What's life like for a single older expat in isaan?

[BritManToo]

56 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Wonderful.

But now, for a moment, imagine you wouldn't have met that lovely lady and had a daughter and got married. Would you have stayed in Isaan? 

It's a genuine question. Obviously I don't know you and maybe you would have stayed there. But there was a time when you suburb of Bangkok for work. Maybe there will be a time when you move again to the suburb of Bangkok so that your daughter can go to a reasonably good university. Or maybe you need a good hospital nearby. 

If it would be just to sit at night watching the stars I would also prefer to be up country. But then there is the rest of the day and all those things which are not out there.

I doubt it would be possible for many men to stay single in Thailand.

Once they find out you were single they would hunt you down.

Resistance is useless!

[Lucky Bones]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I doubt it would be possible for many men to stay single in Thailand.

Once they find out you were single they would hunt you down.

Resistance is useless!

I prefer crucifixion rather than being hunted down.

Crucifixion provides an opportunity to see your house from afar.????????

[EVENKEEL]

7 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I didn't write I dislike it. It's more like that I don't see anything very positive about it which would motivate me to live there. 

Reading post here since years it seems the members who live there live there because their wife or gf wants to live there. And then they so what the wife wants.

Did we ever have any member here who wrote something like: "I decided to move to this and that village up country because I love it so much." ?

 

7 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

I was 28 and single when I first arrived in Isaan. I came to teach kids in the poorer schools basic English. I enjoyed it so much I stayed beyond the original 3 months that my air ticket was valid for.

 

I met a lovely lady and we had a daughter and got married, in that order. 555.

 

In those days there was not much demand for foreign teachers where we were. We move to a suburb of Bangkok so I could work. Hated virtually every moment of the 5 years we were there. Busy, noisy, hot, bad air pollution and generally not to our taste.

 

As soon as opportunities arose for work back home we moved as quickly as we could. Back in Isaan is much more what we like.

 

So, there you are. The first person you know of who moved to and lives in Isaan because they want to.

Many areas besides Bangkok and Isaan. It's nice to live in an industrial area where so many have good jobs. Being around poor people all the time is depressing.

[spidermike007]

16 hours ago, chalawaan said:

Lonely? 

Issan would not be my pick for a single OLDER guy moving to Thailand. 

I'd pick Chiang Mai, take burning season jaunts to the coast.

Or Hua Hin, maybe the higher cost there is offset by having to flee CM annually, the air over South East Asia is unlikely to improve in our lifetimes. 

Pattaya paradoxically, is not recommended if you like that sort of thing unless you have serious money, you'll just destroy yourself there, a case of too much of a bad thing, it's a trap for elderly dreamers.

 

Chiang Mai has plenty enough action for an old guy. And the food options are far better, Pattaya farang food is mostly guys hoping to get rich quick with high turnover meaning mediocre food will always have dumb tourists paying too much. 

You can extrapolate all those issues to the islands to various degrees. Bangkok is for young guys with plenty money and swollen nuts. 

This year the air in HH is nearly as bad as CM. It appears to be a nationwide curse. Call it the Prayuth phenomenon.

[bignok]

10 hours ago, RedArmy said:

Udon Thani

It is not very good. I wouldn't judge the whole region by one city.

[bignok]

Just now, spidermike007 said:

This year the air in HH is nearly as bad as CM. It appears to be a nationwide curse. Call it the Prayuth phenomenon.

Chumphon and south was ok.

[bignok]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Now I am more stuck in Bangkok than 1 year ago because I bought a condominium in the middle of Bangkok. In the last 25 years since I live in Thailand I could have move to anywhere in Thailand and to many other countries. I am a computer professional and with that I can get work almost anywhere.

But I like Bangkok and Sukhumvit. And I like being in the same area which I know well. I don't want to move. 

Then you are living your dream. Do what you like, not what others like. I respect that.

 

I like Sukhumvit but living there wouldn't suit me. I like peace and nature.

 

Seeing poor people in Isaan isn't so much depressing. I see it as an opportunity to appreciate simple living. 

[bignok]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Wonderful.

But now, for a moment, imagine you wouldn't have met that lovely lady and had a daughter and got married. Would you have stayed in Isaan? 

It's a genuine question. Obviously I don't know you and maybe you would have stayed there. But there was a time when you suburb of Bangkok for work. Maybe there will be a time when you move again to the suburb of Bangkok so that your daughter can go to a reasonably good university. Or maybe you need a good hospital nearby. 

If it would be just to sit at night watching the stars I would also prefer to be up country. But then there is the rest of the day and all those things which are not out there.

You are right. But living in Bangkok or Chiang Mai with someone you hate is worse. 

 

I'm yet to discover the perfect city. So you have to make choices. Love or more activities.

[bignok]

17 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Very rarely do you see or hear of older expats single retired moving to isaan ,they all mostly choose Pattaya or Bangkok

 

Negatives: Less English in Isaan. Less western food. Far less nightlife. Less farangs to talk to. Less diverse culture.

 

Positives: The people are more friendly and genuine. Plenty of peaceful spots. Nobody tries hard to sell you things because you are farang so walking around is more relaxing. Cost of living is half Bangkok but probably the same as Pattaya. Cheap to hire a car. You can rent a 4wd under 1000 baht.

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

Some folks like the mountains, some the ocean and some the true Isaan farming style. We're all just prisoners  (visitors) here of our own device.

[ningnong]

9 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did we ever have any member here who wrote something like: "I decided to move to this and that village up country because I love it so much." ?

Several years ago when I was ready to return to Thailand after about a 10 year break to take care of responsibilities back home I decided to try web dating.

 

For my settings I selected to only chat with women 40-45 years old living in a village within 120km of Khon Kaen and who already owned their own house and farm. I had already lived several years in a village with my first wife so I knew the life style already and obviously liked it. And it has worked out great so far.

[bignok]

13 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Some folks like the mountains, some the ocean and some the true Isaan farming style. We're all just prisoners  (visitors) here of our own device.

Koh Chang has beaches, a mountain and Isaan food. Farming on the east coast.

[EVENKEEL]

4 minutes ago, bignok said:

Koh Chang has beaches, a mountain and Isaan food. Farming on the east coast.

Yep, just went there a few weeks ago. Kinda neat for a single guy to spend some time there. I only saw the west side, the hills brought tears to the girls when driving.

[OneMoreFarang]

18 minutes ago, ningnong said:

Several years ago when I was ready to return to Thailand after about a 10 year break to take care of responsibilities back home I decided to try web dating.

 

For my settings I selected to only chat with women 40-45 years old living in a village within 120km of Khon Kaen and who already owned their own house and farm. I had already lived several years in a village with my first wife so I knew the life style already and obviously liked it. And it has worked out great so far.

I guess not too many farangs look for women 40-45 years old living in a village within 120km of Khon Kaen.

Or, more likely, you will be the only one ever with those criteria.

But is that is what you want, good luck! 

[jerrymahoney]

27 minutes ago, bignok said:

Negatives: Less English in Isaan. Less western food. Far less nightlife. Less farangs to talk to. Less diverse culture.

Your 'Negatives' sound a lot like my 'Positives'.

[bignok]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I guess not too many farangs look for women 40-45 years old living in a village within 120km of Khon Kaen.

Or, more likely, you will be the only one ever with those criteria.

But is that is what you want, good luck! 

Stack of 35 to 39yo women are really annoyed now. They missed out.

[bignok]

12 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

Your 'Negatives' sound a lot like my 'Positives'.

Move there.

[jerrymahoney]

5 minutes ago, bignok said:

Move there.

Been there almost 20 years.

[Denim]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Negatives: Less English in Isaan. Less western food. Far less nightlife. Less farangs to talk to. Less diverse culture.

At least three of those are positives in my book.

 

Less westerners

Less night life

Less English

 

Plus , less tourists, less traffic , quiet and easy immigration office.

[In Full Agreement]

18 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

It depends, I think I would like to try out living say in Udon Thani in a condo for say 6 months

 

 

Instead of talking it to death why don't you just go ahead and give it a try?

 

 

[recom273]

For a single older guy, life in the sticks would be difficult, but in some ways easy. 

 

I know one other westerner in my area, I have seen another couple around and about, I know a couple of westerners homes but I don't want to intrude.

 

But you can make western friends very easily, westerners need to get along and life would be very difficult if you were really on your own. Us folks up here tend to have decent lives, decent houses and gardens, far nicer to sit on the verandah with a beer than at some crappy bar listening to the same ole (maybe with some silly girl a small fraction of your age "where you come from?")

 

I think if you came here thinking you might find a local farm girl or divorcee, I think would be difficult. There is a massive age void in the village, lots of left behind kids, lots of grandparents.

 

 

[LaosLover]

9 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

I was 28 and single when I first arrived in Isaan. I came to teach kids in the poorer schools basic English. 

 

In those days there was not much demand for foreign teachers where we were. We move to a suburb of Bangkok so I could work. Hated virtually every moment of the 5 years 

This is the saddest story I've ever heard:

 

Unable to get an English teaching job in Central Bangkok, a job I've seen drunks with stained pants doing, and falling off of a log to get..

 

For 5 years, he toiled, far from Bangkok's golden spires, hoping, like Jude The Obscure, to some day prevail. But he still couldn't cut it; when he got a generic, low-ball offer from dumb-land, he was off like a shot.

 

Sorry, this does not qualify as an I moved to Issan because that tree in a field was calling to me account.

[recom273]

18 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

It depends, I think I would like to try out living say in Udon Thani in a condo for say 6 months

 

What would life be like ,well I have been to UT but only for short duration, living there it's a city now so has big gyms the only thing missing is sex workers as much anyway 

......

 

Rent a house in a village,is that even possible being a single old farang?

 

 

Renting a place in the city would be the same as any other city in Thailand, quite impersonal. You might meet people in or around bars, you see a lot of westerners in the markets / supermarkets, some exchange a nod, some put their heads down.

 

Most westerners live outside, either in "Farang" mansions in the village or in the private estates on the ring roads.

 

Life would be pretty boring in a condo.

 

---

 

Yes, not so difficult to rent out of town, but not easy - one of the issues is the houses are quite basic, maybe not really western standards.

[ningnong]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I guess not too many farangs look for women 40-45 years old living in a village within 120km of Khon Kaen.

Or, more likely, you will be the only one ever with those criteria.

But is that is what you want, good luck!

Thanks. Ended up with a 40 something widow. Shapely, honest, hardworking and loyal. Great cook too! For me its the best long term relationship ever.

[ningnong]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Stack of 35 to 39yo women are really annoyed now. They missed out.

Actually had a few in that age group that contacted me 2 or 3 I think could have worked out ok I think.

[bignok]

52 minutes ago, ningnong said:

Thanks. Ended up with a 40 something widow. Shapely, honest, hardworking and loyal. Great cook too! For me its the best long term relationship ever.

Cool. Nice positive story. Chok dee.

[1FinickyOne]

20 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Why not?

because... ??

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I doubt it would be possible for many men to stay single in Thailand.

Once they find out you were single they would hunt you down.

Resistance is useless!

I always thought they were assigned on arrival at the airport... 

[bignok]

20 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Why would he need a carer? I've stated that he was healthy. He loved his life. Obviously comfortable with his own company. As I said, he ventured out every now and then for a meet up and chat.

If you are a good person, you are always in good company being alone. If you cannot stand being alone it means they are in bad company.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by bignok

[youreavinalaff]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Wonderful.

But now, for a moment, imagine you wouldn't have met that lovely lady and had a daughter and got married. Would you have stayed in Isaan? 

It's a genuine question. Obviously I don't know you and maybe you would have stayed there. But there was a time when you suburb of Bangkok for work. Maybe there will be a time when you move again to the suburb of Bangkok so that your daughter can go to a reasonably good university. Or maybe you need a good hospital nearby. 

If it would be just to sit at night watching the stars I would also prefer to be up country. But then there is the rest of the day and all those things which are not out there.

I told you already. I stayed past the original 3 month because I liked it in Isaan. I didn't meet my wife until I'd been her over 2 years.

 

Daughter has now finished her education and has a good job. Isaan education served her very well. Our provincial hospital is excellent.