A north eastern family district
Bueng Kum is a low rise Bangkok district organised around Seri Thai Road, Nawamin Road and the lake and canal landscape that gives it its name. It is more residential than central Bangkok, with estates, schools and local commerce spread over a broad area. The right resident is someone whose life is already in the north east and who is content to use roads for most errands.
The district is not one uniform suburb. Seri Thai has the most obvious road access, while the smaller sois around Bueng Kum and Nawamin offer quieter homes with less convenient connections. Check the route to work at peak hour and ask which bridge or junction is unavoidable. A taxi ride that feels easy in the afternoon can be a slow daily ritual in the morning.
Bueng Kum suits families and local professionals more than newcomers looking for a ready made foreign community. It has the useful, ordinary fabric of schools, markets and shops, but they are not always within an easy walk. A car helps with school and shopping, especially for houses in gated developments.
My verdict
I would consider Bueng Kum for a settled northern routine, not as a substitute for Sukhumvit. Its attraction is domestic comfort and space. Its limitation is that the district asks you to plan around roads.