Bangkok Post : Magazine: Bangkok World's Best City

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• Sanook Dee

  Discussion 24 : 04/08/2010 at 02:12 PM24

  It's easy to see how a tourist might look at the negative side of Bangkok, as in their mind they compare it to their perception of more notable city's.
  
  But for me and seasoned travelers like me(Seasoned = more then 3 months of the year outside their home country for more than 5 years)you can very easily understand the conclusion, Bangkok and Thailand as a whole is far and away my most preferred destination, all things considered.
  
  Selfishly....I hope it never changes

• Krid

  Discussion 23 : 19/07/2010 at 08:27 AM23

  There is giveaway in telling that the T&L Magazine World's Best City survey is flawed.
  In the top ten World's Best Cities it has included Chiang Mai, San Miguel de Allende and Oaxaca.
  I have visited all three of these cities which are best described as being provincial.
  They are good for a day or two of sightseeing, eating and whatever else.
  They are not world class cities.
  
  Something is wrong with this survey.

• Peter

  Discussion 22 : 18/07/2010 at 02:59 PM22

  The Bangkok Post poll to have readers vote "yes" or"no" to agree with Bangkok being the world's best city likewise does does not permit secure data entry.
  I allows individuals to vote an infinite number of times "yes" or "no" and thereby immediately affecting the results.
  These polls are aboslutely meaningless and results should not be reported or used.

• Peter

  Discussion 21 : 17/07/2010 at 06:55 AM21

  There is a very simple reason for Bangkok being voted best city in the world.
  In the current issue of you are being asked to vote for the best city in the USA. You can vote as many times as you want for your favorite city with no verification required.
  So someone or some organization not long ago hired some kids, put them behind computers and let them vote for Bangkok and Chiang Mai all day long.
  My bet is that this individual or this organization have an interest in promoting tourism for Thailand.
  It will be very embarassing for Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra when he travels to New York and receives the award.

• Paula

  Discussion 20 : 16/07/2010 at 10:12 AM20

  Below the ranking of the City Mayors survey of the world's best cities for 2010.
  
  I cannot find Bangkok in the top 50. Someone please explain.
  
  2010 Rank 2009 Rank City Country
  1 1 Vienna Austria
  2 2 Zurich Switzerland
  3 3 Geneva Switzerland
  =4 =4 Vancouver Canada
  =4 =4 Auckland New Zealand
  6 6 Düsseldorf Germany
  =7 8 Frankfurt Germany
  =7 =7 Munich Germany
  9 9 Bern Switzerland
  10 10 Sydney Australia
  11 11 Copenhagen Denmark
  12 12 Wellington New Zealand
  13 13 Amsterdam Netherlands
  14 =16 Ottawa Canada
  15 14 Brussels Belgium
  16 15 Toronto Canada
  17 =16 Berlin Germany
  18 18 Melbourne Australia
  19 19 Luxembourg Luxembourg
  20 20 Stockholm Sweden
  =21 21 Perth Australia
  =21 22 Montreal Canada
  23 28 Hamburg Germany
  =24 23 Nürnberg Germany
  =24 24 Oslo Norway
  =26 - Canberra Australia
  =26 25 Dublin Ireland
  =28 =26 Calgary Canada
  =28 =26 Singapore Singapore
  30 - Stuttgart Germany
  31 29 Honolulu USA
  =32 =30 Adelaide Australia
  =32 =29 San Francisco USA
  34 32 Paris France
  35 35 Helsinki Finland
  36 34 Brisbane Australia
  37 =35 Boston USA
  38 37 Lyon France
  39 =38 London UK
  40 =35 Tokyo Japan
  =41 41 Milan Italy
  =41 40 Kobe Japan
  =41 =38 Yokohama Japan
  44 =42 Barcelona Spain
  =45 =44 Lisbon Portugal
  =45 =44 Chicago USA
  =45 =44 Washington DC USA
  48 48 Madrid Spain
  49 49 New York City USA
  50 50 Seattle USA

• Pointman #2

  Discussion 19 : 14/07/2010 at 07:39 PM19

  I would agree. In fact, I've often told numerous Thai people they are lucky to be living in Thailand.
  
  In my opinion, Thailand, is not only a paradise, but Thai people are exceptional. Thai people are courteous, well-mannered and not a bunch of thieves.

• Krid

  Discussion 18 : 14/07/2010 at 07:16 PM18

  Quick Check Chiang Mai:
  1. Places for sightseeing, their beauty and greenery;
  Check, numerous ancient temples, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Prathat Doi Suthep and countless others, the city surrounded by green mountains, waterfalls, lakes and national parks, if it were not for the entrance fee gouging annoyance. Also, there is too much building activity in the valley and the surrounding mountain areas because of cheap money.
  
  2. Arts and culture;
  Surely not many contrived Western imports like Singapore keeps buying, but a genuine and vibrant art and music scene, with foreigners and locals participating. Add to that countless colorful local festivals over the course of the year.
  
  3. Food;
  Try to find Thai, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Greek, French, Israeli, German etc. etc. cuisine in this density and incredible value for money in those Italian metropoleis or anywhere else in the world. Prices are 50% of Bangkok and 30% of Milan or Venice for the same Italian food. And Thais can cook, not only Thai food.
  
  4. Shopping areas;
  Major shopping malls where most everything is available, walking street, night bazaar and a vibrant cottage industry of handicrafts all around the valley.
  
  5. People's friendliness;
  Unrivaled.
  
  6. Value for money spent.
  Unrivaled. For the quality of living Chiang Mai offers better value for money than any other place in the world, even with the strong Baht. I have interviewed hundreds of travelers over many years and they all confirm this.
  
  Other cities may be better with other criteria, but these survey results make perfect sense.

• rpt

  Discussion 17 : 14/07/2010 at 06:59 PM17

  The city where the government killed 80 people last month and injured 2000?
  Is this poll taken with the troops or without?

• Chiangmai Skipper

  Discussion 16 : 14/07/2010 at 06:41 PM16

  Why doesn’t Travel & Leisure Magazine, just come out and say they think the seasoned world traveler is a gullible idiot who will believe any moronic tripe written on glossy pages in a travel magazine? Bangkok voted the top city in the whole world!? I guess the guests staying in the luxury Dusit Thani Hotel just two months ago that came under gunfire as reported by an AFP journalist with approximately 100 people hiding in the basement weren’t polled for their vote, heh? Not to forget the thousands upon thousands who had the daily details of the 2 month red shirt siege on Bangkok plastered on the news.
  But now Bangkok is rated the “Best City in the Entire World/Universe/Galaxy! Gosh, really?
  And the further comment by this no longer reputable rag of a magazine stating they are,” quite certain there had to be a bit of celebrating going on at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which had been battling hard to bring back tourists following the March-April unrest in Bangkok”. I’m sure there is also some celebrating as this ‘fluff piece’ will take the limelight off former corrupt TAT governor Juthamas Siriwan and her daughter Jittisopa who are defendants in a case involving acceptance of about $1.8 million in bribes between 2002 and 2006 with regards to the Bangkok Film Festival. So now we have TAT that never had a clue about how to attract and keep tourists and a so-called travel magazine with no credibility. Get ready for the influx of tourists!

• Po

  Discussion 15 : 14/07/2010 at 06:00 PM15

  If any of you have gone to Rome, Paris, New York, Athens; you will know that the critical comments against Bangkok are applicable to other cities.
  
  Maybe some ppl are better off elsewhere.

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