Bangkok

A residential area north of the centre, with tree-lined streets, independent cafés and plenty of local life; quiet at night. BTS Ari station, about 10 minutes by train from Siam. For anyone who wants a neighbourhood routine and cafés to work from. One-bedroom: 12,000–22,000 THB.

Ari: Maps · Airbnb by the month

The heart of Sukhumvit, the big eastern avenue: malls like Terminal 21 and EmQuartier, the BTS and MRT interchange at Asok, and Benjakitti and Benchasiri parks close by. Asok is noisy with bar strips nearby (Nana and Soi Cowboy); Phrom Phong is a bit calmer, with a large Japanese community. For anyone who wants everything within walking distance. One-bedroom: 18,000–35,000 THB.

Asok: Maps · Airbnb by the month

Phrom Phong: Maps · Airbnb by the month

The trendy streets: specialty coffee, restaurants, cocktail bars, around BTS Thong Lo and Ekkamai stations. For anyone who eats and drinks out often. The priciest area on the list: a one-bedroom from about 20,000 THB, often 30,000–40,000 THB; Ekkamai is a little cheaper.

Thonglor: Maps · Airbnb by the month

Ekkamai: Maps · Airbnb by the month

Residential, with many new condos, local markets and the best value on the BTS, about 12 minutes by train from Asok. For stretching the budget without giving up the train. One-bedroom: 10,000–18,000 THB.

On Nut: Maps · Airbnb by the month

Phra Khanong: Maps · Airbnb by the month

The financial district, next to Lumpini Park: offices, hotels, restaurants of every kind and good connections (BTS Sala Daeng and Chong Nonsi, MRT Silom and Lumphini). Busy on weekdays and calmer at weekends. One-bedroom: 15,000–35,000 THB.

Silom: Maps · Airbnb by the month

Sathorn: Maps · Airbnb by the month

These are two of Bangkok’s best-known areas and worth a visit, but for a month’s stay they are far from the coworkings, noisy at night and short on monthly rentals. Better to sleep in one of the neighbourhoods above and go see them:

• Khao San Road, in the old town: the backpacker street, with hostels, bars and late nights, a walk from the Grand Palace. There is no metro nearby, so you get there by Grab or by river boat.
• Yaowarat, Chinatown: gold shops, temples and the city’s most famous night street food (MRT Wat Mangkon). Worth at least one evening of food.

AIS and True 5G works well across the centre, so a data eSIM covers your phone, Grab and maps from day one (plans are in the Thailand guide). For laptop work, use the wifi at the flat, café or coworking, and keep the phone as backup.

If the listing says “internet included”, ask whether the line belongs to the flat or is shared by the whole building: shared setups can sit near 100 Mbps and slow down a lot in the evening (condo internet guide). Ask the host for a speed test taken around 20:00, when the whole building is home.

• Your own fiber: AIS Fibre and True Online install it within a few days, but on a 12–24 month contract; it only pays off with a long lease and if the building doesn’t provide it.
• Power: MEA supplies it and cuts are rare. Planned outages are announced with streets and time windows in the MEA Smart Life app: check it before leaving long agent tasks running on your machine.

• The Hive Thonglor: seven floors with a rooftop café, on Sukhumvit Soi 49, near BTS Thong Lo; hot desk from 4,000 THB a month. There’s another centre in Phra Khanong.
• Common Ground: at CentralWorld (BTS Chit Lom), Ploenchit and G Tower (MRT Phra Ram 9), with a day pass.
• WeWork: The Parq (by MRT Queen Sirikit, facing Benjakitti), T-One (BTS Thong Lo) and Spring Tower (BTS Ratchathewi); from 7,125 THB a month.
• The Work Loft: in Silom, a minute from BTS Sala Daeng; from 4,000 THB a month with 24-hour access.
• JustCo: several centres, including Samyan Mitrtown and One Bangkok.

• Samyan CO-OP: a free study and work space open 24 hours in the Samyan Mitrtown mall (MRT Sam Yan), with about 500 seats. Perfect for focus, not for calls.
• TK Park: a library on the 8th floor of CentralWorld, 20 THB a day.
• Neilson Hays Library: a historic library in Bang Rak; the annual membership (2,500 THB) includes its coworking space.

• Sarnies: an all-day café and kitchen on Charoen Krung, by the river, built for lingering.
• Ari has plenty of independent cafés that suit a laptop morning, and Thonglor and Ekkamai the specialty coffee places.

Good for an hour of email or a break; for calls, a coworking is better.

• Terminal 21 (BTS Asok and MRT Sukhumvit): linked to the train by skywalk, with the Pier 21 food court.
• EmQuartier, Emporium and EmSphere (BTS Phrom Phong): cafés, food halls and a supermarket.
• Samyan Mitrtown (MRT Sam Yan): home of the 24-hour study space.
• CentralWorld and Siam Paragon (BTS Chit Lom and Siam): the big ones in the centre.

For door-to-door trips, Grab by car or motorbike is the easiest: fixed price, card payment and nothing to negotiate. I got around Bangkok with Grab and never had a problem. A short car ride costs about 80–200 THB, and Bolt is often a little cheaper on the same route. In rain at rush hour, prices rise and waits get longer: that’s when the train wins.

• BTS (Skytrain, elevated train): the Sukhumvit line links Mo Chit, Ari, Victory Monument, Siam, Asok, Phrom Phong, Thong Lo, Ekkamai and On Nut; the Silom line runs from National Stadium to Siam, Sala Daeng and the river at Saphan Taksin. Pay with a Rabbit card (200 THB, including 100 THB of credit) or a single ticket from the machine; 17–65 THB per ride. Map and current fares are on the official BTS site.
• MRT (metro): the Blue line crosses the BTS at Asok (Sukhumvit station), Sala Daeng (Silom station) and Mo Chit (Chatuchak Park station), and reaches Chinatown (Wat Mangkon). Pay with a contactless Visa or Mastercard at the gate; 17–44 THB on the Blue line, up to 71 THB if you combine it with the Purple one. Map, fares and the official Bangkok MRT app are on the operator’s site.
• Hours: roughly 06:00 to midnight. Don’t count on the 20 THB flat fare you may have read about: fares are by distance.

A soi is a numbered side street off a main road (Sukhumvit Soi 55 is Thong Lo), with even numbers on one side and odd numbers on the other. Many sois are long with awkward pavements; for the last stretch there are motorbike taxis in orange vests at the soi entrance (25 THB up to 2 km). At Siam and Asok, elevated walkways link stations and malls without crossing the avenue.

A tuk-tuk costs more than a Grab and you have to negotiate: fine once, at night, for a short ride with the price agreed first. Metered taxis are cheap if the driver uses the meter (the flag fall is 35 THB); if not, get out.

• “The Grand Palace is closed today”: the classic scam of the area. A stranger or a driver tells you the temple is shut and offers a cheap tuk-tuk tour that ends at a gem or tailor shop paying them a commission. The Grand Palace opens every day from 08:30 to 15:30 (common scams, US Embassy).

• Khlong Saen Saep canal boat: the fastest east-west link at rush hour, between Pratunam, Asok (next to MRT Phetchaburi) and Thonglor; 8–22 THB in cash on board, until 20:30 on weekdays and 19:00 at weekends. Boarding is a quick jump and the water splashes (boat guide).
• Chao Phraya Express: from Sathorn pier (BTS Saphan Taksin) to the old town and Chinatown; the orange flag boat costs 18 THB.

At rush hour (07:00–09:00 and 17:00–20:00) and in rain, a car trip can take twice as long. If your destination is on the line, take the train; if not, combine the train with a Grab for the last stretch. Voice sessions in a car or on a motorbike are not workable here: traffic and noise kill them. Getting in from the airports is covered in “Your first days in Bangkok”.

It joins the two big central parks by an elevated walkway: more than 5 km in a row above the traffic.

• Benjakitti Park: next to Asok (MRT Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre or BTS Asok). A lake with a loop of about 2 km and elevated walkways over wetlands, beautifully lit in the evening. Opens around 05:00 and closes at 21:00.
• Green Bridge, the elevated walkway known as the Green Mile: 1.3–1.6 km from Benjakitti’s northwest corner to Lumpini’s northeast corner (Sarasin and Witthayu junction), above the avenues and the expressway.
• Lumpini Park: the big central park, between Silom and Sathorn (MRT Lumphini or Silom, BTS Sala Daeng). The classic 2.5 km loop circles the lake, home to large monitor lizards. Opens at 04:30 and closes around 21:00–22:00.

• Benchasiri Park: small, next to Emporium (BTS Phrom Phong), 05:00 to 22:00; for a short loop between calls.
• Wachirabenchathat (Rot Fai) Park: next to Chatuchak (BTS Mo Chit or MRT Chatuchak Park), with a 3 km loop and bike rental; far quieter than the centre.
• The riverside: the promenade by ICONSIAM and the old Lhong 1919 pier comes alive at sunset; get there by boat from Sathorn pier.
• Bang Krachao: the green lung across the river, for a morning on a bike away from the noise.

• Take water and a charged phone, and expect almost every park to close between 21:00 and 22:00.
• On the street, traffic noise ruins dictation: stick to parks and walkways.

• On Nut or Phra Khanong: 35,000–45,000 THB a month, with rent of 10,000–18,000 THB (Airbnb On Nut).
• Ari: 40,000–50,000 THB a month, with rent of 12,000–22,000 THB (Airbnb Ari).
• Thonglor, Ekkamai or Phrom Phong: 60,000–80,000 THB a month, with rents from about 20,000 THB and often well above (Airbnb Thonglor).

• Electricity: with the air conditioning on much of the day, a one-bedroom pays 2,500–4,000 THB a month. Condos with their own meter pay the official rate (about 4 THB per kWh); if a building asks 7 or 8 THB per kWh, that’s a red flag (how electricity is billed).
• Transport: a rail-based month stays around 2,000 THB, while taking Grab everywhere can top 6,000 THB.
• Always eating at Thonglor restaurants or in luxury malls instead of on the street and at food courts.

A chain gym costs about 1,600–3,000 THB a month (many condos already have one) and a load at a self-service laundromat about 40–60 THB.

They run on a prepaid card, and you get the leftover balance back the same day.

• Pier 21, in Terminal 21 (Asok): one of the best for price and variety, with Thai dishes for about 35–60 THB.
• In Phrom Phong, the three EM District malls side by side (BTS Phrom Phong): Gourmet Market at Emporium, EM Market at EmSphere and, at EmQuartier, the spiral of restaurants called The Helix, not a food court but with everything in it.
• Samyan Food Legends, in Samyan Mitrtown (MRT Sam Yan).

Pick a stall and sit at the shared tables.

• Chatuchak Market: the huge weekend market (Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 18:00), with thousands of stalls and food everywhere; BTS Mo Chit or MRT Chatuchak Park.
• Or Tor Kor: right across the road (MRT Kamphaeng Phet), the market for the best fruit and higher-end ready-made Thai food.
• Wang Lang: a local market by the river, known for southern food; get there by boat.
• Many neighbourhoods have their own night market: “market” is talat (ตลาด), which is where names like Talat Rot Fai come from, and talat nat (ตลาดนัด) is the one that only opens on certain days. The three big ones running now are Jodd Fairs Ratchada (daily, by MRT Thailand Cultural Centre), the Train Night Market at Srinagarindra and Chatuchak itself, which also opens on Friday night. Ask at your accommodation for the one in your neighbourhood too.

• Yaowarat, in Chinatown: the most famous street food street, at its best from 18:00 to 22:00, for eating your way from stall to stall; MRT Wat Mangkon (what to eat).
• Sukhumvit’s sois (the numbered side streets) fill with stalls in the evening.
• Banthat Thong, next to Chulalongkorn University: a whole street of restaurants and stalls popular with Thais.
• The boat noodles (noodle soup in small bowls) at Victory Monument, at BTS Victory Monument.

Open-fronted places with the kitchen in view and a picture menu are everyday eating: dishes for 60–120 THB. For a famous treat, Jay Fai has a Michelin star and long queues (her crab omelette costs about 1,000–1,500 THB), and Thipsamai has served pad thai on the same street for decades.

• Delivery: GrabFood and LINE MAN bring everything, and LINE MAN tends to list more small stalls.
• Supermarkets: a 7-Eleven on nearly every corner, Lotus’s, Big C and Tops for the big shop, and Gourmet Market or Villa Market for imported goods at imported prices.
• Laundry: almost every soi has a wash-and-fold laundry that charges by the kilo.
• Gyms: chains like Fitness First or Anytime Fitness (24 hours), though many condos have their own.
• Private hospitals near the nomad areas: Bumrungrad by Nana, Samitivej on Sukhumvit Soi 49 and BNH near Sala Daeng.

• Fill in the TDAC (digital arrival card) within the 3 days before your flight: it’s mandatory.
• Install and activate the eSIM (Holafly or Airalo) before leaving home.
• Download Grab and Bolt with your card added, plus LINE and Google Maps.
• Keep your onward ticket and the address of your first accommodation at hand, also written in Thai (copy it from Google Maps or ask the host): many taxi drivers can’t read addresses in English.
• No need to bring baht from home: you exchange or withdraw on arrival.

• Immigration: passport and a completed TDAC; they may ask for your onward ticket and accommodation address.
• Money: ATMs past customs charge 220–250 THB per withdrawal; better to exchange a little at SuperRich, on level B1 next to the Airport Rail Link, at a rate close to the city’s (airport guide).
• SIM: if you don’t have an eSIM, the operators have counters on level 2, past customs (passport required).

• Airport Rail Link (level B1): 45 THB and 26 minutes to Phaya Thai, where it connects with the BTS; it also stops at Makkasan, next to MRT Phetchaburi. Runs 05:30 to 24:00, and you can pay with a contactless card. Best if you travel light or it’s rush hour.
• Grab: order it in the app as you walk out and it will show the pickup point. To Sukhumvit, about 350–550 THB including tolls.
• Official taxi: level 1, following the “Public Taxi” signs; a machine gives you a bay number. Meter plus a 50 THB surcharge and about 75 THB in tolls: 250–400 THB to the centre, in cash, and 45–60 minutes without traffic.
• Ignore anyone offering a taxi inside the terminal: they usually ask double.

It’s the low-cost airport.

• Bus A1 (30 THB) to BTS Mo Chit or A2 (30 THB) to Victory Monument; they leave from level 1 (timetables and stops).
• SRT Red Line train from the airport walkway to Krung Thep Aphiwat, connecting with the MRT at Bang Sue (fares).
• Grab or an official taxi from the level 1 queue, as at Suvarnabhumi.

• Check-in: the building or host may ask for your passport for the foreigner registration (TM30); that’s normal.
• The basics at the nearest 7-Eleven and the big shop at a Tops, Lotus’s or Gourmet Market.
• Get a Rabbit card (200 THB) at any BTS ticket office and top it up in cash.
• First work morning: a coworking day pass or the 24-hour Samyan CO-OP study space, while you check the wifi at home.
• At sunset, a first loop of Benjakitti or Lumpini, then dinner at a food court or a market.