I’d heard that Bangkok was a concrete jungle. Word had it that it was as flat as a pancake and monotonous besides. That it was not a city for nature lovers. I’d heard it all before and moved there anyway.
I like extremes! I’d rather be completely alone in the wilderness, or right in the middle of a chaotic city. Moving to Bangkok in late 2021, I knew I could make it work.
Were there challenges? Absolutely! There were some poor air quality days, just like when I lived in Korea and China. My job was a bit of a struggle. With work and school combined, I pulled more 12-16 hour days than I care to admit to. My small local supermarket didn’t always have a great veg selection. And yes, it’s true: not a mountain in sight.
Despite the difficulties, I absolutely loved living in Bangkok. I chose a tiny apartment that came with pool and rooftop garden access! There were big-city vegan restaurant options – I ordered so much delicious take-out! I actually lived closer to DMK (Don Muang airport) than BKK, and took advantage of it! While there may not be mountains, there are lush, expansive urban parks – and that’s where I spent my weekends!
I’d like to share my four favorite things about my life in BKK: how I made it work with training, how I fueled my runs and workouts, work-life balance and access to adventure options.
Training: Flat-out Fun
No hills? No problem. Speedwork is the alternative, and Bangkok’s green spaces are perfect for it. Although I did wonder how I would handle trail races after doing all my training on flat concrete paths, I found that I was able to keep in fine form. Moreover, I genuinely enjoyed my early morning jaunts in parks filled with tropical plants and even occasional wildlife!
I credit my continued running fitness to doing, well, a lot of running, and to doing some of it fast! In Bangkok, I reprioritized running after nearly two years of focusing on strength training. My schedule involved 4-5 days a week and many speedwork sessions.
Weekday runs were treadmill 5k’s – which was definitely something I had to get used to again! But our building’s gym had great windows and we used the time to listen to music, too. Plus it was a great way to de-stress after work! For these runs, we would do speed bursts or ramp up the incline to get some good work in.
Weekends, as I mentioned, were spent in Bangkok’s parks! My second day in the city, I was determined to set up a regular run routine. I’d read about a jogging track in Lumpini, and even though it was over an hour’s subway journey away, I opted to check it out – and was so glad I did! My first run – and every one thereafter – featured incredible monitor lizard encounters, birdsong, and often spectacular sunrises.
Lumpini was my first love among Bangkok’s parks – fitting, as the first public park in both the city and the nation! The best way to enjoy the 2.5 kilometer loop track? Start before dawn, and each lap will be delightfully different. Alternatively, skip the crowds by going in the middle of the day – and get some serious heat training in while you’re at it!
During my sojourn of four months, I ran in Lumpini a total of 10 times – every single weekend I was in the city – and amounting to over 120 kilometers! It was my standing Saturday date, rain or shine, the entire time I lived in BKK.
Although I ran a handful of times in nearby Benjakitti Park, I did not discover the ‘green mile’ linking the two parks until my very last day in the country. If only I’d known!
But among Bangkok’s green spaces, my other great love was the park of many names: Wachirabenchathat (aka Vajirabenjatas; aka Rot Fai; aka Chatuchak). This park, featuring a longer track of 3+ kilometers, was much closer to home. It soon became our Sunday spot to train.
This park in particular was host to our longest training runs. Another fun routine here was always aiming for progressively faster laps – as our packs got lighter but the morning got hotter!
We made so many great memories here! Befriending the ‘big guy’ at the outdoor gym, surprises from monitor lizards also running the trail, fabulous and fleeting flower blooms, interesting insect encounters and so much more. Just because it’s flat doesn’t mean it’s not fun!
On 9 rad runs, I logged a total of 160 kilometers in Wachirabenchathat.
Funny and very flat indeed was the one time I did a hilariously bonky, nighttime quarantine run on our rooftop’s 100 meter out-and-back track. You have to get into a really Zen mindset to enjoy this type of thing – and it’s important to practice cornering!
Refueling & Rehydrating
This is not a food blog, so I’ll keep this short and to the point: I love Thai cuisine! My first massaman curry blew my mind. I could eat pad kee mao and slurp tom yum soup for days. I absolutely love the fresh, young coconuts Thais prefer – I always brought a spoon for scooping out the soft flesh after drinking the water. YUM!
Are we sure I was such a regular patron of Lumpini just for the running? I befriended one of the park’s vendors, and had a cool coconut waiting for me at his stall at the end of every single run. One time I went on a Wednesday afternoon, and literally shed a tear when my man wasn’t there and there were no coconuts to be had.
Similarly, at Watchirabenchatat, we had a regular routine of post-run park picnics going on. Kent would order fried plantain, I’d grab some smoked sweet potato and some cold cut fruit. And of course, cool coconut water!
We also patronized the hell out of an amazing restaurant called So Vegan Ladprao. What started as a treat became a Saturday night staple…and later started showing up on our doorstep even more regularly. If you ever have the opportunity, do it – everything is delicious. This might be my new favorite restaurant on the planet!
Giving the aforementioned fave a little competition were a handful of other excellent eateries. We regularly ordered from a fresh salad shop, a Chinese place with dank mapo tofu and, when out and about, always stopped by the veggie sushi restaurant downtown. We even found a delightful vegan pizza place! I’m telling you, living in the city definitely has its perks!
One final note: Bangkok is back in Pocari Sweat territory. If you’re not aware, this Japanese-made sports drink is only the literal best on the planet. It’s got a sweet, mild grapefruit flavor and is my go-to for rehydration in the heat. Seriously: when I’m not living somewhere where this beverage is sold in stores, I have to order the powdered version online. Yup, that good.
Work-Life Balance
I’ve already confessed to working way too hard during my stay here. My job was in a new type of school and with a new age group of students, and it was a massive challenge. I was also completing my own schooling simultaneously, so I was pretty tied to my laptop, in all honesty.
Still, somehow, I managed to have a lot of fun anyways. Especially after Kent came! In addition to cooking, running and working out together, we also found a lot of fun ways to relax.
We loved playing in our pool! This was the first time we lived somewhere with one, so we seized every opportunity to spend time in it. Our bedroom had a pool view, so we could check how busy and/or sunny it was and plan our day accordingly. On one uniquely memorable occasion, we had to rescue a newly fledged dove during our swim!
We also adored our rooftop garden. I drank up mellow sunrises with my morning protein, and the two of us lingered over spectacular sunrises – framed by thunderheads, more often than not. One of our favorite pastimes was sneaking away from work and school duties to play games up there.
We dined, lounged and toasted the good life, high above Bangkok.
When you live near an airport…
…you go on flights! I mean, probably we would have done our domestic trips even if it was a hassle. But living just down the road from one of Bangkok’s two airports was practically perfect. Escaping on a long weekend adventure was a breeze!
Our time in Thailand was not exclusively spent in Bangkok, but it’s probably because we were based there, near the airport, that we got to travel as much as we did. I did five domestic trips by plane during my stay!
I hit the ground running when, just two weeks after I arrived, I flew to Chiang Mai for Thailand by UTMB. When Kent arrived, we almost immediately took off for anniversary adventures on the Ultra-Trail Phuket course! In January, I skipped out of a school field trip to fly to paradise on Ko Muk.
March meant the end of my studies and public school holidays – therefore more exploration! First there was Ultra-Trail Koh Chang, and the last thing we did before leaving the country was jet over to Mae Hong Son for one truly wonderful walk.
Although we didn’t fly to Kanchanaburi, living literally on the western edge of Bangkok was beneficial for getting there, too. We were able to spend two nearly full days there with just one overnight, because we didn’t have to battle the downtown traffic.
Where we lived, and how we lived, set us up for having a beautiful, badass life in BKK!
Want more? Here’s a little bonus BKK for ya!