What Does a 50,000 Baht (US$1,350) Monthly Budget Get You in Bangkok Suburbs?

Bangkok is a big city. According to Mapflight.xyc, the area covers 1,568 square kilometres. It’s around the same size as London, 2 times bigger than Singapore and New York, and 7 times bigger than Seattle. 

However, when people talk about what it’s like living in Bangkok, they mainly talk about downtown areas such as Asok, Thong Lor, Silom, and Sathorn, or nearby areas like Onnut, Prakanong, and Bearing. 

In fact, Bangkok is much bigger than that. There are many suburbs where you can live that have a totally different lifestyle than downtown. 

For example, when you live in Min Buri, you can still see people catch fish in canals and even swim in them since the water is cleaner than inside the city. 

This article will tell you everything you need to know about living in Bangkok suburbs – accommodation options, activities, education for your kids, quality of life, and more.

You will also find out what lifestyle you can expect with a THB50,000 per month budget.

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Quality of Life

Living in Bangkok suburbs is different from living downtown. Here are some key differences:

• Life is at a slower pace
• Less hectic and less traffic
• More green space
• Still have access to modern conveniences
• Cost of rent and food is lower than inside the city

To give you an idea, instead of renting a small apartment, you can rent a house in a gated community with space to plant trees, have pets, or even make a separate work area in your house. 

When it comes to exercise, you can jog around your area or go to a gym inside your gated community.

It’s also much quieter than living downtown. There’s no noise pollution from construction, traffic, or schools nearby. 

If you prefer to live in a condo, you can rent a good place near an MRT or BTS station, making it easy to get around. These condos provide similar facilities as downtown ones,  including a swimming pool, community room, and gym.

The convenience you get in the suburbs is also similar to owntown: convenience stores, shopping malls, groceries stores, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, laundry services, and more are plentiful. 

If you have a family, it’s also good to know there are more family-friendly places to go in the suburbs than in downtown. And many areas also have international schools and bilingual schools as well. 

We have seen many expats, especially those who marry Thai nationals, move away from the city center to the Bangkok suburbs and raise a family there. 

Cost of Living

When you live in the Bangkok suburbs, you will be happy to know that the cost of rent can be over 50% cheaper than the city center. 

Food prices from local restaurants are also about 20% cheaper as well. Miscellaneous expenses such as haircuts, laundry services, gyms, and even healthcare can be cheaper as well.

However, your cost of transportation is going to be more expensive than living in the city unless you work from home or closeby.

Other than that, general expenses like utilities and shopping are still the same. 

To give you a rough number, you can live a moderate lifestyle in Bangkok suburbs for even less than THB30,000 a month.

For a more comfortable lifestyle, you’ll need at least THB40,000 per month.

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In the following sections, we will break down your expenses when living in the Bangkok suburbs and give you an idea of the lifestyle you will have if you have a budget of THB50,000 per month.

Rent

As mentioned earlier, rent can be over 50% cheaper in Bangkok surburbs than downtown.

For example, you can rent a studio condo at Supalai Veranda Ratchawipha-Pracha Chuen for about THB8,000 a month. 

The condo is only an 8-minute walk from MRT Bang Son. Seven Eleven is right under the condo. It has a nice swimming pool and a community center.

In addition to that, plenty of local food is available nearby. Gateway at Bang Sue, a shopping mall, is only 2.5 km away. 

Or you can spend THB14,000 a month and rent a 50 sqm condo at Aspen Condo Lasalle. The condo is just on the opposite side of Sikarin Hospital and 500 meters away from MRT Si La Salle. 

From there, you can easily go to Seacon Square Srinagarindra, which is one of the biggest department stores in Thailand. Or you can drive to Mega Bangna, a mega shopping mall, in just 15 minutes.

Alternatively, you can rent a house at Perfect park Suvarnabhumi for THB22,000 to THB25,000 a month. 

While the location may not be as convenient as the other two, you get a house in a peaceful environment and space for you and your kids, with many international schools nearby such as Ruamrudee International School Bangkok, Bromsgrove International School Thailand, and Josuikan Bangkok International School. 

In addition, it’s only 20 minutes away from Suvarnabhumi Airport. 

Food

When you live in the Bangkok suburbs, the way you eat can differ from living inside the city.

You will probably rely less on food delivery and restaurants inside shopping malls. 

Instead, you will eat more from local shops like this one. The quality of food at this type of restaurant is better than street food and also cleaner. It costs about THB40 to THB60 to eat here. 

When you want to eat at a restaurant, instead of a shopping mall, you can go to an actual standalone restaurant instead and enjoy your meal there. It will be cheaper. 

For example, you can eat Japanese food at Toma Sushi and pay THB300. For a similar meal downtown, the cost can easily exceed THB500.

Another good thing is that there are much more family restaurants in Bangkok suburbs than downtown. For example, Mama’s Kitchen has a playground and garden for your kids to enjoy. 

If you love cafes, you will be glad to know that there are many great cafes in Bangkok suburbs with good internet, coffee, and ambience. 

For example,

• Botanist Activity Space Cafe has a big cactus glasshouse and botanist farm inside.
• MiVana Organic Forest Coffee has great coffee and gives you the feeling of sitting in a tropical forest.
• Lab Coffee has amazing coffee and makes you feel like a scientist doing a lab test for your coffee. 

Also, when it comes to food delivery, instead of using a food delivery app, many gated communities have their own LINE group (like a WhatsApp group). People in the group sell food, groceries, and services like AC cleaning and laundry services to their neighbors. 

It’s very convenient to order food from this kind of group. Unlike food delivery apps, delivery fees are often free without any GP charge. 

Still, if you want to order from a food app, you can still use foodpanda, Line Man, and Grab. In addition, you can use Tesco, Tops, BigC, or Makro apps to order groceries online.

However, there are two main disadvantages:

• Depending on where you live, choices of food may be more limited than inside the city, especially for Western cuisine. So you may need to go to the city center to have nice Western food there.
• When you live inside a gated community, you may still need to cook at home. Or you can hire a live-in maid to both take care of your kids and cook for your family.

Transportation

Depending on where you live, public transportation options in many Bangkok suburbs are similar to those inside the city. You can use buses, songthaews, taxis, MRT, BTS, airport links, Grab, Bolt, or motorcycle taxis to get around. 

The cost is similar but traffic is much better. 

Because of this, if you have your own vehicle, you can drive more often than inside the city. It’s easier and less stressful because of several reasons including: 

• Lighter traffic
• Wider roads
• Fewer motorcycles, and motorcycles riding between cars is less common
• Less hectic – inside the city, people change lanes trying to go first, but this is less common in the suburbs

We noticed many expats living in Bangkok suburbs buy good motorcycles such as Honda PCX or Yamana NMax to get around. They also buy standard Japanese cars such as the Toyota Vios or Honda City when they want to travel. 

However, there are some disadvantages:

• You might not want to go into the city unless it’s necessary. While you can go there via the MRT or BTS, it’s going to take at least 45-60 minutes. 
• You need your own vehicle when living in a gated community. Otherwise, it’s very inconvenient to even go from your house to the main street.

Your cost of transportation mainly depends on where you live and whether or not you want to have a car or motorcycle. 

• If you live inside a condo and rely purely on public transportation, it’s going to be about THB2,000 a month.
• If you live in a gated community, you should at least have a motorcycle to get around. You can buy a used Honda PCX for THB55,000. In your first year, the transportation cost is going to be around THB84,000 (THB7,000 a month), including the cost of a motorcycle, fuel, and maintenance. In the following years, it’s going to be only THB3,000 a month.
• If you want to buy a car, you can buy a used Toyota Vios for THB400,000. With related car costs such as insurance, fuel, and maintenance, it’s going to cost you THB484,000 in your first year (THB40,335/month). In the following years, it’s THB7,000 a month.

Read more: The Real Cost of Owning a Car in Thailand

Healthcare

While Bangkok suburbs don’t have many international hospitals like Bangkok Hospital, Bumrungrad Hospital, or Samitivej Hospitals, or major government hospitals such as King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital or Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital, you can still find both good private hospitals and government hospitals nearby. 

For example, Kasemrad Hospital has branches thoughout Bangkok suburbs. If you live near Samut Prakarn, you can go to Sikarin Hospital or Thainakarin Hospital. 

If you live in Min Buri, there are Ram2Hospital, Intrarat Hospital, and Phyathai Nawamin Hospital.

While the treatment quality, facilities, and services of these hospitals may not be as good as those international hospitals, they are still good enough, can treat all types of sickness, and employ English-speaking staff. 

In addition, they are also more affordable. 

This is also the same for dentists. While dental clinics are available thoughout Bangkok suburbs, you are unlikely to find international clinics there. 

When you live in the Bangkok suburbs, your cost of healthcare should be around 3,500 baht a month if you are around 40 years old. This is mainly for mid-tier health insurance plans such as Luma. 

With this type of insurance, it should cover your hospitalization in full for private hospitals in the suburbs. 

In case you want to self-pay, visiting a hospital like these should cost you around THB1,200 to THB2,000 per visit. In the case of hospitalization, it’s about THB20,000 to THB35,000 a night.

Also, it’s good to know that pharmacies in the suburbs sell cheaper medications than in downtown.

For example, certain antibiotics you get from a pharmacy in Thong Lor can cost you THB400. On the other hand, you can get it for just THB200 in the suburbs.

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However, there are two disadvantages when it comes to healthcare:

• It’s inconvenient if you have serious diseases and want to save costs by visiting a major government hospital
• Lack of international hospitals

Social Life

Your social life is limited in the suburbs. 

Most of the socializing acvitities, meet-ups or networking events in Bangkok only take place inside the city, especially near Nana, Thong Lor, Ekamai, and Phrakanong’s BTS stations.

This means when you live in the Bangkok suburbs, you won’t be able to join these events actively anymore since it can be time-consuming, expensive, and exhausting to go inside the city. 

Instead, you can find expats who live in the same area as you and hang out with them instead. Many of them are:

• Expats who have a family in Thailand
• Retirees who still want to live in Bangkok but don’t want to live inside the city
• English teachers who have a job in nearby international schools, bilingual schools, or universities 

Because of this, your social life budget can be quite low, maybe only THB1,000 a month, depending on your lifestyle.

Fixed Expenses 

When you live in the suburbs, there are still similar fixed expenses as inside the city or anywhere in Thailand, including:

• THB3,000/month for utilities (internet, phone, electricity, and water)
• THB500/month for your Thai visa
• THB5,000/month for travel
• THB2,000/month for miscellaneous expenses such as personal care, laundry services, haircuts, and more.

This article explains more on how we get this number.

Lifestyle with a THB50,000 Monthly Budget

With a THB50,000 budget a month, here’s what your life will be like in the Bangkok suburbs:

• You can rent a 55 sqm condo next to a BTS or MRT with shopping malls and modern conveniences nearby.
• You can eat at a restaurant for lunch or dinner every day and at local shops, food courts, or delivery for other meals.
• You can have special meals costing THB1,000 a few times a month.
• You can buy a good motorcycle such as a Honda PCX to get around.
• You can get a mid-tier insurance plan from Luma Health with full coverage for hospitalization in a private hospital.
• You don’t need to do your own cleaning or laundry, and you can hire a maid to clean your room twice a week.
• You can travel on a THB5,000 budget per month.

Here’s a cost breakdown:

Expense	Cost (Baht)
Rent	14,000
Food	14,000
Transportation	7,000
Health	3,500
Utilities	3,000
Social Activities	1,000
Visa	500
Travel	5,000
Misc.	2,000
Total	50,000

Trade-offs

• You can save more than 15,000 baht a month when you rent a smaller condo and eat at local shops more.
• If you want to live in a house in a gated community, you need to decrease your food costs and cook at home more.
• If you want to buy a car, you need to save money for a few years by decreasing your budget on food, rent, and travel. 

Budget for families

• With 50,000 baht a month, you can rent a townhouse for about 10,000 baht and cook at home more. With this, you should be able to send your kids to bilingual daycares and nursery schools such as Chokchai Hathairaj School. It costs about 8,000 baht a month to study at a school like this. 
• If you have a budget of 80,000 baht a month, you can rent a house in a gated community and send your kids to study at a bilingual school such as EK Burapa School, with a starting tuition fee of 125,000 baht per year.
• If you want to send your child to study at an international school, you need to have a budget of at least 150,000 baht a month. Tuition fees for many leading international schools in Bangkok surburbs, including Bromsgrove and RISM start at 500,000 baht per year. With this budget, you can also hire a live-in nanny as well.

More About Bangkok Suburbs 

Let’s learn more about what’s available to you when living in the Bangkok suburbs.

Activities

When you live outside of the city, your lifestyle is going to be much different than inside the city. You will likely prefer to go to places that are not crowded, with large open spaces, and/or in nature. 

• Instead of going to a big shopping mall, you may go to a community mall instead. A community mall is a smaller-sized shopping mall, with restaurants, shops, and a supermarket inside. A Little Walk is a good example of a community mall.
• There are still big shopping malls scattered throughout the suburbs, including Mega Bangna, Central Westgate, Central Eastville, and Fashion Island.
• You may shop for groceries more from Makro, Tesco, Big C, and Villa Market as well as local markets. 
• You may rarely go to popular tourist hubs in the city like the Grand Palace, China Town, Khao San Road any more. You might go to nearby provinces and stay at resorts in Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi, Chon Buri, or Kanchanaburi instead. 
• There are plenty of outdoor spaces and parks for exercise. For example, you can go jogging at Suan Luang Rama IX, which is one of the biggest parks in Thailand, enjoy kayaking at Nong Bon Water Sports Center for just 40 baht a year, or ride a 23.5 bicycle track along a runway at Happy & Healthy Bike Lane. 

Education and Family Life

Raising a family in the suburbs can be a better choice than inside the city for many reasons. It isn’t just about affordable housing. It’s also about education, family activities, and a safe environment for your kids. 

In fact, many middle-class families and above are now living in the suburbs to raise their families. 

You can find many bilingual schools and international schools in the suburbs with similar tuition fees as inside the city. 

To give you an idea, you can find these schools in Bangkok suburbs:

• Bilingual schools: InterKids Nimit Mai, Thewphaingarm Canadian Bilingual School, EK Burapa School and more. Tuition fees for these bilingual schools start at THB100,000 a year.
• International schools: Wells International School, Raffles American School, Montessori Academy Bangkok International School, and much more, with tuition fees starting at THB300,000 a year. 

When it comes to family activities, you have many more options for your kids. For example, you can take your kids to 

• Ride a horse and enjoy a mini zoo at Lullaland
• A theme park and water park at Siam Amazing Park
• A zoo at Safari World or Siam Serpentarium 
• Ride a bicycle at Balance Bike Park
• Plant organic trees and kayak at SAFETist Farm

If you still prefer indoor playgrounds, it’s good to know that Harborlands in malls in suburbs are generally bigger than inside the city. For example, the one in MEGA  BANGNA is among the biggest in the world.

In addition to that, many gated communities have a small playground inside. Your kids can play it with other kids within the same community. Or they can just run and cycle around your house. 

It gives a good environment for your kids that can’t be found easily inside a city. 

Job Opportunities

Your job opportunities are quite limited in the suburbs. 

In general, we find these types of people who live in the suburbs when it comes to jobs. 

• They get a teaching job in a nearby bilingual school or international school
• They work remotely, either in Thailand or from abroad
• They have their own companies in Thailand
• They are retirees and live on pensions
• They get jobs from inside the city and need to go into town every weekday 

Nightlife

When you live in the suburbs, you can say goodbye to the nightlife in Nana, Asok, Thong Lor, or Khao San Road. It becomes too far and too much of a hassle to go. And you don’t want to get stuck in traffic inside the city. 

So your nightlife isn’t likely to be about drinking and partying all night. You may not have that option anymore.

Instead, it’s more likely to be about having a decent meal in a bar or restaurant with live music and some good craft beers. 

People

You will see more Thai families than inside the city. 

If you live in a house inside a gated community, most of them are either business owners or have good jobs. So it’s more likely that your neighbors will be able to communicate in English. 

On the other hand, many services, except healthcare at private hospitals, may be only available in Thai. Or staff can only speak limited English. They also aren’t used to foreigners like in the city.

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So to live in the suburbs comfortably, speaking some Thai will help a lot.

Weather and Air Quality

Weather as well as air pollution are similar inside the city. 

However, you will feel the air is fresher. This might be because of less traffic and construction. And there is more green space than downtown as well. 

Should I Live in the Bangkok Suburbs?

This section gives you a list of pros and cons to help you decide more easily about whether or not you want to live in Bangkok surburbs 

Pros:

• Rent can be over 50% cheaper than inside the city
• Food is also 15%-20% cheaper 
• Traffic is much better, making it easy to go from place to place
• It’s still easy to get around with public transportation
• Malls, schools, hospitals, and gyms are plenty
• You get more space, especially when you have kids 
• You have many more options for outdoor activities
• Life is more relaxed
• There is less pollution from traffic and construction

Cons:

• Limited nightlife
• Limited expat communities
• Limited job and business opportunities
• Limited western restaurants
• Less food options
• Depending on where you live, you may need your own transportation to get around

Because of these reasons, you should live in the Bangkok suburbs if you want to:

• Still live in Bangkok but have a limited budget 
• Still live in Bangkok with modern conveniences but want to have a more peaceful lifestyle without getting stuck in traffic, large crowds, and queuing everywhere
• Raise a family in Thailand with more space and a safer environment for your kids 
• Do more outdoor activities that aren’t only shopping or eating at nice restaurants
• Live in a greener environment with more trees and less pollutants from traffic and construction

Recommended Neighborhoods

If you want to live in the Bangkok suburbs, there are three areas you should check out. These areas are close to the MRT, have their own communities, and all necessary facilities, including shopping malls, supermarkets, shops, hospitals, schools, and more. 

• Lasalle
• Min Buri
• Bang Sue

Lasalle

Lasalle is located on the southeastern border of Bangkok and Samut Prakan province. The area extends from BTS Bearing station on Sukhumvit Road to a few hundred meters past MRT Si La Salle on Srinakarin Road. 

We’ll mainly cover the MRT Si La Salle area because it’s less expensive and represents more of suburban Bangkok. The area is not as packed as other parts of Bangkok but it’s still convenient and affordable to live there.

Rent

There are many condos available in the area including:

• Aspen Condo Lasalle
• City Home Srinagarindra
• SIRI Sri-Lasalle
• The Parkland Srinakarin

Most of these places were recently built and offer 40-square-meter fully furnished condos for less than THB9,000 a month. 

If you want to rent a house in a gated community, you’ll pay around THB25,000 to THB50,000 a month. You can check out:

• Nara Botanic Srinakarin
• Ladawan Village
• Royal Palm Villa

Food and Drinks

When it comes to food, you have plenty of options, ranging from local Thai noodle shops to international cuisine.

For Thai food, check out:

• Noir (northeastern Thai food)
• Mr. Mee Braised Beef Noodle Shop
• Tehwada Noodles Srinakarin (jok, khao ka muu, muu satay)

As for Western and non-Thai Asian food, you can check out:

• HOTPOTMAN SHABU MALA BANGNA
• Flavors of India
• Fresco Restaurant European Cuisine
• La Maison By Chef Billy
• ZURU Contemporary Japanese Flavors
• Sushi Dai
• KINIZAKAYA
• Nakayoshi   

When it comes to bars and clubs, the two most popular on Lasalle are:

• Memory 90’s
• NTX – NON TOXIC

For weekly food shopping, you can check out:

• Big C
• Makro
• Foodland
• Villa Market
• Tops Food Hall
• Tops  

These are all within 10-minutes of Lasalle.

Healthcare

When it comes to health, both Sikarin Hospital and Thainakarin Hospital are nearby. They are private hospitals that provide quality treatment and good services for all types of health issues.

For exercise, most condos in the area come with gyms and swimming pools. But you can also try:

• Yak Fitness
• Sam Yan Gym Plus
• Payak Muay Thai Gym
• At Start Gym

You can exercise at Suan Luang Rama IX Park or Nong Bon Water Sports Park, which are two large public parks in Bangkok. You can also play badminton at the popular La Salle Badminton Park. 

Family

Another great thing about Lasalle is the number of international schools in the area. In or nearby Lasalle, you’ll find:

• Bangkok Patana School
• Montessori Academy Bangkok International School
• Wells International School
• Kids’ Academy International School
• International Community School (ICS)
• Raffles American School 

School fees range from THB300,000 per year (Raffles American School) to more than THB600,000 a year (Bangkok Patana School). 

For a cheaper alternative, you can send your kids to study at a Thai school with an English Program, such as St. Joseph Bang Na School and KPS Withessad Demonstration School for THB120,000 a year. 

When it comes to family activities, you can visit Nong Bon Water Sports Park. A one-year membership only costs THB300 for non-Thais, and you can rent bicycles, kayaks, or even learn how to windsurf. 

There’s also the free NET Playground, outdoor water park, playground, and more at La Salle’s Avenue indoor/outdoor complex.

Shopping

If you want to shop at some of Bangkok’s bigger malls, check out:

• Mega Bangna
• IKEA
• Seacon Square
• Paradise Park
• Jas Urban
• Central Bangna

These malls are 10 to 15 minutes away from Lasalle.

Should You Live in Lasalle? 

Lasalle is suitable for:

• Teachers who work nearby at international schools or bilingual schools
• Expats who want to live in the suburbs but still have access to modern conveniences
• Expat families who want to live in a gated community and send their kids to international school

If you often have to get deeper inside Bangkok, you should stay near BTS Bearing station side of Lasalle. From here, you can take the BTS to Nana, Asok, Thong Lor, and more within 20 minutes. 

But the cost of rent is going to be slightly higher than around the MRT Si La Salle area. For example, you should expect to pay around THB10,000 a month to rent a studio condo at Ideo Mobi Sukhumvit Eastgate. 

Min Buri

Min Buri is on the East side of Bangkok. Unlike other Bangkok suburbs, Min Buri was once a province within the Bangkok Metropolitan Region a century ago. 

Because of this, many locals have been living here for many generations. So you can still see some restaurants promoting their menu by saying that they use recipes passed down from previous generations. 

While it may not be as convenient as La Salle, there are many affordable gated communities and bilingual schools here. 

Rent 

One of the best things about living in Min Buri is that you can rent a furnished house in many gated communities for just THB20,000 to THB30,000 a month including Perfect Park Suvarnabhumi, Siwalee Srinagarindra, Sammakorn Village, and much more.

Many of them are recently built and still affordable. So you can also see a lot of middle-class and above Thai familities live in gated communities like these. 

If you prefer to live in a condo, you can rent a studio condo here at Atmoz Flow Minburi for just THB8,000 a month. It’s a new condo recently built in 2024 that’s located next to a community mall,  Mingle Hill Minburi, Nawamin 9 Hospital, and Min Buri Market MRT station. 

Food

Being an old community, many local shops in Min Buri sell Thai food with recipes passed down from previous generations, including sugar cane roasted duck, porridge, and spicy noodles.

You can find many of these shops near Min Buri market, which is the center of this area. 

In addition to that, Min Buri also has a big islamic community. Many shops sell great Halal food at an affordable price. 

For example, there’s a shop here that sells a bowl of beef noodles for just THB40. It’s the price you can’t commonly find elsewhere in Bangkok. 

Or you can get a great Chicken Biryani from this shop for just THB50.

Since many families live in this area, there are also a lot of great family restaurants in Min Buri, including

• Prakai Cafe, a restaurant next to a lake with a nice ambiance
• Mama’s Kitchen, a family restaurant with a kids’ playground and a big garden
• James500 City Camp, a camping-style restaurant. 

While international restaurants are still limited, there are Big Daddy’s Steaks and BBQ, which is one of the best steakhouses in town, Home Fresh HydroFarm that serves Western food with organic hydroponic farms that they plant themselves, and the Loft Craft Beer and Restaurant that sells steak and a variety of craft beers. 

Since the land price in Min Buri is still low, another great thing, especially for cafe hoppers, is that there are many great cafes with large spaces.

• Some have their own cactus glass house like Botanist Activity Space
• Some have their own mini zoo like Barakat LunLa Land Cafe and Farms or WildDuck Cafe.

However, please note you need to drive to go to these restaurants and cafes. 

So, when you live in Min Buri, especially inside a gated community, you may need to cook at home. You can buy groceries from Tesco, Big C, Makro or local markets, which can be found throughout the area. 

Health

There are a lot of private hospitals in Min Buri including Navamin 9 Hospital, Ram 2 Hospital, Navavej International Hospital, and more. You can also find plenty of dentists, clinics, and pharmacies in this area. 

When it comes to exercise options, there are plenty. A gated community in this area will usually have a park or a lake inside where you can jog around. as well as some outdoor exercise equipment. 

They also usually have a gym or a swimming pool inside the community. 

For golf lovers, you will be happy to know that there are many golf courses near Min Buri including Panya Indra Golf Club, Thanont Golf View & Sport Club, and Windsor Park & Golf Club. 

Family

Since Min Buri is a popular area for Thai families, there are schools and outdoor activities for families. 

To give you an idea, there are many bilingual schools in Min Buri including

• Ek Burapa School
• Chokchai Hathairaj School
• InterKids NimitMai Schools

Tuition fees are in the range of THB80,000 to THB150,000 per year. 

In the case of international schools, you can send your kids to

• Heathfield International School
• Ascot International School Bangkok
• RIS
• Bromsgrove International School

All of them are leading international schools in Thailand, with tuition fees starting at THB450,000 per year. 

During weekends and holidays, there are many outdoor activities for your kids near Min Buri, including

• Riding a bicycle next to an airplane runway at Happy and Healthy Bike Lane
• Going to a zoo at Safari Park Bangkok
• Enjoying a theme park and the biggest water park in Bangkok in Siam Amazing Park, riding a horse and mini ATV at Barakat LunLa Land Cafe and Farms
• Visiting a theme park restaurant in Chocolate Ville. 

Shopping

There aren’t a lot of shopping malls near Min Buri. The biggest one is Fashion Island. While it’s not as fancy as shopping malls you find downtown, it has all of the popular shops and restaurants you need. 

Also, parking is free all day with a lot of parking spaces. 

Additionally, traffic is good almost all the time in Min Buri, making it easy to drive to the shopping mall. 

Should I Live in Min Buri?

Min Buri is suitable for

• Expats who can get teaching jobs at nearby bilingual schools or international schools
• Expat families with a moderate budget who want to live in a house in a gated community or send their kids to a bilingual school 
• Expat families with a big budget who want to send their kids to leading international schools 
• Golf lovers who want to stay in Bangkok but want easy access to golf courses

Bang Sue

Bang Sue is an underrated area located in the north of Bangkok, near Nonthaburi. While the expat community is still small, it’s very convenient to live here especially for transportation options.

There are three MRT lines nearby, the purple line, the blue line, and the red line making it easy to go to any part of the city. 

In addition, it’s also close to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station and Don Mueang International Airport, making it easy to go to any part of Thailand by train or plane.

Since it’s close to the Chao Phraya river, you can go to the Grand Palace area and enjoy historical sites and beautiful temples in Bangkok within 30 minutes by boat.  

Rent 

Being an underrated area, there are still plenty of affordable condominium options. 

You can pay less than THB8,000 a month for a studio room at Supalai Veranda Ratchawipha-Pracha Chuen. It’s a modern condo, with convenience stores and shops downstairs, and a 10-minute walk from the MRT Bang Son station.

Or you can pay THB20,000 a month to get a 47 sqm condo with a river view at 333 Riverview.

You can also get a bigger yet cheaper room at The Tree Bang Pho Station.

However, in case you want to rent a house in a gated community, you need to look elsewhere. 

Food 

It might be even easier to find local food here than inside the city. There are plenty of food shops and street food stalls along the main roads. 

On the other hand, if you want to eat at restaurants, your options are limited to the ones inside department stores like Gateway at Bang Sue.

However, there’s some nice craft beer bars here where you can bring your laptop and work. And many condos also have cozy rooftop bars if you want to have some good drinks at night.

Health

There are plenty of private hospitals in this area including Bang Pho Hospital, Yanhee Hospital, and Phyathai Phaholyothin Hospital.

What makes Bang Sue different from other suburbs is that you can drive to many big government hospitals easily within a 20-minute drive including Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital, Ramathibodi Hospital, and Phramongkutklao Hospital. 

While you need to wait for at least 3-4 hours when visiting these hospitals, they can be a lifesaver when you have serious diseases. They are affordable and quality treatments are among the top in Thailand. 

Family

While bilingual schools and international schools are still limited, there are some options available including:

• Thewphaingarm Canadian Bilingual School
• Canadian International School of Thailand
• International Christian School Nonthaburi. 

Please note that these schools are not located in Bang Sue. It’s going to take you around 20 minutes to 30 minutes to go there by car.

Tuition fees are similar to other areas. You should expect to pay around THB120,000 per year for a bilingual school. International school tuition fees start at THB350,000 per year. 

However, in case your child can speak Thai, there are many good Thai schools near Bang Sue including Yothinburana School, Satrinonthaburi School, Horwang School, and Rachawinit School. 

All of them are popular government schools in Bangkok. While school fees are very cheap at less than THB10,000 a year, their education quality is good in Thailand standard.   

When it comes to family activities, you can take them to Chatuchak park, Rot Fai Park, and Children’s Discovery Museum.

Shopping

Gateway at Bang Sue is going to be your go-to shopping mall. It’s a middle-size mall with cinema, restaurants, branded shops such as H&M, and a Big-C supermarket. 

For groceries you can go to Lotus Prachachuen and Big-C Wongsawang. 

If you want to go to a big shopping mall, you can drive to Central Westgate, which is one of the biggest malls in Thailand, for 30 minutes or take the MRT purple line there. 

Should I Live in Bang Sue:

Bang Sue is suitable for:

• Expat with a budget that is less than THB30,000 a month but still want to live in a convenient area
• Expats who want to travel within Thailand regularly by train or plane
• Expat families with kids that speak some Thai