Just what is life like in Rural Thailand- ever wondered ?

[CharlieH]

 

Ryan and Damo, who are discussing their life and experiences living in rural Thailand. Here’s a summary of the key points and insights they shared:

 

1. **Lifestyle and Environment**: Life in rural Thailand is depicted as peaceful and fulfilling. Ryan and Damo emphasize the freedom, health benefits, and connection to nature they experience living in a remote part of Buriram province. They engage in farming, raising animals, and growing their own food, which includes rice, vegetables, and eggs from various poultry.

 

2. **Community and Social Life**: The local community is described as hard-working and close-knit where people enjoy a slower pace of life, frequently engaging in social and cultural activities such as festivals and temple visits. The community is also very supportive, helping each other with construction projects and sharing a strong bond over common activities. Ryan, being one of the few foreigners in the village, notes the welcoming and friendly nature of the villagers.

 

3. **Economic and Building Projects**: The couple has been economically adaptive; they have ventured into different businesses from English schools to a jazz lounge before settling in rural Thailand. They mention constructing bamboo huts, an outdoor kitchen, and a cottage on their land, emphasizing a self-sufficient and eco-friendly lifestyle.

 

4. **Cultural Integration**: Ryan and Damo's story also touches on cultural integration, where they describe their adjustment to the local lifestyle and how they contribute and fit into the community. Their experiences reflect a deeper appreciation and respect for the local culture and practices.

 

5. **Personal History and Online Presence**: The couple met online when Ryan was teaching in Kanchanaburi and Damo was working in banking in Bangkok. They now run a YouTube channel "Life in Bamboo," where they share their rural lifestyle, intending to provide insights to others who might be interested in a similar lifestyle switch.

 

6. **Future Outlook and Philosophy**: They focus on living in the present and enjoying their simple, peaceful life without the desire for extensive future planning or expansion. They express a philosophical approach to life that values simplicity, mindfulness, and community connections over materialistic goals. Overall, the interview provides a personal look into the fulfilling yet challenging life of a couple living in rural Thailand, integrating into a different culture, and finding contentment in a lifestyle aligned with nature and community.

 

 

If you live in rural Thailand, tell us your thoughts, how does your life differ from this ?

[TroubleandGrumpy]

I am not a Pattaya/Jomtien type person, but I would take that if the only other option was to live in the boondocks like this guy - with no services and other modern things nearby.  I have seen a few of his vids over the years, and being young he has been able to make a real go of things, and he has built up the farm really well.  However, I am not sure that when he is 60-70 that he will still be OK living on a remote farm - but he certainly seems happy doing what he is doing. 

[Hummin]

Oh my, to good to be true, but I have same experiences, except from mid february beginning of march when the heat sets in, and the fire show starts until august - september. There is good days between, but the longer I stay, the more affected I became of the clima and burning. We always travelled often in Thailand, but now Im travelling frequently more back home to escape the heat. 

 

Family and village people are friendly, never had one bad incident, or any problem. Best thing no close neighbours, but still affected when there is funerals, budda days, weddings, and other celebrations and parties which goes on for days.

 

with Two big shopping days a month I get what I need from Makro and Tops. Which is a roundtrip of 180km

 

But living like this is not for everybody, even Im born on a farm, it is not a walk in the park.

 

If you do not have any interests and get up in the morning, it is easy to be bored to death. 

 

Motorbikes, large well equippet home gym, farm work, animals and travels make life better and more interesting.

 

Still Im making a plan for after my 70'ies, or when I know my time is up in Isaan to make a move. Where I do not know yet, since things can change before that. 

 

Most important, do not get stuck

[PJ71]

This looks like a biased view to me.

 

I live in rural thailand and also prefer it to the hustle and bustle but the negatives i have are:

 

- power cuts almost as soon as it rains

- lack of western foods ( this does not concern me much )

- no agents for visa issues

- trips to bangkok when needed can be a trek

- lack of local airport

- lack of socializing with other expats ( this does not concern me but may some )

- limited options for house furniture

- poor quality of workmanship of trades ( could be said for all Thailand )

- dangerous farm vehicles on the roads

[NorthernRyland]

43 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

I am not a Pattaya/Jomtien type person, but I would take that if the only other option was to live in the boondocks like this guy - with no services and other modern things nearby.  I have seen a few of his vids over the years, and being young he has been able to make a real go of things, and he has built up the farm really well.  However, I am not sure that when he is 60-70 that he will still be OK living on a remote farm - but he certainly seems happy doing what he is doing. 

he's in a phase and made a social media business out of it. He'll back down to earth eventually I presume.

[OneMoreFarang]

It's years ago, that I was up country. And whenever I am there, visiting the girlfriend's family, latest after an hour I like to get away again.

And the problem is not that specific family. It's just life up country. I know some people like it, but for many of us it is just no fun at all. 

 

[BritManToo]

22 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It's years ago, that I was up country. And whenever I am there, visiting the girlfriend's family, latest after an hour I like to get away again.

And the problem is not that specific family. It's just life up country. I know some people like it, but for many of us it is just no fun at all. 

 

Yeah, I managed 3 nights at the family home of 2 different women, and that was hard.

Won't even go for 1 night now, she can visit her relly's alone.

[Hummin]

40 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

he's in a phase and made a social media business out of it. He'll back down to earth eventually I presume.

There is people with a different drive than others, often creative who always finds solutions, and when get bored, find something else.

 

The whole point is not to get stuck. Should be mandatory rule for everyone no matter where you settle in Thailand.

 

I rather live in Isaan than Pattaya or Bangkok, so people are different. Even if I settled on an Island, I think Im better off in Isaan, since we have normal working days, and go for holiday when we feel the need.

 

  I almost settled in Hua Hin, but happy I did not spend 10 mill on an appartment there as my plan Was. Instead invested 2 mill in my wife total for farm, land, and have the freedom to travel whenever we want. 

 

But as said, there comes a day I will move somewhere else. When I do not know, but the plan is 15 years or so more in Isan with 4-6 months a year in Thailand. Also due to the new tax regulations. Not going to happen I pay tax on my savings I transfer to Thailand.

 

 

[Hummin]

22 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

dont forget the packs of sick buffalo awaiting relief funds from farang sponsors...  🙂

Not so much for those who live in Isaan.

 

My experience expats invest far more in the families than they are asked to do. Personally I feel I get more back than I give. 

 

Still, there is many who do not know better, and fall in love with the wrong woman, with problem families. Thats the main mistake.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

42 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Yeah, I managed 3 nights at the family home of 2 different women, and that was hard.

Won't even go for 1 night now, she can visit her relly's alone.

My gf visits the family maybe one or two times within two months. She enjoys Thai family life, and I enjoy farang home alone. Win/win.

 

[soalbundy]

You definitely need internet.

[nobodysfriend]

Check youtube ' Thai tale ' or ' thai head  ' ...

 

I guess that shows a little ...

 

 

[KhunLA]

Rural is subjective, as I consider ourselves living 'rural', as closest neighbor is 100+ meters away, and if not for the building 'boom' the past year of so, then the 'village' is one small intersection, with about 5 buildings (house & vendor).

 

BUT ... we're 3.2 kms from Makro, and a real town (1 square km), just beyond that has everything, except the congestion of metro area.   Not like we have to travel far to go shopping.  Have good water pressure and PEA rarely, almost never, cuts out.

 

No nightlife, no real bars that depend on alcohol sales.  Just restaurants that serve alcohol.  Just the way we like it.

 

Unlike living rural at Udon Thani, as both houses were 15+ kms from town & school for the kid, with a car being almost mandatory to stock up, and rainy days.   No neighbors when built, but now both houses have neighbors, after 10 yrs from our build.

 

NO, I couldn't live in the many places we drive through when O&A, where they are isolated at least 25 kms away for anything, all directions, if not much further.  You would need a truck to stock up every month.

[bigt3116]

Seems to be a lot of illegal work going on in that household

[simon43]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Yeah, I managed 3 nights at the family home of 2 different women, and that was hard.

Won't even go for 1 night now, she can visit her relly's alone.

I remember having to climb onto the roof of my ex's Isaan house in order to get a mobile phone signal to check my email....

 

Next time I brought emergency rations in the boot of my car because her mom used to feed me fish heads for lunch (she did actually like me!).

[Galong]

I love cycling past stuff like this. I visit Isan a few times per year, but stay in nice hotels and eat at a wide variety of places. I do eat at rural roadside mom & pop restaurants, but I want the option of eating at a nice place.

After a week or so of living in a hut and dealing with the inevitable noisy neighbors, I'm sure I'd be ready to a reverse 'Green Acres'. 

[1FinickyOne]

loved it - still go back and forth... 

[Robert Paulson]

Ironically there’s a bunch of amazing properties imo in the south. Coconut laden fields with the ocean as your back yard. But the Thais have isaan and they have lost or given away the most beautiful farm areas of Thailand to the idk how to call them, Muslims or whatever. Everything is so backwards here. Isaan is a pit and those sup out here areas near the coast are truly magical imo

[fondue zoo]

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Yeah, I managed 3 nights at the family home of 2 different women, and that was hard.

Won't even go for 1 night now, she can visit her relly's alone.

 

Was it like in the movies where you had to keep making various excuses to leave, and then race back and forth between both on the same night?

That would be hard to pull off.

 

[fondue zoo]

53 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Check youtube ' Thai tale ' or ' thai head  ' ...

 

I guess that shows a little ...

 

 

 

just a pair of typical Thai farm girls I'd say..

 

 

[nobodysfriend]

4 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 

just a pair of typical Thai farm girls I'd say..

 

 

 

All top heavy to attract viewers , but still shows Isaan living and mentality ...

[WilliamSmits]

Self sufficient in the village often means grandma takes care of kids while parents are working elsewhere. 

Self sufficient means that land is taken by the bank if a car payment is missed. 

Besides the kids the village also has 3 or 4 invalid persons to take care off, due to accidents on construction sites / bike accidents etc. 

Then there are few alcoholics that get by by doing odd jobs to buy more to drink.

It's nice and low cost only for a foreigner with regular income from a richer country

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Have good water pressure and PEA rarely, almost never, cuts out.

That convinced me. 😉 

[newbee2022]

20 hours ago, CharlieH said:

 

Ryan and Damo, who are discussing their life and experiences living in rural Thailand. Here’s a summary of the key points and insights they shared:

 

1. **Lifestyle and Environment**: Life in rural Thailand is depicted as peaceful and fulfilling. Ryan and Damo emphasize the freedom, health benefits, and connection to nature they experience living in a remote part of Buriram province. They engage in farming, raising animals, and growing their own food, which includes rice, vegetables, and eggs from various poultry.

 

2. **Community and Social Life**: The local community is described as hard-working and close-knit where people enjoy a slower pace of life, frequently engaging in social and cultural activities such as festivals and temple visits. The community is also very supportive, helping each other with construction projects and sharing a strong bond over common activities. Ryan, being one of the few foreigners in the village, notes the welcoming and friendly nature of the villagers.

 

3. **Economic and Building Projects**: The couple has been economically adaptive; they have ventured into different businesses from English schools to a jazz lounge before settling in rural Thailand. They mention constructing bamboo huts, an outdoor kitchen, and a cottage on their land, emphasizing a self-sufficient and eco-friendly lifestyle.

 

4. **Cultural Integration**: Ryan and Damo's story also touches on cultural integration, where they describe their adjustment to the local lifestyle and how they contribute and fit into the community. Their experiences reflect a deeper appreciation and respect for the local culture and practices.

 

5. **Personal History and Online Presence**: The couple met online when Ryan was teaching in Kanchanaburi and Damo was working in banking in Bangkok. They now run a YouTube channel "Life in Bamboo," where they share their rural lifestyle, intending to provide insights to others who might be interested in a similar lifestyle switch.

 

6. **Future Outlook and Philosophy**: They focus on living in the present and enjoying their simple, peaceful life without the desire for extensive future planning or expansion. They express a philosophical approach to life that values simplicity, mindfulness, and community connections over materialistic goals. Overall, the interview provides a personal look into the fulfilling yet challenging life of a couple living in rural Thailand, integrating into a different culture, and finding contentment in a lifestyle aligned with nature and community.

 

 

If you live in rural Thailand, tell us your thoughts, how does your life differ from this ?

Would be interesting to know if he speaks Thai.

Their life is quite normal because both of them are working. 🙏. So, not comparable with retiree's life.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

I remember having to climb onto the roof of my ex's Isaan house in order to get a mobile phone signal to check my email....

 

Next time I brought emergency rations in the boot of my car because her mom used to feed me fish heads for lunch (she did actually like me!).

Did you get the fisheyes? That's the first thing my gf eats before anybody else gets them before her. Really. 

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That convinced me. 😉 

Oh crap ... don't believe everything you read.  I'm wearing rose tinted shades.

 

OMG, everything is beautiful ... I LIED .. the water comes out brown and smells, when  and if it does.   And we have solar, because the power is so inconsistent, fluctuates, and we're on our 3rd TV in one year because of the surges.

 

I'm in town now, using an internet shop, as no service at the house.

 

Pollution is horrendous, and if thugs don't mug you, the soi dogs attack.  On my 3rd set of rabies shots, but at least they are 'safe & effective'  

 

The kicker ... no nightlife or hookers 

that part is true

[Walker88]

Interesting topic. I appreciate that there are some foreigners who can live like that and enjoy it. I am not one of them.

 

I’ve gone out into rural Thailand to visit people, and after seeing the life they lead, and with which they seem either comfortable or resigned, I know full well it’s not for me. Nothing interesting to do, and no one interesting with whom to speak, even if they are generally nice people. Days seem to be spent with a little yard or field work, fresh-market shopping and meal preparation, gossip, and then in the evening getting drunk on cheap rotgut (unless the visiting farang buys some beer at the closest 7-11 or Big C…..which might be ten miles away). If they have a TV, it is constantly “on” and no matter how banal the content, it draws eyeballs and discussion much of the time. The occasional temple visit reminds me that faith at the retail level is a far cry from what Western converts pretend it to be. It’s just another flavor of Southern Baptist or televangelism…..those who supposedly ‘know’ exploiting the wishes and dreams of those who hope some unknown future offers them more than their present.

 

And then tomorrow comes, which is exactly like yesterday, as well as a glimpse into tomorrow.

 

Festivals break the monotony, but it seems just another excuse to get drunk. (The corollary in BKK is the expats who hit Happy Hour at 11am and finish when they fall off the stool, or are beside themselves on Buddha Days.)

 

I doubt I could live rural in my own country, either, though it’s a fair bit more convenient than what rural Thailand offers. I do live rural occasionally, as I own a country place in the EU, but even with that I can only do a few weeks at a time…and it helps that the air is pristine and the climate moderate. There are also other nearby places like mine which are hundreds, if not a thousand years old, and I enjoy studying the architecture and pondering the construction techniques involved in felling hundred foot oaks and chiseling giant stones, hoisted into their final resting place by pulleys and counterweights and brute strength by those who long turned to dust.

 

In rural Thailand, the climate re-consumes everything after a decade or two, and the construction is not particularly interesting anyway, so when it falls apart little of value is lost. There isn’t much to ponder when looking at corrugated metal or yards and yards of cement over rebars. The electricity also tends to be sketchy to the point of dangerous.

 

Maybe because I’ve had the pleasure of living in many diverse countries and cultures, I accept that I need variety and welcome regular change. For those who want continuity and absolute predictability, I suppose rural Thailand fits the bill. More power to them. There's something for everyone.

 

[Bday Prang]

personally i would not live anywhere else. Perfectly happy in issan for over 30 years, Occasional trips back to the UK only reinforce that sentiment. Those who can only exist in the tourist ghettos really should not be here, 

[In Full Agreement]

20 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

And whenever I am there, visiting the girlfriend's family, latest after an hour I like to get away again.

 

 

The problem is,  if you're far enough into the country, there may not be any place  nearby to escape to.

[In Full Agreement]

10 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

Those who can only exist in the tourist ghettos really should not be here, 

 

 

That is a nonsense attitude.      You're  basically saying someone who likes Bangkok,  Phuket  Chaing  Mai or similar should "go back to your home country".     That's nuts.