Bangkok is a fantastic city to live with a vibrant nightlife and thriving business district. However, one thing that often gets taken for granted is the excellent services which make living in Bangkok far more comfortable and convenient. Many of these services would be unaffordable in many other cities in the world, but in Bangkok, they are plentiful and inexpensive. Here are five excellent services that contribute to making Bangkok such a fantastic place to live.
1. Laundry Pick Up and Delivery
No one enjoys doing their own laundry, yet in most countries, it is just a fact of life, but in Bangkok, you will find laundries on nearly every street. However, not all of these laundries provide a pick-up and delivery service, which is something that Simply offers. It is an incredibly convenient service which is perfect for those who are working. Dry cleaning and general cleaning services are available to suit your type of clothing. What could be easier?
You can arrange to get your clothes collected at a suitable time and delivered back to you washed and ironed. It takes away any problems such as parking or your clothes getting creased when you walk back with them. Collection and delivery services are particularly useful at a time like this when we are all trying to social distance ourselves from others due to Covid-19. It will help to reduce the spread of the virus by minimising your exposure to others.
2. Maid Service
For many people, the idea of having a maid or even a cleaner is something that would have been perhaps beyond their means in their “home” country. However, having a maid in Bangkok is quite common. Some people choose to have live-in maids that provide a comprehensive service which includes doing all the cooking, cleaning and in some cases, even the shopping. Others prefer to have someone come a couple of times a week and perform a few specific jobs.
Maids in Thailand are relatively inexpensive and can make your daily life a lot easier, significantly reducing the number of domestic chores left for you, leaving you to enjoy all the great things that Bangkok has to offer. If you live in a condo, they will probably employ their own maids who you can use. Alternatively, you can hire a maid independently, but many people prefer to use agencies who will obtain references.
3. Handymen
While many of us may claim that we enjoy DIY, for most, it is merely the idea rather than the actual application! Even those that genuinely enjoy turning their hand to a few jobs around the house, having the available tools or knowing where to get the right parts can be a problem. The climate is not favourable to manual work, and it is unlikely that you want to start jobs in the evening after a long day at work. Fortunately, handymen are relatively easy to find and again quite cheap.
Most condos or villages have staff that you can ask (for a fee) to carry out a few repairs in your home. The advantage of using these people is that they tend to be good at their job and are not an “unknown quantity”. It is something that you need to be careful with as many people will be keen to help, but may not have the skills which can cause serious and potentially life-threatening problems where electrics are involved. If your condo or village doesn’t employ a handyman, it is worth asking friends and colleagues if they can recommend someone. Once you have the right person, they will undoubtedly make your life far more convenient!
4. Gardeners
Gardening is another task which we tend to say we enjoy when in reality; it is the thought rather than the practice. If you have a large garden, keeping on top of the watering, pruning the plants and cutting the lawn can become very time-consuming. Although gardeners are becoming increasingly common in western countries, they tend not to be needed to quite the same extent as in Thailand where plants can grow incredibly quickly!
Most gardeners are relatively cheap and will have all their own equipment and tools with many employed by most villages. However, if you prefer to take on someone independently, they are easy to come by. While for most people you won’t be requiring a landscape gardener, it is still advisable to seek references and ask for advice. Most people ask a gardener to come two or three times a week to water the plants and clean up any leaves. It is a sensible schedule which helps to ensure that everything is easy to maintain.
5. Drivers
You won’t need to have been in Bangkok very long to realise that congestion and the standard of driving is a big problem. Driving in any big city can be stressful, but that is even more so in Bangkok. It is for this reason that many people choose to employ a driver to take them from A to B. Some will be employed on a full-time basis, will keep your car cleaner and take you anywhere that you want to go regardless of time, while other work as and when required.
It is fairly common for drivers to use your car while others will have their own. If the driver has their own vehicle, it can be easier and gives both you and the driver more freedom. However, on the downside, they may not be available when you need them. Drivers are easy to come by in Bangkok and often your driver will send someone else, their “friend” if they are not available. Some expat companies insist on employees using drivers and not driving themselves. Indeed, this is a stipulation in many contracts.
Bangkok
Bangkok is a fantastic city to visit, live and work. It has all the services that you need to make life more convenient. We strongly advise that you make the most of these services to enhance your experience of this fabulous city.