Even with its design straight from the 90s, Craigslist is still one of the most popular sites for classified ads in the world.
And it’s widely used in Thailand and Bangkok.
Ok, maybe not widely, but it’s still a good option to find a place to rent, a new Thai girlfriend, or even a job.
But how popular is really Craigslist in Bangkok? And what can you find there?
Is Craigslist Popular in Bangkok?
Not really. It’s only the shadow of what it used to be.
In Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, it’s a little bit active.
But if you’re looking for classified ads outside of big cities and for something else than real estate and jobs, you will have way more options on local sites like Bahtsold or Kaidee (more on that below).
Craigslist is still great for foreigners and expats because most listings there are in English.
But it’s not as popular as other websites of this style. And you won’t find as many listings there as you will on the others.
So, what can you find on Craigslist in Bangkok? And why should you use it?
What Can you Find on Craigslist Thailand?
The power of Craigslist is to offer a wide range of classified ads.
From motorbikes to cars, condos to villas for sales, furniture to electronics, jobs, gigs, and even discussions and forums.
It’s like Backpage and Reddit combined.
And surprisingly, there are quite a lot of ads on it, especially for real estate and jobs.
But outside of those two categories, the amount of listings is low.
And if you’re looking for casual and personal ads, that’s not even an option anymore.
In Bangkok, Craigslist was for a long time used for dating and meeting sexual partners, but that part of the website is gone.
Craigslist Bangkok “Personals Ads“
For a while, just like Backpage, Craigslist was the place to go to book escorts, find w4m (women looking for men), partners who share your fetish, etc.
But in 2018, after the US senate voted another bill against sex trafficking, casual and personal ads were removed from Craigslist everywhere in the world, including Thailand.
Just like that, the days where you would go on Craigslist to find dating or sex partners were gone.
But fortunately for us, there’s a ton of alternatives to Craigslist, for classified ads, as well as for dating and sex services.
What are the Alternatives to Craigslist in Thailand?
For Classified Ads
Bahtsold is a Thai classified ads website mainly for properties, cars, and motorcycles. It’s one of the biggest websites of its kind in Thailand and lists jobs, services, electronics, books, clothes, and even boats. Bahtsold is available in Thai and English.
Kaidee is similar to Bahtsold but is only in Thai. It mainly focuses on cars, motorcycles, and real estate. But like the others, it has a ton of categories, including mobile phones, auto parts, computers, clocks, clothes, and more.
Locanto is not as popular in Thailand as the two above. Still, it’s a great alternative to Craigslist, especially if you’re looking for something in the casual and personal section. There you will find the same type of listings as you would on Craigslist back in the days.
FarangMart is another alternative targeting expats living in Thailand and foreign visitors in Thailand. Like the others, it has properties, cars, motorcycles, businesses for sales, electronics, musical instruments, online classes, and everything in between. But there are no personal ads, and it’s not as popular as the three above.
Facebook marketplace. With 60% of the Thai population using Facebook, you can imagine how popular Marketplace is. You can find new and used things there, in categories like real estate, clothes, electronics, etc. The filters are pretty limited, and it’s sometimes it can be hard to find what you’re looking for. But when you do find a great deal, Facebook makes it extremely easy to get in touch with the vendor or buyer.
For Dating / Escorts
If you’re looking for a romantic date or an escort in Bangkok, there are options way better than Craigslist’s “personals” section.
ThaiFriendly is the most popular free Thai dating site to meet Thai singles everywhere in Thailand.
Smooci is a free website where you can find and book escorts online in Bangkok in minutes. It’s way easier, faster, and safer than classified ads to arrange a date.