19 hours ago, GarryP said:

I think the bottom line is I am worried about boredom when I retire

Boredom is a state of mind. There are so many things to go off and do. I hear so many that trap themselves. This is the time to engage in new hobbies. You have ample time to research them and then ample time to go off and do them. 

 

I took up welding, drone flying, home improvements, Go Pro video activities and even started the frame work for a personal website. That was in addition to my cycling, motorcycle riding, off roading, hiking, traveling around, fishing etc.

22 hours ago, SteveK said:

Meh I like steaks and burgers equally tbh.

I love burgers as long as they keep the green stuff and tomatoes of it.

Another most fabulous where to live in Thailand option - Cruising Thailand on a boat.

 

We lived for 12 years on a sailing boat, half of that time cruising Thailand & Malaysia.

 

Grew up sailing on Sydney harbour. Lived and sailed in New Zealand and the USA.  

 

Sailing in Thailand is sublime. It does not get better anywhere else on the planet.

 

Every year yachts sail in to Phuket from all around the world, some never leave. 
It is just perfect, no need to keep going west, there is nothing better.

 

You can park in a 5* resort with 3 golf courses and canapes, out in the Butang Group off a coral reef at an uninhabited island with spring water and fresh caught lobsters, or at Sentosa cove in Singapore. 

 

This option is not for the novice, you would need to have seafaring experience.

 

We now live semi rural, with more than enough interests to keep gainfully occupied.

If everything I bought at supermarket was still in the fridge in the morning and I was'nt looked at to give everyone a tip and buy the beers, and all my tools go missing. Well then, I would prefer the village, otherwise I will stay in the falang seaside ghetto.

NOW HEAR THIS: By driving 30 Km's eastward of Pattaya you will find yourself in "rurel-Thailand".
(not up and down the coastline), well understood.

On 1/14/2020 at 2:32 PM, gimo said:

  I think it's worth mentioning that when you get older and don't don't have as much desire for happy endings etc , RURAL ISN'T CHEAPER THAN URBAN . It's the same in most countries . Accommodation ( buying , renting , hotel stay ) is way cheaper in the country , but it evens out in other costs . The obvioius one is that you don't have to have a car to get around in a city , and if you want visit the country , the city has the best deals on car rentals . Everything else is a little more expensive -- petrol , furniture , appliances imported food ( and wine ), kids toys are all a little more in the country ., Gai yang and fish , even fruit is cheaper in BKK than Issan .

LOL, I still have the desire for a happy ending, but I no longer have the opportunity.

Easy to solve your examples-

don't eat imported food- markets have cheap food.

Ride a m'bike

Sit on the floor like the Thais do

Don't have kids

Don't live in Issan, and grow your own fruit. Live by the sea and catch your own fish.

16 hours ago, MAF666 said:

Another most fabulous where to live in Thailand option - Cruising Thailand on a boat.

 

We lived for 12 years on a sailing boat, half of that time cruising Thailand & Malaysia.

 

Grew up sailing on Sydney harbour. Lived and sailed in New Zealand and the USA.  

 

Sailing in Thailand is sublime. It does not get better anywhere else on the planet.

 

Every year yachts sail in to Phuket from all around the world, some never leave. 
It is just perfect, no need to keep going west, there is nothing better.

 

You can park in a 5* resort with 3 golf courses and canapes, out in the Butang Group off a coral reef at an uninhabited island with spring water and fresh caught lobsters, or at Sentosa cove in Singapore. 

 

This option is not for the novice, you would need to have seafaring experience.

 

We now live semi rural, with more than enough interests to keep gainfully occupied.

My father lived in a boat and cruised the Med. Good till his boat sank in a hurricane. After that he lived on land.

Rural is full of tourists and traffic congestion is everywhere. Everything in rural is more expensive, the food is <deleted> and there are no pretty girls.

 

Stay well away...PLEASE.

On 1/13/2020 at 9:30 PM, Orton Rd said:

There should be a neither option

Wherever I lay my hat that's my home....

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

My father lived in a boat and cruised the Med. Good till his boat sank in a hurricane. After that he lived on land.

No earthquakes I hope, 'cause where next? ????

 

Circumstances have put me in a large house with plenty of room for farming, but still easy walking distance to 7-11s, post office, wet market and everything else. When I go back to visit some of the places I used to live, like Bangkok and Phuket Town, I realize I would be miserable if I had to go back there.

 

The only downsides are the lack of eye candy and all the plastic garbage strewn over everything, including what might otherwise be nice beaches.

 

 

On 1/15/2020 at 9:30 AM, Nemises said:

Rural is full of tourists and traffic congestion is everywhere. Everything in rural is more expensive, the food is <deleted> and there are no pretty girls.

 

Stay well away...PLEASE.

I live in a rural area near MaeJo university.

The place is jam packed with pretty girls from early morning until late at night.

I presume its mostly and age/work thing.

I live in Bangkok but do enjoy a week in the wilderness, although at this stage in my life the thought of living their full time is not particularly appealing, i just feel i would get stir crazy of the same limited choices on a day to day bases.

Aside the fact that i need to be in Bangkok for work, at my age (mid thirties) i still prefer the hustle and bustle of Bangkok life to the rural choice. Obviously for people living here full time you just largely become immune to the many things people gripe about in big cities, they just become part of life and for the most part not even think about.

 

I do expect as i get older i will gravitate towards the quieter rural life, but currently thoughts are looking at somewhere like Hua Hin as a middle ground, rather than in the back and beyond. Although possibly as i get closer to retirement i might move more and more towards the real rural option.

I live in nong bua about 5 clicks outside Mae Sot and quite enjoy it. Granted Mae Sot isn't exactly gigantic either. 

 

I find rural thai's more my speed and have less bad experiences with foreigners simply because they have less interaction with them. 

On 1/17/2020 at 6:05 PM, Nakmuay887 said:

I live in nong bua about 5 clicks outside Mae Sot and quite enjoy it. Granted Mae Sot isn't exactly gigantic either. 

 

I find rural thai's more my speed and have less bad experiences with foreigners simply because they have less interaction with them. 

I lived in Lamphun which had only one other farang that I know of. Even though we used the same internet cafe we managed to get by with just a head nod as acknowledgement.

If I'd wanted to associate with other farangs I'd have stayed home.

On 1/15/2020 at 3:30 PM, Nemises said:

Rural is full of tourists and traffic congestion is everywhere. Everything in rural is more expensive, the food is <deleted> and there are no pretty girls.

 

Stay well away...PLEASE.

They stayed well away from my wife's village. I never saw another farang there. I'm sure there are vast areas of LOS that have zero farang visitors.

We just stayed in a little village on a river, just down from Buhmbols Dam?

I was quite taken with the place.....Seems quite serene & pleasant each time we're there.....

That said, no real checking on shopping areas, medical facilities, etc, or lack of - and at what distance....

 

 

Currently living in Bangkok saving to move to Issan. I would prefer 1 or 2k from nearest village and 10k - 20k from nearest mall. Perfect.

1 hour ago, WalkingOrders said:

Currently living in Bangkok saving to move to Issan. I would prefer 1 or 2k from nearest village and 10k - 20k from nearest mall. Perfect.

I'm about 600 km from wife's family.....perfect.

On 1/21/2020 at 5:34 PM, EVENKEEL said:

I'm about 600 km from wife's family.....perfect.

I was happy when we lived in Pattaya and they lived in Chiang Rai, then we moved to Lamphun and the nephew went to school in Chiang Mai and I was no longer happy. Some mistakes we make in life are small, and some are HUGE.

Been living very rural for the last 3 years (the closest 7/11 is an hour drive). Previous 5 years was in Siem Reap City in Cambodia.

 

5 years of eating out every meal and quaffing 50 cent beers most nights was starting to take it's toll. Since settling here in our own house on the wifes land has done me the world of good both health-wise and mentally. I adopted a keto lifestyle and cook every day. I have fast internet but try not to be on all day every day. The days still seem to pass ok even with not doing so much.

 

Now its the odd Chang on the porch in the evening and if the 'quiet' becomes 'boredom', we take off for Hua Hin or the like for a week or so for a nice break. Nice hotel, good food, but still not so many beers as before. Best of both worlds. Was a city boy most of my earlier years (apart from a 3 year stint in the North West of Scotland - not a great idea!), never imagined i'd end up here.