Which cities in Isaan are the most English friendly?

[hotandsticky]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

Hookers go there

Hookers are everywhere.

 

 

Pattaya is all things to all men.

 

Some can't handle it and are the first to decry it..

 

Use what you want, from what Pattaya has to offer - don't let Pattaya use you.

[youreavinalaff]

17 minutes ago, bignok said:

https://www.sebastienbrousseau.com/isaan-language/

You are using outdated links.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan_language

[bignok]

Ubon has direct flights to Phuket with Air Asia and Nok flies to Chiang Mai.

[bignok]

Just now, youreavinalaff said:

You are using outdated links.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan_language

I think you just want a silly argument over nothing. Bye.

[JensenZ]

4 minutes ago, bignok said:

Hookers go there

Just up your alley - shagging hookers day and night and even when you post.

 

If you get away from the bars you'll notice there's a huge population of non-hookers all over town, working regular jobs.

[bignok]

1 minute ago, JensenZ said:

Just up your alley - shagging hookers day and night and even when you post.

 

If you get away from the bars you'll notice there's a huge population of non-hookers all over town, working regular jobs.

Yeah sure

[youreavinalaff]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

I think you just want a silly argument over nothing. Bye.

Not arguing. As the link I posted shows.

 

Just making corrections to incorrect comments.

[Wanderer555]

42 minutes ago, bignok said:

34 minutes ago, bignok said:

I was drinking in a rooftop bar in  Udon during March. Pretty bad smog.

 

Really have to go south. Phuket is fine.

I was last in Phuket 28 years ago and is not the type of destination I prefer. 
Everybody is different. 

[smallchungus]

I'm hoping to find a long term relationship.  Pattaya feels like a bad choice for this, especially with the high concentration of other farangs as competition as well as the reputation that may come along with being a farang there.  Chiang Mai looks great to me as well.  Pretty much all I care about in a city is good food with access to good healthcare and the ability to speak to the Thais there to make some homies.  Growing up rural I think is what has attracted me to Isaan girls.  I like country girls in general.

Edited October 11, 2023 by smallchungus

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Chiang Mai is the best medium sized city

Better food

Plenty of English

More things to do

Which is in right in the center of Isaan from big bird's perspective, I guess...

[bignok]

6 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Not arguing. As the link I posted shows.

 

Just making corrections to incorrect comments.

Just being a nit picker I see. Isaan Lao is commonly spoken alongside central Thai by youngsters. The older folks mostly Isaan Lao.

[bignok]

2 minutes ago, smallchungus said:

I'm hoping to find a long term relationship.  Pattaya feels like a bad choice for this, especially with the high concentration of other farangs as competition as well as the reputation that may come along with being a farang there.  Chiang Mai looks great to me as well.  Pretty much all I care about in a city is good food with access to good healthcare and the ability to speak to the Thais there to make some homies.  Growing up rural I think is what has attracted me to Isaan girls.  I like country girls in general.

Pattaya not good for a real woman. Try Nong Khai first. Nicest people there. 

[youreavinalaff]

3 minutes ago, bignok said:

Just being a nit picker I see. Isaan Lao is commonly spoken alongside central Thai by youngsters. The older folks mostly Isaan Lao.

In Isaan Laos speaking areas, I agree.

 

However, there are many areas of Isaan that are not Isaan Laos speaking. They will speak languages such as Northern Khmer, Gui, Thai Korat, etc.

 

Hence Isaan being a region of Thailand and not a stand alone language. As shown in the link I posted. 

 

 

[bignok]

Just now, youreavinalaff said:

In Isaan Laos speaking areas, I agree.

 

However, there are many areas of Isaan that are not Isaan Laos speaking. They will speak languages such as Northern Khmer, Gui, Thai Korat, etc.

 

Hence Isaan being a region of Thailand and not a stand alone language. As shown in the link I posted. 

 

 

How many people speak these minority languages?

[fredwiggy]

4 minutes ago, smallchungus said:

I'm hoping to find a long term relationship.  Pattaya feels like a bad choice for this, especially with the high concentration of other farangs as competition as well as the reputation that may come along with being a farang there.  Chiang Mai looks great to me as well.  Pretty much all I care about in a city is good food with access to good healthcare and the ability to speak to the Thais there to make some homies.  Growing up rural I think is what has attracted me to Isaan girls.  I like country girls in general.

The better chance will come from a professional who works and has her own money, who doesn't need a farang to be a sugar daddy, and old enough to understand what Thai men are mostly about. One that didn't have the need to go to the tourist cities to make money. Again, this isn't the US where you can find a woman that will be attracted to you and not your money. Although greed is everywhere, it's a lot bigger here and sticking with those professionals is a much better bet to find one that loves you for who you are. Finding homies is not an easy thing until you fit in with an area's crowd, as most do not speak English.

[marin]

7 minutes ago, bignok said:

How many people speak these minority languages?

Every native of Isaan speaks Issan its that simple. They themselves are proud to have their own language as well. Better wake up and realize this is a fact as has been pointed out to you by several posters. 

 

I take the OP to be quite young, I would recommend he come for a nice holiday, survey Isaan, the north and the south and see what area he feels most comfortable in. Its not going to be what he expects for sure as he thinks its like rural America something that it is surely not. 

[bignok]

1 minute ago, marin said:

Every native of Isaan speaks Issan its that simple. They themselves are proud to have their own language as well. Better wake up and realize this is a fact as has been pointed out to you by several posters. 

 

I take the OP to be quite young, I would recommend he come for a nice holiday, survey Isaan, the north and the south and see what area he feels most comfortable in. Its not going to be what he expects for sure as he thinks its like rural America something that it is surely not. 

Sorry buddy the other guy said Isaan language doesnt exist 5555

[bignok]

52 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Isaan? 

 

That's a region of Thailand. Not a language.

 

There are many languages in Isaan. 

 

Isaan Laos, Khmer, Gui, Thai Korat....to name a few.

See exhibit A

[Red Phoenix]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Chiang Mai is the best medium sized city

Better food

Plenty of English

More things to do

Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand, and not in Isaan (NorthEast).

But you will indeed find that Chiang-Mai has many english-speaking locals, because of the large expat community there.

[Wanderer555]

14 minutes ago, smallchungus said:

I'm hoping to find a long term relationship.  Pattaya feels like a bad choice for this, especially with the high concentration of other farangs as competition as well as the reputation that may come along with being a farang there.  Chiang Mai looks great to me as well.  Pretty much all I care about in a city is good food with access to good healthcare and the ability to speak to the Thais there to make some homies.  Growing up rural I think is what has attracted me to Isaan girls.  I like country girls in general.

I would recommend that upon arrival you take sometime and visit the areas you are most interested in.

 

CM is a great location, and there are also many nice Isaan ladies living and working there,  but they do tend to be more Urbanized than most country girls.

 

Take your time, look around a bit and hopefully the answer will show itself.

Generally speaking, finding Thai homies in Isaan will be more difficult than CM with the Northern people a bit more open to others, and language often being a barrier in Isaan. I have a few Isaan men I consider friends but it took time to develop these friendships.
 

As others have mentioned, take some time to learn a bit of Thai language before you arrive, it will serve you well. 
 

I would recommend your find a location that meets your requirements and supports your interests… then add a relationship. ????

[bignok]

1 minute ago, Red Phoenix said:

Chiang Mai is in Northern Thailand, and not in Isaan (NorthEast).

But you will indeed find that Chiang-Mai has many english-speaking locals, because of the large expat community there.

Nobody said it was in Isaan. Merely pointing out its better. 

 

 

[marin]

Big Bird, you are correct in saying Isaan is a language, sorry about that. Not often are you right about Thailand, but in this case spot on. 

[youreavinalaff]

7 minutes ago, bignok said:

See exhibit A

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isan_language

 

I agree.

[bignok]

3 minutes ago, marin said:

Big Bird, you are correct in saying Isaan is a language, sorry about that. Not often are you right about Thailand, but in this case spot on. 

Not often 555

 

[smallchungus]

Ubon didn't look great to me in videos so that one not being mentioned much here either makes it easier to eliminate from my list.  Udon will be my first go to and I will check Nong Khai since it is so close and sounds nice.  I only have 2 weeks on my upcoming trip and Chiang Mai will also be checked out.  Out of Kohn Kaen, Korat, and Buriram, which would you say is the most English friendly?  I want one more on my list to check out.  

[Photoguy21]

2 hours ago, smallchungus said:

I'm potentially moving to Thailand in the coming years and Isaan girls sound lovely to be around.  I grew up in rural USA so Isaan has caught my interest (I will probably live just outside the city).  I've been looking between the big four cities of Isaan (Udon Thani, KK, Korat, and Ubon Ratchatani) as well as Buriram and Nong Khai.  Out of these which would be the best for an English only speaker?  Having some of the signage or menus with English would be a huge help as well as some English ability amongst the people who live there.  Which of these should I probably avoid as far as lack of English goes?  Thanks a bunch for any input.

Why dont you learn some Thai before you move? There plenty of courses available online to give you a basic grasp of the language.

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, smallchungus said:

Ubon didn't look great to me in videos so that one not being mentioned much here either makes it easier to eliminate from my list.  Udon will be my first go to and I will check Nong Khai since it is so close and sounds nice.  I only have 2 weeks on my upcoming trip and Chiang Mai will also be checked out.  Out of Kohn Kaen, Korat, and Buriram, which would you say is the most English friendly?  I want one more on my list to check out.  

Ubon has all the things the rest do. The larger the city, the more it has.

[bignok]

Best to learn Thai. At least 50 words plus numbers. Forget Isaan. Thai is taught in all schools. 

 

 

[Celsius]

2 hours ago, smallchungus said:

I have no interest in bar girls or anything offered in Pattaya other than food maybe.  I understand there are Isaan girls in a lot of the bars there but that isn't what I'm looking for.

 

Pattaya 

[bignok]

4 minutes ago, smallchungus said:

Ubon didn't look great to me in videos so that one not being mentioned much here either makes it easier to eliminate from my list.  Udon will be my first go to and I will check Nong Khai since it is so close and sounds nice.  I only have 2 weeks on my upcoming trip and Chiang Mai will also be checked out.  Out of Kohn Kaen, Korat, and Buriram, which would you say is the most English friendly?  I want one more on my list to check out.  

Khon Kaen is close by train. Not much English in all 3 but they speak it in hotels.

 

I met a Japanese man living there for years. He couldnt speak Thai either.

 

I would suggest CM, KK, Udon and Nong Khai. Fly Air Asia from KK to CM. 

 

 

Hotels

Nong Khai White Inn hotel

Udon anywhere near central mall

KK near central mall

Chiang Mai in old city