Facebook adjusts Bangkok user numbers to 8.42 million

Did Facebook adjust its estimation of user numbers in Bangkok based on a Coconuts Bangkok story?

Probably not. But they certainly did adjust those numbers – when we reported on May 17 that third-party measuring website Socialbakers estimated that the Bangkok metro area had about 8.6 million users (the most of any city in the world), Facebook’s own ad targeting platform said that Bangkok had roughly 6.4 million users.

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That story was picked up by the Wall Street Journal, Silicon Valley tech blog Pando Daily, and Singapore tech blog Tech in Asia.

When we checked those numbers today, Facebook’s ad targeting software said that there are 8,420,080 people over 18-years-old on Facebook within a 50-mile radius. Very interesting! And very close to the 8,682,940 million users in Bangkok that Socialbakers estimated in mid-May and continues to estimate today.

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As some have pointed out, there are a few factors that could potentially account for higher user numbers than actuality in the Big Mango.

Firstly, some have said that almost all Thai internet users from outside Bangkok actually have their IP addresses routed through the Thai capital and are thus recorded as being in Bangkok. We’re not experts on IP technology, but if that were true wouldn’t the total number of Facebook users in Thailand align more closely with the number in Bangkok? According to Facebook’s ad targeting there are 14,221,220 users in all of Thailand right now. So that argument doesn’t look so hot.

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Others have suggested that many Bangkokians may have multiple accounts – perhaps to deal with multiple lovers. That argument makes a lot more sense.

So is it really true that Bangkok has more Facebook users than any city in the world? It’s impossible to know without Facebook releasing the full numbers. But next time you’re on the BTS try to take a peak at what everyone around you is tapping away at on smartphones. Nine times out of 10 it’ll be blue and white.