Looking at retirement in Pattaya as Vancouver is getting to expensive.  

Do other Vancouverites  miss the seasons and the nature/quietness of Vancouver? 
 

is there a large Vancouver contingent in Pattaya area?

A mate of mine is from Vancouver and lived in Pattaya for a few years, then married and moved up-country to his Thai wife's family compound in Nakhon Nowhere. He goes home for six months every year and rents a condo in Vancouver, though he says it's very expensive nowadays. He can't stay in Thailand for longer than that as it would affect his eligibility for social services/healthcare/pensions, or whatever, you'd know better than me the implications. Just before Covid came a-knocking, he took his wife and two stepkids back to Vancouver so they could qualify for Canadian citizenship. The wife returns to Thailand with him every year now but the kids seem to be settled in their jobs in BC. He comes down to Pattaya for a week two or three times when he's back and enjoys it, and I get the impression that he's getting more and more frustrated living in the middle of nowhere for most of his stay. When he lived in Pattaya and when he's down here now, he enjoys the bars a lot, but I've never heard of him socialising with another person from his home town, so my guess is that there's probably not that many. He does gravitate towards the Jomtien area, though, (like myself) so maybe the main part of Pattaya has more of an active Canuck/BC community, I couldn't say. 

I am not from Vancouver but feel I can answer your question as I come from New Zealand which is not all that different to living in Canada, I imagine, certainly in terms of the seasons / quietness / nature that you mention.

 

I loved living in Thailand but the noise and the drama and the lack of accessible nature got to me so I returned to New Zealand. I returned to a country much more expensive than it ever was and from time to time I do question the decision to return home, but ultimately I feel the value of a mild climate, accessible nature, clean air and the quiet and lack of drama is worth the higher cost of living.

 

You can still travel to Thailand for a holiday each year.

34 minutes ago, mstevens said:

I am not from Vancouver but feel I can answer your question as I come from New Zealand which is not all that different to living in Canada, I imagine, certainly in terms of the seasons / quietness / nature that you mention.

 

I loved living in Thailand but the noise and the drama and the lack of accessible nature got to me so I returned to New Zealand. I returned to a country much more expensive than it ever was and from time to time I do question the decision to return home, but ultimately I feel the value of a mild climate, accessible nature, clean air and the quiet and lack of drama is worth the higher cost of living.

 

You can still travel to Thailand for a holiday each year.

Likely the way we are headed. Likely a few months in Thailand per year. I lived in Thailand around 30 years ago for several years on and off. I would always move back home after around a year as the chaos would wear me out. I would then miss Thailand and move back and the  cycle would continue. 
 

I do think the noise is less now in Thailand compared to 20 years ago and I can afford a higher quality of life in Thailand vs the shanties I stayed in when I was young. 
 

 

if people prefer their home countries, or want to stay for health insurance, why not consider moving to a smaller city in the province where rents would be cheaper than vancouver? also, there might be even more nature if you lived more remote if you like nature. and you could pop into vancouver ocassionally and fly to thailand occasionally.

 

I am from the Canadian prairies and lived in Jomtien Beach for a few years after I retired. Used to be a couple bars on Soi7 owned by a BC guy, Penticton and his Thai wife. Lotta guys from BC and other Canadians hung out there. Not many from Vancouver as it is very ethnic Asian now. Each for their own reasons everybody seemed to love it there. If you were looking for a quiet place there are hundreds of miles of coastline in Thailand that are sparsely populated and provide what you're looking for. Na Jomtien for example. Once the grandkids get a bit older I plan on moving back there as I really enjoyed it.

If you miss beautiful Vancouver pine forest go to Dalat, Vietnam.

 

https://www.vietnamcoracle.com/the-pine-tree-road/

 

I grew up in Vancouver.  Probably one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

 

Now retired in Pattaya, and occasionally miss Vancouver, but the cost of even visiting there is totally ridiculous these days, so am pretty content here in LOS, especially with everything being dirt cheap, and the freedom to move around and explore this beautiful country anytime I wish.

If you like quiet why chose Pattaya ?

I lived in Vancouver for 35 years and then moved to Asia 18 years ago.  Don't miss Vancouver at all.  I do visit Vancouver every 2 years to keep up with family and friends.  

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

If you like quiet why chose Pattaya ?

     There are plenty of quiet areas in Pattaya.  Pattaya has a number of distinct neighborhoods and there are quiet areas in most of them.  For example, my spouse and I had a condo right on the beach in Wongamat, which was a quiet area in the part where we were.  We also lived in a quiet area of south Jomtien, away from the bars and nightlife. 

     Now, we have a home in a housing project on the Darkside, also in a quiet area well off one of the main roads, which can be noisy with traffic.  Although it's quiet, we can easily jump on the Motorway and be at Terminal 21, Index, the hospital, Tesco Lotus, Home Pro, etc. in 15 minutes or so.   There are quiet areas, you just need to look a bit.

"Now retired in Pattaya, and occasionally miss Vancouver, but the cost of even visiting there is totally ridiculous these days"

Not so expensive if you take long non stop from Saigon to SFO, then to Vancouver.

 

Vietnam Airlines

Nonstop

from €839

Its not the flight, its the overall cost of living while travelling. 

I lived on the Olympic Peninsula and do miss a lot about living there except for the cold damp winters. I still go back and stay in southern Oregon during the summer now for a few months where both my Thai wife and I have work. I always tell everyone when I am back there that I am a tourist in my own country as I have land and a house in Thailand and live in an apartment when I am back there. If we didn't have the work, we would not go back very often if at all. Every year I am in sticker shock when there, I cannot afford a good life there anymore.

10 hours ago, newnative said:

 There are quiet areas, you just need to look a bit.

You are like the king of the castle, surrounded by a moat this time of year on the dark-side!

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

You are like the king of the castle, surrounded by a moat this time of year on the dark-side!

       Not sure what you mean by your comment but the Darkside is booming, with new housing estates all over the place, new restaurants, and a big hospital soon to be finished.  Lots of choice with housing in about all price points.   Also lots of year-round residents, so not sure 'this time of year' applies.  It was interesting that during covid, a number of 7-11s in town temporarily closed but I don't think a single one of them closed on the Darkside, and, in fact, more were opening.

13 hours ago, marin said:

Its not the flight, its the overall cost of living while travelling. 

How would you know? You never travel.

A flaming post has been removed.

I also enjoyed Lake Mabprachan area a lot but when walking around the lake I got bitten by half a million mosquitos! There were lot of them.

I must be allergic for them. I still have bumps and they were very painful...

That was the reason I left back to Jomtien. Not a one bite 🙂

 

I'm back in Vancouver now.

 

You'd need deep pockets if you don't have somewhere to stay. The weather is perfect and there's no garbage strewn about. The roads are orderly and people wait their turn. I've yet to see anyone double parked. The long days are a joy. I actually prefer the interior and spend most of my time there instead. 

 

I didn't miss Vancouver but I'm glad to be back. 

20 hours ago, newnative said:

       Not sure what you mean by your comment but the Darkside is booming, with new housing estates all over the place, new restaurants, and a big hospital soon to be finished.  Lots of choice with housing in about all price points.   Also lots of year-round residents, so not sure 'this time of year' applies.  It was interesting that during covid, a number of 7-11s in town temporarily closed but I don't think a single one of them closed on the Darkside, and, in fact, more were opening.

Some areas are prone to flooding during  rainy season.

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Some areas are prone to flooding during  rainy season.

True. My sister-in-law has a problem with that in Bangkok.  Spouse and I are in an ok area in Pattaya near Lake Mabprachan.  

16 minutes ago, newnative said:

True. My sister-in-law has a problem with that in Bangkok.  Spouse and I are in an ok area in Pattaya near Lake Mabprachan.  

I used to live on Soi SIam CC, and saw jets of water coming up from the drains like a geyser, my neighbours kitchen area at the back of his home used to flood a lot, and the frequent flooding is one reason I still drive a truck today. I believe still bad at the Railway line Rd, Khao Noi and Talo areas.