News Forum - Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey

[JohninDublin]

3 hours ago, King Cotton said:

Not, unless you're a smartphone user, @JohninDubin . . . as I'm not and I don't think your 'Google them' suggestion is worth its few words . . . complete as they are.

My point was that language, acronyms and abbreviations are evolving faster than ever and many soon come into common usage.

I don't claim to have much more than rudimentary knowledge of these, but nobody else has criticised my use of these. And if you don't understand, and Google isn't an option, you can always ask the poster what it means, instead of pretending you live in a different world to the rest of us.

[HiuMak]

Bangkok has a lot to offer. Great food, lots of 7/11, attractive night market, relatively safe and vibrant. A city that never sleeps. 

[JohninDublin]

14 hours ago, JohninDubin said:

My point was that language, acronyms and abbreviations are evolving faster than ever and many soon come into common usage.

I don't claim to have much more than rudimentary knowledge of these, but nobody else has criticised my use of these. And if you don't understand, and Google isn't an option, you can always ask the poster what it means, instead of pretending you live in a different world to the rest of us.

My sincere apologies to @King Cottonfor the above post. I conflated my reply to @Rainpost with my reply to his post.

My final paragraph should have read, "I don't claim to have much more than rudimentary knowledge of these, but nobody else has criticised my use of these. And if you don't understand, and Google isn't an option, you can always ask the poster what it means, instead of HIM pretending HE lives in a different world to the rest of us.

However, I have since been advised that there is a rule about use of acronyms etc and I will do my best going forward, to comply.

[LoongFred]

22 hours ago, JohninDubin said:

A couple of years, I saw one of these surveys which claimed that TH had the 6th best healthcare in the world. There were several criteria applied. I can remember all of them, but I do remember some such as Cleanliness, Infrastructre, Ease of access, Cost and competence of doctors.

They were awarded a maximum of 100 points in each category and the rankings were then based on the highest score. There were about 80 countries sampled. TH did well in all categories scoring 80+ in most of them, except for one: competence of doctors where they scored 15pts. 

My conclusion from this was that TH healthcare was excellent for a number of reasons, until they actually started to practice on you,

I wrote this from memory, and though it is not 100% accurate the thrust is generally correct. I looked for the original article to compare it with my memory: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1746289/thailands-healthcare-ranked-sixth-best-in-the-world

Extract: Thailand received an overall score of 67.99 out of 100. Breaking down the figure into categories, the country was given a score of 92.58 for its healthcare infrastructure, 17.37 for professionals' competence, 96.22 for cost, 67.51 for medicine availability and 89.91 for government readiness. 

So what this survey really comes down to, is that if cost is important, TH does have excellent service, as long as you don't place too much reliance on TH doctors actually curing you.

I disagree. Thai doctors are first class and one doesn't have to deal with the slow service of socialized medicine. Many of the doctors, even in small provinces have received advanced training in the US, Australia or UK. 

[gummy]

10 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

I disagree. Thai doctors are first class and one doesn't have to deal with the slow service of socialized medicine. Many of the doctors, even in small provinces have received advanced training in the US, Australia or UK. 

Name them all then that have had training in those 3 countries or else your statement is an opinion rather than a factual statement. And by the way if 100 have had training elsewhere  that does not classify as "many" given the thousands of doctors in Thailand  having said that over the years I have seen a few Thai doctors that frankly make others with  certificates obtained overseas as somewhat less than professional.

[JohninDublin]

13 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

I disagree. Thai doctors are first class and one doesn't have to deal with the slow service of socialized medicine. Many of the doctors, even in small provinces have received advanced training in the US, Australia or UK. 

Yo may well disagree, but the survey was carried out in nearly 90 countries, asking the locals what they thought of their own healthcare systems. 

So in effect, you are disagreeing with the Thais opinions on their local issue. 

[gummy]

Just now, JohninDubin said:

Yo may well disagree, but the survey was carried out in nearly 90 countries, asking the locals what they thought of their own healthcare systems. 

So in effect, you are disagreeing with the Thais opinions on their local issue. 

Of course you are spot in with your reply but remember, you can't fix ignorance when it comes to Thai facts just like there is no known cure for pomposity for some people.

[Rain]

So....where do Vientiane and Hanoi rate? 

Noted curiosity. 

 

 

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, Rain said:

So....where do Vientiane and Hanoi rate? 

Noted curiosity. 

Didn't make the list

I'd imagine not developed enough............

 

https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2021/cities-asia-40195

[Rain]

18 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Didn't make the list

I'd imagine not developed enough............

https://www.internations.org/expat-insider/2021/cities-asia-40195

Developed?

In what sense developed?

[Marc26]

9 minutes ago, Rain said:

Developed?

In what sense developed?

Medical facilities, public transportation, schools

 

When they make these lists, they factor all these things into it, usually

[LoongFred]

On 12/3/2021 at 6:25 PM, gummy said:

Name them all then that have had training in those 3 countries or else your statement is an opinion rather than a factual statement. And by the way if 100 have had training elsewhere  that does not classify as "many" given the thousands of doctors in Thailand  having said that over the years I have seen a few Thai doctors that frankly make others with  certificates obtained overseas as somewhat less than professional.

Well wait until you have an accident or get ill. You can tell the doctor you don’t need them and you want to go home. Of course the doctor at home will be a foreigner and you will probably have to wait for service. Even on the provincial level the doctors seem very compedent. I have over 40 years experience in hospital medicine from the US and most authorities rate US healthcare at or near the top.

 

[ShibaBud]

I have lived in Singapore & Kuala Lumpur. While it offers admirable governance, Singapore is not even remotely on my list of viable retirement destinations. I couldn't live long in KL either. Like zooYork, KL is a curiosity quenching visit. It's rather mundane - no nearby hills nor beaches to escape to, few places of interest. No fan of Genting, I guess language was a huge factor among respondents. Language doesn't faze me as much as the "fuzzy" of Thailand - many areas lack clarity.

[BigHewer]

An old post, but I must have missed it the first time around. 12,000 expats consulted in order to rank 57 cities worldwide. Among the findings: 

- Kuala Lumpur best in the world.

- Bangkok 4th best in South-East Asia.

- Tokyo 53rd out of 57 cities.

Surveys like this are just for entertainment. Everyone is unique, and what may be a hardship for someone else might be a piece of cake for you and me. 

I for one am delighted that I have a different opinion to the folks that were polled.

[oldschooler]

On 12/2/2021 at 10:38 AM, Thaiger said:

Bangkok has come in at number 4 in a survey ranking the best places to live in Southeast Asia. And the Thai capital has come in at number 11 out of 57 cities in the global rankings. This is a big jump on last year’s result, when it was ranked at number 30 out of 66 cities. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Expat City Ranking 2021 poll was carried out by InterNations, a global expat network with over 4 million members. The findings were released yesterday, with Bangkok coming in behind Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Ho Chi Minh […]

The story Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Bangkok’ s clearly a terrible place to live. Polluted Congested Noisy .Great only if you are forced by Work to stay there. Phuket otherwise surely way better. 

[oldschooler]

On 12/3/2021 at 6:25 PM, gummy said:

Name them all then that have had training in those 3 countries or else your statement is an opinion rather than a factual statement. And by the way if 100 have had training elsewhere  that does not classify as "many" given the thousands of doctors in Thailand  having said that over the years I have seen a few Thai doctors that frankly make others with  certificates obtained overseas as somewhat less than professional.

Doctors at private hospitals all seem to be qualified here then certified ( upgraded) in English-speaking western countries.
 

Many public hospital or clinic doctors here are probably sub standard by western norms.

But then again many UK GP’s appear near useless, good only to write prescriptions on demand and kill by regular misdiagnosis

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, BigHewer said:

An old post, but I must have missed it the first time around.

Na, you did not miss it. You answered to it on Dec 2. , ;-)

And yes, you are right with your opinion "just for entertainment". Al people who got asked have to value their own options in every location. And to satisfy their own choice. Ask a "language teacher" , he will say Bangkok, because the income will not let him live in KL or Sin. Ask people with jobs, needing a special infrastructure , they will also tell you the location they find that.  Bangkok is, imho, the cheapest option, compared to Sin and KL with a good infrastructure and , usually, a good work/life balance. And has better connection to the world, as HCM 

 

 

[BigHewer]

45 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Na, you did not miss it. You answered to it on Dec 2. , ;-)

And yes, you are right with your opinion "just for entertainment". Al people who got asked have to value their own options in every location. And to satisfy their own choice. Ask a "language teacher" , he will say Bangkok, because the income will not let him live in KL or Sin. Ask people with jobs, needing a special infrastructure , they will also tell you the location they find that.  Bangkok is, imho, the cheapest option, compared to Sin and KL with a good infrastructure and , usually, a good work/life balance. And has better connection to the world, as HCM 

Right you are, Guest1… my mistake. The Dec 2 version of me also seems like a more fun guy

BKK vs KL is a bit like apples and oranges. HCM and Jakarta are more like for like and Bangkok wins hands down IMO.

[Fanta]

On 12/3/2021 at 6:18 PM, LoongFred said:

I disagree. Thai doctors are first class and one doesn't have to deal with the slow service of socialized medicine. Many of the doctors, even in small provinces have received advanced training in the US, Australia or UK. 

It is not just training, it is also attitude. My wife scolds me whenever I question a Thai doctor’s opinion. “He is doctor!” 

[Noble_Design]

42 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Right you are, Guest1… my mistake. The Dec 2 version of me also seems like a more fun guy

BKK vs KL is a bit like apples and oranges. HCM and Jakarta are more like for like and Bangkok wins hands down IMO.

More than 10 years ago I was offered a job opportunity in Jakarta (more like Cikarang) but I didn't go because I had a Thai gf back then (who is now my wife) and the infamous traffic jam there. Mass transit is definitely improving in Jakarta although slowly. 

If 10 years ago I hadn't had a Thai gf and traffic wasn't that bad I would have gone there, there is just something about the ladies in tight fitting kebaya batik that I find absolutely irresistible. It just accentuates the curves and make them curvier and deliciously rounder which I like a lot. 

[Pinetree]

6 minutes ago, Noble_Design said:

More than 10 years ago I was offered a job opportunity in Jakarta (more like Cikarang) but I didn't go because I had a Thai gf back then (who is now my wife) and the infamous traffic jam there. Mass transit is definitely improving in Jakarta although slowly. 

If 10 years ago I hadn't had a Thai gf and traffic wasn't that bad I would have gone there, there is just something about the ladies in tight fitting kebaya batik that I find absolutely irresistible. It just accentuates the curves and make them curvier and deliciously rounder which I like a lot. 

You had a lucky escape from that City. 

[Noble_Design]

26 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

You had a lucky escape from that City. 

Why? It's not too bad

[Guest1]

59 minutes ago, Noble_Design said:

It just accentuates the curves and make them curvier and deliciously rounder which I like a lot. 

But isn't the hijab cooling that down, again? Only "Window shopping" is not always a good long term choice

[BigHewer]

5 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

But isn't the hijab cooling that down, again? Only "Window shopping" is not always a good long term choice

I’m in Jakarta right now. I’d say less than half of the ladies here are wearing one.

[Guest1]

9 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

I’m in Jakarta right now. I’d say less than half of the ladies here are wearing one.

Ok, but still there is a little difference in "dating" an Indonesian lady, compared to a Thai lady.

Last time "I checked"!