Can you recommend small cities to live in (population between 20k and 100k ppl at most)?

[andux]

Some of the things I'm looking for:

 

* 1-2 hours from Bangkok

* English not widely spoken (I prefer full immersion, none to very few signs in English, etc.)

* Decent general ammenities like a few good places to eat, a gym or two, some coffee place

* Decent condos or apartments to rent/buy

 

I'm looking for something like Chanthaburi but smaller... Or like Phayao but closer to Bangkok and without the burning season 😁

 

Getting old and just want to chill, mostly. But I want to stay close to Bangkok for convenience (trips back home, the odd party night, etc.).

[Robert Paulson]

My advice is to get further because you don’t get the good air advantage. Actually one of my favorite things to do in Thailand is driving certain stretches of highway. The food along the way. 

[Yagoda]

Siem Reap Cambodia

[blanes2007]

Prachuab Khirikan

Trat

[Hummin]

Bang Saen beach 80km from Suvarnabhumi. 

 

Perfect place for a relaxed life.

[Blue Muton]

I live in a rural part of Suphaburi and love it. We travel around a bit and I know a few of the neighbouring provinces quite well.

 

Suphanburi city is just over an hour outside of Bangkok and is ok, the immigration department is excellent. It's mot too big but big enough for a Makro, Robinsons etc. and doesn't have the pesky monkeys that Lopburi suffers from. Ang Thong and Singburi are quite small, Chainat is ok and there's some fantastic scenery around there but again may be a little small.

 

The city I'd probably go for is Nakhon Sawan, if I were looking to live in a city, which I'm not. I don't know why but it always seems quite chilled to me with its beatiful park and Bueng Boraphet as well as some very nice temples.

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

I live in a rural part of Suphaburi and love it. We travel around a bit and I know a few of the neighbouring provinces quite well.

 

Suphanburi city is just over an hour outside of Bangkok and is ok, the immigration department is excellent. It's mot too big but big enough for a Makro, Robinsons etc. and doesn't have the pesky monkeys that Lopburi suffers from. Ang Thong and Singburi are quite small, Chainat is ok and there's some fantastic scenery around there but again may be a little small.

 

The city I'd probably go for is Nakhon Sawan, if I were looking to live in a city, which I'm not. I don't know why but it always seems quite chilled to me with its beatiful park and Bueng Boraphet as well as some very nice temples.

Nakhon Sawan very small expat network, but if do not need, then Nakhon Sawan is ok, except air quality. Kanchanaburi is good for living, but horrible air quality as well. 

 

Cha Am or Hua Hin 3 hours, is good, but some complain about airquality, I never experienced to bad air the 3 years I lived there.

 

Ao nang Krabi can be great, but rain season can be harshly 

[AnotherOneHere]

Just go full Isaan. 🙂 Every province main city has an airport which will get you to Bangkok under 50 minutes for 1500 Baht.

[andux]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Nakhon Sawan very small expat network, but if do not need, then Nakhon Sawan is ok, except air quality. Kanchanaburi is good for living, but horrible air quality as well. 

 

Cha Am or Hua Hin 3 hours, is good, but some complain about airquality, I never experienced to bad air the 3 years I lived there.

 

Ao nang Krabi can be great, but rain season can be harshly 

 

Actually I don't want a big expat network, since I can easily have that when traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai or when I go back home. Too many expats = too many signs in English 😆

 

@Blue Muton Thanks for those suggestions. Nakhon Sawan looks good, and so does Sing Buri. 

 

I've also been looking at Phitsanulok. A bit further but has an aiport and it's a one hour flight to Bangkok. Has anyone been or lived there?

[Yagoda]

8 minutes ago, andux said:

 

Actually I don't want a big expat network, since I can easily have that when traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai or when I go back home. Too many expats = too many signs in English 😆

 

@Blue Muton Thanks for those suggestions. Nakhon Sawan looks good, and so does Sing Buri. 

 

I've also been looking at Phitsanulok. A bit further but has an aiport and it's a one hour flight to Bangkok. Has anyone been or lived there?

Phitsanalok has the Phra Buddha Chinnawat, big tourist place for Thais. 

[BE88]

36 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Nakhon Sawan very small expat network, but if do not need, then Nakhon Sawan is ok, except air quality. Kanchanaburi is good for living, but horrible air quality as well. 

 

Cha Am or Hua Hin 3 hours, is good, but some complain about airquality, I never experienced to bad air the 3 years I lived there.

 

Ao nang Krabi can be great, but rain season can be harshly 

 

True for Krabi but at least clean air is becoming more and more a rarity in Thailand.

Hua Hin on weekends is chaotic traffic with the air quality getting worse every year

 

Edited May 12 by BE88

[Jeff the Chef]

40 minutes ago, andux said:

 

Actually I don't want a big expat network, since I can easily have that when traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai or when I go back home. Too many expats = too many signs in English 😆

 

@Blue Muton Thanks for those suggestions. Nakhon Sawan looks good, and so does Sing Buri. 

 

I've also been looking at Phitsanulok. A bit further but has an aiport and it's a one hour flight to Bangkok. Has anyone been or lived there?

50km from Phitsanulok, 30km from Phichit, 7km from route 11, nearest 7/11 Saklek or Wattayom, out in the sticks, good air, love it, only permanent falange in the village, occasionally 1/2 others who have their own places further afield.

Edited May 12 by Jeff the Chef

[spidermike007]

44 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Nakhon Sawan very small expat network, but if do not need, then Nakhon Sawan is ok, except air quality. Kanchanaburi is good for living, but horrible air quality as well. 

 

Cha Am or Hua Hin 3 hours, is good, but some complain about airquality, I never experienced to bad air the 3 years I lived there.

 

Ao nang Krabi can be great, but rain season can be harshly 

Hua Hin is nice. But, as you get further south from there, the beaches improve, and so does the water quality in the Gulf. All the way from Pak Nam Pran (coastal Pranburi) south to Ban Saphan Noi is a great stretch, with deserted beaches, clean towns and a low cost of living. 

 

Sam Roi Yot, Kuiburi, Prachuap, Thap Sakae, Ban Krut, Ban Saphan and Ban Saphan Noi are all very nice, uncrowded, relatively undiscovered areas. PKK province is amazing. Inexpensive, and better air quality than the areas closer to Bangkok, which suffer from horrendous air. 

[Angus55]

51 minutes ago, andux said:

 

Actually I don't want a big expat network, since I can easily have that when traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai or when I go back home. Too many expats = too many signs in English 😆

 

@Blue Muton Thanks for those suggestions. Nakhon Sawan looks good, and so does Sing Buri. 

 

I've also been looking at Phitsanulok. A bit further but has an aiport and it's a one hour flight to Bangkok. Has anyone been or lived there?

Phitsanulok is ok . Nothing special. Actually ALL Thailand provincial cities are boring as f to live in....except maybe up north Chiang Mai.

[stoner]

29 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Hua Hin is nice. But, as you get further south from there, the beaches improve, and so does the water quality in the Gulf. All the way from Pak Nam Pran (coastal Pranburi) south to Ban Saphan Noi is a great stretch, with deserted beaches, clean towns and a low cost of living. 

 

Sam Roi Yot, Kuiburi, Prachuap, Thap Sakae, Ban Krut, Ban Saphan and Ban Saphan Noi are all very nice, uncrowded, relatively undiscovered areas. PKK province is amazing. Inexpensive, and better air quality than the areas closer to Bangkok, which

suffer from horrendous air. 

nice list. 

[save the frogs]

2 hours ago, andux said:

Too many expats = too many signs in English

that's a silly criteria.

 

no one is forcing you to read english signs and english signs dont prevent you from learning the language in other ways.

 

signs are a limited vocabulary to learn a language anyway. 

 

I hope we're still friends?

Edited May 12 by save the frogs

[rattlesnake]

2 hours ago, andux said:

 

Actually I don't want a big expat network, since I can easily have that when traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai or when I go back home. Too many expats = too many signs in English 😆

 

@Blue Muton Thanks for those suggestions. Nakhon Sawan looks good, and so does Sing Buri. 

 

I've also been looking at Phitsanulok. A bit further but has an aiport and it's a one hour flight to Bangkok. Has anyone been or lived there?

 

I lived in Phitsanulok for 6 months, then got bored and left. IMO not the most exciting city, apart from the temple by the water.

 

But I can confirm it fits all the criteria you listed and the airport is convenient.


 

Edited May 12 by rattlesnake

[rattlesnake]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Hua Hin is nice. But, as you get further south from there, the beaches improve, and so does the water quality in the Gulf. All the way from Pak Nam Pran (coastal Pranburi) south to Ban Saphan Noi is a great stretch, with deserted beaches, clean towns and a low cost of living. 

 

Sam Roi Yot, Kuiburi, Prachuap, Thap Sakae, Ban Krut, Ban Saphan and Ban Saphan Noi are all very nice, uncrowded, relatively undiscovered areas. PKK province is amazing. Inexpensive, and better air quality than the areas closer to Bangkok, which suffer from horrendous air. 

 

Agree. It's my favourite area in Thailand.

[Prubangboy]

Saraburi is worth a look. I did a search here about Nonthaburi (also worth a look) and found that several posters here had moved there, since they found Nonthaburi too built-up.

 

Spent two days there. If you're home-centered and content with Pizza Express and Swenson-type options at the mall for whitie-food, def worth a check-out. A little too sedate for me; I'd opt for Nonthaburi.

 

I'd pick Cha Am over Hua Hin, but again, it's the battle of small versus smaller (with smaller winning out for me in that case).

Edited May 12 by Prubangboy

[Ben Zioner]

3 hours ago, blanes2007 said:

Prachuab Khirikan

Trat

Yep, was about to say Trat too. Can fly to Bangkok if needed. About 90 minutes to Chantaburi. And so close to Koh Chang  and Salak Peth Seafood.

[spidermike007]

36 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Yep, was about to say Trat too. Can fly to Bangkok if needed. About 90 minutes to Chantaburi. And so close to Koh Chang  and Salak Peth Seafood.

That is a good point, I do have friends who live in Prachuap, and though it is an exquisite town in my opinion, and has wonderful restaurants and seafood, and is very inexpensive to live, the highway from there to Bangkok is not exactly a piece of cake, and the Rama II national disaster going in and out of Bangkok towards Hua Hin is an absolute nightmare. if I attempt it at all, it's at 5:00 a.m. heading south, or 10:00 p.m. heading north. Being able to fly into BKK would be huge. 

 

Hua Hin Airport seems to be the least utilized airport in SE Asia. Nobody knows why there is such astonishing ignorance in the operation of that hapless and nearly useless airport. 

[rattlesnake]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Hua Hin Airport seems to be the least utilized airport in SE Asia. Nobody knows why there is such astonishing ignorance in the operation of that hapless and nearly useless airport. 

 

There have been more and more talks about developing it this past year. It will probably happen within the next few years…

[Kinnock]

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

Bang Saen beach 80km from Suvarnabhumi. 

 

Perfect place for a relaxed life.

.... except at weekends and festival time.

[susanlea]

Hua Hin has flights to Chiang Mai and air quality and beaches are good. Two major malls, lots of condos with gyms and good stand alone gyms. King of Muay Thai gym is great. It has crossfit, strongman as well as weights and Muay Thai.

 

Prachuap and Ban Krut are a little boring after a few days with no major malls and limited restaurants and condos.

 

Trat is a small town so would also be boring.

 

 

[KhunLA]

@andux Without the burning season, you're going to need to go south, and nothing is going to be smog free within 1-2 hrs, not even Hua Hin (3.5 hrs), which has too much smog for us, and we're 1 hr below there.

 

HH AQI of 100-150 isn't rare at all.  If you want to be near Bangkok, then I'd split my time N & S during appropriate seasons, burning & non.   Could ever spend in Bangkok areas, as most don't areas don't have large expat community, and quite easy to avoid, but convenient to all of Krung Thep via rail lines.  

 

Don't need to be rural for that full immersion experience, as plenty of neighborhoods in Krung Thep that you'd be hard pressed to see another foreigner during any day of knocking around.

 

Depending how often you want to be at Bangkok, you could just go S and be near one of the airports for quick access; Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, would be good choices.  Whether rural or downtown, there are few expats there.

Edited May 13 by KhunLA

[ArnieP]

13 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

That is a good point, I do have friends who live in Prachuap, and though it is an exquisite town in my opinion, and has wonderful restaurants and seafood, and is very inexpensive to live, the highway from there to Bangkok is not exactly a piece of cake, and the Rama II national disaster going in and out of Bangkok towards Hua Hin is an absolute nightmare. if I attempt it at all, it's at 5:00 a.m. heading south, or 10:00 p.m. heading north. Being able to fly into BKK would be huge. 

 

Hua Hin Airport seems to be the least utilized airport in SE Asia. Nobody knows why there is such astonishing ignorance in the operation of that hapless and nearly useless airport. 

Not so long ago you posted that you might relocate to Prachuap Kiri Khan as it was a kind of idyll. Is that off the list now?

[Hummin]

17 hours ago, andux said:

 

Actually I don't want a big expat network, since I can easily have that when traveling to Bangkok/Chiang Mai or when I go back home. Too many expats = too many signs in English 😆

 

@Blue Muton Thanks for those suggestions. Nakhon Sawan looks good, and so does Sing Buri. 

 

I've also been looking at Phitsanulok. A bit further but has an aiport and it's a one hour flight to Bangkok. Has anyone been or lived there?

Just remember the air quality is horrible 4 months a year in Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok. If you want decent air, southern provinces with more rain is to prefer, and the last years heat inland, have been horrible as well. 

 

Lived many places in Thailand, and best quality life is either an Island or around the beaches.

 

 

[Hummin]

17 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Hua Hin is nice. But, as you get further south from there, the beaches improve, and so does the water quality in the Gulf. All the way from Pak Nam Pran (coastal Pranburi) south to Ban Saphan Noi is a great stretch, with deserted beaches, clean towns and a low cost of living. 

 

Sam Roi Yot, Kuiburi, Prachuap, Thap Sakae, Ban Krut, Ban Saphan and Ban Saphan Noi are all very nice, uncrowded, relatively undiscovered areas. PKK province is amazing. Inexpensive, and better air quality than the areas closer to Bangkok, which suffer from horrendous air. 

Agree, many fine places all the way down to Chumphon, just the matter of picking one.

 

Ban Huay Yang is one of them for retirees 

[Angus55]

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Agree, many fine places all the way down to Chumphon, just the matter of picking one.

 

Ban Huay Yang is one of them for retirees 

Not for long...Once its put all over the internet it will become like Pattaya - attracting scum from all over the world. ...happening already . 

[PJ71]

14 hours ago, Ben Zioner said:

Yep, was about to say Trat too. Can fly to Bangkok if needed. About 90 minutes to Chantaburi. And so close to Koh Chang  and Salak Peth Seafood.

Is n't Chantanaburi the wettest province in Thailand?

 

It's lovely along the cost there, stayed a Peggy's Cove hotel a few times, very unique.