Bangkok – City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Bangkok, the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand since 1782, had been long known by foreign merchants as a dynamic port on the way to Ayutthaya. One of the largest ASEAN cities, it is determined to face the future with innovative projects such as One Bangkok, an integrated district focused on environmental sustainability and smart-city living. Most notably, Bangkok attracts millions of visitors every year as a starting point to explore Thailand.

But how promising is the city in terms of business and tourism attractiveness? How well does it perform in terms of sustainability? How influential is it worldwide, according to leading rankings and indices?

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Bangkok’s competitiveness and financial performance
• Its country brand strength and global reputation
• Livability: how appealing to talent, visitors, locals?

Economic competitiveness and financial performance

How attractive is Bangkok as a place to work and do business? 

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Bangkok 86^th, dropping fifteen positions from the previous ranking. It currently sits between Gibraltar (85^th) and Tallinn (87^th).

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Bangkok ranks 145^th, a drop of one position from the previous ranking.

Country brand strength and global attractiveness 

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Bangkok 39^th overall and: 15^th for restaurants and 5^th for shopping.

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks it 45^th, a drop of two positions from the previous edition of the report – now almost en par with Lisbon (44^th) and São Paulo (46^th). It ranks 105^th in the firm’s Global Cities Outlook.

The Global Power City Index ranks Bangkok 38^th. In terms of function-specific performance, the city ranks 35^th in Economy, 41^st in R&D, 12th in Cultural Interaction, 20^th in Livability, 45^th in Environment, and 35^th in Accessibility. Bangkok also ranked 7^th for Variety of WorkPlace Options. Lastly, it positioned 38^th among Highly-skilled Workers, 35^th among Corporate Executives, 44^th among Residents, and 14^th in the Tourism sector.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Bangkok ranks 47^th globally with a score of 66.6/100, sitting in between Auckland (46^th) and Dallas (48^th).

Livability: How attractive as place to live, work and study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Bangkok 124^th, whereas the same firm’s Cost of Living Ranking sees it at 105^th, a jump of one position from the previous ranking. The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Bangkok 72^nd overall, sitting in between Kuala Lumpur (71^st) and Beijing (73^rd). Bangkok’s sustainability pillar rankings are: Planet 92^nd, People 58^th, Profit 73^rd.

Last updated in January 2024. More city profiles here.

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