Sabbatical in Bangkok for 12 months. Any important tips/info I should know about?

You're going to find the rhythm of Bangkok shifts dramatically by month. The first three months feel like a honeymoon, months four through seven are when the heat and traffic really test you, and by month eight you'll have your own regular spots and routines that make the city feel small and manageable.

For your tech projects, the True Digital Park in Ekkamai has a solid coworking space with reliable power and fiber internet. It's attached to a mall with cheap food options and a direct connection to the BTS skywalk, which matters more than you'd think during rainy season when the sidewalk flooding starts.

On the banking front, you can open a Kasikorn account with just your passport and a rental agreement from your condo. Do it at a branch inside a major mall like CentralWorld or Siam Paragon, the staff there handle foreign accounts every day and won't give you a hard time.

The air quality thing another comment mentioned is real but manageable. Get a Xiaomi air purifier from Lazada for about 3,000 baht and change the filter every three months. Your sinuses will thank you come March.

Don't ignore the local SIM situation. AIS has the best coverage in the city and their prepaid data plans are cheap enough that you don't need a postpaid contract. Just top up at any 7-Eleven and you're set for the whole year.

arrow_drop_up 19 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

one thing that really helps with the 12 month timeline is getting a condo with a decent gym or being near a public one like lumsini park's outdoor setup. the heat makes it hard to stay active otherwise and you'll feel it by month 4

for thai scan, grab a rabbit card for the bts and a mrt card for the subway. theyre separate systems which is annoying but beats queueing for single tickets every time. you can top up at any station machine with cash

the freelancer thing extends to massage places too. any shop on sukhumvit soi 4 or 7/1 with women sitting out front is not a real massage place. go to the ones in malls like health land or let's relax if you want actual thai massage

your tech projects will go smoother if you get a good vpn early. some sites and services are throttled or blocked here and it's not always obvious until you're in the middle of something. mullvad or nord work fine

learn the bts and mrt interchange stations like asok and siam by heart. getting those wrong can add 30 minutes to any trip and you'll curse yourself every time

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

fwiw the 12 month plan is smart because you'll actually hit all three seasons and see how the city changes. most tourists only get the "bangkok is hot" version but feb-may is brutal dry heat and oct-nov can flood random streets ankle deep

for the language school angle, duke is solid but try to practice at local markets like or tor kor or khlong toei early on. the vendors there won't switch to english on you which forces real learning. also your thai teacher prob wont teach you the rude words but you'll hear "ai hia" and "ee sat" within your first week at any soi

one thing nobody mentioned is the visa runs. if you're doing multiple 60 day tourist visas or the 30 day exemptions, keep a digital copy of your flight bookings and hotel addresses on your phone. immigration at suvarnabhumi sometimes asks random questions about your stay length and having proof helps avoid the secondary screening room

for your tech rn work, check out hubba or the hive for coworking. theyre cheaper than wework and have decent wifi. true has the best 5g coverage in the city if you need mobile data for backup. get a prepaid sim from 7-11 first then switch to a postpaid plan at a true shop when your visa is sorted

also the thai scan thing works with a tourist bank account. just go to a kasikorn branch with your passport

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

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.

arrow_drop_up 5 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

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.

arrow_drop_up 4 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply

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

arrow_drop_up 2 arrow_drop_down

chat_bubble Reply ios_share

/

Reply