¿Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket o Pattaya? La Guía
A common debate between Thailand sexpats expats is which is the best city to live in: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket or Pattaya?
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Today I will give you my ‘unbiased’ opinion. Keep in mind I have spent the majority of my time in Bangkok, but have spent adequate time in both Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya to have a understanding of how they are.
This article is only my opinion so it would be cool to here your thoughts too. If you got 10 different people to write this article you would get 10 different points of view.
Please don’t get butt hurt if I say Phuket, Chiang Mai or Pattaya sucks at any point in time – because I do – a lot.
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Transport and logistics
Bangkok – No where in Thailand can you find better transport than Bangkok. Bangkok taxis are super cheap have a meter (most other cities don’t), they have the BTS y MRT, hundreds of buses, a train station, motorcycle taxis, boats, and songthaews that go into the smaller streets.
Bangkok airport has flights to every major city in Thailand.
Phuket – Where to start? Phuket taxis are rip-off central, prices are really expensive for short journeys, almost 100x more than Bangkok or Chiang Mai or Pattaya. It is believed to be run by the mafia and there is no metro or bus services throughout the town.
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Good break down there and I agree on all points. Except I believe Ko Samui is the best place to live in Thailand. Obviously it’s not for big city types like yourself but I find it’s a great balance of good nightlife and relaxing beaches. There’s action, but it’s not completely overrun like Phuket or Pattaya. Have you been there?
After a year+ in Bangkok I’m burnt out man. That ocean breeze is good for the soul!
Have not been to KS but I really don’t like beaches and need a lot of ‘fine’ dining options to mix things up.
bit of a problem with crime on Samui,, 700 police and soldiers raided it just today though, hopefully that’ll be the end of it http://www.samuitimes.com/dawn-raids-koh-samui-700-police-soldiers/
Wow that’s nuts… I always heard that the islands are pretty much run by local mafia but it doesn’t affect the average tourist who minds his own business. Usually…
Awesome article. I like your style. I live in a tiny studio just beside the Thong Lor bts… Very basic but cheap clean and neat plus soi 38 at night.
I have lived here full time for a few years minus 1 in the Dominican Republic… I work sometimes… I lived in Vietnam for 7 years before moving in here. I first visited Thailand in 1990 and came back every year and was here monthly when living in Vietnam. Your article should win some kind of award for a no bs approach and overall knowledge of this grandly Dynamic kingdom and all that filter through her…. And the ones that get stuck 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Flano. People often tell me I am full of s**** :).
youre so off the mark on many aspects
i could break it down point for point
for example traffic: uw0tm8? bangkok is the worst as riding a scooter is suicide there, even pattaya is better as you can hop on a 10 baht songthaew and get everywhere. anywhere else just get a scooter and youre mobile
girls: wtf dark skinned isaan girls in chiang mai? the city is known for its white skinned lanna beauties and cashed up bkk thais go there just to lock down chicks. the only place youll see isaan broads is on hooker street loi kroh. id wager money you never stepped into places like monkey, warm up or infinity… your jaw would drop to the floor!
no rooftop bars in chiang mai? theres a whole bunch of them actually. including upscale places on maya mall where all the fancy pants rich thais hang out
you can blow a lot of money there just as well if you want. youd get a lot more value out of it than in bkk though… fine dining, expensive apartments CM got all of that too
i really dont understand ppls fascination with bangkok. yes its got the best nightlife but thats about it the place is a shithole and you couldnt pay me to live
there. id go mad within a week over all the traffic and people everywhere. not even to mention the blistering heat 24/7. logistics are terrible cant get anywhere without multiple motobike/bts/taxi rides. brb paying 4k for a decent gym no thx jeff
ive been all over thailand and CM is hands down the best overall package. the only thing missing is great nightlife and a beach. you got a point though the digital nomad types are annoying.
pattaya is pretty good too as its on the beach, good transportation, pretty cheap and all the amenities you could ask for. but good luck meeting a normal girl there who luvs you without paying (im a romantic)
phuket sounds decent Ive never been but keep hearing its really expensive which is putting me off. in koh samui you got a tight knit expat community too which is really nice.
hehe. Remember this is all personal opinion (my post). I disagree with a lot of things you said but I think each person has their own needs in what they see as an awesome place to live.
When I say rooftop bars I mean real rooftop bars that are 20-40 floors above the city and provide breath taking views, sure CM has rooftop bars but they are not on the same level as BKK.
“im a romantic”
A.K.A weak pussy.
Appreciate the link! This is a fun topic and it’s usually polarizing. I personally can only deal with Bangkok in small doses, and need to be closer to the beach and have more nightlife than Chiang Mai has. Phuket just doesn’t give me enough value during years when I’m supposed to be saving chunks for retirement. Pattaya has always filled all of my needs in that it is fairly affordable, it has beaches (Koh Larn is easy enough to get to), plenty of nightlife and girls, and it can actually be fairly quiet if you live in the more residential areas.
Skins has some good points on Samui, but I need a thick non-retired expat community pool to work with and I’m not sure Samui would do the trick for that.
What I know is that it really depends on your tastes, but almost any man will click with at least one of these cities.
Also, regarding my article you linked to, i just wanted to point out that rental prices in Pattaya have always been reasonable, it’s the sale prices that don’t make any sense.
No worries mate, I should link out more but usually too lazy to find more than one link lol.
I think your 4th paragraph hits it on the head, all about taste. I have always been a big city type of guy and think while Bangkok can be annoying, once you know your way around everything becomes much simpler.
Have never understood those that defend Pattaya like it’s some historic, arty city with museums and great architecture. In fact I’d go so far as to say that anyone who does must be your average sexpat, who tirelessly trawls Walking street with a beer glued to his left hand muttering ”This is the life” to himself.
Those digital nomads who pollute Chiang Mai should be thrown into a crocodile pit so they can continue their shit in a real ”challenging” (I’ve read a couple of crappy blogs) environment.
Don’t wanna sound like some smug know it all, but in Bangkok it’s worth seeking out the area between Lat Phrao, Rathayothin and Ratchadapisek. Populated by mostly decent students studying music at Chan Kasem Uni, the area around there comes alive in the evening with lots of bars playing live music. Not a farang, whore or flower seller to be seen.
Start by going along Ratchada soi 36 (Soi ”suey yai”)
Love the rant :D.
I stayed there in Bangkok for a few months, it’s a nice spot with loads of cheap condos that are huge.
Like the Riddle of the Sphinx…
– Phuket: When you are a young, brash, cock-sure tool who is going to F$!#k lots of virgin Thai college chicks (for FREE of course).
– Chiang Mai: When you have dropped out of school and want to go “find yourself” by smoking dope, having a live-in Thai GF (and her mom?) and know your awesome because you made a website on GoDaddy.com.
– Bangkok: When your an adult, know who you are, what you want and where you are going.
– Pattaya: Midlife crisis? F$!#k no….just a serious crisis of the soul.
Phuket: Welcome back! Now as a retired billionaire you have a killer condo (and rotating stable of 5-6 Hi-So’s) over looking the white sands….assuming you survived Pattaya of course. 😀
Haha, I think that is a better comment than my entire article lol.
Nice one mate!
5555 Thanks. Keep up the great work Harvie! Reading your posts always keeps LoS on my mind until my next foray into the west….much appreciated!
Bangkok is obv gonna win overall its a huge city with everything. I guess some people dont like living in such a monster city.
Phuket is good if you need to live or be on the beach.
Chiang Mai is good for those who’re broke or like a more quiet lifestyle.
Pattaya is the best for those here to just pay for girls to bang. Its also small and easy to get around.
Since I live here Bangkok wins for me. If I was just visiting for 2 weeks though I’d go to Pattaya and party it up.
Isaan is best
hottest girls
best farms
no tourists
Super smart girls
I don’t agree with 1,2 and 5 tbf.
Funny how no ones can agree on anything. Thailand is the place where everybody comes to feel like a big fish in a small pound. I’ve admitted this to myself long ago and I think Pattaya is the best.
When you will be tired of playing “game”, of hanging out in “prestigious” rooftop bars, of doing sports, of socializing with people, in short when you will not give a shit about any of the classic normal shit anymore, there will always be Pattaya, the Mongers’ Vatican, the home of those who do not give a shit…
If that is true for Pattaya, it’s a place I wish I never live lol.
You say that now. Just wait until you’re tired of your own pretentiousness and the million other pricks just like you.
Lol u mad brah?
ahh where to begin..I live in PATTAYA now 3 years, before Ao NAng. First and foremost PHUKET is toast for many of the reasons mentioned above. Letting taxi prices influence you is insane though..If you go through how you spend your money that will tell you your priorities. So trust me on this no matter where you live, ENTERTAINMENT is by far your BIGGEST expense. MORE than rent, food, utilities or anything else. So being the big city it is BANGKOK is more expensive than the rest for this, whether nice restaurants or women at NANA.. It is a true URBAN condo life, as opposed to my suburb life with dogs and gardens in Pattaya. I rent studio condos with kitchens for 10,000 baht centrally located with all utilities included even wifi and aircon, it is double in Bangkok.
1. Like I said PHUKET is Toast, but Krabi /Aonang has gorgeous beaches very cheap. yeah you need to take a boat over to phuket for women sometimes..
2. UDON should be considered as well.
3. Chiang Mai is a regular visit for me. skip jan through march due to the during otherwise it is more temperate. TAXIS/TUKTUK price is immaterial as you can walk almost all of it!!!
4. Pattaya wins hands down for now other reason than you are free. YOu can drive your scooter anywhere, to attractions etc. NEVER a TAXI! it costs 2000 baht a month for a yamaha nuovo 135 cc. You can’t do this anywhere else. Bangkok has more women, but they are also much more expensive, whether normal or working . In pattaya it is very easy to have girls visit during the day time for nearly nothing as there are no other customers. In bangkok they have to live far out so can’t just drop in. pattaya has same high end restaurants, great clubs, theatres and even more attractions. Yes we have the SOI 6 crowd and the two week millionaires on walking street. Look past that nonsense and decide how you want to live..run on the beach go to a health club etc..regular girls who work Big C and hotels are eager to enjoy a nice dinner. busses every 30 minutes for those fancy nights in Bangkok.. Why come to thailand to live in one of the most concentrated cities on the planet..?
Hi Nick, I also think that Pattaya is a great place to cool out and have a good time. I am interested
in your places for rent for 10,000 Bhat a month.I am going to be in Pattaya in middle November, do me
a favor and send me the info on your rentals. Thanks, Robert
Will be in Pattaya in Nov. with my wife. Want to have fun. Where do we stay and where do we play.
The misc is aliveeeeee!!!!
Well, I don’t know why nobody mentions it, but due to everything already said here, plus changing weather, I thing the best deal is a continous nomad life of moving all over Thailand and spending the rainy season in Koh Samui, (may to october) and then moving somedays to Bangkok to get some action and after that to Chiang Mai to enjoy calm, mountain, tempered weather and good prices, before moving back to Koh Samui and all stuff around (Koh Tao, Ko Pha Ngan, even some days in Phuket o Krabi).
Looking forward to an exciting time in Thailand.
Hi Nick,
We will spend November in Pattaya and have not made living arrangements yet. Should be fun.
Hua Hin is hd place too…much underated…a good place to stay once you have your woman
Almost All the bad shit you say about Phuket is basically all the bad shit I say about Patong and not the whole island. Phuket is slow to get around and very spaced out though, that is annoying when you want to get your computer fixed or something. Nightlife outside of Patong is quieter but way better along with the beaches, food and lack of douche bag Australians (I’m Aussy so I’m allowed to tell the truth about us). The stunning Thai women are kind of tough to find but definitely around. Everything in Phuket is easy and relaxed so long as you’re 5+km away from Patong.
Bangkok could be cool to live if you get to know the place. Having said that finding nice accommodation and cheap food that isn’t trash seems to be as difficult as getting around. Everywhere else in Thailand, I’ll gladly ride a bike and feel pretty confident but in bkk, I get lost catching a train and places randomly Fucking stink. The only hard positives I found were that it’s a good perve and public transport is really efficient even if it is confusing for me. Maybe bkk isn’t for me because my idea of a good night out is pretty chill where as BKK is more of a happening busy area.
I Fucking hated Chiang Mai. Fucking hipsters and shit… It’s hot in town but too cold in the mountains, the restaurants had pretty art and bad food. Not a single good perve outside of looking at my missus too. Accommodation was reasonably priced so there’s that. People would say that I should spend more than a weekend there to form a real opinion but Fuck that place. I’d rather go to prison.
Pattaya was actually pretty good for muay Thai training, paying too much to watch fights and getting drunk. The beaches suck but jomtien is great for a quiet beer and massage. Not the cleanest but some dirt cheap food and you can really chill there, not so much like bkk where everything is so busy. Sometimes I fantasize about being a dirty rich old man there but I’m not quite dirty, rich or old enough for that to be a reality.
After all, Pattaya is actually a strong contender. Exluding Walking street, of course, which is nowadays worse than Khaosan road or Disneyland or Timed square. Everywhere you can arrive in 10 mins for 10 bahts, including brand new mall Terminal 21. Yes, there are too many Chinese, Japanese, Arab and Indian tourists, but not evrrywhere. Especially not in LK metro, Soi buakhao, even Soi 7, 8 and 3. And everything is much less expensive than BKK or Phuket. I also feel a need for a real city vibe and BKK, but it really becomes unbearable in terms of tourist invasion (including French and Italian couples taking million selfies in Soi cowboy and Nana, being ‘relaxed’), prices, traffic jams and overcrowded metro. Transport in BKK is only good when compatrf to Jakarta and such. Dont get me wrong, I still love it, but we need to get the record straight for 2019
I have been recently to Phuket/Patong and it was not worth time nor money. This place as all other outside BKK and Pattaya are for short visits only. Pattaya is mid-size, which is good, but 3-6 months a year are enough (low season). Bangkok will be still great, but strong contenders (Jakarta, Saigon) are comparable in many aspects. Especially important – much, much less tourists, notably female, young couples with cameras, French, Arabs, Chinese families, Indians, Japanese groups or old farangs in wifebeaters
So, only young farangs in wifebeaters are acceptable? Any preference for the country of origin? I dont feel like you would include East Europeans, Scandis, French, Albanians, Maltese and such?
Aryans are acceptable. Sorry, this is where my Weltanschauung /look it up/ is totally comparable to the one of average Thai hookers. Some of them smell, others are stingy, these guys to loud, those drink until they pass out etc. So, stick to the Anglo-Saxons, and some of the northern Europeans but certainly not all. French should not be allowed entry, actually should not be allowed to leave France. As for the Albanians, heard that they are really going strong in London….