Bangkok drops to 9th in most liveable cities for expats, Kuala Lumpur takes 8th spot

BANGKOK: Bangkok slipped from 6th to 9th place amongst the best cities for expatriates to live and work in in 2023, according to the latest poll from InterNations, which runs an online portal selling services to expats around the world.

The Thai capital has also been dethroned by Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, ranked in 8th place globally, as the best city for expats in South-east Asia.

InterNations published its 2023 Expat City Ranking last week, with three Spanish cities topping the chart namely Málaga (1st), Alicante (2nd), and Valencia (3rd). A total of 49 cities around the world were included in the ranking, which collected input from over 12,000 respondents living in 172 countries and territories.

The pollster said these three cities earned top 10 ratings in the indices Ease of Settling In, Quality of Life, and Personal Finance, which translates into welcoming cultures that allow for an enjoyable and affordable life. Málaga and Alicante also made it into the top 10 for Expat Essentials such as housing.

UAE’s Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi ranked fourth and fifth respectively, followed by Madrid (6th), Mexico City (7th), Kuala Lumpur (8th), Bangkok (9th) and Muscat, the capital of Oman, taking the last place in the top ten.

As for Bangkok, the poll result showed that it is among the best-rated destinations in the Personal Finance Index (2nd). Expats find the financial situation (3rd) and the general cost of living (5th) in Bangkok very satisfactory. 86% of respondents say that their disposable household income is enough or more than enough to lead a comfortable life (vs 73% globally).

Bangkok also does very well in the Ease of Settling In Index (10th). Expats are especially happy with the friendliness of the local residents (8th) and their thriving social life, said InterNations.

In the Working Abroad Index (35th), Bangkok nearly ends up in the bottom 5 of the Work Culture & Satisfaction Subcategory (44th). Expats report that the local business culture does not encourage creativity (45th), independent work (45th), or flexibility (40th).

However, Bangkok’s Housing Index ranks 1st globally — expats say it’s both affordable and easy to find (2nd for both). Overall, 85% of expats are happy with their life in Bangkok, compared to 72% globally.

InterNations says it has 5 million members. It surveys them annually to select the best and worst cities for expats to live and work in globally. - The Nation/ANN