Bangkok has more forum threads than any city in Southeast Asia and most of them are expats talking to each other. Useful, up to a point. Here is where each kind of question gets a good answer, including the one place where the answer comes from a Thai who lives there.
The forums, compared#
| Forum | Who answers | Best for | Weak at |
|---|---|---|---|
| TripAdvisor Bangkok forum | Visitors, long-term foreigners | Hotels, which area, airport transfers, day trips | Anything a resident knows |
| Thailand and Bangkok subreddits | Expats, some Thais, travellers | Scams, nightlife, visas, honest opinions | Jaded tone; search first |
| Expat Facebook groups | Long-stay foreigners | Apartments, condos, long stays; the groups explained | Short-trip questions |
| Roavi Community, Bangkok board | Thai Local Friends who live in Bangkok, travellers | A plan checked by a resident; prices; markets; the answer can become a person | New and small |
What to ask where#
Sukhumvit or Silom or the old city, which hotel, how to get from the airport: TripAdvisor.
Is this a scam, what is the nightlife really like, visa rules: the subreddits, then is Bangkok safe?.
A condo for a month, a coworking space, a long stay: the expat groups and the digital nomad guide.
Which market this weekend, is this taxi fare right, where to eat near my hotel that is not for tourists, what a Thai would do with my free Sunday: Roavi Community. Bangkok is one of the platform's strongest cities for Local Friends; the board is where they answer, and their profiles are a click away.
The honest size note#
Roavi's Bangkok board has a handful of threads. TripAdvisor has hundreds of thousands. They are not competing for the same question. Use the big forum to pick a hotel and the small one to find out what to do once you are in it.
Before you post#
Dates, area, budget, solo or not, what you have read. Start with things to do in Bangkok, Bangkok solo, Bangkok weather by month.
Post your Bangkok question on Roavi Community.
A Bangkok question? Ask someone who lives there.
Post on Roavi CommunityFrequently Asked Questions
Is there a Bangkok travel forum?
Yes. TripAdvisor's Bangkok forum is the largest for hotel and logistics questions. The Thailand and Bangkok subreddits are the most active and the most honest. Expat Facebook groups cover living there. Roavi Community has a Bangkok board where Thai Local Friends answer and can be messaged.Which Bangkok forum has Thai locals answering?
Roavi Community's Bangkok board, where Local Friends are Bangkok residents with a profile, and to a lesser extent the Bangkok subreddit, which has Thais among the expats. TripAdvisor is almost entirely visitors and long-term foreigners.Where should I ask about Bangkok nightlife and safety?
The Bangkok subreddit for the unfiltered version and the scams to know, then a resident on Roavi Community for whether a specific plan and area fit you. Our own guide covers the basics.What questions are worth asking a Bangkokian?
Which market or neighbourhood this weekend, what a taxi or boat should cost, where to eat near your hotel that is not for tourists, whether a festival changes your dates, and what a local would do with your free evening.
