54 minutes ago, findlay13 said:

It probably is now after your posts 

That's probably offset by the number of people who have posted in negative terms.

6 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Chiang Rai city has a population of 200,000. That's hardly one-horse, although it does mean traffic is manageable.

 

Another dumb post from someone who probably has never been there.

Lol are you trying to fool us or what? Everyone knows Chiang Rai is that small and quiet by actualy city and city center, that you could fall a sleep in the middle of it. I come there since over a decade every few months, but never longer than 1 night lol.

 

It's more like a village with 2000 active residents for the most part lol. If not including all the traffic and bus traffic passing by, doing nothing else than that. Chiang Rai became a province in 1910, that consists of 200,000 people.

20 hours ago, xylophone said:

Another friend is considering going back to Canada because he is fed up/bored with Patong and has been financially shafted by one Thai girlfriend, thereby losing his business, and his latest Thai girlfriend has decided to dump him! Not a happy chappy, so I expect him to leave very shortly.

I am a little confused - if Phuket is no longer a good place to live for them why return to their home country?

After all Thailand has many other places they could move to.

Maybe it's not just about Phuket?

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

So what?

 

Compared to the whole of Thailand, Bangkok is small and not particularly significant.

Largest city by a long way. 15x larger than anything.

Phuket is not Thailand!! Many places to live in Thailand 

19 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

The exodus from Pattaya similar. 5 friend's have gone home in a coffin since December.

What was you feeding them? R.I.P.😉

6 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

I am a little confused - if Phuket is no longer a good place to live for them why return to their home country?

After all Thailand has many other places they could move to.

Maybe it's not just about Phuket?

Where though. Where is not in the middle of nowhere, has a thai feel but has access to some western comforts, not polluted so you have to worry about breathing for 6 months out of the year, not horribly busy, nice beaches or other natural beauty nearby. Options seem limited. 

1 hour ago, findlay13 said:

I agree after 20 yrs visiting it's not the place it once was.Then I guess nowhere is.

Life gets worse as you age unless you find new things to focus on. Find beauty in the chaos.

1 minute ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Where though. Where is not in the middle of nowhere, has a thai feel but has access to some western comforts, not polluted so you have to worry about breathing for 6 months out of the year, not horribly busy, nice beaches or other natural beauty nearby. Options seem limited.

If you miss "western comforts" maybe Thailand or Asia is not the place to be.

3 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Where though. Where is not in the middle of nowhere, has a thai feel but has access to some western comforts, not polluted so you have to worry about breathing for 6 months out of the year, not horribly busy, nice beaches or other natural beauty nearby. Options seem limited. 

Hua Hin has decent air, beaches and mountains nearby. Hat Yai is reasonable but more of a Chinese and muslim feel to it. Udon Thani is ok but air quality issues to.

Nana Plaza not Bangkok!

Thailand has a lot of steak restaurants. I went to one in Chaiyaphum of all places. Beautiful countryside nearby. Khon Kaen has plenty of western food but lacking in scenary but isnt far from it.

10 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

I am a little confused - if Phuket is no longer a good place to live for them why return to their home country?

After all Thailand has many other places they could move to.

Maybe it's not just about Phuket?

I think with quite a few people who decide to leave Phuket, what was once "living the dream" is no longer, so there are many aspects of life in Phuket which can grate, and it's quite possibly a combination of things which make people leave.

 

One of the friends who left for the UK has a family there and wants to see his grandchildren grow up, as well as getting tired with life in Patong.

 

Whereas the other friend is disillusioned and because he is facing some health problems (not severe I may add) then going back to Canada will ensure that he can get them fixed free of charge.

19 hours ago, Celsius said:

Phuket is not Thailand, Pattaya is not Thailand, Bangkok is not Thailand. I have never seen such massive delusions on any other forum. You all paint Thailand as the place that is some kind of last oasis left on this planet and nothing can be further from the truth.

 

BTW, me and Mrs Celsius also left Thailand in style yesterday....

 

 

 

30 minutes after landing she was on her way out with permanent residence and all the information on how to apply for assistance and a health card.

Depends on what it is being compared to. There are a lot of blokes from lower economic demographics in the Uk for example, where just having a beach nearby is luxury. That's why there is such differing of opinions. There will never be a 100% agreement. I met people in Cambodia who thought they were living the high life because they had a view and a balcony.

17 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Where though. Where is not in the middle of nowhere, has a thai feel but has access to some western comforts, not polluted so you have to worry about breathing for 6 months out of the year, not horribly busy, nice beaches or other natural beauty nearby. Options seem limited. 

Try Loei province, years ago it was in the middle of nowhere, little amenities for the westerners. Today the city of Loei has its own airport, Makro, Lotus, Big C, Global, cycling club, gym clubs, football club, aerobics/yoga. Many foreigners like Loei because it has seasons, in winter can be cold (not for long) Mountains close to Lao border

 

39 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

Phuket is not Thailand!! Many places to live in Thailand 

 

But...those places "aren't Thailand", either...

21 hours ago, Galong said:

Six of my very good friends have had enough of Phuket and all six are leaving because of traffic. Another friend and his family of four just bought a house a relocated here from the UK. After just a few months, they are already looking for ways to leave. 

How many of you have lost friends due to the 'progress' going on in Phuket?

There might be more even. Next, when we face the new Tax rules.

Could be the exodus of many Farangs. What it means for Thailand's economy? I'm sure Thai's will feel it🥴

I left Samui nearly a decade ago, as it became unbearable with traffic, congestion, over development, and over pricing. Never looked back. I visit occasionally, and am reminded of all the reasons we left.

Phuket is not Thailand. I've lived in Phuket, Bangkok, and Pattaya and the one place I have no desire to ever go back to is Phuket. Hoardes of obnoxious tourists, highest prices in Thailand, worst taxi mafia in Thailand, worst gold diggers (hookers looking for a sponsor bf), and loads of mafia types of all sorts (French, Russian, etc) intimidating people and starting fights. Ohh, did I mention the condos are ridiculously overpriced for apartments that are literally falling apart? The salty air, lack of maintenance, and greedy cheap landlords are a lethal combination. I think we can sum up Patong in one sentence: where expired hookers go to find a retirement plan.

 

Your mate could've just moved to Bangkok if he was sick of Phuket. Has no beach but still beats Blackpool.

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

Jf you cannot understand something that simple, I feel sorry for you.

If you cannot recognize a joke, I feel sorry for you.

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Whereas the other friend is disillusioned and because he is facing some health problems (not severe I may add) then going back to Canada will ensure that he can get them fixed free of charge.

So there is another reason and maybe a more important one - free health care which is not available in Thailand

21 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It would take a hell of a lot to convince me to visit Chiang Rai, even for a day. 😉 

Have you ever BEEN to Chiang Rai even for a day?

 

It is overall a very pleasant very Thai very beautiful place to live ..if it were not for the several months of bad smoke I would not have left.   I don't think there is one person in CR that cares if you ever visit for five minutes.

 

I used to often say if not another single farang came to CR the vast majority  of Thais there there would not care a bit as they get on with living their lives. Farangs in CR are still somewhat of an amusing bunch to the local CR people but have very very little impact on their day to day lives.  So please don't worry you will not be missed and nobody will try to "convince" you to visit.

 

The fact is most people from CR do not leave but quite happily live there for their entire lives. 

1 hour ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Where though. Where is not in the middle of nowhere, has a thai feel but has access to some western comforts, not polluted so you have to worry about breathing for 6 months out of the year, not horribly busy, nice beaches or other natural beauty nearby. Options seem limited. 

Cha Am. 2-3 hours from Bangkok....thus, hospitals (university teaching), airport(s), oodles of shopping and entertainment. Meanwhile, beautiful beaches, nightlife on a small scale resulting in a quiet life if you want it, a good Thai flavour with plenty of western luxuries available (Hua Hin), a mix of nationalities that on the whole are responsible and make for good friends.  Cost of living there is lower than where most other traditional 'falangs' congregate and last but not least , on the edge of Chaeng Krachan national park.

21 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Yeh but how many girlie bars, Cannabis shops, Mom & Pop stores?

Tons of mom and pop stores which for many is a good thing. Nice friendly people, very low cost of living and a remnant of a slower more genuine pace and place that has not been totally taken over by big corporate chains..... but if you must have it there is also a central mall along with big C, Makro,  and even ONE mcdonalds so you can pretend you are still living in the west.

 

If you want girlie bars that cater to farangs you will be disappointed. Believe it or not how many girlie bars a city has is not the top factor to be considered for many farangs.

 

As for Cannabis if you want cannabis you don't need to go to an overpriced shop to find it.  After all you are very near the golden triangle which knows a thing or two about illicit drugs.

Boo hoo crybabies

22 hours ago, Galong said:

I wonder how many people will buy the new houses/villas being built all over the island.  Chern Talay is one of the worst traffic areas on the island. And, it's bad at any time of the day. Surely, a potential buyer would visit first.  If they do, they WILL get stuck in traffic. I believe a lot of these new places won't be sold.

totally agree a friend living at Laguna will often now not go to Cherngtalay at  night as it can be an hours drive for 2-3km

1 hour ago, BangkokHank said:

If you cannot recognize a joke, I feel sorry for you.

I could not recognise what your idea of a joke was. It certainly was not amusing to me.

1 hour ago, Negita43 said:

So there is another reason and maybe a more important one - free health care which is not available in Thailand

NO.............that is an added extra and not the main reason. He is simply tired of all that goes on in Patong from corruption to traffic, to bad roads, to unruly and ignorant tourists, to crowded sidewalks to............etc, etc. And to add to that a couple of bad experiences with women.

 

He has had an eye operation here and paid for it and he has a pension as well as savings; he liked hunting and fishing and living a little free and now he misses it. 

3 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Depends on what it is being compared to. There are a lot of blokes from lower economic demographics in the Uk for example, where just having a beach nearby is luxury. That's why there is such differing of opinions. There will never be a 100% agreement. I met people in Cambodia who thought they were living the high life because they had a view and a balcony.

Yes if you view the world as a gift it nearly all becomes good.

2 hours ago, pomchop said:

Have you ever BEEN to Chiang Rai even for a day?

 

It is overall a very pleasant very Thai very beautiful place to live ..if it were not for the several months of bad smoke I would not have left.   I don't think there is one person in CR that cares if you ever visit for five minutes.

 

I used to often say if not another single farang came to CR the vast majority  of Thais there there would not care a bit as they get on with living their lives. Farangs in CR are still somewhat of an amusing bunch to the local CR people but have very very little impact on their day to day lives.  So please don't worry you will not be missed and nobody will try to "convince" you to visit.

 

The fact is most people from CR do not leave but quite happily live there for their entire lives. 

Is it any better than any other northern city?