Expats living in Bangkok - are you happy?

honestly it depends on what stage of life you're in. been here 5 years and for me its a solid base but not forever. the access to everything is insane you can get a dentist appointment same day for like 600 baht or pick up a visa run to laos for the weekend. what nobody tells you is how much the heat and concrete jungle grinds you down after a while, some days i just wanna see grass that isnt in a park with a fence around it. still the social life is unmatched if you put yourself out there, met people from every corner of the world just at the bar on soi 11

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I've been here 8 years and I wouldn't call it forever, but I also can't picture leaving easily. The thing that keeps me is how easy it is to reset your life here - if you get bored of your routine, you can just hop on a cheap flight to Chiang Mai or Vietnam for a weekend. What I didn't expect is how the air quality would wear on me during burning season, those months between February and April make me question everything. But then November hits and the weather is perfect, and I remember why I stayed.

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not sure about forever home but it works for now been here 6 years. the convenience is unmatched honestly 7-eleven on every corner grab food delivered in 15 mins. what gets me is the traffic though some days it takes an hour to go 5km down sukhumvit. still the cost of living lets me save way more than i could back home so hard to complain

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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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