I am considering moving from NYC to Bangkok for 5 months. What much money would I need to live comfortably for the 5 months?

A detail nobody's mentioned yet is that a 5 month lease puts you in an awkward spot. Most Bangkok landlords want 6 or 12 month contracts, so you'll either pay a premium for a short lease or end up in a serviced apartment, which runs 20k to 35k baht a month depending on the building. The upside is those come furnished with utilities and wifi bundled in, so you skip the deposit headache and the meter rate games.

On the food side, "eating healthy" in Bangkok usually means cooking more than you'd expect. Fresh markets like Khlong Toei or the one at On Nut sell vegetables and protein cheap, but you need to go early morning before the good stuff is gone. A rice cooker and a decent pan will save you more money than any street food strategy over 5 months.

The other thing NYC people don't see coming is the heat. You'll probably run the AC more than you think, and in some condos that alone can hit 3k to 5k baht a month. Budget for it.

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if by basic u mean a decent studio with ac & a kitchenette near a bts stop, ur looking at 12k to 18k baht a month in areas like phra khanong or on nut, onnut has cheap street food everywhere & big c for groceries. add maybe 15k to 20k a month for food if u eat mostly thai & cook sometimes, less if u go full street food. so like 30k to 40k baht a month total, call it 150k to 200k for the 5 months not counting flights & visa stuff

one thing people miss, healthy eating here isnt automatic, a lot of thai food is heavy on sugar & fish sauce so if thats ur priority u might end up at western grocery stores like villa market which gets pricey fast, tofu & veg from a fresh market is way cheaper tho

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One thing the other replies skipped is the deposit situation. Most landlords here want two months upfront plus one month agent fee, so you'll need to have that cash ready before you even move in, and some places won't budge on it even for a 5 month lease. Also worth checking whether your building charges for water and electricity separately, since the per unit rate in condos can be way higher than what you'd expect coming from NYC.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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