Been living here now permanently for 3 years and a bit and have enjoyed it.

 

The problem of late is all this smoke, i.e. you wake up in the morning and look out the window into the fields, yes we live in rural Thailand between Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon and there is smoke everywhere.

 

We have kids ranging from 4 to 15 and are concerned for their health and are seriously looking at moving to a coastal area to get away from the smoke.

 

The oldest ones have 1 years left in school, after this term finishes, then they have to go to another school to complete their last 3 years, so looking to go away for when they have the school break, i.e. March/April to check out a few places, and then in a year make the move.

 

Once they finish school at age 18 in 4 years, I will also look at moving back to Australia, i.e. if the area we relocate to doesn't stack up.

 

As always appreciate any feedback, although area has to be close to the beach and schools, major shopping centres can be within an hours drive and an airport can be the same, or a little further.

Hua Hin! Ticks all your boxes. Good location to bring up a family. The air is clean and contrary to a comment in another thread, is nothing like Patong!

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Hua Hin! Ticks all your boxes. Good location to bring up a family. The air is clean and contrary to a comment in another thread, is nothing like Patong!

Thanks for that, it is on our next holiday list believe it or not.

 

A friend I met up here in a bar that I frequent about 20 minutes away, moved about an hour further south of Hua Hin about a year ago, I think it's called Prachuap Khiri Khan and he swear by it, although says it's a bit far away from most things, but as he is single it suits him. He says he lives on a river hut where the river meets the ocean.

 

Will have to give him a buzz when we are down that way.

3 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Hua Hin! Ticks all your boxes. Good location to bring up a family. The air is clean and contrary to a comment in another thread, is nothing like Patong!

Not clean, Edwin from the Wildlife Sanctuary recently posted photos taken by drone of the copious smoke around Hua Hin and the forest

South of Thailand is not affected by the smoke but there is an insurgency.

do not come south of Bangkok down west coast. Stay away. it is very dangerous. radio active. you will die.  stay in Northeast. stay in Northwest.

 

this is your final warning. 

 

but seriously we do have some smoke and haze in Hua Hin during certain times of the year.  

 

but you have to be good looking and have a lot of money to live here.

 

27 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

but you have to be good looking and have a lot of money to live here.

Or on your deathbed.

 

Ive never seen so many Pizza restaurants in one small area. or bored bar girls. I can imagine living there and seeing the same faces over and over again.

 

Nope. Not for me.

 

12 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

bored bar girls

I'm on my way, have money, am handhome man, and as long as love me long time, I'm in like Flynn ????

 

9 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Or on your deathbed.

 

Ive never seen so many Pizza restaurants in one small area. or bored bar girls. I can imagine living there and seeing the same faces over and over again.

 

Nope. Not for me.

 

i am seriously thinking about moving. i should have never come here. my first thought was to buy the cheapest bar on soi 6 in Pattaya and convert it into a bookstore and live upstairs. 

 

I will not add any personal subjective comment.

11 minutes ago, Tchooptip said:

I will not add any personal subjective comment.

Thx for that, might take the drive down from Hua Hin when there to check it out, over a couple of nights.

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Thx for that, might take the drive down from Hua Hin when there to check it out, over a couple of nights.

My answer was for the region of Surat Thani not for a specific place.

1 hour ago, Tchooptip said:

My answer was for the region of Surat Thani not for a specific place.

Yes of course, I have driven down further to through Krabi were we have stayed, and at Koh Lanta, Trang, and Songkhla, beautiful areas, but a little too close to the border for my liking with all the problems they have further down that way. 

I wouldn't trust anyone who says the air is clean, unless it's backed up with a meter. I was in Hua Hin in December for a few days and the AQI ranged from the 90s, to 160 or so.

 

Compared to Chiang Mai during that period, Hua Hin was worse every day.

 

However, Chiang Mai has a few months of almost certain bad air coming up. Hua Hin in December could have been an anomaly.

 

I decided on Krabi Town for this burning season. As I flew in, I could see fields burning from the plane, and the whole area was covered by a haze. AQI 131 that day. That is not pristine air quality. That was January 28th though. The AQI was 45 earlier today. I'll take that!

 

What I'm starting to believe is that the south is generally better than the north, but on any given day, somebody can start a fire, or something else can happen to dramatically affect the air quality.

I am currently in Krabi the air is clear and the roads not cluttered... very refreshing.

1 hour ago, NCC1701A said:

i am seriously thinking about moving. i should have never come here. my first thought was to buy the cheapest bar on soi 6 in Pattaya and convert it into a bookstore and live upstairs. 

hahah yes it would be a smashing success for the intellectuals having tea and discussing quantum physics....

Just wait, the burning will start in Indonesia and smoke out the south.

10 minutes ago, Unify said:

I wouldn't trust anyone who says the air is clean, unless it's backed up with a meter. I was in Hua Hin in December for a few days and the AQI ranged from the 90s, to 160 or so.

That goes without saying, although its a starter, Krabi is nice, as are some of the islands around there, but I have to stay on the mainland to take the kids to a school.

 

The plan is to head to Hua Hin and then venture further from there, a lot of research is going to go into this, that said, the closer to the sea, the better the chances of reduced burning I would hope.

Look here then make up your own mind.
https://www.airvisual.com/earth

5 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Thanks for that, it is on our next holiday list believe it or not.

 

A friend I met up here in a bar that I frequent about 20 minutes away, moved about an hour further south of Hua Hin about a year ago, I think it's called Prachuap Khiri Khan and he swear by it, although says it's a bit far away from most things, but as he is single it suits him. He says he lives on a river hut where the river meets the ocean.

 

Will have to give him a buzz when we are down that way.

Prachuap is very nice indeed.

31 minutes ago, connda said:

Look here then make up your own mind.
https://www.airvisual.com/earth

Currently 27uq/3m where we are, is currently worse than Bangkok which is 21.1uq/3m

6 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Thanks for that, it is on our next holiday list believe it or not.

 

A friend I met up here in a bar that I frequent about 20 minutes away, moved about an hour further south of Hua Hin about a year ago, I think it's called Prachuap Khiri Khan and he swear by it, although says it's a bit far away from most things, but as he is single it suits him. He says he lives on a river hut where the river meets the ocean.

 

Will have to give him a buzz when we are down that way.

That would be living too close to @kannot for my liking... 

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

i am seriously thinking about moving. i should have never come here. my first thought was to buy the cheapest bar on soi 6 in Pattaya and convert it into a bookstore and live upstairs. 

I think a religious reading room would be better than a book store ????

I responded to the wrong topic.

Inside a cave.  Check the weather report before you go.

OP

You may have to move back to Australia any way.

 

Later this year the AUD will drop to circa 15 baht.

 

 

1 hour ago, Corruption 101 said:

OP

You may have to move back to Australia any way.

 

Later this year the AUD will drop to circa 15 baht.

 

 

based on what criteia?

Everything depends on which part of the country your in, in which part of the year. Dosent mather where you live. Some times of the year will be foggy and smokey. Thailand is farm land. And they are about 120 to 275 years behind the civiliced world in farming. And most other things. A good advice. Do not think, expect anything getting better in your lifetime. The thais have waited out many a good farang????????

Moved out of Central bkk  to a small island and left my condo empty 

 

I won't be going back until it rains or something because that air is toxic and I like to run 10-20km daily and i am not going to do it wearing a gas mask

 

 

7 hours ago, Corruption 101 said:

OP

You may have to move back to Australia any way.

 

Later this year the AUD will drop to circa 15 baht.

 

 

I think it will be heading north of 23-24, either way I can handle the drop if it eventuates, lucky me.