Oh no, quite the contrary. All the more reason to go to Bangkok to experience it for yourself. I was first there in 2003, and was recently back in late 2023. Yes, you can stay in the upscale hotels, drink in the rooftop bars, shop in the fancy malls and party in the hip clubs, but in my opinion you aren’t really experiencing the true Bangkok. The true local color of Bangkok can be found conveyed in the sights, sounds and smells of the neighborhood wet market in the busy morning hours, more so at the main Khlong Toei wet market (the largest in Bangkok). It can be witnessed while strolling down the smaller ‘Soi’ side streets, quaint back alleys (especially in Bangkok’s Chinatown) and narrow sidewalks separating rows of houses with laundry hanging from the khlongs (canals) that run through the city with little to no ‘farang’ Western tourists around, getting quizzical yet warm & friendly smiles from the curious locals, the passing glances at open front shophouses and sidewalk/curbside street food vendor stalls, that plate of still steaming wok hei-rich rad nah or pad see ew flat rice noodles, or a plate of spicy pad krapow moo kai dow eaten from a tiny folding table and a small red or blue plastic stool while two-stroke tuk-tuks and motor scooters with multiple riders and cargo pass by with a sputtering growl and a hint of exhaust. It’s riding the Khlong Saen Saep Boat (Golden Mount Line) canal taxi with the locals and watching life along the banks quickly scroll past. It the chatting with the bar girl in a Patpong, Nana Plaza or Soi Cowboy red light bar for the price of a lady’s drink. It’s the getting around the city by tuk-tuk, BTS Sky Train or the MRT with a snack from its station food vendor stalls, or a ham & cheese toastie panini and a Thai Lay’s potato chip in Grilled Prawn and Seafood Sauce flavor from a 7-Eleven. It’s the wistful sadness of going up the Suvarnabhumi International Level 2 Departures escalator for the flight home.

no it's not the best city