19 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

about 20 miles outside of Chiang Mai - in the countryside, and a much more Thai environment... I came to Thailand to live w/Thai people in Thailand, but nice to have the Western influence not too far away... and I can fly to the beach whenever i want... just waiting for my wings to grow in...

Agreed!  But a very unhealthy environment for a good part of the year. If not for the burning, that's where I'd live.

16 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. The insane nuts were the entertainment I went to see.

Great fun in the morning seeing still drunk young guys going into the bushes with one of the many katoeys touting for business, and 5 minutes later the katoey running away with the guy far behind.

Did that when I was young and stupid. No fun now. Especially when you get up early to walk on the beach and people are peeing on palm trees. Or puking. Or passed out. Not to mention having to listen to loud music till the wee hours.

 

Thong nai pan rotates nightly parties all week. Impossible to escape the noise. Or the Longtail during the day.

25 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Did that when I was young and stupid. No fun now. Especially when you get up early to walk on the beach and people are peeing on palm trees. Or puking. Or passed out. Not to mention having to listen to loud music till the wee hours.

 

Thong nai pan rotates nightly parties all week. Impossible to escape the noise. Or the Longtail during the day.

I left Thong Nai Pan Yai because of a solitary party bar playing excessively loud music to the point I couldn't sleep. I went to look and one customer and a dog. I complained to the resort manager and she gave me the Thai shrug, so I left. Bought the Phangan to Bkk bus ticket from resort for first class bus. Got to the port where I got on the bus and it was anything but first class. Never went back to TNP.

 

Unmuffled longtails are the curse of Thai beaches. I only stayed at those without this century. Last century they were not a significant problem. The worst island I went to for them was east side of Phi Phi. Railay West was pretty bad as well.

On 2/21/2021 at 8:07 AM, dsmiththailand said:

Foreign married couple of 30 years, moving to Thailand under their retirement visa and having a difficult time where to settle down between Jomtien or Phuket.  The couple have been to both places for significant amounts of time and loves both for each specifics regional attractions.  For those expats that have lived in either location, can you indicate which place you live and why you choose to stay?  Thanks so much

I live at cosy beach,between pattaya and jomtien..

Im single and retired,so my situation is different to a couple.

I also own my condo..

It depends what the cple like doing,but i think jomtien is far better than phuket.

Food is much cheaper,and no rip off tuk tuk drivers..can get the 10 baht songteau at jomtien,into pattaya.

Plenty of restaurants in jomtien,and the beach is nice,especialy towards Dongtan beach..its easier to get to jomtien from bkk.many supermkts and malls,at pattaya,only 10+ minutes away.

38 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Agreed!  But a very unhealthy environment for a good part of the year. If not for the burning, that's where I'd live.

I know it is not healthy, but for me, it doesn't really bother me much. I am not sensitive to it, others are... and also, people tend to exaggerate the length and severity... others just go away for a while... and other places are susceptible and have "dirty" days too...

 

It is not for a good part of the year...

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I left Thong Nai Pan Yai because of a solitary party bar playing excessively loud music to the point I couldn't sleep. I went to look and one customer and a dog. I complained to the resort manager and she gave me the Thai shrug, so I left. Bought the Phangan to Bkk bus ticket from resort for first class bus. Got to the port where I got on the bus and it was anything but first class. Never went back to TNP.

 

Unmuffled longtails are the curse of Thai beaches. I only stayed at those without this century. Last century they were not a significant problem. The worst island I went to for them was east side of Phi Phi. Railay West was pretty bad as well.

OMG! You had the exact same experience as us! But the bar was part of our resort. We paid extra to have a room on the beach. Which was next to the bar.  Went out at 4am to ask them to turn it down. There was one super stoned Thai guy running the music. He couldn't talk. We checked out early, left, and never went back. Until a few months ago. It's quite nice now. Same with Samui and Phuket.  555

 

I first started coming here in 2002. Would have loved to see this place back in the 80s or 90s.

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

In LOS IMO renting is the only sane policy. No one knows when an all night karaoke place/ or similar will open next door. I've seen so many posters on TVF complaining that their previous perfect life had been ruined and they couldn't move because no one was going to buy their place.

I think you must be careful where you buy.. I like living away and the likelihood of a karaoke opening near me is near zil...

 

It's life, there are always risks... and burning season tends to get highly exaggerated and personally, it does not effect me much... 

Kamala beach would be my pick .Great beach, lots of restaurants and bars. Very active community of retired people. Can pick up a very nice apartment/house  for 15-20000 baht a month.

4 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

I know it is not healthy, but for me, it doesn't really bother me much. I am not sensitive to it, others are... and also, people tend to exaggerate the length and severity... others just go away for a while... and other places are susceptible and have "dirty" days too...

 

It is not for a good part of the year...

Yeah, it's bad all over Thailand. Just experienced it this week here in krabi. So bad our eyes were burning. We left Jomtien a few weeks ago to escape the bad air! 555

2 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Would have loved to see this place back in the 80s or 90s.

You should have seen the 70s... Pattaya was a dusty road w/a few bungalows here and there.. 

10 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

OMG! You had the exact same experience as us! But the bar was part of our resort. We paid extra to have a room on the beach. Which was next to the bar.  Went out at 4am to ask them to turn it down. There was one super stoned Thai guy running the music. He couldn't talk. We checked out early, left, and never went back. Until a few months ago. It's quite nice now. Same with Samui and Phuket.  555

 

I first started coming here in 2002. Would have loved to see this place back in the 80s or 90s.

For me the bar was just a shack on the beach itself. Right in the middle but the sound carried like it was next door.

That was not a good holiday for me. I knew it wasn't going to be good when my temporary GF asked me to explain what another farang wrote when he said he would not send her any money, and went downhill from there. As she came from Pattaya I was stuck with her for the duration, unfortunately.

 

Luckily most of my holidays were fantastic, but with different GFs, and not on TNPY.

12 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

You should have seen the 70s... Pattaya was a dusty road w/a few bungalows here and there.. 

I was in LOS in the 70s. Had I only known, I'd have visited Pattaya for before and after photos.

15 minutes ago, eyup said:

Kamala beach would be my pick .Great beach, lots of restaurants and bars. Very active community of retired people. Can pick up a very nice apartment/house  for 15-20000 baht a month.

I visited there to see the Fantasea show. Can't say I was overly impressed with the beach itself.

2 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Why are you considering leaving Vietnam?

 

We're in Phuket now. We live south of Jomtien. Haven't been in Phuket in years and wanted to check it out.

 

What turned us off before, and are still issues:

 

Lousy roads. Going up and down these mountains is no fun. We were passed on the left, passed on the right, trucks inches away from our bumper. I'm a relatively fast driver. No fun trying to get around the island. And once this pandemic is over, traffic will only get worse.

 

We've got our car now, but last time relied on public transport. Dealing with the local mafia sucked.

 

If you live in, say, Kamala. It's a long and lousy drive to makro or the big box stores.

 

Housing prices are way more expensive.

 

If you travel a lot, like we do, a hop to Bangkok is normally required.

 

Pros:

 

The beaches are way better and the quality of the water is much better.

 

Phuket old Town is really cool. Though traffic is a Pain.

 

IMHO

 

We love Vietnam but Thailand has always been the place where we want to finally retire. there are pros and cons of both countries and biggest for us is Vietnam does not have a retirement visa for foreignors.

On 2/21/2021 at 8:48 AM, dsmiththailand said:

3000USD. looking for an house as two dogs will be adopted.

Rather than Jomtien, if I was you I would look at the so called "Darkside" (other side of the Sukumvidt) in East Pattaya. Rental houses are a plenty in the soi 87/89 area. You can be in Jomtien and pattaya in less than 10 - 15 minutes.

OP, its an odd comparison you are making, the whole island (province) of Phuket verses one beach in another part of Thailand.

You will probably get more accurate recommendations comparing apples with apples, eg: Kamala beach with Jomtien beach etc.

I have lived in both places and although I always planned on Phuket, I have ended up in Jomtien as I met my now wife when visiting, her family ties etc.

Jomtien is defiantly cheaper. Otherwise I couldnt name any vast differences. 

Maybe put forward a few of your lifestye preference and people can advise. Do you want expat community, shopping malls, golf, transportation etc

Why not both. Cheap condo in Pattaya for weekend trips and house in Phuket. 

40 minutes ago, jimn said:

Rather than Jomtien, if I was you I would look at the so called "Darkside" (other side of the Sukumvidt) in East Pattaya. Rental houses are a plenty in the soi 87/89 area. You can be in Jomtien and pattaya in less than 10 - 15 minutes.

I find that the roads on the dark side can be a real mess. And when busy, a REAL mess. 5555

 

Down south of Jomtien, there are some nice places. Close to the beach. Easy access to Sukhumvit and the new highway. Our beaches were never really closed. Which was quite nice last year.

12 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

I find that the roads on the dark side can be a real mess. And when busy, a REAL mess. 5555

 

Down south of Jomtien, there are some nice places. Close to the beach. Easy access to Sukhumvit and the new highway. Our beaches were never really closed. Which was quite nice last year.

Forgive me but darkside or Phuket? ????

I have a condo in Jomtien. One big advantage, that is if easy international travel is ever again possible, is that I only have to cross the road to get a 130 baht bus to Suvanaphumi airport in under 2 hours. Even though it’s in the main part of Jomtien, my condo’s also way quieter than my place in the small Australian town I’m stuck in at the moment.

Phuket’s much closer to spectacular scenery and beaches, of course. Water quality of Jomtien beach isn’t nearly as bad as some say in this forum, but it’s not a proper tropical beach with turquoise water. For that you have to catch the ferry from Pattaya to Koh Larn.

21 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Forgive me but darkside or Phuket? ????

Unless working I don't get the point of not living within walking distance of the beach in Pattaya/ Jomptien. If I couldn't, I'd go live in the north in the hill country which has spectacular scenery.

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

I find that the roads on the dark side can be a real mess. And when busy, a REAL mess. 5555

 

Down south of Jomtien, there are some nice places. Close to the beach. Easy access to Sukhumvit and the new highway. Our beaches were never really closed. Which was quite nice last year.

Yes thats why I said soi's 87/89. The busy soi's are Country Club, ETC These soi's are no problem at all.

On 2/21/2021 at 8:37 AM, madmen said:

What's your budget? Jomtien is cheap and attracts mostly pensioners who don't want to or can't afford to live in Pattaya but want to be close. 

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

What a ridiculous statement. 

Phuket is just behind Irak and Afghanistan in my list, and I still can't understand how people even think about it for vacation...

Jomtien or anywhere around Pattaya is of course better and cheaper.

 

     Jomtien.  But there are other nice areas of Pattaya you might consider, such as Wongamat.  If you plan to be in a house I would suggest you also try the Lake Mabprachan area, as well.  A great walking/bike path has been built along the lake.  Lots of restaurants and markets.  When you go into town you are closer to places like Terminal 21, Index, Home Pro, and Bangkok Pattaya Hospital that are in the north part of Pattaya, and it's an easy jump onto the motorway for trips to Bangkok.  

4 hours ago, Olmate said:

Forgive me but darkside or Phuket? ????

Pattaya.

3 hours ago, jimn said:

Yes thats why I said soi's 87/89. The busy soi's are Country Club, ETC These soi's are no problem at all.

Well put! I hate SSCC, Khao noi, Khao talk. Even Suk  through central Pattaya sucked most of the times.  5555

2 hours ago, scoupeo said:

Phuket is just behind Irak and Afghanistan in my list, and I still can't understand how people even think about it for vacation...

Jomtien or anywhere around Pattaya is of course better and cheaper.

 

I'm on Kamala Beach right now. Beyond stunning.

3 hours ago, scoupeo said:

Phuket is just behind Irak and Afghanistan in my list, and I still can't understand how people even think about it for vacation...

Jomtien or anywhere around Pattaya is of course better and cheaper.

 

Have to say I love it when I read all the negative <deleted> about Phuket. The fewer moving here the better for me. So yeah, behind Iraq and Afghanistan. A close third. Don’t even consider moving here. 

2 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Pattaya.

I know where the dark side is,  but better than Phuket