nailing down your phone and internet setup early makes life way smoother. grab a sim from ais or true at the airport, their tourist plans are fine for a month but switch to a prepaid yearly plan after. for wifi, if your building doesn't have it included, 3bb is reliable and like 600 baht a month for decent speed

the heat and humidity hit different your first few months. get used to carrying a small towel and a water bottle, you'll sweat through shirts just walking to the bts. invest in a good handheld fan from mbk center for like 200 baht, lifesaver for the skytrain platforms

theres a facebook group called "bangkok expats" that's useful for random questions but ignore the drama. also join "bangkok foodies" if you wanna find hidden spots, way better than tripadvisor for real recs

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honestly depends on your visa situation more than anything. if you're not working for a thai company or don't have a retirement visa, the easiest path for most people is getting an education visa through a language school. there's a bunch around sukhumvit that charge like 30-40k baht a year and you just show up once a week

finding a place is pretty easy once you're here. use hipflat or just walk around a neighborhood you like and look for signs. a decent studio near the bts will run you 8-12k a month, way less if you go further out like onnut or bang kapi

banking is annoying but doable. you need a work permit for a proper bank account usually, but some branches on silom will open one with just your passport and a letter from your embassy. kasikorn and bangkok bank are the most foreigner friendly imo

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the food scene alone makes it worth it honestly. street food is stupid cheap, like 40-50 baht for a solid pad thai or som tum. just avoid the tourist traps on khao san road, eat where the locals eat in places like yaowarat or bang rak.

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yeah Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but if you're up for a detour, try Som Tum Nua near Siam Square. their som tam pu pla ra is insane if you like the fermented fish sauce kick. way more pungent than the On Nut spot, just less grilled chicken options

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