Why it is here
Why Bangkok is on the list.
A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.
- Bangkok has the most registered residents of any Thai province: 5,455,020 in 2024, against 2,620,172 for the next, Nakhon Ratchasima. [N1]
- Wikipedia describes Bangkok as the main gateway through which visitors arrive in Thailand; Suvarnabhumi Airport, which replaced Don Mueang as the main airport in 2006, served 52.8 million passengers in 2015. [B1]
- The Immigration Bureau's Bangkok office (Immigration Division 1, Chaeng Watthana) takes TM.30 notifications and online appointments, and the bureau runs online 90-day reporting. [M1]
- A 2026 expat guide calls Bangkok Thailand's biggest expat community, with Facebook groups of hundreds of thousands of members; it gives no headcount. [E1]
- The same guide says Bangkok has Thailand's most comprehensive international school landscape, naming Bangkok Patana, NIST, International School Bangkok and Harrow among dozens of others. [E1]
The Fernshore Index
How it grades, factor by factor.
Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.
Cost of living
93 of 100StrongCountry figure
Price level 0.307 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
Climate
0 of 100WeakOwn figure
Bangkok's own normals: no month has an average daily high of 30 °C or less (the coolest, December, is 32.3 °C), so 0 comfortable months.
Source: Climate normals 1991–2020, Bangkok Metropolis (WMO 48455). Checked 15 October 2026.
Safety
33 of 100WeakCountry figure
Global Peace Index 2026: 101st of 163.
Source: Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank. Checked 15 October 2026.
Healthcare
73 of 100StrongCountry figure
WHO UHC service coverage index 82 (2023).
Source: UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1). Checked 15 October 2026.
Schools
UnknownCountry figure
Our research doesn't cover schools yet.
Community
83 of 100StrongCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Ease of Settling In: 3rd of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In. Checked 15 October 2026.
Lifestyle
51 of 100MixedCountry figure
Expat Insider 2026 Quality of Life: 21st of 31.
Source: Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life. Checked 15 October 2026.
Work and career
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: a residence route for remote workers exists (Destination Thailand Visa), but fixed broadband is 14.9 per 100 people (2024), under the 30 line.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
Retirement
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: the Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, valid one year; the embassy page names no path to permanent residence.
Source: Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa. Checked 15 October 2026.
Internet
33 of 100WeakCountry figure
14.89 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people (2024).
Source: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
English
0 of 100WeakCountry figure
EF EPI 2025 score 402, below the 499 weak line.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, United States passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. Washington publishes the checklist for US applicants, with no nationality restriction.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Canada passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. The Vancouver consulate lists the same visa for Canadian applicants; it publishes the details as images, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for them.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges; Thailand's new visa measures: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, Australia passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. Canberra (and Sydney for New South Wales) takes the application through the e-Visa system and publishes no checklist, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for the rules.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges; Announcement: adjustment of supporting documents for Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) applications. Checked 15 October 2026.
Visa, New Zealand passport
50 of 100MixedCountry figure
Mixed: The Destination Thailand Visa asks for no Thai job offer and has no age minimum, and its funds test is about THB 500,000 in the bank (about US$14,900 at the 9 October 2026 Bank of Thailand rate), well under the US$100,000 line. To be safe, have more than THB 510,000. It is valid for 5 years with multiple entries, but each stay is 180 days, extendable once by 180 days (about 360 days), just under the year the strong grade needs. The year-long Non-Immigrant O-A visa is for people aged 50 and over, and the Long-Term Resident visa asks for about US$80,000 a year in income. To be safe, have more than US$81,000 a year. Wellington lists the same visa for New Zealand residents (5 years, multiple entry) and publishes no checklist, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for the rules.
Source: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements; Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension; Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa; Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges; Types of visas (e-Visa applications). Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
More on Thailand.
Cities
Other cities in Thailand.
Questions about Bangkok.
Is Bangkok expensive to live in?
Prices across Thailand average about 0.31 of United States prices (World Bank, 2025), but that is a national figure, not Bangkok's. One advert seen on 10 October 2026 asked THB 19,000 to 19,500 a month for a one-bedroom near BTS On Nut, plus a deposit. Other Bangkok living costs are unknown.
Do I need a visa to live in Bangkok?
Visa rules are national. Visa-free entry is 30 days since 15 September 2026, so a longer stay needs another route, such as the Destination Thailand Visa (180 days plus one 180-day extension). In Bangkok, Immigration Division 1 at Chaeng Watthana takes TM.30 address notices and appointments.
How hot is Bangkok?
Bangkok's average daily highs run from 32.3 °C in December, the coolest month, to 35.7 °C, and monthly rain is over 150 mm from May to October (Thai Meteorological Department normals, 1991–2020). No month has an average high of 30 °C or less.
Is Bangkok safe?
Fernshore has no Bangkok-specific safety measure. The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Thailand 101st of 163, a national score. Canada's travel advice says large demonstrations occur regularly in Bangkok and can disrupt public transport, and that air pollution can be hazardous there.
Does Bangkok have a large expat community?
A 2026 guide calls Bangkok Thailand's biggest expat community, with Facebook groups of hundreds of thousands of members, but gives no headcount. Across Thailand, the Expat Insider 2026 survey ranks ease of settling in 3rd of 31 countries; that is a national result.
Are there international schools in Bangkok?
A 2026 expat guide (private, not official) says Bangkok has Thailand's most comprehensive international school landscape, naming Bangkok Patana, NIST, International School Bangkok and Harrow among dozens of others. Our research does not yet cover fees, places or quality, so those are unknown.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [N1] Statistical Yearbook Thailand 2025, Table 1.6: Population and house from registration record by region, province and administration zone, 2024, National Statistical Office of Thailand. Checked 15 October 2026. Bangkok 5,455,020 registered residents in 2024, all in the municipal area; whole kingdom 65,951,210. Registered residents undercount people who live in Bangkok without registering there.
- [B1] Bangkok, Wikipedia (secondary; cites Thai tourism and airport statistics). Checked 15 October 2026. Coordinates 13.7525 N, 100.4942 E from the infobox; 'main gateway' sentence; Suvarnabhumi passengers in 2015.
- [E1] Living in Bangkok: expat guide, Thailand Starter Kit (private guide, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Article dated 6 October 2026; opinion and description, no headcount.
- [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Bangkok Metropolis (WMO 48455), Thai Meteorological Department (WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 via NOAA NCEI). Checked 15 October 2026. Monthly mean daily highs 32.3 to 35.7 °C; rain over 150 mm from May to October.
- [M1] Immigration Bureau of Thailand: home page and online services, Immigration Bureau, Royal Thai Police. Checked 15 October 2026. Page header dated 2 October 2026; names Immigration Division 1 at the Chaeng Watthana government complex.
- [C1] Price level index (GDP), Thailand, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 30.69 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Thailand ranks 101st of 163 countries.
- [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Thailand: 82 out of 100 (2023).
- [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Thailand ranks 3rd of 31 countries.
- [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Thailand ranks 21st of 31 countries.
- [K1] Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): requirements, Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 10 September 2026. Lists remote workers, Thai soft-power activities and family members; states no minimum age and no nationality restriction; five-year validity; bank statements ending each of the last three months at THB 500,000 or US$16,000; fee US$400; stay per entry not stated. Written for applicants living in the United States.
- [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Thailand, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 14.89 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
- [R1] Non-Immigrant O-A (long stay) visa, Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 1 September 2026; for people aged 50 and over.
- [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Thailand, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 402, rank 116 of 123 countries and regions, 'very low' proficiency band; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
- [V3] Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): period of stay and extension, Royal Thai Embassy, Helsinki. Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 3 September 2026. Written for applicants in Finland and Estonia (fee in euros); used only for validity (5 years, multiple entries), 180 days per entry and the one 180-day extension, then leave and re-enter, which the Washington page does not state.
- [V4] Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and privileges, Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). Checked 15 October 2026. Work-from-Thailand Professionals: average personal income of US$80,000 a year over the past two years (US$40,000 to 80,000 with a master's degree or higher); 5 years, renewable for 5 more. The page shows no publication date.
- [V5] Thailand's new visa measures: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Royal Thai Consulate-General, Vancouver. Checked 15 October 2026. Used for Canadian applicants. The page is images only and opened on 15 October 2026 with a Destination Thailand Visa entry; its infographic (July 2024) gives THB 500,000 financial evidence, 180 days per entry and one 180-day extension. The Washington and Helsinki pages are used to confirm the details.
- [V6] Announcement: adjustment of supporting documents for Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) applications, Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra. Checked 15 October 2026. Used for Australian applicants. Posted 1 September 2026 as an image: it shows the DTV is open through Canberra, with new documents from 31 August 2026. Canberra publishes no text checklist or stay rules, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for those.
- [V7] Types of visas (e-Visa applications), Royal Thai Embassy, Wellington. Checked 15 October 2026. Used for New Zealand applicants. Page updated 23 July 2024: the DTV is open to residents of New Zealand, with a period of stay of 5 years with multiple entry. Wellington publishes no DTV checklist, so the Washington and Helsinki pages are used for the funds test and stay rules.