Need help Narrowing Down Where to Stay in Thailand

[CharlieH]

A number of off topic posts removed.

 

Please do not discuss pirated editions.

[Thunglom]

2 hours ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

You're ticking off all my boxes here. LOL. This list is getting longer.

I lived between And Sila and Bang Saen  and it was one of my favourite areas - but it is the "other side of BKK for Samui Songkhram. which puts it about 3 hours away. There is now a good motorway connection form Bang Saen to the motorway which makes access to BKK and Suvarnabhumi a breeze. I also means the area gets full of weekenders from BKK on holidays etc. Tere is also race week and Bike week to content with.....and one of the biggest Song Khran holidays in the country. I liked it because despite location it still remains very Thai with fantastic eateries etc. Ang Sila fish market on the pier is good. 

(nearby Prayasajja Kiri Rd, Samet, Chon Buri has the best covered prepared food market anywhere in Thailand!!.

any of the suburbs in that area are quite busy yet still Thai rather than just foreigner resorts.

 

as for a car, I had a slightly modified 4x4 which enabled me to trade all over the country, move furniture, go to work, holiday everything- Looking for houses locally on a bike is OK but you can't beat 4 wheels for checking out long distance - and of course best for shopping.

Secondhand cars in Thailand are relatively expensive but there is little or no rust from the climate, and repairs running costs and even insurance are really cheap.

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

6 minutes ago, Thunglom said:

but it is the "other side of BKK for Samui Songkhram. which puts it about 3 hours away.

Talking with my wife we figured we would check in on the family every other weekend, so with having to make the trip twice monthly, I can put up with a longer drive. Going to spend a few weeks in several area mentioned here, then make the decision when our boots are on the ground. This thread gave us a lot of places to consider that weren't on our list.

[Thunglom]

12 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Talking with my wife we figured we would check in on the family every other weekend, so with having to make the trip twice monthly, I can put up with a longer drive. Going to spend a few weeks in several area mentioned here, then make the decision when our boots are on the ground. This thread gave us a lot of places to consider that weren't on our list.

Yes - the trip from Chonburi to Samui is largely motorway/dual carriageway, actually the old coast road (route 3) is more interesting.

 

I really like the coast between Pattaya nd BKK - Sri Racha, Bang Saen/Ang Sila etc. It is becoming more and more urbanised but  still relatively few foreigners (Sri racha is dominated by Japanese executives in luxury apartments.

Again if you drive up and down there, you can still find seafront properties to rent and you are so convenient for travel everywhere in the country.

 

the area is very urban with a lot of "ribbon" development and  was starting to spread out with high-rise apartment blocks all along Sukhumvit road but I suspect that will be slowed by the post Covid economy.

Look behind the ribbon and you'll find rural land and estates that are vey pleasant, but you'll need a car.

 

[nobodysfriend]

On 10/3/2021 at 3:17 AM, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Basically I want to live as local

 Good luck with that .

You will never be same as a local .

You will always stay the ' farang ' , no matter how good your Thai language skills are .

Being a farang pretending to be same Thai is bound to fail .

All you can do is to try to integrate as good as possible without making a lot of noise .

They say a farang can never understand the way thai people think ... but they talk a lot of BS anyway ...

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

10 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Good luck with that .

Thank you.

 

11 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

You will never be same as a local .

Not trying to be.

 

11 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

You will always stay the ' farang ' , no matter how good your Thai language skills are .

No <deleted>. I am a farang. So are you. So is every non Thai.

 

12 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Being a farang pretending to be same Thai is bound to fail .

Who's pretending to be anything other than themselves? You have me confused with someone else.

 

12 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

All you can do is to try to integrate as good as possible without making a lot of noise .

All I can do is continue to live life on my terms as I have be doing all my life. That what I will continue to do.

 

13 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

They say a farang can never understand the way thai people think ... but they talk a lot of BS anyway ...

Neither know who "They" are, nor do I care. The day I live for anyone's opinion is the day I'll give away all my wealth and walk the earth like Cain from Kung <deleted>.

 

I know one thing I don't want to be is a pessimist like you my friend. Oh wait, you're nobodysfriend... my bad. 

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

3 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Neither know who "They" are, nor do I care. The day I live for anyone's opinion is the day I'll give away all my wealth and walk the earth like Cain from Kung <deleted>.

Like how in the heck is a martial are KungFu caught by the obscenity filter? 

[nobodysfriend]

2 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Neither know who "They" are, nor do I care. The day I live for anyone's opinion is the day I'll give away all my wealth and walk the earth like Cain from Kung

" They " are the thais in general .

Have you lived in Asia before ?

Do you know about ' face ' and what it implicates ?

You want to start a new life here ?

Are you aware of all the laws they got ? ( defamation etc ) ?

Do you know that doing things that you are used to do in your country ( like complaining about service or quality of stuff that you bought ...) , can bring you in trouble .

Do you know that you simply do not have the same rights here as a thai ?

Do you know that some will make it more difficult for you because you are a farang ? If you do not pay ( under the table , with a smile on your face ) you will sometimes not get what every thai gets easily ? DLT , government offices . Better do your homework before you definitely decide to move here ...

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

2 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

" They " are the thais in general .

Have you lived in Asia before ?

Do you know about ' face ' and what it implicates ?

You want to start a new life here ?

Are you aware of all the laws they got ? ( defamation etc ) ?

Do you know that doing things that you are used to do in your country ( like complaining about service or quality of stuff that you bought ...) , can bring you in trouble .

Do you know that you simply do not have the same rights here as a thai ?

Do you know that some will make it more difficult for you because you are a farang ? If you do not pay ( under the table , with a smile on your face ) you will sometimes not get what every thai gets easily ? DLT , government offices . Better do your homework before you definitely decide to move here ...

Sounds a lot like my life as a Black man living here in America. Heck, I think that makes me a pro.

 

Seriously my dude. Sounds like you have some resentment and bitterness in living abroad (if that's what you've done). For that, I would say I feel for you. But just because you jumped into something without the faintest idea of what you got yourself into doesn't mean all of use starting out will make the same mistakes. For that, I can only wish you the best in your journey and hope that, at some point in life, you let go of that anger. It's not healthy.

[nobodysfriend]

17 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

All I can do is continue to live life on my terms as I have be doing all my life. That what I will continue to do.

And that is exactly what can bring trouble for you in Thailand . This is not a free country , it is a half totalitarian regime disguised as a democracy .

If you want to live here and survive , you have to adapt .

Not same your country .

[nobodysfriend]

4 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Sounds like you have some resentment and bitterness in living abroad (if that's what you've done).

Don't even try to ( psycho ) analyze me ...

I am living here for a long time , but I had to learn my lessons ... by the way , I am happy here , it is far away from my private Utopia , but I still prefer it here .

You are a black man , ( that does not change anything for me ) , but you should be aware that the average uneducated thai person will regard you as inferior just because of the color of your skin .

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

2 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

This is not a free country , it is a half totalitarian regime disguised as a democracy .

The freedoms you have in any country depend on what the government allows. Some countries offer a little more than others.

[nobodysfriend]

1 minute ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

The freedoms you have in any country depend on what the government allows. Some countries offer a little more than others.

 

and here a little less ...

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

5 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

and here a little less ...

More than many Middle Eastern Countries. 

Edited October 4, 2021 by HappyGoLuckyLife
Grammar

[shdmn]

On 10/2/2021 at 3:42 PM, Swiss1960 said:

Your main problem is your internet requirements. The more "local" and outside heavily populated paths you live, the less choices for internet you will have, both with regards to providers and speed. Also, the more local you live, the less reliable your internet service tends to be, and it might take hours for the local provider to fix it, if i.e. a transformer did blow up in the middle of nowhere. Remember, Thailand is still a country with majority of cables overhead, and falling trees, lightening etc. are main concerns for people who "need" fast and reliable internet. 

It keeps getting better though.  A lot of people in the boonies have pretty good internet now and you also often have a 4G option, if not for primary internet then as a backup for outages.

 

I also need good internet and my requirement is a fiber connection, which is getting fairly common even is some out of the way places, or a decent wired connection in addition to decent 4G signal.

Edited October 4, 2021 by shdmn

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

1 minute ago, shdmn said:

if not for primary internet then as a backup for outages.

Having a backup is great to have. There's nothing like being in the middle of binging a series and the net goes out! But it's encouraging to know. I wish they had something like that here. (Looks over at Xfinity router.)

[lopburi3]

Throw a dart.  Anywhere more than a km or two from the floating market should be rural enough but still close enough to Bangkok for emergency medical care.  Internet in Thailand is among the best in the world for local bandwidth and fiber optic is the norm for new lines but do not expect top speeds internationally at all times (which seems to be your desire - but this is true just about anywhere and Thailand is improving in that regard).   You say outside tourist areas but then lest tourist areas so perhaps you just want to be on the other side of the road but have access to western foods (as in the Pattaya darkside)?

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

1 minute ago, lopburi3 said:

You say outside tourist areas but then lest tourist areas so perhaps you just want to be on the other side of the road but have access to western foods (as in the Pattaya darkside)?

The more local the food the better. We eat 60-40 Thai to Western food here in the states. I LOVE trying new things, so I while I might have a burger or a steak, it would be maybe every couple of months. Gimme the local goodies!

[Kinnock]

16 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

Having a backup is great to have. There's nothing like being in the middle of binging a series and the net goes out! But it's encouraging to know. I wish they had something like that here. (Looks over at Xfinity router.)

I need constant internet for my business - though speed is less important to me,  but the 4G cellular internet is fast is where I live, and 5G will be faster.  So I have an unlimited data package as back up for my AIS WIFI.  

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

1 minute ago, Kinnock said:

So I have an unlimited data package as back up for my AIS WIFI.

If I may ask. How much do you pay monthly? Is it true unlimited or throttled after say 15 GB?

[Rimmer]

Multiple off topic bickering flaming posts have been removed, you need to stop now before I holiday both of you

[Kinnock]

2 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

If I may ask. How much do you pay monthly? Is it true unlimited or throttled after say 15 GB?

My old package used to fall back to 2G after 30 GB, but I upgraded and now it stays at full speed.  I'll need to check a bill, as there's also overseas calls, a data only card and TV packages in the total), but I think about 1,500 THB. 

 

My wife/secretary sorts out my internet (and insurance, Netflix and everything else that needs long phone calls to call centres).

 

After her annual calls to AIS, when she threatens to switch to DTAC, our data speed keeps increasing and our bill reduces.  There seems some negotiation room after your first year for both WIFI and cellular.

 

Overall I'd say cheaper and faster than in my home country.

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

1 minute ago, Kinnock said:

Overall I'd say cheaper and faster than in my home country.

From what I was comparing it's like 1/3 the cost for what I'm playing for internet here in the States. We won't even go into to cellular bills yet. But you make me think to ask what people use to make the occasional international call. Back in the day you could use Skype. Is that still applicable today?

[BritManToo]

14 minutes ago, Kinnock said:

My old package used to fall back to 2G after 30 GB, but I upgraded and now it stays at full speed.  I'll need to check a bill, as there's also overseas calls, a data only card and TV packages in the total), but I think about 1,500 THB. 

AIS SiM 100GB/month data, unlimited free calls to other AIS SiMs.

1,500bht/year. If you have a wife/gf just buy two, give her one and you can call each other as often as you want for no charge.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ais-10-mbps-100gb-ais-12-sim-net-inw-tree-mobile-i1400912107-s3585368239.html

Edited October 4, 2021 by BritManToo

[1FinickyOne]

On 10/3/2021 at 7:39 AM, gk10012001 said:

but getting palatable

so, you shred the money and then serve it with a nice tomato sauce?

[1FinickyOne]

6 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

From what I was comparing it's like 1/3 the cost for what I'm playing for internet here in the States. We won't even go into to cellular bills yet. But you make me think to ask what people use to make the occasional international call. Back in the day you could use Skype. Is that still applicable today?

skype, facetime, line... plenty of options... and to connect w/phone lines, I use a CAT Card purchased at CAT.. it is about 1 baht a minute to USA

 

I lived in a pretty secluded village in an untravelled province and internet was fine... now I am quite rural and have 5G - - - 

[Kinnock]

10 minutes ago, HappyGoLuckyLife said:

From what I was comparing it's like 1/3 the cost for what I'm playing for internet here in the States. We won't even go into to cellular bills yet. But you make me think to ask what people use to make the occasional international call. Back in the day you could use Skype. Is that still applicable today?

I use WhatsApp video calls for family back home.  Line for free calls in Thailand.  Some customers use WeChat (China) and Kakao (Korea) too.

 

Plus the usual TEAMS, Zoom etc for conference calls.

 

My international cellular calls used to be via packages bought before a trip,  but with WhatsApp etc, I don't make so many now.

 

AIS have an excellent support system included in my package, and if I happen to make an international call on the phone, a nice lady phones me later to remind me of the packages.  She sounds hot, especially when asking if there's anything else she can do for me ????

 

I think they all have similar services. 

 

Again, so much better than in my home country.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Kinnock

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

1 minute ago, Kinnock said:

She sounds hot, especially when asking if there's anything else she can do for me ????

I think she just wants you to go up to the next tier in your plan. 

 

But is sounds like I am going to have little to know problem where internet is concerned in the areas in which we have interest. 

[HappyGoLuckyLife]

3 minutes ago, 1FinickyOne said:

skype, facetime, line... plenty of options... and to connect w/phone lines, I use a CAT Card purchased at CAT.. it is about 1 baht a minute to USA

That's a solid set up. I don't expect to have to make too many calls back home. Just want to make sure there are options in case I need to call a bank back in the States, though I don't expect that to be often.

[BTB1977]

Seems he only wants to be a short drive to Pattaya.  555 . But it is 3 to 4 hours to his family.  I would recommend Hua Hin,( 2 hours) or the sleepy Cha Am. ( 1.5 hours)But most people that start in Cha Am end up moving to Hua Hin. Find a place just out side of both and get that local vibe you are looking for.  There are a <deleted> load of thai markets in both cities. You can be as local as you want to be in both places. Just don't go to all the places you are running away from. But you may think the small village life is a dream and such a heavenly  life style that you can brag about to everyone back home and say look at me , I'm sooooo emerged in thai life. I'm one of them. You can take the farang out of his country,  but you can't take his country out of the farang.  Your going to need some western connections after eating every green plant found along the road mixed with fish sauce,  garlic and hot spicy chilies day after  day. And don't forget the white rice served with every meal.