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City guide

Bangkok

Thailand

Bangkok is disorienting at first: huge, frantic, humid. Then it wins you over fast, because the city is surprisingly gentle with families: smiles everywhere, easy daily life and a well-established French-speaking community. Here is the essential picture.

Currency
Thai baht (฿)
Languages
Thai (English in expat areas)
Time vs Paris
5 to 6h ahead (5h in summer)
Emergencies
191 (police), 1669 (ambulance)

FIAFE network

The Accueil for French-speaking families

In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.

Bangkok Accueil

Since 2001

Since 2001, Bangkok Accueil has been welcoming French-speaking families to the Thai capital: neighbourhood buddies ("parrains et marraines"), coffee meetups, discovery outings and big festive or charity gatherings.

Where to meet them

No fixed drop-in at the moment: email [email protected] and the team will point you to the next neighbourhood coffee or apéro.

Visit the association's website Email the association See the FIAFE page

What they offer

  • Neighbourhood buddies (Sukhumvit, Sathorn...)
  • Chit-Chat coffees and regular activities
  • Bangkok discovery outings (Chinatown, Thai craft workshops)
  • Charity projects and the Tuk-Tuk magazine

Other support networks

Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.

  • UFE

    UFE Thaïlande

    The Thai chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger: welcome, mutual aid and social events for the French in Thailand, including the large Bangkok community.

    Visit the website
  • Français du monde – ADFE

    Français du monde – ADFE Thaïlande

    The Thai section of Français du monde - ADFE informs French residents in Thailand, helps with their paperwork and relays their concerns to the consular authorities.

    Visit the website Facebook page

The French business network

The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.

CCI France International

Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce (FTCC)

The Franco-Thai chamber, based in Bangkok, runs over 60 events a year: networking, a job board and support to settle in professionally make the move easier for a spouse and the family.

Visit the website CCI country page

The online community

The Facebook groups to join

Before you even land in Bangkok, Facebook groups are the best shortcut: ask your questions, find a flat, a nanny, a second-hand stroller, and often your first friends.

  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    BANGKOK EXPATS Apartment / House / Condo for Rent and Sale Bangkok Thailand

    👥 168,600 members · ≈ 2,333 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active 🔒 Private In English

    BANGKOK EXPATS

    👥 123,600 members · ≈ 429 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In English

    BANGKOK EXPATS CLASSIFIEDS FORUM

    👥 122,900 members · ≈ 2,333 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active 🔒 Private In English

    Bangkok Expats

    👥 120,900 members · ≈ 104 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats in Bangkok - Forum

    👥 113,400 members · ≈ 64 posts/week

    View the group
  • 🔥 Very active Public In French

    Français En Thailande Cherche Français...

    👥 85,500 members · ≈ 430 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    THAILAND EXPATS

    👥 84,188 members · ≈ 3 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats Living in Thailand

    👥 78,300 members · ≈ 64 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Expats In Thailand

    👥 52,300 members · ≈ 12 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In French

    Français en Thailande : Tout savoir sauf la Météo...

    👥 51,100 members · ≈ 5 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Bangkok Expats

    👥 46,700 members · ≈ 8 posts/week

    View the group
  • Public In English

    Bangkok Expat Families

    👥 34,800 members · ≈ 22 posts/week

    View the group
💬 Explore the full group directory

Compiled from Facebook's public search, links checked in July 2026. Group sizes change all the time.

AEFE network

Accredited French schools

Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.

💰 Compare school fees

Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr

Tutoring and private lessons

To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.

  • Axiom Academic

    Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.

    Discover Axiom Academic

  • IB Tutor

    Tutors specialised in the International Baccalaureate: online lessons in every IB subject, to aim for top grades from MYP to the diploma.

    Discover IB Tutor

Schools and education

The Lycée français international de Bangkok (LFIB), AEFE-affiliated, teaches around a thousand pupils from nursery to the French baccalaureate. Over in Sathorn and Sukhumvit, three accredited French preschools complete the picture for little ones.

Good to know

  • The LFIB sits in Ramkhamhaeng, east of the city: most families use the school bus, so factor the commute into your choice of neighbourhood.
  • For ages 2 to 6, La Petite École (Yen Akat) and the Acacia preschools (Sathorn, Ekkamai) offer French nursery right in the expat areas.
  • Apply early: admissions are handled online and the youngest classes fill up fast.
  • The international offering (British, American, IB curricula) is vast, but fees climb quickly: negotiate them into the expat package.

Children's healthcare

Bangkok's big private hospitals rank among the best in Asia, with a level of comfort that surprises newcomers. But everything is billed: international health insurance is the first thing to sort out before you arrive.

Good to know

  • Get insurance covering hospitalisation before departure: even emergency care is paid.
  • Samitivej, Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital are the expat family references, with full paediatric departments.
  • Dengue circulates all year round: mosquito repellent for children, especially in the rainy season.
  • 1669 is the medical emergency number; in practice, many families drive straight to the nearest private hospital ER.

French-speaking community

Thailand counts over 12,000 French citizens registered at the consulate, most of them in Bangkok. The community is warm and organised: you find your circle fast.

Good to know

  • Bangkok Accueil (FIAFE network) has welcomed newcomers since 2001, with neighbourhood buddies across the city.
  • Sukhumvit (Phrom Phong, Thonglor, Ekkamai) and Sathorn are home to most French-speaking families.
  • UFE Thaïlande and Français du monde - ADFE complete the support network.
  • The Alliance Française de Bangkok, in Sathorn, offers a media library and activities in French for children.

Family outings and events

Bangkok with kids is a permanent adventure: city parks with their easy-going monitor lizards, colourful markets, river boats and beaches two hours away.

Good to know

  • Lumpini and the Benjakitti forest park are the green lungs of the centre: bikes, playgrounds and the famous monitor lizards.
  • The Children's Discovery Museum, opposite Chatuchak market, is free and designed for little ones.
  • A boat ride across the Chao Phraya beats any theme park: temples, canals and stilt houses.
  • Hua Hin, Khao Yai or Kanchanaburi: the family weekend escapes are 2 to 3 hours away by road.

These landmarks change fast: the MumExpat community will keep them up to date.

The arrival reflex

The apps to download when you land

Drop your bags, download these and you're set: the apps everyone in Bangkok uses to get around, get things delivered and organise daily life.

Getting around

  • Grab

    Bangkok's number-one reflex: private cars, taxis and motorbike taxis, plus food (GrabFood) and grocery (GrabMart) delivery in a single app. Pay with a saved card.

    App Store Google Play

  • Bolt

    Grab's Estonian rival, often a little cheaper for a car or a motorbike; many families compare both before booking a ride.

    App Store Google Play

  • inDrive

    Here you name your price and drivers accept or haggle; handy for trips where Grab shows steep surge fares at rush hour.

    App Store Google Play

  • MuvMi

    Shared electric tuk-tuks you book in a few neighbourhoods (Ari, Thonglor, Rattanakosin, Chula); perfect and cheap for short hops through the sois.

    App Store Google Play

  • ViaBus

    The local app that tracks buses, the BTS, the MRT and river boats live; the key to taming Bangkok's famously opaque bus network.

    App Store Google Play

Food delivery

  • LINE MAN

    Thailand's food-delivery giant, with the widest choice of small restaurants and street food; you sign in with your LINE account.

    App Store Google Play

  • Robinhood

    The other big delivery app in Bangkok: it took over foodpanda's customers when it left, with a wide choice of restaurants and often reasonable fees.

    App Store Google Play

Groceries

  • Tops

    The online supermarket expats love for imported and Western products; home delivery from Tops and Central Food Hall stores.

    App Store Google Play

  • Lotus's

    The big hypermarket chain (formerly Tesco Lotus), everywhere and cheap; order your groceries online and collect loyalty points.

    App Store Google Play

  • Villa Market

    The expat institution for imported goods (cheeses, French pantry staples, organic); several stores around town and home delivery through the app.

    App Store Google Play

Everyday life

  • LINE

    The queen of apps in Thailand: everyday messaging, but also payments, news and the way you reach schools and shops. Here everyone uses LINE, not WhatsApp.

    App Store Google Play

  • TrueMoney Wallet

    The most widespread e-wallet: top it up with cash at 7-Eleven, then pay in shops by QR code, settle bills and reload your phone credit.

    App Store Google Play

  • Hungry Hub

    The booking app that digs up buffets and fixed-price menus in Bangkok restaurants and hotels; very handy for family meals without overspending.

    App Store Google Play

  • Yindii

    Bangkok's anti-waste app: surprise bags from bakeries, cafes and hotels at a small price, collected at the end of the day. Good for your budget and the planet.

    App Store Google Play

Coming soon: the full Bangkok guide.

Verified addresses, paediatricians recommended by mums, a family agenda updated every week. Join the waitlist to discover the Bangkok page first.

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