According to a Work-Life Balance Index published by software firm Kisi, Thailand’s capital ranked 96th on the list. The four cities ranking worse than Bangkok were Sao Paulo (Brazil), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Dubai (UAE), and Cape Town (South Africa), which came in at dead last. Meanwhile, Oslo (Norway), Bern (Switzerland), Helsinki (Finland), Zurich (Switzerland), and Copenhagen (Denmark) nabbed the top five spots.

Kisi studied cities that are renowned for their employment opportunities and lifestyle offerings. The results show how these cities have compared over the last few years, determining healthy work-life balance according to three criteria: work intensity, society and institutions, and city liveability.

“Work Intensity” looks at the suitability of each city for remote working by calculating the percentage of jobs that can be performed remotely. Under this criterion, Kisi also collected data on overworking, paid parental leave, holiday allowances, the number of vacation days taken, unemployment figures, and working multiple jobs to understand how the economic fallout of the pandemic has affected the job market. 

“Society” examines the impact of the pandemic and the support offered in each city. Other factors included the quality of healthcare, access to mental healthcare, and LGBTQ+ equality.

Finally, “City Liveability” covers affordability, which is a key issue around the world as inflation creeps in. Kisi analyzed cities’ happiness and the access that citizens have to leisure activities outside of working hours, along with the safety of each city, level of wellness, outdoor spaces, and air quality.

Bangkok scored poorly in terms of remote working, overworking, vacations, affordability, happiness, culture and leisure, city safety, outdoor spaces, and air quality. In 2021, Bangkok ranked 49th out of 50 cities. 

To see the full index, visit getkisi.com.