Bangkok is huge!
I can’t go over the different neighbourhoods because you can google the ten best, but it’s exhaustive, and you never know if one will meet all the right conditions. I can only show you the one I stayed in, which is The Base West Condo near On Nut on the BTS line.
If you are like me, you will like walking even if you are sweating your bits off. Don’t worry if it gets too much. There are always cafes, and coffee shops everywhere in Bangkok, but Bangkok can be overwhelming.
When I stayed at this condo, it was for two months. I thought I would land a teaching job and stay forever, but my ass is too old and everyone wants young teachers. But it gave me insight into the cost of living. I hear this question all the time. Can you live on 1000GBP per month in Bangkok? Yes, you can, and no, you don’t always have to be a cheap Charlie.
My condo was small but perfect. A large double-sized bed. Small living space, kitchen, and shower but very comfortable. Large window looking out onto the Bangkok horizon. Awesome. This cost me 330GBP per month. All other bills, such as water, electric, and broadband would be about 20GBP each or 1000 Baht, around 22GBP. Not bad.
My condo was for the more affluent Bangkok people and expats. My studio was small but larger ones could be had for 500GBP easily. And if you wanted to, you could live on a lot less without the modern attachments for 8000baht per month.
My condo also had access to an open-air swimming pool. This was great as everyone else would be out at work, and I could have my own swimming pool and swim and relax in the morning.
Inside the condo complex is also a selection of coffee shops, restaurants, food court, and of course a 7/11. I don’t normally go into a Starbucks, but I can’t resist Western brands when I am abroad as they seem to ground me for a few minutes. One thing I will say about coffee shops in Bangkok or Thailand is that the design tastes are much better than in England, and always larger.
I couldn’t start my day without a Star Bucks cold cappuccino with sweetener. This was housed within a boutique shopping mall with about a handful of good restaurants.
Eating out in Thailand.
The restaurants on Soi Rambuttri are relaxing to look at, but I think the food is average, but doable. If you walk out of Soi Rambuttri (see map above) turn right along Pra Ahtit road, and there are many café’s, where you will find more authentic Thai dishes. It’s a great place to walk in relation to other parts of Bangkok because it is less congested and the buildings are smaller, not skyscrapers like in The Base West.
When I am in Bangkok I can happily eat in the cheaper restaurants tucked down small alley ways where the locals might eat. I could have a nourishing curry for 50 baht right beneath Siam Shopping Centre.
Sometimes this gets a bit boring but in the big shopping centre in ASOK and Siam there are plenty of excellent restaurants selling food from around the world. Naturally Thai, Japanese and Korean, but if you miss English food, and yes I did. Then the odd restaurant selling sausages, steaks, and burgers.
An English Breakfast.
It sounds sad, but I was surprised how much I yearned for an English breakfast after a few weeks. Many restaurants say English or American breakfast, but it’s more a hot dog. You would have to hunt high and low for a decent café selling a good sausage. Now if I recollect near Soi Rambuttri The Branch Sourdough will sell an excellent English if you so require.
(Trok Silp, Chanasongkram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand)
It sounds tragic, but even though I love Thai food and Asian food. I may just find myself craving a good steak or a juicy burger. The condo where I lived. I was very lucky because as the food court would sell me say, Pad Thai, and Japanese dishes or Korean sticky chicken with rice. If I wanted more staple foods, the shopping complex and small restaurants would sell a good salami pizza and pint for about 500 Baht. A bit more, but well worth it. I could order a pork chop and chips, and the chop would be huge again round 500 baht. Outside there were also smaller vans including fresh hand-made burgers which were delicious around 300 baht.
Bangkok shopping centres
I am never one for a shopping centres when at home. But for some strange reason when I am in Asia the noise and heat can get to me sometimes and I have sought refuge inside a shopping centre. I think because they have air conditioning and less noise then I can have a break from the chaos outside. I found three shopping centres all along the BTS line so depending on where you stay you can just hop on one of these trains and head to either Asok, Nana, and Siam.
Shopping centres in Thailand are HUGE so sometimes it’s worth going in to compare them to British shopping centres. Even a food court may have five levels with endless restaurants catering to every taste. I don’t know how Asian countries manage taller apartments and huge shopping malls while we complain about a housing shortage.
