This page summary, takeaways, and transcript were generated
by AI from the video captions.
The video itself remains the source of truth.
Thailand offers a diverse and affordable lifestyle, with Bangkok providing a vibrant urban experience and the islands offering natural beauty, though navigating visa requirements and managing personal finances are key considerations for long-term stays.
The host, currently in Krabi, Thailand, discusses his upcoming trip to Bangkok for a visa extension and reflects on his time in Thailand. He mentions plans to visit Vietnam next, noting its cultural differences from Thailand. The conversation touches upon the process of renewing his US passport abroad and the complexities of obtaining a Vietnamese visa for Americans, highlighting Thailand's more straightforward entry requirements.
The discussion shifts to lifestyle and budgeting in Thailand, with the host assuring a viewer that a $5,000 monthly budget can afford a comfortable upper-middle-class lifestyle, especially outside of Bangkok. He contrasts Bangkok's variety with Pattaya's party-centric atmosphere, preferring Bangkok for its cultural diversity and normalcy. The host also addresses concerns about Chiang Mai's air quality, suggesting it's manageable with strategic travel during certain months.
Further insights are shared on island destinations like Koh Kood and Koh Samui, with a preference for less touristy options and a caution against relying on motorbikes. The host emphasizes the enduring appeal of Thailand, its friendly people, and a slower pace of life, which contrasts with the hurried Western lifestyle. He also touches upon the extreme heat during April and May and strategies for coping with it.
The latter part of the stream delves into specific Bangkok neighborhood recommendations, focusing on areas that are not overly touristy but remain accessible via public transport, such as Chatuchak and Ban Kapi. The host also discusses the cost of living, suggesting $20,000 USD for a year is feasible for a frugal traveler in many parts of Thailand, but more is needed for Bangkok or island living. He concludes by expressing his deep appreciation for Thailand and its culture, planning to continue streaming in the evenings.
The cost of living in Bangkok can vary significantly, but a frugal traveler might manage on around $20,000 USD per year. A more comfortable or luxurious lifestyle, especially in Bangkok or on the islands, will require a budget of $25,000+ annually.
For a comfortable upper-middle-class lifestyle in Thailand, a monthly budget of $5,000 USD is generally sufficient, particularly when living outside of Bangkok. However, for a more luxurious experience or if residing directly in Bangkok, higher expenses should be anticipated.
Bangkok offers a dynamic urban environment with extensive public transport, but its cost of living is higher than in other parts of Thailand. While still affordable compared to many Western cities, island living or a very high-end Bangkok experience will increase expenses.
Expats looking for accessible and less touristy areas in Bangkok might consider neighborhoods like Chatuchak or Ban Kapi. These areas are well-connected by public transport, offering a more local feel while still providing convenient access to the city's amenities.
Budgeting for Thailand involves considering your desired lifestyle and location. A frugal annual budget can be around $20,000 USD, but this increases for Bangkok or island living. Factor in costs for accommodation, transport, food, and potential visa runs or extensions.
The Thailand lifestyle cost is generally affordable, with a year of frugal living potentially costing around $20,000 USD. However, this can increase significantly for those seeking a more luxurious experience, living in major cities like Bangkok, or residing on popular islands.
The host mentions his visa extension in Thailand ends on July 15th. He plans to depart for Vietnam on that same day. He will not be in Thailand when viewers arrive in September.
0:05 Hey everybody, I thought I'd do an impromptu live stream here tonight in Krabby. Feel free to chime in. I know it's going to take some time for people to join in as I didn't announce this one, but I thought I'd just try doing a live stream at a different time. You can see it's just after sunset, and it's a beautiful night.
0:35 It's been pretty uneventful here in Krabby. I was on Philippines Antics earlier today and really enjoyed Heidi and George and some of their guests. Some guests can be quite mean-spirited at times, but I always learn a lot from them, especially when they have a mic on. I try to look at things in a positive way, and I feel like it's a real privilege to be able to live in this part of the world as a foreigner, to be able to learn about these cultures and these people.
1:41 It feels wild to be able to ask people who have this depth of experience, but then also can speak really great English about their countries. You learn a lot when you don't have the local language, but you're fortunate enough to know somebody that speaks your language. I really look forward to going back on there, hopefully with some nicer guests next time so we can have a more productive conversation.
2:43 I do apologize for this being a slower month on uploads, especially the last week or two. I have been dealing with some issues with my neck, and that's kind of set me back a little bit. My neck's feeling better, and I should be getting back on a better upload schedule next month. I have some solid topics I want to cover.
3:05 Sometimes I'll have a topic that really sticks out to me, like, 'Man, this is going to be a really good one.' I've got one that I think is going to be really good that I'll probably shoot tomorrow and try to have it done by tomorrow night. It may have to come out Monday if I have to stay up too late working on it tomorrow night. I may be busy tomorrow, but it'll come out this week. I'm really looking forward to that one; I think it'll be valuable for a lot of people.
3:55 I am going to Bangkok next week for my B6 extension and I'm trying to decide how long I want to stay in Bangkok this time, anywhere from three days up to a week. I go back and forth on it because sometimes Bangkok can be overwhelming. The hustle and bustle, the population, the smells, the sights, the sounds – it's sensory overload. It's nice because I get to see some of my Thai friends that live in Bangkok, but it does take a lot out of me.
4:29 I'm trying to figure out where I want to go after this final visa extension. I've heard Hen is pretty spread out and not so friendly to someone preferring a pedestrian way of doing things. I'm looking at Chiang Mai, but the air quality index is still not looking too good. My first time in Chiang Mai was in May of 2018, and it seemed like things had improved, but right now it's still pretty smoky.
5:15 The rain will hopefully bring the air quality down some in the next week or so. Bangkok is significantly better right now, and I just have a lot to think about when it comes to next steps and where I want to go next. I'm basically planning my last stretch of time here in Thailand, for I'm not sure when the next time I'll be able to be back.
5:47 My plan is to go to Vietnam when my final visa extension expires in mid-July. I'm looking at flying to Vietnam; I've never been, but I've had a lot of friends go and really enjoy it. I think that's going to be a really interesting place to be.
6:13 I've heard it's different than Thailand because Thailand is in the Indosphere, more influenced by India, whereas Vietnam is in the Sinosphere, more influenced by China. So, it has kind of more Chinese roots in its culture and the way they do things. I think that'll provide an interesting contrast to Thailand.
6:41 Welcome, we've got a viewer and a thumbs up. Feel free to chime in with any questions or thoughts or comments that you have. I'm happy to answer or respond to whatever is on your mind. Something else I'm dealing with right now is that I need to renew my US Passport. I don't want to wait until the next time I'm back in the States because renewal takes about four months there, but abroad they can get it done in a few weeks.
7:13 I'm trying to decide if I want to do that in Vietnam. I don't know if I'll enjoy it or not, and I don't know if I want to go through that process in Vietnam and need to be kind of diligent about being by the mailbox for mailing. The places where you can do that renewal are in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. I want to go to Da Nang, but I'm not as interested in the big cities.
7:52 I need to get that done, so do I want to go get a place in Da Nang for a month, then as soon as I check in, mail my passport up and pay the renewal fee online, and then wait for it to come in to make further plans? There's always that nervousness in the back of your mind, like, 'Okay, I really need to have my passport on me at all times,' but I've got to also renew it. Being kind of passport-less, I could imagine, will be a bit of an anxious feeling.
8:33 I think that would be a good feeling when I have that done because that'll give me a passport with 10 years of validity, as opposed to my current passport which is down to a little more than a year's validity. To me, it's like one of the most valuable or important things my country's ever given me.
9:03 So, yeah, I need to get that done, and then it's kind of a decision-making process. Do I want to stay in Vietnam after I get that done? I'm looking at the 90-day e-visa for Vietnam, which runs about $50 for multiple entry. I think they elect to give you 90 on arrival, so I think maybe I'll have to ask for it. I need to do a little more research on that.
9:28 Vietnam has the trickiest visa process in Southeast Asia for Americans. Thailand gives 30 days on arrival, Cambodia gives 30 days on arrival or you pay $35 for visa on arrival. The Philippines gives 30 days and you can extend it as much as you want. Indonesia gives 30 days on arrival. But with Vietnam, you have to apply in advance and fill out your forms exactly right, because if you mess something up, you're not going to get the visa.
10:08 I've heard a lot of people say they have to pay like a rush fee, paying a pretty high fee on arrival, like hundreds of dollars, to be able to get in. If they don't pay that, then they'll need to either go back home or go to another country. That's something I want to avoid, so I'm going to be sending my visa application probably late next week after I get my final visa extension in Thailand.
10:34 I know I'm good to go for the next two and a half months in Thailand. Then I'll apply for that Vietnam visa, get it approved, and then buy my plane ticket to Vietnam. I'll book all my accommodation, and I still don't have any leads on a new job. Depending on how long that stretches out in Vietnam, I'm trying to think of where I might want to go after Vietnam.
11:01 That's something I'll discuss down the line, but it's really an interesting time, and I'm loving my time in Southeast Asia. I don't want it to come to a close because it's just such a happy part of the world for me. I feel so much calmer over here, so much healthier, so much happier.
11:21 I know for a fact that if you guys see me back in the work grind, I'm going to just be tired and kind of have a burnout feeling, to be honest. But it is necessary until I hit certain wealth numbers to just keep it up and keep making an effort and going all in.
11:42 Feel free to jump into the discussion. We've got not a lot going on in the chat, so if either of you folks wants to share anything on your mind or thoughts, then I'm always happy to engage and discuss it.
12:06 It's about 7:00 PM here in Krabby, Thailand, and this month has flown by. I just can't believe how fast it's gone.
12:21 I'll be flying up to Bangkok on Wednesday. I'll have to get up early Wednesday morning and grab a cab to the Krabby airport and then fly to Bangkok. I'll then go to my language school. I'll take the MRT from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
12:55 I'll get my paperwork, and then I'm trying to decide, depending on the timing there. I think I get to Bangkok around 11:30 AM. I'll probably get my paperwork around noon, 12:30. Then I may go down to Thonburi. I've been wanting to check that neighborhood out for a while; I've never been down there before.
13:17 I've spent almost all of my time in Bangkok east of the river, and I've spent several months total in Bangkok, so I really want to do some stuff west of the river before I leave Thailand. There's this whole other part of the city over there that I feel it's rare for tourists to get to see, and it's going to provide an interesting contrast to the main line that a lot of tourists see, probably a lot of you guys if you come to Bangkok, that'll be your first area that you're exposed to because that's where they have...
13:48 It's really like one of the busiest or most dynamic parts of the city. You've got all these shopping malls, big condo buildings, and different sois. It's just really vibrant and interesting.
14:08 But there are other parts of Bangkok as well. One area that I've become more familiar with, just due to immigration runs, is the north side of the city. That's kind of interesting, and I just haven't seen much of the west of Bangkok.
14:28 I did have what I call an LDR with the Tioman in South Bangkok, but I never made it down there before things ended with her. That was kind of disappointing. I would like to see South Bangkok at some point.
15:06 When are you leaving Thailand? Great question. I'll be leaving Thailand on July 15th. I've been in touch with my school and I'll just throw it in the chat there. That's the last date of my visa validity.
15:25 That's a Monday, and I'll have to go in probably the Thursday or Friday beforehand to immigration. Well, first, I'll go to my language school and get a letter. I'll take that letter to immigration.
15:40 I don't know what kind of background check they do. I guess they just scan my passport name and number in the system to make sure nothing is coming up out of the ordinary.
15:52 And then once I get that letter from them, basically it's like exit clearance. I know that's what they call it in the Philippines, but they give me that exit permission.
16:00 I take that exit permission with me when I go to the airport, and then I can show that to immigration when I go to fly.
16:29 I got here June 30th of last year, so that'll mark a year and two weeks this time around in Thailand. I just have so much gratitude to be able to have been here for that amount of time. It's just been such a special experience.
16:45 Trey Graphics FTE says, 'Hey bro, appreciate your videos.' Thank you so much, Trey. I really appreciate that. I want to ask, do you think a month allowance of $5,000 can afford an upper-middle-class lifestyle in Thailand?
16:59 Yeah, $5,000, you're falling out. I mean, you could rent a really nice place in Bangkok for that. That's about $160 a day, which is about 6,000 baht per day.
17:21 With that amount, yeah, I mean, the challenge there is, do you want to do one month in one city, or do you want to do like 10 days in three different places?
17:33 If I had the $5,000 budget for one month and I was here on vacation, yes. You're not into partying and drinking, but just want a nice area, safe, and chill lifestyle? Yeah, you'll be fine on that amount.
17:46 I don't know if that's including your flight price, I'm assuming not, but you'll be fine with that amount. I would struggle outside of Bangkok to spend that amount of money.
18:01 Actually, like when I first went to Chennai, I spent around $2,300 in a month, and that was me going out of my way to spend money. I was consciously doing it because I knew I was just there for a month and I was like, 'Ah, this is so economical compared to the Bay Area,' that I'm just gonna go out and try to spend money.
18:19 So I'd get a massage every day, I'd have sushi every other day. Sometimes I have sushi five, six days in a row until I got tired of it. With that amount of money, you'll be fine.
18:37 Yeah, I think I'm more of a settling for six months out of the year and maybe go back to the US for the other half. You'll want to, Trey, you will want to look at some kind of language visa, maybe a Mu Thai visa for six months.
18:51 I know for Americans, we can get, I think it's like three months. I think you pay, you get your initial 30-day tourist visa, and then you can extend it once for 60 days. I'm not 100% certain.
19:12 So you'll want to just get clarity on the visa situation before you plan for that. And I know sometimes I've heard after so much time, they're not as much of a fan of people doing the ED B year after year.
19:23 But yeah, it's definitely at that price point, you'll have no issues. You'll be able to live in a really nice, modern building. You'll be able to eat whatever you want. You'll be able to have plenty of entertainment.
19:40 I think you'll be fine with that. I think you'll really enjoy it. If I were you, and on that amount, I would look at some of the city center neighborhoods in Bangkok.
19:52 Like on, I'd even look on the Sukhumvit line. I mean, without that amount, you could be in some of the most convenient neighborhoods in the city that have a lot of the things that you'd like to spend money on.
20:06 But you'd also have a base where you could travel out to different parts of the city very easily on the BTS or the MRT. So if you wanted to go check out, you know, some other parts of the city, you want to check out Chinatown.
20:20 You want to check out, there's some weird places I've been in Bangkok that don't really have any tourist value, but are just really cool to me. Turn it out, like BCI is not really a place I would send tourists out in, kind of East Bangkok, but a cool neighborhood nonetheless.
20:39 With that amount, you know, you'd also consider that yeah, you could afford to take a lot of taxis. But sometimes, something I keep in mind is that traffic can get so bad in Bangkok that at times it will be much faster for you to take some kind of like Metro Rail or BTS.
21:07 DH Kim says, 'You love Chiang Mai, but the air quality there is a big worry.' Yeah, the air quality is only an issue, DH Kim, a few months out of the year. To me, it's perfect because I like vacations and breaks anyway. I tend to get some cabin fever if I'm in the same city for too long without a break.
21:25 For me, it's like, okay, if I were to live in Chiang Mai long-term, like let's say I get to 50, I think at 50, I'd qualify for a retirement visa. This would be about 18 years from now for myself. Then what I would do is I would rent a place in Chiang Mai and then every February, I would go off and travel either outside of Thailand or I'd travel to the south of Thailand.
21:47 I'm in Krabi right now. The air quality is great. Let me look that up actually. Krabi AQI. Yeah, so it's like 63, so much better than Shanghai right now.
22:04 But yeah, that air quality thing, to me, it's somewhat overblown. I guess it would suck if you have kids and they're in school and you can't just leave for that time. But for me, I don't have kids, I don't have a significant other, so I don't look at it as a big impediment at all.
22:20 I love Chiang Mai, I miss Chiang Mai, but it's nice to get a break from that. It's nice to see something different. I've been able to meet some interesting people here in Krabi that I wouldn't have met otherwise.
22:33 Like my roommate is actually from Japan, and he speaks fantastic English. So I've been learning all this stuff about Japan from him and really enjoying that time. He's somebody who prefers to live here, and so I get it, a different perspective on the country.
22:51 And I also get out of that sort of cabin fever sometimes if I'm in the same place. I got this in San Francisco as well, for too long without a break, without seeing something different, doing something different, then I just get stressed out, bored, kind of listless. Every day kind of looks the same.
23:09 Especially in a tropical environment where the weather doesn't really change as much, or a Mediterranean climate like back in California. The weather just doesn't change much, so I need to break up my routine. Fortunately, in Thailand, it's very cheap to fly to other parts of the country.
23:25 My flight from Chiang Mai to Hai was like 2,000 baht, so under $60 to fly from almost the far north of the country to almost the farthest southern point of the country. And it was very different.
23:40 Hatyai and Chiang Mai are very, very different. Hatyai has like tons of tourists from Malaysia. You have a Chinese population that I think is bigger than the Chinese population in Chiang Mai. And I learned a lot from getting out of Chiang Mai, even though it's like my security blanket, my place where I feel happy.
24:03 I needed to see something different. Trey Graphics FTE says, 'Would you prefer Bangkok to Pattaya?' Absolutely. Pattaya to me is like has a Las Vegas vibe. And if you're into partying, I think there's arguably no better city in the world for partying and having a good time.
24:32 Pattaya, it's in some ways, it feels more 24/7 to me than Bangkok because I would go out walking in Pattaya at like 1, 2 in the morning, sometimes just going out for a bite to eat, and you see there's still lively late at night. There's still people walking around.
24:47 I remember going to the convenience store at like two o'clock in the morning, it'd be full. So Pattaya, you have such a party atmosphere that there's always something to do, there's always activity, there's always people hanging out. But I'm not as much of a partyer these days.
25:07 Ten years ago, I think I would have loved Pattaya. When I was in my early 20s, I was kind of, I don't know if I'd say wild, but I really liked to go out and do a lot.
25:18 And so I would say, if you're not into that, you're going to find a lot more variety in Bangkok. When I was in Pattaya, I felt bored at times because that's not as much for me, and I didn't feel like I could really take advantage of the lifestyle that Pattaya offers.
25:36 Jomtien is a bit better. Jomtien is not quite so party-centric, so party-focused. It's a little bit slower, but it still has some of that like atmosphere that I think people either love it or hate it.
25:47 I didn't like the some of the aspects of Pattaya where you're not going to feel like a local person. It's not that I feel like a local in Bangkok, but in Pattaya, it can be such a transactional city that you're probably going to struggle to make some of those connections.
26:12 I struggle to make some of those connections that I think are easier to make elsewhere in Thailand. I found that when you are in Pattaya, people assume you're there to party and spend money. So, you're always going to have people coming up to you asking, 'Hey, do you want to come in this business? Hey, do you want a massage? Hey, do you want to eat this food? Do you want to go this? Do you want a tour?' And that kind of like constantly getting solicited for tourism. I understand it, like the city runs on tourism. I do not fault them at all. Pattaya is one of the most popular places to go in Thailand, even in the world, and in Southeast Asia.
26:47 But I think if you're wanting a more normal lifestyle, you're gonna have an easier time in Bangkok. Because in Bangkok, you've got a world city. In Bangkok, you have people there for all kinds of different reasons. You have people coming there for international business. You have people coming there for romance or trying to meet a significant other. You have people that are there because they're really into Thai culture, and Bangkok has a ton of really cool, unique Thai culture that is concentrated because you have people that come to Bangkok from all over the country, and they bring their unique elements of Thailand to the capital city.
27:34 That's why in Bangkok, you know, I have some friends in Bangkok that originally they're from Chiang Rai. So, her family moved down to Bangkok for work opportunities. So even though she's technically Thai, she's technically in Bangkok, she looks more like a person from Chiang Rai and she has a Chiang Rai accent. And she's a nice person.
28:07 A lot of travel bloggers go to Pattaya or Phra Tamnak, you know. I think it's a place where you're guaranteed to get some level of interest. Thailand attracts a lot of different kinds of people. And so, some people, they're going to fly to Thailand and they're going to head straight down to Pattaya because they want to, as soon as they get here to Thailand, be having that kind of party atmosphere, that kind of party lifestyle. And a lot of vloggers are attracted to that.
28:44 I partied some when I first came to Chiang Mai six years ago, but after a while, like, you know, back home, I was often partying to escape my problems. I was stressed out, didn't like my job, I didn't like my relationship, I didn't like, um, whatever was going on in my life at the time. And so on the weekend, I'd party and blow off steam. But as I've gotten older, I found better ways to cope with stress and better ways to meet other people. And I'm just happier on my own than I was when I was younger as well.
29:21 And so that's where Pattaya loses some of that appeal. It's that it doesn't, it's so westernized that it's almost like if you go to the United States and you go to Disney World. There's nothing wrong with Disney World. I've been to Disney World as a kid several times. It's a lovely place for people who want to have a good time. I struggle to see it as friendly to long-term stays.
29:54 Sure, some people love it. I know some of my subs, they love Pattaya and they love spending time down there. But it kind of wore on me after a while, just a constant party atmosphere where I lose track of Thailand a lot. But in Pattaya, I really lost track of time because it's a party atmosphere every single day. I mean, I was in there in the slow season last summer, and even in the slow season, it still has that kind of party atmosphere.
30:22 And it's also, you've got a lot of people coming to Pattaya to make money because they're from a place in Thailand that doesn't have as much industry. And like a lot of the massage therapists that I worked with in Pattaya that helped to do sports massage for me, they were almost always, if not always, from other parts of Thailand. So they came to Pattaya specifically to work and to earn money.
30:50 And it does have a kind of a lonely vibe to be honest. Pattaya does have this kind of lonely vibe under the surface. It's such a transient place, too. Like, you'll notice a lot of the people are coming in and coming out. They're coming in, having a great time for a week or two, and then they're leaving to go back home to their home country, or maybe they're going to a different country.
31:20 Well, I will say, you know, TR Graphics, Pattaya is not really. I'm not sure where you're from, by the way, if you're from the US or perhaps Australia, UK. How do I explain this? It's not necessarily a place where you want to go swimming. You might want to just take a look at some of the water quality because it's not going to be like Florida. I've been to Florida a bunch and spent a lot of time at some of the beaches in Florida. And in Thailand, you have to be at least in Pattaya, you have to be a little bit more careful about the quality in the water.
32:02 I'm not here to crap on Pattaya. A lot of people do criticize Pattaya and critique the people that live there because of the nightlife scene. I admit, because I've been to so many different beaches, that it's not a place that I would want to swim in the water. But that doesn't detract from the nightlife scene. To be honest, I feel like we're spoiled by beaches in the United States. America has some of the nicest beaches in the world, whether you're in Florida, you're in Hawaii, you're in California. Pristine beaches that are gorgeous to look at, like something out of a movie.
32:44 And Pattaya just, well, you know, they're super developed, right? So like the beaches tend to be a bit more crowded. And then also, you're not too far from industry. And so I wouldn't necessarily recommend thinking that you'll go down there and go swimming. If you're wanting to get more in the water, I would say look at other places in Thailand, like the Thai islands, also areas near Krabi where I'm at now.
33:15 Pattaya, the bigger appeal is the nightlife, the entertainment, the party scene. It does have that Vegas feeling, not so much kind of like a tropical beach destination. I was surprised by that, by the way. I've never been to Pattaya before last summer, and I was kind of surprised that you don't really see people swimming a lot. You don't really see people in the water as much.
33:39 I saw it a bit at Koh Larn. I will admit, like Koh Larn is an island where you go to the pier in Pattaya, and it's like 30 baht each way. It's definitely subsidized, which is really wonderful that they make it subsidized and affordable. But you could take that 30 baht bus or ferry ride over to Koh Larn. And I did see people swimming over there.
34:04 And it's like, would you want to rent a place in Pattaya and then be going back and forth all the time to Koh Larn? I don't think so.
34:42 But, uh, yeah, feel free everybody. We've got eight folks on here. Feel free to chime in with any thoughts or questions that you have. Just enjoying a nice evening here in Krabi. I've plugged my laptop in to charge.
34:55 Yeah, I spent August in Pattaya, and it was definitely slower than my condo or my apartment I rented was cheap. It was like, I think it was the cheapest place I've rented in Thailand. It was 5,000 baht for a studio, and this was in between Pattaya and Jomtien, right on the bus line. So, really convenient. I could hop on a 10 baht bus to go to either Pattaya or down to Jomtien.
35:37 Koh Kood is the best beach in Thailand, but it's a pain to get to. I believe that my favorite, one of my favorite bloggers, Gabriel Traveler, he loves Koh Kood. He's done some videos on Koh Kood, and that's definitely on my list. Koh Kood.
36:00 I don't know if I'll make it to the islands this trip. That maybe something I do for my next trip. Next time I come to Thailand, I'll focus on some of the islands because, I don't know, to me, I've heard that some islands can be quite touristic, and I tend to get a bit of island fever as well. Like, I spent some time on an island in Mexico, and after a while, I feel like I tend to get a little bit trapped, feeling like, 'Ah, where am I going to go? I'm on this rock.'
36:34 And that's where islands sometimes can be a little bit claustrophobic feeling to me. But that being said, they're gorgeous. And I didn't feel that in the Philippines. I don't know if it's because the islands are bigger in the Philippines. Personally, I think that this is like one of my, I don't know if I can call it a secret, but my favorite islands in the world that I've ever been to, or place that has that island vibe, is the Philippines. It's you have so many pristine, untouched beaches, and they're gorgeous, like something out of a movie.
37:08 I'll actually share really quick. I'll share Koh Kood. This is one of my favorite places in the world that I'll share with you. This island is gorgeous. So, this is the main island in the background here, Koh Kood. And then you take like a little boat over this island, and you go swimming in the waters here. And I saw all kinds of fish. I mean, it's, I saw like clownfish and a lot of other species I didn't recognize. But it's incredible. This tops anything I've ever been to anywhere in the world and a lot of places I've seen as well. And it's just so undiscovered.
38:03 And I think the future of this place will become super popular. Like it's just, you take these are the boats that you ride on. It kind of changes shape a little bit like as the tides change. And it's just so beautiful. And I hope to go back at some point to Koh Kood again. It's really stunning.
38:44 Trey Graphics says, 'What part of Thailand has the most English-speaking population? I do plan on learning the language, but would like to have some wiggle room as I learn.' I would say, Trey Graphics, Bangkok, the islands, and Pattaya as well. Bangkok and the south of Thailand, broadly speaking, are going to be your best bet. Hat Yai, well, I wouldn't recommend it for your purposes. It has a lot of English too because of the proximity to Malaysia, where they do have a lot of English in Malaysia. But I would look at, if I were you, Bangkok or the islands. I think those are going to be your best bet. And Pattaya as well. But if you're not as much of a party guy, then Bangkok and the islands.
39:28 Bangkok and the islands are going to offer more of that English without necessarily that party atmosphere that you may just not be as into. DH Kim says, "I heard H is good for a weekend." That's kind of my next spot. I'm interested in my next spot. I am seeing that it's a popular place for tourists, but that there's not as much going on. I've heard it's kind of like the anti-Pattaya in a way, and that it's also on the Gulf of Thailand.
40:00 It's across the gulf. They used to have a ferry that went from Puen to Pattaya, which I think would be kind of interesting to take. It's not currently running; I think they closed it during COVID. But I want to go check it out and see what it's about. I worry that I'll get bored there after a week or two because it's one of the more low-key places in Thailand. But I feel the same way about Chiang Mai, and Chiang Mai is one of my favorite cities, so I don't know if I will consider it a downgrade or not as good.
40:37 But yeah, great point. It's a really popular, beautiful city, and I think it'll be interesting to see just like, do I like that slowed-down vibe? I think it'd be a great place for me to make videos because if it's quiet, then I have a lot of places I can go check out and shoot. Whereas here in Krabi, it can be a little bit harder to shoot because there's a main drag from where I'm staying down to the beach, and walking along that main drag, there's a lot of traffic. That could kind of make it hard to shoot because I don't like listening to super loud videos where you hear a lot of stuff going on in the background.
41:16 So I don't like to make super loud videos, and some of those can be a little bit more challenging to make here in Krabi. Whereas I feel like if Hua Hin is not as busy, then it'll provide more opportunities to shoot.
41:36 Trey says, "Thanks for the info, everyone. Just looking for a place to semi-retire at a low cost of living. Clean air and decent internet are my main concerns." Yeah, in that case, you mentioned clean air. It seems like to me, just based on what you're talking about, that the islands are going to be your best bet. I would look at some of the different islands. I'd research.
42:16 I'd recommend checking out places like Koh Kood, Koh Chang, Koh Samet. You have kind of a scale where you have the least touristic islands and then you have the most touristic islands. I would say Samui is up toward the top as far as being more touristic. There's a scale, and as you go down the scale, you would get less and less touristic.
42:37 Those are what I would look at for you because you're going to have clean air. You're going to have more English. You're gonna have a lot of conveniences that are catering to Western tourists on the islands. You're going to have, like, if you want to train Muay Thai, you're going to have plenty of that. If you want to have Western-style food, you're going to have that.
42:58 Some of the bigger islands, you'll have an airport, so if you want to jet away for a quick weekend, go check out Chiang Mai or make a run up to Bangkok. Some of the popular things, maybe check out a national park if you want to get away. Some of the bigger islands are going to offer you an airport where you're able to fly to these places, and some will also offer ferries where if you want to see a different island, you could hop on a ferry and you'll be able to go and see something quite a bit different.
43:30 Hi Jay, salute! Nice to see you. Jay, I hope you're doing well tonight or today. I'm not sure what time it is in your part of the world, but yeah, feel free, everybody, to chime in and share any questions or thoughts that you have. I think we'll go for another 20 minutes or so.
44:40 Feel free to chime in with any questions or comments or thoughts that you have. I'm just here in Krabi for a few more days. I want to check out Riley Beach Monday. Probably go down to Railay on Monday, and that's like a you take a longtail boat over to it.
45:06 Actually, why don't I show that? It's yeah, so this is where I'm wanting to go on Monday, and you just take one of these longtail boats over there. It's supposed to be really beautiful and gorgeous. They are having some jellyfish issues right now, so not a place you'd swim, but really stunning.
45:38 You can only access this beach by boat, so it's not a place you can just walk over to. You have to take a boat around these cliffs here, and then you get to the beach. They've got like some bars and some resorts and some restaurants, and just a nice place to go.
45:57 It's just super hot right now. That's part of what's been keeping me indoors this month is just how hot it is here in Thailand right now. April and May are the hottest months in Southeast Asia, and I'm definitely feeling it. Just walking down the street, I'll be covered in sweat, and so it can be a little bit intimidating or overwhelming for people who aren't accustomed or acclimated to Thai.
46:38 But yeah, throw any questions or comments or thoughts you have down in the chat. I'm always happy to engage or respond to whatever anybody shares.
47:08 I think we're starting to see the start of the rainy season here. That's been interesting. The rainy season will help things cool off because the humidity and the temperature seem to come down after a hard rain. We had some rain at night a couple nights ago; it hasn't rained since then, but hopefully, we'll start to see more rain in the coming weeks.
47:37 A lot of beautiful lightning too. I've been able to watch from my place here in Krabi, just look out the window and see the beautiful lightning strikes. Thailand is just so gorgeous and it's such a pleasant place to live. It's peaceful in a lot of ways. It's special, and I'm really glad that I've committed to a year over here.
48:03 How long are you in Thailand? So I came here last summer, and I'll be here until this summer. Then this summer, I'll be headed out. So when I leave, I have been here for a little over a year. This has been my third, well, third or fourth trip to Thailand. I first came about six years ago and fell in love with the place.
48:29 I was thinking, what can I do to live over there? How can I change things up or learn new skills or save some money to go stay in Thailand for a while? I had some friends my age from America who were living here and are still living here actually. We're here six years later, and they still love Thailand and have been living here the whole time. They do periodic trips back home to see family.
48:55 The first time that I came here was six years ago for a month. I came here in late 2019, then I came here in early 2020. I was actually here at the start of COVID, and then I came back last summer, so 2023. So I guess this would be my fourth time in Thailand and a total of one year. I'm so glad because it's just such a beautiful, special place.
49:37 Where did you go, Pinto? Where did you go in Thailand for one month? Yeah, Demry, I don't know if I blocked Nat at some point. I'm not seeing his messages. I have had some trolls, and I'm pretty quick to cut them out because I see where tolerating trolling leads, and it doesn't lead to a good place.
50:01 A lot of people think, "Oh well, they're just disagreeing." I'm not picking on that, by the way. But like, I don't have a low tolerance for it because I do this channel for fun. I haven't actually made a penny from this channel, and it's cost me. I don't know when it will turn profitable, so to speak. I spent quite a bit on equipment and things like that, and it's just a passion project of mine to connect with people.
50:30 Anything that can kind of sour the experience, I want to avoid. I enjoy doing this, and I'm willing to put my foot down as needed because if I stopped enjoying it, I wouldn't do it. I actually enjoy this. I enjoy connecting with a lot of you. I also have seen like Heidi this morning; she was upset because they had this awful troll, and he just went off on her. First, he started making fun of one of the guests, Bruce, who's a nice guy; he was insulting Bruce about his teeth. Then he was insulting Heidi about her weight.
51:11 There are a lot of crazy expats out there. I never run into issues with Thai people, really nothing major. The issues that you're going to run into in this part of the world, you're going to deal with expats most of the time. I was watching one channel I'm a fan of, and he said a Thai cab driver might overcharge you a little bit, but a foreigner will sell you a business that does not exist. So if anybody is the person for you to watch out for, I would say be cautious around the foreigners that you encounter abroad.
51:51 Demry says, "Honestly though, the time it takes to learn these languages is not worth it." Yeah, Demry, I don't have the capability. I'm 31 now; I'm just not as quick at grasping languages. I put a lot of effort into my Thai classes, but it's just very difficult. It's very, very difficult, and you're talking about a language that can't really be used outside of Thailand.
52:14 If I was going to learn a language, I would either go in for Spanish classes, which I already have some basic Spanish from living in Latin America for about six months, or I'd learn Mandarin Chinese, or I'd learn like Hindi. I would learn one of the most popular or most prevalent languages in the world, maybe Japanese, because I am part Japanese. But I think that it's best to just go for the bigger languages because those are going to get you more bang for your buck.
52:42 Thai is a very beautiful and interesting language, but if my fortunes change, if things change, if I don't settle down like if I get to the age of retirement and I don't retire in Thailand, then I wouldn't be able to really use the language.
52:58 Pinto says, "I took one month. I went to Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Samet, Koh Samui, and Chiang Mai."
53:04 Pinto, you went to Bangkok, Koh Phangan, and Chiang Mai. That sounds wonderful. What was your favorite of the four places that you went to? Was there a place that really stuck out to you? Was this your first time in Thailand? I'm always curious about my viewers and subscribers.
53:24 Dem says, "I'm with you, man. I'm in Korea and I know a decent amount that it takes intensive study to get fluent." Yeah, and I find too, even with intensive study, the characters are very difficult to learn. So to actually be able to write the language is quite difficult, and I just struggled with it. It's also the pacing. I felt like the classes, I would need to invest in private lessons, and I don't know if I'd be willing to make the time or the money commitment to private lessons to get that strong understanding of Thai.
53:57 I get some basics, like I have Thai friends that teach me some basic Thai and help me learn. I'm able to get by on some basic words like 'nit noi,' which is a little bit. Of course, I know how to say thank you, I know how to say delicious, a few words will go a long way in Thailand. There's a lot that I could express in Thailand with very, very limited Thai.
54:27 I use 'delicious' more times than I could count because I'm trying this delicious fruit and smoothies and food and all this stuff. But I just constantly find people saying, 'Delicious!' It's delicious.
54:41 Yes, first time there. Chiang Mai was amazing, very spiritual place. Pinto, the temples are incredible in Chiang Mai. Did you visit Doi Suthep? Doi Suthep is one of the most beautiful temples I've ever been to in the world. It's just gorgeous on the side of a mountain.
55:36 They're hundreds of years old, and you learn so much about the history of Thailand through the context of Buddhism. And you get a beautiful view of the city.
55:55 So about Koh Samui, I have some friends that live in Koh Samui. They've been living there for about a year and they've invited me to come stay with them, and I'd love to go see them. But for me, I worry that if I go to places that are too touristic, I will lean too much on that tourism aspect and I won't have as much time to research the culture and the history.
56:51 Also, I like variety. I like a lot of variety in my experience, and I find that when I focus too much on the tourism destination, I don't necessarily get the amount of variety that I want to experience. Not to cut down Koh Samui, one of the most beautiful islands in the world. You've got people from all over the world that are living there and spending time there.
57:16 Another part, to be totally fair, is I'm not a motorbike driver. So I've heard for a lot of the islands, you really need to be willing to ride a motorbike, and that's something that I'm not willing to do. And so, while it is very beautiful and you've got a lot of nature and a lot of interesting things to see, then you're a little bit limited if you're not willing to ride a motorbike.
57:46 I don't feel that is much the case in a place like Chiang Mai, where I can hop on the songthaew or I can just go walking. I have friends that have cars in Chiang Mai too, so if we hang out, I'll just hop in their car and ride with them. In Koh Samui, if you're not willing to ride, you're kind of limited there, and it can be very dangerous for inexperienced people like myself to be riding a motorbike.
58:10 Pinto says, "Yes, I also didn't rent one when I was there. It's very, very popular to rent a motorbike for tourists that are coming to Thailand, but I also think it can be really quite risky and not good for inexperienced drivers." And yeah, so you were dependent on the baht tracks. Some people feel like it's a little bit of a bummer to have to be dependent on the baht truck. But for me, my safety is most important.
58:41 I want to come to Thailand for many, many years ahead. It's easily among my most favorite countries in the world. I don't want to get in a rush. I'm not in a rush to see Thailand. I feel like even after a year here, I've just scratched the surface. There are still some places that I really want to see that I haven't seen: Chiang Rai, some of the islands, and also some of the cities that are not as popular for tourism.
59:06 One of my subscribers mentioned that he lives in Khon Kaen. I'd like to go see Khon Kaen at some point. Not a place with much English, not a place with as much tourism, but a very interesting city, a Thai city that will provide me yet another glimpse into this kind of mysterious place.
59:26 I haven't lost the magic, by the way. Thailand to me is even better than when I got here a year ago because I'm learning more about the culture and the people, and I just love it. I think some people do lose the magic, but that hasn't been the case for me at all.
59:52 I noticed with a lot of long-term Thai expats, like my buddy here, you know, the magic just grows for them. They just like it more over time. They connect with more Thai people, they see more of the country, they learn more about the culture, the language, the way they do things here.
1:00:13 It's just such a special place. I mean, Thai people are among the nicest people I've ever met in my life, and they have so much to teach me coming from the West, where we're always in a hurry, we're rushed, we're trying to get things done and move things forward and be productive. We have all these things that we have to get done, and we're hurrying around.
1:00:37 You come here, and people are laid-back and calm, and they still work hard, but they don't always have this nagging kind of agitation that we see in the West at times. There's so much for us to learn from Thai people and the way that they conduct themselves, the way that they're close to their families, the way that they make the best of difficult situations, the patience that they extend to everyone, the non-judgmental attitudes that they have.
1:01:10 I could go on and on about how much I enjoy being here and how much I've learned from being here, and Thailand will always have a piece of my heart. Let me put it that way.
1:01:26 Well, we're getting past the hour mark. I did want to move toward wrapping things up. I appreciate everyone who's joined us tonight. Thank you so much for helping me with this wonderful discussion. I hope it's been helpful for you as well.
1:01:42 Definitely give us a thumbs up if you haven't already. It helps to get this out to more viewers. And if you haven't subscribed, you're watching this on a replay, would love it if you'd subscribe and join us if this content is valuable and you'd like to see more content like it.
1:02:00 But yeah, feel free, everybody, Pinto, Demmy, anyone else watching, to chime in and share any thoughts or questions. In closing, happy to tackle remaining topics for everyone.
1:02:43 Any weekend plans? Anybody have any interesting? Oh, sure, Pinto, feel free to drop your question below. Happy to answer it for you.
1:03:40 Regarding one year trying a new place, I always wonder if it is feasible with a small budget. Pinto, depends on how small your budget is. I estimated around $20,000 for the year in Thailand. That's not all the resources that I have. I'm not going to specify my assets or net worth or anything like that. I probably undershot that, to be honest. I'm a pretty frugal traveler. I have very basic needs. I enjoy having a quiet place to read and to learn online, to study.
1:04:19 I enjoy a fairly simple lifestyle. So $20K may seem like not much at all to some people. I know one viewer mentioned he's planning on $5,000 per month over here, whereas other people would say, 'Oh wow, how could you spend $1,500 per month? That's so much money.' So, small is always important to quantify.
1:04:42 Jomtien seemed very cheap when I was there. Yeah, I'd say Jomtien probably has the cheapest rents of anywhere I've been in Thailand. Tons of options, tons of choices, especially in the low season. This city seems to be built up for peak season to have as much opportunity for people to come in and enjoy themselves in peak season. But certainly in low season, you've got cheap rents.
1:05:09 Yeah, I would say, quantify your small budget. For me, I felt fine saying, you know what, I've got this $20K, I can afford to spend it. I may not spend all of it, but it's there. I've gotten a good variety, of course. I'm not as I'm a person who needs to be in Bangkok. If I needed to be in Bangkok, I would want more than $20K. I'd probably want more like $25K for a year. If I wanted to live in the islands, I'd probably need more like $25K a year. You're gonna have more expensive rent and food in the islands. In Bangkok, not to mention, transportation will also be pricier.
1:05:46 But I found it to be, you know, this $20K mark is fine for Pattaya, assuming you're not super into NT or Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. I think you could do just fine with that amount here in Krabi as well. Hot Yi, you could do Hot Yi on that amount. Hua Hin, if you want to go up to Hua Hin, these are all places I've been, and I would feel fine on that amount there.
1:06:21 Your basics aren't so expensive in Thailand. I found it's really the level of luxury that you want, right? If you want to have Western food that's imported, that's going to really jack your budget up. If you want to be engaged a lot in the nightlife scene, partying a lot with people, then that's going to cost more. I'm not a drinker, so that helps. That helps me cut down some. But if you're somebody that likes to go out for drinks, that's going to cost more.
1:06:51 I look at it this way: your cost of life is low in Thailand. Your cost just to exist is very low. Your cost of living can be as high as you want. So depending on how you live.
1:07:00 So depending on how you quantify, uh, how you qualify living, what a quality life looks like to you, Thailand can be pricey. Um, I, yeah, I would say it can be pricey. Demry says, is it super hot there? Absolutely, it is extraordinarily hot. It's with the real feel, with humidity, it's been like 116, 117 Fahrenheit here in Krabi. And that's during the day. At night, it'll be around 80 Fahrenheit. So yeah, super hot, super, super hot.
1:07:37 I've been drinking a lot of smoothies, a ton of smoothies, like I'm drinking smoothies sometimes several in a day, and drinking a ton of water, drinking a ton of electrolyte. I get this electrolyte powder at 7-Eleven. I don't have any packets with me, but, um, I'll pour that, I'll get a liter of water at 7-Eleven, pour the electrolyte powder in, and then I'll drink it.
1:08:02 April and May are the hottest months in Thailand. So if you're somebody that is averse to extraordinary heat, I would recommend looking outside of May or April. A lot of people that are really well-to-do, from what I've heard, that are long-term people, like they stay in Thailand long-term, in April and in May, they'll go to Europe or they'll go to Japan or they'll go somewhere else that does not, not quite so hot.
1:08:28 Similar in the Philippines. I think the Philippines also has April and May as the hottest months of the year. So a lot of people are spending a lot of time indoors and they just kind of chill. Like if they're not leaving Thailand for April and May, they're spending the day inside, you know, they're staying out of the sun. Uh, maybe they have things they could do online. I certainly have a lot of chores I could catch up on on my computer, like, uh, I got a tax extension I got to finish that so I can get my refund.
1:08:56 Um, what else? There's, there's a lot that I, I need to do, um, that I can make time for in these months. But yeah, as far as going out and doing a lot, it just takes so much out of you. I mean, I've walked around in the heat of the day, and the hottest part of the day tends to run from like 2 to 4 PM. And when I'm out during those hours, I'm just done. I mean, it's just sweating so much and exerting so much energy that I don't want to do a lot.
1:09:30 Um, if I go out during the day, so I've kind of learned to try to take more of a siesta, kind of similar to a style that they have in Mexico. Which neighborhoods do you recommend in Bangkok? Do you recommend not touristy but close to BTS markets?
1:09:50 Um, BTS or markets? Uh, that's a good question, Jinsa. Um, oh, and Heidi says, cool. Oh, great to see you, Heidi. Uh, Al was just on Heidi and Georgia's stream. Recommend checking out their channel. I'll throw the, uh, name of their channel in the in the chat so you can check them out. They're, they're great and they cover a lot of interesting topics and they, uh, Heidi and George both like have a lot, they have an interesting perspective and they...
1:10:30 Um, there's a lot of vloggers out there with an agenda, and I just don't see that with them. I feel like they're really trying to help people and they're, they're trying to, um, they're trying to share a lot of value and, and really, um, cover things how they are. Like they want to, they want to be honest and they want to share with you the, the reality, right? Because I think a lot of people, they come in and they're trying to like sell you on something, and I don't get that impression from them at all. I think they're, they're trying to really share the realities of life in the Philippines, life in Southeast Asia. And to me, like, I, I get a lot of value from them. I recommend everybody watching to go check out their channel. And, uh, from time to time, you'll see me pop up in their live streams as well. They, they've always been welcoming to me as a guest and, and welcoming of my perspective, as limited as it is. Uh, so a lot of gratitude for, for George and Heidi.
1:11:26 Uh, but yeah, getting back to your question, Jinsa, which recommend, which neighborhoods in Bangkok do you recommend? Not touristy but close to BTS markets?
1:11:33 Markets? Uh, one that I would say that you might look at, Jinsa, is Chatuchak. Um, Chatuchak has the largest market, perhaps in all of Thailand. Let me pull this up for you. Actually, and some people might call Chatuchak touristy, but you know, it can be touristy, but there's also, um, there's also kind of a lot of twisting alleyways and a lot of places to get lost. It's not as touristy as Sukhumvit. And I've noticed that, you know, Chatuchak, it's busy with tourists on the weekends, but throughout the week, it's just simply not as active. And you're in the north part of the city, but you've got an MRT line there. I don't know if there's BTS. You may have to transfer to BTS.
1:12:36 Uh, actually, why don't we pull this up? Uh, we'll just go to, um, so Chatuchak is up here. This is Chatuchak, uh, up here in the north part of Bangkok. And it's a really popular place for Thai people to visit and really popular among foreigners as well. But you're not away from the touristic area. If I was going to tell you what to avoid, you don't want to be as much around tourists. You'd want to avoid this, this area here, um, you know, through here, you're just gonna have a lot of tourists and it's convenient, right? I mean, I, I'm a fan of this area due to convenience. But if there's somebody who doesn't want to be on that tourist line as much, I'd say looking at the north, coming up here to Chatuchak.
1:13:21 Um, I'm also a fan. I mean, it's not really centrally located, but, uh, some like kind of on the outskirts of Bangkok are getting BTS lines. And so you're seeing places that formerly seemed to be kind of cut off that are really easier and easier to get to over time. Like I'll show you another neighborhood I'm a fan of. I know it's still kind of out of the way, but Ban Kapi is really cool. This is Ban Kapi, and they have like my favorite hospital in Thailand. Long story, but a great hospital.
1:14:07 Ban Kapi, let's see here. Ban Kapi, yeah, way over here. So Ban Kapi, actually, this is where I stayed. So this is where I was at when COVID went down. Is I was living in, uh, a condo around here. So I was living in this neighborhood in March of 2020. And eventually, I was using Airbnb to stay in a condo around here or an apartment building around here. And eventually, the, uh, building manager said, hey, we're no longer allowing foreigners to stay here through Airbnb. And that's when I booked my flight out of Thailand. This was end of March 2020.
1:14:44 But yeah, I, I have some fun memories of wandering around this neighborhood, wondering if the world was ending. Very fortunate that it did not. Um, and this, so it recently got a BTS stop. So you've got this BTS station right here. It's brand new, like they just recently finished it. Um, but if you want to do something less touristic, course, not everybody's a fan of it. You see down here, you could walk down here and you've got these canals. So you could take this canal boat all the way down here and you can end up like right very close to the city center. So I would say those two, Ban Kapi, a little bit different, kind of far out, but still part of the city and not quite as far as the airport. Uh, you have Suvarnabhumi out here. So you, you know, you're not quite all the way out there, but it's not going to feel as touristy. You're not going to see, when I whenever I've been in Ban Kapi, and I've been there this time, this trip as well, rarely see any tourists. People it's where a lot of Thai people live. I have Thai friends that have never even been to this neighborhood. I have friends who grew up in Bangkok who are my age in their early 30s that they're like, I just have never had any reason to go out there.
1:15:58 So part of what I would suggest in your search is, um, looking away from Sukhumvit and just kind of like looking at some random weird places. Like, um, something that some people would benefit from is if they were to come to Bangkok for a month, book a week in four different neighborhoods. So, uh, pick like four different neighborhoods or you're like, okay, I'm going to try this one for a week, that one for a week, and we'll see, uh, what all they have going on. And maybe I like this one because they've got, uh, certain, certain mall that I really like. Maybe I like that one because they have the certain style cuisine that I really like.
1:16:44 Um, there's so many layers to Bangkok and, and for me, I, I've discovered more and more of these layers over every visit where I, I started off by being in some of the tourist areas and branching off, like, oh, that looks cool, what's over there? Or, uh, you know what, I need a break from this crowd of tourists. Where can I go where I'm not gonna have as much of that? And, uh, so you have, so it's safe. That's the thing about Bangkok is it feels like a very safe, uh, city. And so it's one of those. And like Bangkok P is the same way. I've wandered around B Kapi at like 3:00 in the morning with no issues. Um, when I was staying out there, my sleep schedule got messed up where I was like going to sleep at 5:00 PM and waking up at like 1:00 AM. Or I was going to sleep at like 5:00 AM, waking up at 1:00 AM, 1:00 PM.
1:17:38 Another one I would say, this one's kind of, this is close to the city and it could be considered touristy, but I didn't feel like that was as much the case. Uh, this is, you're not far from Cowan Road, which is admittedly extremely touristy, but here it doesn't really feel that way. It feels very tied. Like it may have just been that I was here around the time of the pandemic, but got a bunch of late night scenes here. I, I remember staying up till 5:00 in the morning, um, working on math. I was taking some math classes online and, uh, wandering around this neighborhood, Bo Bae market area, and finding like this lady serving Pad Thai. She stayed up all night serving Pad Thai. Um, you are in the city center or closer to the city center where if you want to go check out different stuff, you're not far. Like I've walked from here to, um, to MBK, right? I've walked from here to Siam Square, or taking a bus, it's a short cab ride, taking a motorbike taxi. But you don't feel quite as slammed with tourists because they don't have as much hotels. Like they've got Alice Hotel, um, but aside from the Prince Palace, I didn't really notice a lot of big hotels around here. Um, but you got proximity to some of the attractions, like you've got.
1:19:04 Some of the attractions like you've got the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace is around here somewhere. So, you've got the Grand Palace over here. Some of these places that don't have the tourist attraction might be close by, but they have a lot of local flavor. They've got people that live there.
1:19:31 Going back to Bobae, there's like a textiles market here too. This is one of those design districts of Bangkok where you see a lot of people that are in the textile business. Some of these businesses or former businesses are being converted, and that's something that I stayed in. I stayed in this big, like, four-story complex where this guy owned this big building that I think used to be a place where they made clothes, and he was turning it into condos.
1:20:19 Anyway, yeah, so you've got a lot of variety here. Any other questions or thoughts? Is Pattaya pollution better than Bangkok? Yeah, I would say so, Jay. I would say overall it is better than Bangkok.
1:20:44 Jensen says, 'I like that idea, so many nooks in neighborhoods.' So I appreciate these initial suggestions. Yeah, Jensen, you can't go wrong in my opinion. Bangkok is such a cool city. There's so much to do, there's so much to see. I feel that if I spent a lifetime in Bangkok, I still would not see and do everything that I wanted to see or do.
1:21:01 I've spent several months there and I'm just starting to feel like I have a layout of the main, the eastern part of the city. So, like I have a somewhat general idea of what most of these areas look like. One of my favorites is Sathon. Actually, it's very convenient. It's not quite as busy, especially if you get a little bit further away from Sukhumvit. You still have proximity to downtown and all these areas, but you're not quite near Nana or you know, not near Kon Road.
1:21:44 So you still have accessibility though with the MRT. But yeah, so I've seen most of the east part of the river, but I haven't seen much of all this. This is totally new to me, so this may be where I spend my last month in Bangkok. I may get a place here in Thonburi and then use this to explore Bang Na, and Azy, Sathon, and um, Bang Na. I've heard some stuff about some good stuff about Bang Na, but this area is, I mean, we're talking about the entire western half of the city is really appealing and interesting to me.
1:22:24 Of course, my Thai friends may just be by nature of who I've met and hung out with, most of them do live east of the river. So most of them are in this part because they need to commute to the city center, and it's easier to commute to the city center if you're coming from over here.
1:22:45 Planning to go in late June and hopefully not as hot as it is now. If you're still around in Bangkok, still will reach out. That sounds great, Jay. Say, yeah, I'll still be here as far as I know. Mention coming up next week and I should be here until mid-July.
1:23:03 But yeah, I think we're going to wrap it up. I appreciate everyone tonight. Thank you so much for everything and look forward to more streams in the future. This is a much better time, I think, for a lot of my audience. So I'm going to aim to shift to be doing these in the evening as opposed to midday.
1:23:22 But yeah, I hope everybody has a great weekend and lovely travels. Be safe, and we'll see you soon.
Follow the journey through expat life, travel experiences, and the realities of living abroad while exploring different places, cultures, and everyday life overseas.
