gomangosteen

notes

Bus transport imo is excellent

Government bus service, 214 baht Chan city-Suvarnabhumi 3hrs 10 min, use this one regularly

Plenty of other options to/from Bangkok - both Ekamai and Morchit stations, Cherdchai the biggest operator, plus of course minivans which we prefer to avoid

Housing

We moved due to Mrs O'Steen's job promotion/transfer to Chan city; never wanted to live there, it's not an attractive city and neither of us particularly like the place; we settled upon living 15km out (halfway to the beach at Chao Lao) we leased (year to year) a brand new 2 storey 2 bedroom standalone house.

3,500 baht per month, plus utilities

Stayed there three years

Moved this year, March, to a nicely renovated large single-storey house, more area around the house, secure and in a tidy little cul de sac with 6 other houses. Again a yearly lease, and again 3,500 baht per month.

It is no 'farang palace' - won't find many like that when there's so few foreigners

and . . . not easy to find - we jumped the queue due to my friendship with owner's son thru cycling club, we'd been searching for another place almost a year in our area. People stay put - or rent without needing to advertise.

Weather

Chan city didn't flood this year. A first, maybe, as a major flood diversion and water retention scheme diverted water from the Chan river. It worked!

Closer you get to the coast, less rain. It's a big province, and the hills (mountains they say!) of Soi Dao are 1550m above sea level. And they get rain, a lot of it. Was another factor in our choosing to live nearer the coast, see the big black clouds go past and empty over Chan city.

^ I like Chachoengsao - spent a lot of time there over the years and at one stage we were going to live/work there.

Few westerners but that wasn't an issue, probably more there than Chanthaburi where we did settle; but too far to the beach.

Depends what you want, we've been to some good restaurants/cafes and don't do nightclubs etc - so it's not for everyone.

We had a family holiday there in October, enjoyable place for a few days 'escape'

I've been collating photos of 'old Chanthaburi' and store them on a tumblr site for public viewing: Chanthaburi Historic

One day intend to visit the Chan branch of National Archives, I'm interested in seeking out more photos from when this province was under French occupation (until 1906). Particularly like finding old photos of the area we now live, the photographer Robert Pendleton took many in two visits 1935 - 1937 and kept good records of the locations where possible.

Here's an easy one:

Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

14 November 1935, taken across Chanthaburi River in Chantaboon.

Photographer Robert Pendleton

and near our home:

Tambon Khao Bua, amphur Tha Mai

Washing buffaloes hitched to a cane cart; 18 January 1937

for the person who said Xmas not celebrated in Thailand . . . how about

Chanthaburi - difficult to avoid Xmas here, Roman Catholic cathedral and five RC churches within 20 minutes of our home; our small town has Catholic church, junior school and high school. Two more of each in Chan city.

The Chan city Xmas parade including Santa will be shown on CTV the provincial tv channel, as is the Easter parade.

We go every year to our local parade, lovely event in a small town.

Ms O'Steen was not keen on Xmas being introduced to our home, came up with a good compromise, new year gifts. OK with me, and no objection from our daughter.

Santa will be along soon . . . "

No Santa here, but you get the idea

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Chanthaburi city

There has been a Catholic church on this site since 1711.

spent a year in Sa Kaeo 2010-11 and went thru Kabinburi many times; only met one westerner. Like SK, not populated with foreigners, and at a guess - unless they're all hiding out in one little gated compound somewhere, be surprised if there is a bar you'd feel comfortable in.

Almost spent a night there though earlier this year - a supposed one hour wait to meet a connecting bus to Chanthaburi (I'd traveled down from Nong Khai) resulted in a four hour wait from 10pm onwards. Only person i found who spoke any English was a man sitting on the edge of the pavement, feet in the gutter, mumbling away. Only when I got close to him noticed his police uniform. Must have been a good party.

Have a Thai friend teaching there, he likes it, but hasn't mentioned foreigners living there. When are you going? I'll see him over New Year

Enjoy your stay!!

Perhaps a new forum could be created for those posters who are actually in Thailand, and bar access to all posters who live outside the Kingdom.

The frorum could allow/deny access depending upon the poster's IP address - very unlikely that any poster living outside the Kingdom would go as far to spoof a Thai IP address.

Actually, I like this idea of a new forum - the 'Private - Thai Expats Only' forum.

Good idea I think!

George!!

Thanks a lot. It was only after my first 5 1/2 years living/working in Thailand till I left for a 3mth contract overseas.

Now I'm doing it again - 11 weeks away, back home for on Xmas day.

On your proposal, I'd be ruled out; though I rarely comment on the threads here, populated as they are by a band of miseryguts

The photo forums are far more enjoyable.

Regarding the title of this post - having worked in immigration and with immigrants and refugees from numerous countries in my pre-Thailand working years, there is simply nothing to compare with the expats living here.

^ the nearest western-style supermarket is at Tha Mai, 16km away, a medium-size Tesco-Lotus.

29km to the larger T-L in Chan city, where there's also Big C, Tops all the usual ones

Chao Lao has maybe 5 or 6 mini-marts incl a 7/11

there is a daily fresh market in Chao Lao, on the corner by the dugong statue roundabout - fruit, vegetables, fish, meat etc (and t-shirts of course!)

Khlong Khud about 6km inland also has daily markets

I still don't know about houses. In fact I am unsure if there is even one 'house' for rent. As before, mostly chalet-style bungalows.

Transport. A problem without it, no public transport there, and taxis reluctant to make a one-way trip there.

No car rentals I'm ever found.

There are cycles and motorscooters available for rent.

The gasoline station on the road thru C-L is next to a mini-mart and holiday resort all run by same family, and they have cycle/scooter rentals also. May be a good place to start - central location.

Hi - September/October is generally good weather-wise ; my measure of good weather is how many times I cycle, and this year my monthly tallies 922 and 1014km Sept/Oct and a few times caught out in the rain. The photos on the link to my Chan tumblr blog show how the weather is/was and you can go back (use 'archive') and look at previous years. Yes there'll be rain but mostly buckets down then clears.

And it's not peak season, expect lower rates for accomm apart from the school hols usually mid-October for 2 weeks

Down-side is that you're likely to hit jellyfish season - have a look at these threads I put pics on from this year

Colorful jellyfish found drifting along shallow waters in Chanthaburi and Hundreds of tourists flock to see colourful jelly fish

Good if you want to see jellyfish - less appealing if you want to swim! They're very seasonal - there one day and gone a few days later, but could spoil a swimmer's enjoyment at the beach

I'm out of the country at present - get home on Xmas day, will have a look round re places with cooking facilities.

Depends a bit on what sort of holiday you want; there's no bars or nightclubs. Few western tourists. No one selling tourist stuff on the beach. Look at my photos, often beaches deserted during the week. Not for everyone. Lots to do in terms of environmental/nature in the Laem Sadet area 2.5km from CL beach.

Think you'll struggle to find a place with a kitchen. It's developed far more than 'little huts' there are now many resorts in the 4-6,000 baht a night range, plus luxury ones eg Cabana Villa where top rate is 15,000 per night peak time, down to 7,500 during the week

Away from peak season there are numerous stand-alone chalet-style resorts at around 600b per night, single room plus bathroom. None I'm aware of have kitchen facilities.

For swimming - avoid the southern end of the beach past the pier, more mudflat than beach. Best from central heading towards Laem Sadet end of the beach

There are approx (lost count) 160 resorts of varying standards/price on the stretch from Paknam Khaem Nu through to Laem Sadet which includes the main Chao Lao beach area between.

Trip Advisor etc. They don't have a clue about the region. CL resorts may come up as being in Khlong Khud (amphur), Chanthaburi city, Chanthaburi province, Chao Lao and so on. Few have English language websites anyway.

Lots to do in the area - especially in the eco/environmental area - here for Chao Lao and here for wider Chanthaburi area

evening at Chao Lao 23 November 2014

a cellphone snap - fishing off the bridge at Paknam Khae Nu, Chanthaburi, evening 23 November 2014

and an earlier photo of the bridge, facing out towards the Gulf of Thailand

The bridge was completed 2009 and forms part of the coast highway

- before - boat, swim or a long drive inland about 30km to get to the other side

Chao Lao, Chanthaburi. Bridge access to beach from a resort that was never built (near previous pic)

Chanthaburi engineering

and you would know bs

And yes, there is an annual Tour of Chanthaburi, limited to just 300 entrants, next month if you are keen to enter.

Estimated 600 riders in the East Coast Challenge yesterday, Rayong-Chanthaburi 151 km return, plus the entrants in the 117km less competitive couples ride

But as I've read, Thai people don't ride bicycles, must have imagined it, like September when so many turned up for a social fun ride they were split up into 9 groups of 40-50 each, riding the marked cycles lanes on the Chalaoem Burapha Chonlathit highway, approx 200km marked cycle lanes, purpose built since 2009.

other cycle lane thread

and this post - for all the experts, the coast highway Trat-Chanthaburi-Rayong

This weekend hosts a 157km cycle race Rayong-Chanthaburi-Rayong - turning point about 200m from above photo at coast resort of Khung Wiman

Chanthaburi - East Coast Challenge Cycle Race

Cycling road race 16 November 2014 following the coast highway (Chaloem Burapha Chonlathit Road) from Rayong to Khung Wiman bay (Chanthaburi) and return, total 151km. Also a ‘couples’ option 117km return.

Recent social/family fun ride, over 400 riders. But from what I've read, no one rides cycles in Thailand.

there are deaths, of course there are - simple when there are estimated 50,000 UK retirees here

hard to believe, old people die too!

This from UK's FCO, August 2011

In total, 5,972 Britons died abroad last year, with those in the Philippines most likely to die, although 84% of the deaths were through natural causes. Thailand recorded the deaths of 374 Britons, 64% of which were from natural causes.

and from last year, Australia 2012 figures

"There have not been any unusual trends in the figures for deaths of Australians overseas in 2012," a DFAT spokesperson said. "More Australians are travelling and living abroad than ever before, and these figures reflect that increase."

2012 Australian overseas deaths - top 10

Rank - Country - Total deaths
1 Thailand 111
2 Philippines 68
3 Greece 60
4 Vietnam 54
5 US 51

2.11.2014 Chantaboon (old area of Chanthaburi city on riverbank) markets.

Gets tricky when a car or pickup decides to drive through

2.11.2014 At Chantaboon, old Chanthaburi city on riverbank

Anyone who thinks Thailand isn't dangerous isn't paying attention. It is ranked #3 in the world for gun murders per capita behind only Colombia and S. Africa who are mired in violence.

Do not have any confrontation with Thais.

LINK

thos eNationmaster 'stats' have been discounted as incorrect/false so many times on this and other forums, yet people persist in quoting them

over 20,000 firearms homicides in Thailand per year? Garbage

Do you really think that if there were over 55 A DAY it would not make news?

I would rather rely on United Nations stats - which show that in 2011

There were 5.3 murders by firearms per 100,000 people in Thailand in 2011 - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

so, 53 per million, if there were as many as 65 million here, that is about 3300 deaths by firearm. Not 20,000+

Still high - roughly over 60 per week.

snapped from a bicycle, on a cellphone . . .

the mail must get through! Thailand Post delivery man 'on the road'