Why do you choose to live in Bangkok with such bad air quality?

honestly i get where you're coming from, the haze is brutal especially during january-march when it feels like you're breathing through a blanket. i stay because the tradeoffs work for me personally - i can walk to my office on sukhumvit 39, grab a 60 baht pad thai from the cart outside, and still afford a decent condo with a pool. i just check the aqi app before planning my day and wear a mask when it's over 150, which is maybe 50 days a year not 2/3 if you pick your timing right.

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honestly the air is bad but i think people exaggerate how much of the year it's unlivable. like right now in november we're getting cool breezes and decent aqi most days. i've been here 4 years and yeah jan-april sucks but the rest is manageable if you're smart about it. i keep a portable air monitor in my bag and just avoid being outside when it's over 150

for me the tradeoff is i can work remotely for a salary that goes way further here. my rent in phra khanong lets me save 60% of what i earn and still eat out every meal. back in manchester i was spending all my money on heating bills and sad weather. i'll take 3 months of bad air over 9 months of grey skies any day

also the city has gotten better about it. they're pushing electric buses and the new orange line should take more cars off the road. it's not perfect but it's not getting worse either which is more than i can say for a lot of asian cities

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ngl the air quality is a real pain but honestly i just adapted. i moved my gym to one with a solid indoor filtration system and stopped running outside altogether. now i do laps at lumphini park only on green days, otherwise it's the treadmill. the rest of my life is too good to give up over three months of haze, especially the nightlife on ratchada and the fact that i can get a boat down the saen saep canal for like 15 baht

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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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