Healthiest place to live in Thailand?

[Poopyface]

I seek recommendations, there were a few informative threads but they seem to be gone following the forum move.

 

We are looking for clean air and low cost of living, places busy enough to have lively markets and some notion of transit/buses.

Not interested in night/party lifestyle places but lots of restaurant options would be nice.

We don't care about Western restaurants/groceries.

 

The islands seem like a logical choice if you can recommend a place with low costs of living and not too many tourists. 

 

A decent airport nearby would be nice. 

 

All thoughts greatly appreciated!

[phuketrichard]

Phuket offers all of ur requirements

easy to live on 30,000 -1,000,000 baht/month

and 100's of other places in the country

 

[Vacuum]

Koh Lanta Noi?

[melvinmelvin]

the far south should meet several of your requirements

 

another area, Ranong, not necessarily the city but that area

fresh air -moderate temperatures most of the time

 

but PLENTY rain

from march/april to october - rain rain rain (keeps the air fresh)

 

 

[Peter Joe]

select one of famous massage parlors it is the healthiest place 

[1FinickyOne]

I think you need to give the question more thought...

 

There is an element of wanting contradictory things... lots of restaurants but not too congested etc... 

 

islands/areas with tourist services have plenty of tourists which is why they have lots of restaurants... 

[cheshiremusicman]

I would suggest that you take a look at the Hua-Hin area. It has probably the best climate in Thailand with very clean air all year round, unlike the south the most humid/hot time of the year is March/April. There are plenty of restaurants of all kinds. Transport from HH to Bangkok by luxury coach costs about 350 Baht. Very nice 7km beach south of HH. Lots of properties of all kinds and costings from condo's to villa's. Very good Thai medical services to keep health costs down. Food markets and food stores are numerous. Very good reliable high speed internet services.

If you want any further information just PM me.

[khunPer]

Take a trip around islands of interest and check them out for yourself, for example a week each place to find locations of interest, and time enough to check markets, and restaurants, and price levels.

 

Koh Chang might be an eastern option, with Trat airport nearby.

 

In southwest you should check in the Krabi area, both mainland and the islands like Koh Lanta etc. Krabi airport is in the neighborhood.

 

In southeast your options are Koh Phangan – which seem to be a health center for many into healthy lifestyle, detoxing, vegetarian food, and yoga – and Koh Samui, the latter with an airport, and even it's a tourist destination it still has many rare spots in especially southern and eastern parts of the island.

 

You need to check yourself, because what I think is like living in a dream, you might hate...????

[Mansell]

If you want reasonable cost of living you might want to live in a Thai town/city. Phuket is farangland.....Koh Samui is a dump with horrible traffic, not great beaches, and the taxis and Songthaews ripping you off.......Songthaews wanting fifty baht a trip until you get in and it's a hundred baht.

i would look at Korat with friendly and pretty open Thai people. This place is the land of smiles. Songthaews are nine baht unless moving around in the city and its eight. No insane traffic. For a small house in Phuket, though on the beach, was 12,000 baht a month. In Korat I have a three bedroom and three bathroom, two floors, dining room, two kitchens, security,for 10,000 a month.

bangkok three hours away, and a bus right up to Don Mueng Airport for 291 baht. Three very modern Malls. And a very user friendly Immigration Office.......90 day report five minutes. Annual retirement extension under an hour and passportsameday. I needed the last dog bite injection for rabies and had to get it in Koh Samui where they charged me 1,250 baht.....same shot in private hospital in Korat 700 baht. A very good government University Hospital 20 kilo outside the city rarely crowded because of the difficulty for Thais to get there. When would you like to sign up?

Edited January 21, 2019 by Mansell
To add some things

[CGW]

Most folks are unaware of the difference in weather in Thailand, the South is much more wet & humid, the North/East not so humid, pleasant weather in the "winter" months, Summers can be very hot, worth considering when you are deciding.

[Justin Side]

One thing to be aware of wherever you go is noise levels.

Check it out thoroughly before setting down permanently.

 

It might be quiet on the day you move in but anyone can open a karaoke bar, steel workshop, motorbike service etc. next door.

Not a lot you can do about it as the locals will do nothing to help you.

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Justin Side

[PJPom]

Krabi area, not in Krabi or Ao nang but many smaller areas with beaches, restaurants and simple live entertainment.

Local area has spectacular scenery, good transport links including airport, direct flights to Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur at very acceptable cost.

Rentals vary but 8000 - 12000 for bungalow of very acceptable western standard, try it and see.

[crees]

I chose Trat, mainland years ago. Great western stores for the scores that visit the 52 islands, very few falongs on land … the islands are packed all year. Two major shopping centers, airport and low cost of living. Do not come if you have shell fish allergy's, or do not like the ocean breeze.  

[Stocky]

Why not head south to Hat Yai.

 

You asked for:

• clean air - 95% of the time, very rarely we get the Indonesian haze extend as far as us
• low cost of living - cheaper than a lot of Thailand
• busy enough to have lively markets - plenty of markets and shopping
• some notion of transit/buses - good transport
• lots of restaurant options - plenty of restaurants
• a decent airport - Hat Yai has a good airport with plenty of domestic flight options plus Singapore and KL
• As a bonus we have several good hospitals

You didn't want, be we do have

• nightlife
• Western restaurants/groceries

Downside

• She ain't a pretty town, and its not on the coast
• We live just north of a war zone, the city has increased security, but every now and again someone sets a bomb off

 

.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Stocky

[LawrenceN]

4 hours ago, PJPom said:

Krabi area, not in Krabi or Ao nang but many smaller areas with beaches, restaurants and simple live entertainment.

Local area has spectacular scenery, good transport links including airport, direct flights to Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur at very acceptable cost.

Rentals vary but 8000 - 12000 for bungalow of very acceptable western standard, try it and see.

Trang, right next door is nice, too. It's a bit cheaper, with fewer tourists, but some tourists, mainly on their way out to the islands. Has airport and train.

[Ajarnbrian]

In the south the northern part of Khao Lak, away from the busiest tourist development. About 1.5 hrs to Phuket airport but without the crowds and expense. 

 

Trang is nice enough, plenty of offshore islands, a daily sleeper train to Bangkok, not far from Krabi and its airport.

 

Loei in the upper north east, near hills and the Mekong river. Low cost of living, small airport for flights to Bangkok.

 

Avoid overpriced, overcrowded Phuket, Pattaya and Samui.

[bikerlou47]

KHAO YAI

[balo]

Healthiest place?  You mean to avoid pollution from the air?  Both Thailand and the neighboring countries are suffering right now. 

I would think one of the southern islands could be better where it's more windy and wet . Don't ask me which one. 

 

 

  

[Briggsy]

@Poopyface Great name.

 

The Thais always quote Wang Nam Khieo district of Khorat province as the district with good air quality.

 

All the recommendations of islands will not fulfil your criteria of a low cost of living. Islands need goods brought in and islands have a captive tourist market. These two factors drive up living costs.

[Odysseus123]

None.

 

As a London trained Thai doctor (consultant) said to me..

 

"What is wrong with you foreigners?You come to Thailand and die like flies..."

[BobLowe]

Many replies mention the proximity and cheap travel to Bangkok from xyz, so the answer is simple. Get yourself a small pad in Nana and you can always go for quick breaks to the islands if cash flow allow. Job done!

[SpokaneAl]

Thailand seems to me to be one of the least healthiest places to live. Hot, dirty, chemically laden fruits and vegetables - it takes real effort to exercise regularly and maintain one’s health.

I live in Korat where there is a nice lake with separate running and bicycle paths circling it for me to use every day, as well as a very nice bicycle path in another part of the city which allows me to knock out 60k rides at as hard a pace as I desire. I have have a nice 50 meter pool nearby which is usually empty.

But then again, it does not sound like the OP really means what he says when he asks for a healthy place to live.


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[AtoZ]

12 hours ago, SpokaneAl said:

Thailand seems to me to be one of the least healthiest places to live. Hot, dirty, chemically laden fruits and vegetables - it takes real effort to exercise regularly and maintain one’s health.

Don't forget feral dogs which extremely limits your chance of walking / biking without risking rabbies 

[Poopyface]

On 1/23/2019 at 6:43 AM, Odysseus123 said:

None.

?

'Counter-intuitive' answer, to put it nicely. ????

 

On 1/23/2019 at 7:35 AM, SpokaneAl said:

Thailand seems to me to be one of the least healthiest places to live. Hot, dirty, chemically laden fruits and vegetables - it takes real effort to exercise regularly and maintain one’s health.

I live in Korat where there is a nice lake with separate running and bicycle paths circling it for me to use every day...

....it does not sound like the OP really means what he says when he asks for a healthy place to live.

Yes, all of it. I am an avid bicyclist and a former runner (before I screwed up my knee, motorcycle accident) but I gave up on long distance biking in Chiang Mai because of poor air and poorer driving (and feral dogs ????).

 

I eat as healthy as possible- usually vegetarian, brown rice instead of white, no sugar except smoothies, little wheat. I do yoga classes when I can find them and only drink a little red wine. And I keep an eye on air quality.

 

So it's good air, vegetarian food, and yoga communities I seek.

At Chiang Mai prices lol.

 

On 1/21/2019 at 4:29 PM, Ajarnbrian said:

In the south the northern part of Khao Lak, away from the busiest tourist development. About 1.5 hrs to Phuket airport but without the crowds and expense. 

 

Trang is nice enough, plenty of offshore islands, a daily sleeper train to Bangkok, not far from Krabi and its airport.

Fabulous ideas and I just landed in Krabi, and am going to visit Trang and north of Phuket after some island hopping, thanks to these recommendations.

 

Thank you all so much for participating in this thread, excellent thoughts here!

I gotta say, TV is an impressive forum.

????????????

[Poopyface]

On 1/23/2019 at 6:43 AM, Odysseus123 said:

None.

?

'Counter-intuitive' answer, to put it nicely. ????

 

On 1/23/2019 at 7:35 AM, SpokaneAl said:

Thailand seems to me to be one of the least healthiest places to live. Hot, dirty, chemically laden fruits and vegetables - it takes real effort to exercise regularly and maintain one’s health.

I live in Korat where there is a nice lake with separate running and bicycle paths circling it for me to use every day...

....it does not sound like the OP really means what he says when he asks for a healthy place to live.

Yes, all of it. I am an avid bicyclist and a former runner (before I screwed up my knee, motorcycle accident) but I gave up on long distance biking in Chiang Mai because of poor air and poorer driving (and feral dogs ????).

 

I eat as healthy as possible- usually vegetarian, brown rice instead of white, no sugar except smoothies, little wheat. I do yoga classes when I can find them and only drink a little red wine. And I keep an eye on air quality.

 

So it's good air, vegetarian food, and yoga communities I seek.

At Chiang Mai prices lol.

 

On 1/21/2019 at 4:29 PM, Ajarnbrian said:

In the south the northern part of Khao Lak, away from the busiest tourist development. About 1.5 hrs to Phuket airport but without the crowds and expense. 

 

Trang is nice enough, plenty of offshore islands, a daily sleeper train to Bangkok, not far from Krabi and its airport.

Fabulous ideas and I just landed in Krabi, and am going to visit Trang and north of Phuket after some island hopping, thanks to these recommendations.

 

Thank you all so much for participating in this thread, excellent thoughts here!

I gotta say, TV is an impressive forum.

????????????

[RotBenz8888]

Yaowarat! Extremely fresh seafood and fruits despite being kept in the sun for weeks. The air is kept clean from ghosts by the smoke from the temples ovens. The cars are driving very slow due to the constant traffic jam, and the constant vibration from the vehicles makes bird noise less noticeable and disturbing. Probably the area with the highest number of rat traps per sqm, keep all that nasty Leptospirosis away. And the vendors and restaurants stimulates your brain with funny money tricks. What more can you ask for?