royal City Avenue) is the club strip. Large venues, very Thai crowd, loud music.
→ Silom Soi 4 is the main LGBTQ+ area and has a welcoming atmosphere.
→ Bars legally close at 2am, though enforcement varies. Most serious nightlife continues past this in certain venues.

→ Internations Bangkok hosts regular events and is the easiest way to meet other expats quickly.
→ Facebook groups like "Bangkok Expats" have tens of thousands of members and are active daily.
→ Meetup.com has active language exchange, hiking, and professional networking groups.
→ Coworking spaces are the best organic way to meet other digital nomads. The community builds itself.
→ Do not exclusively hang out with expats. The Thai community is warm and making local friends significantly improves life here.