What’s the best area in Thailand for expats to settle for long-term living?

[save the frogs]

23 minutes ago, Hummin said:

After all it is just a yellow P contest among members who think they know best, and whats better for others. Nothing else

 

 

No, I mean it may not be the ideal place to live for everyone.

But it's not just one giant red light district either. 

 

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

No, I mean it may not be the ideal place to live for everyone.

But it's not just one giant red light district either. 

 

Still most have preferences based on positive experiences, and some just do not know any better

[save the frogs]

12 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Still most have preferences based on positive experiences, and some just do not know any better

human beings are emotional creatures, not always logical.

 

that's why they needed Spock on Star Trek. They would never have survived without a half-alien who could be objective at all times. 

 

pattaya may not be "the best" at anything except highest number of slutty girls per capita, but if someone has lived there for 20 years, best not to knock it.

 

because it's like knocking someone's religion. 

 

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, save the frogs said:

human beings are emotional creatures, not always logical.

 

that's why they needed Spock on Star Trek. They would never have survived without a half-alien who could be objective at all times. 

 

pattaya may not be "the best" at anything except highest number of slutty girls per capita, but if someone has lived there for 20 years, best not to knock it.

 

because it's like knocking someone's religion. 

 

Your best post I read so far!

 

Spot on

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

After all it is just a yellow P contest among members who think they know best, and whats better for others. Nothing else

 

 

 

No, just a few knowledgeable long-term residents correcting ignorant stereotypical misconceptions--as they should as a public service to inquirers on the forum. To his credit, @save the frogs, unlike some of our old buzzards, can be reasoned with. Now that his eyes are open, he can see the thousands of non-bar girls who work in Pattaya and start looking around for one of them as a suitable partner, if he wishes. I would recommend he do so when he's got it together.

 

No one's taking away his choice, but merely showing him another one. Sounds more like you're the one who doesn't want to him to have that choice, denigrating the idea that he might, and so you're attempting to select what's better. Why is that?

 

Edited September 21 by BigStar

[Hummin]

9 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

No, just a few knowledgeable long-term residents correcting ignorant stereotypical misconceptions--as they should as a public service to inquirers on the forum. To his credit, @save the frogs, unlike some of our old buzzards, can be reasoned with. Now that his eyes are open, he can see the thousands of non-bar girls who work in Pattaya and start looking around for one of them as a suitable partner, if he wishes. I would recommend he do so when he's got it together.

 

No one's taking away his choice, but merely showing him another one. Sounds more like you're the one who doesn't want to him to have that choice, denigrating the idea that he might, and so you're attempting to select what's better. Why is that?

 

 

 

I have no need to defend my choices, but you and some few others do. It seems it touches your nerves.

 

It is okay, I have my reasons, you have yours.

 

No big deal really.

 

You like Pattaya, I do not

 

[rickudon]

18 hours ago, sidjameson said:

Nice summary. I'm considering udon, do you think 56 is old enough to fit in? 😂

I was 56 first visit. Didn't feel too young, or too old. If you do come to Udon, willing to show you around a bit.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

I have no need to defend my choices, but you and some few others do. It seems it touches your nerves.

 

Truth and the refutation of nonsense need no defense, sorry. You're now merely asked--again--to explain your gaslighting that we long-term Pattaya residents are doing what you yourself are in fact doing. You don't want to explain because you can't. And so you've turned to trolling, basically.

 

It obviously touches only your nerves that your narrow, stereotypical little view of Pattaya may not be correct, so much so that you need to suppress disagreement--but only by jumping in to imply superior knowledge w/ no evidence of such ever presented, LOL. No one's fooled by that phony authoritative posturing--it's too common.🤣 

 

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

I have my reasons, you have yours.

 

But your reasons are kept secret so they can't be challenged and refuted. Mine are all public and derive from the abundant evidence I present.

 

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

No big deal really.

 

Then you can just buzz off now, right? No one cares about you specifically and you've got little more than sneers. But you're a good laugh. You may need some help to get out of your bickering loop, however.

 

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

You like Pattaya, I do not

 

And no one cares if you like Pattaya or not. Your main worry now is that some posters are daring to point out the diversity of Pattaya and the possibilities it offers for a variety of convenient, comfortable lifestyles.

Edited September 21 by BigStar

[JimTripper]

On 9/13/2024 at 3:56 PM, Prubangboy said:

Just moved from Chiang Mai to Suk, Soi 11.

 

Can't fault it; it's like living in a very chill version of Times Square. Tremendous restaurant selection.

 

AnotherFarang said that Bangkok IS Thailand. I agree.

Why did you move?

Just curious, I'm in CM now.

[save the frogs]

2 more blurbs to add:

 

There really is a large group of expats in thailand that have been pussy-whipped into living up sticks and many of them might be happy there, but many of them regret it.

so some of these folks might be on pattaya threads to project their anger at their own fates. 

 

also, I just remembered that a nonbar girl hit on me in pattaya on the beach! but i was only there for 2 weeks, so wasnt looking for a relationship. but yeah, you can meet girls there that dont work in the bar scene. 

 

[Hummin]

28 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

Truth and the refutation of nonsense need no defense, sorry. You're now merely asked--again--to explain your gaslighting that we long-term Pattaya residents are doing what you yourself are in fact doing. You don't want to explain because you can't. And so you've turned to trolling, basically.

 

It obviously touches only your nerves that your narrow, stereotypical little view of Pattaya may not be correct, so much so that you need to suppress disagreement--but only by jumping in to imply superior knowledge w/ no evidence of such ever presented, LOL. No one's fooled by that phony authoritative posturing--it's too common.🤣 

 

 

But your reasons are kept secret so they can't be challenged and refuted. Mine are all public and derive from the abundant evidence I present.

 

 

Then you can just buzz off now, right? No one cares about you specifically and you've got little more than sneers. But you're a good laugh. You may need some help to get out of your bickering loop, however.

 

 

And no one cares if you like Pattaya or not. Your main worry now is that some posters are daring to point out the diversity of Pattaya and the possibilities it offers for a variety of convenient, comfortable lifestyles.

It certainly touches your nerves 😁

[save the frogs]

34 minutes ago, Hummin said:

It certainly touches your nerves 😁

what were the reasons you gave for not liking it?

too seedy?

[save the frogs]

5 hours ago, Hummin said:

It certainly touches your nerves

never been there, but maybe Bali is better than any place in thailand.

 

except now maybe it's not a well kept secret anymore and it's over-crowded.

 

[Hummin]

6 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

Truth and the refutation of nonsense need no defense, sorry. You're now merely asked--again--to explain your gaslighting that we long-term Pattaya residents are doing what you yourself are in fact doing. You don't want to explain because you can't. And so you've turned to trolling, basically.

 

It obviously touches only your nerves that your narrow, stereotypical little view of Pattaya may not be correct, so much so that you need to suppress disagreement--but only by jumping in to imply superior knowledge w/ no evidence of such ever presented, LOL. No one's fooled by that phony authoritative posturing--it's too common.🤣 

 

 

But your reasons are kept secret so they can't be challenged and refuted. Mine are all public and derive from the abundant evidence I present.

 

 

Then you can just buzz off now, right? No one cares about you specifically and you've got little more than sneers. But you're a good laugh. You may need some help to get out of your bickering loop, however.

 

 

And no one cares if you like Pattaya or not. Your main worry now is that some posters are daring to point out the diversity of Pattaya and the possibilities it offers for a variety of convenient, comfortable lifestyles.

If you can read I have posted several times what I like, and if you what I like then you also maybe understand, Pattaya have nothing to offer me, except good decent restaurants only and cheap accommodation. That's it. 

 

 

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

If you can read I have posted several times what I like, and if you what I like then you also maybe understand, Pattaya have nothing to offer me, except good decent restaurants only and cheap accommodation. That's it. 

I never warmed up to the place.  Been there more than a few times, same with Jomtien & north of Patts.  Unless frequenting bars, pretty boring place, and surf sucks.   Taking a boat to a beach, from a beach, which many suggest, never made sense me.

 

Main reason, just too many people & the congestion.  Crime always seem to be in the news, but I've lived in supposedly high crime areas before, and never an issue.

 

Nicest thing there was CarreFour when it just opened ...  

Now having the worlds largest 7-11 ... Amazing Thailand

 

I can think of a lot of worst places to live, like all of the NE & N during smog season 

Edited September 22 by KhunLA

[freedomnow]

On 9/20/2024 at 3:46 PM, GypsyT said:

Close but not quite. The answer is Vang Vieng 😉

 

VV = ghetto.

LP = sweet as honey.

 

Let the classier backpack chix  filter up to LP from VV...

[BigStar]

18 hours ago, save the frogs said:

pattaya may not be "the best" at anything except highest number of slutty girls per capita, but if someone has lived there for 20 years, best not to knock it.

 

But if someone lives in The Truman Show

 

 

Bounded by Walking Street, Soi Buakhao, and Soi 6, he might appreciate being shown the larger world outside.

 

And in your case, you've also been unable to see any non-bar girls even inside the Show. What a world where, for example, even supermarket cashiers are invisible. You hand your money over to air, it floats over the register, and your change floats back out to your hands. Many motorbikes have no riders, like The Invisible Man's bicycle:

 

 

So even within The Truman Show, we have The Twilight Zone:

 

 

Can't imagine. What if you're shown a video of girls--the vast majority of girls in Pattaya--working in the malls, restos, hotels, dept stores, convenience stores, real estate, tourism, transportation, supermarkets, condos, schools, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics, countless shops, and various other businesses? Will your Eyeballs (or Prescient Eyeballs, in the case of our authoritative Prognosticators) magically erase them like the new AI eraser in Photoshop? Guess it'd be futile to show you, then.

 

Edited September 22 by BigStar

[BigStar]

14 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I just remembered that a nonbar girl hit on me in pattaya on the beach!

 

That was a freelancer. Nice girls don't go around hitting on farang tourists. Passivity seems to be your problem. It takes time and a little effort to establish trust with respectable girls with conventional morals. Not the place to discuss that topic, however. We have numerous experts, even if failed, who'd be happy to explain in some other long thread.

[scubascuba3]

9 hours ago, save the frogs said:

never been there, but maybe Bali is better than any place in thailand.

 

except now maybe it's not a well kept secret anymore and it's over-crowded.

 

I've always enjoyed Bali, get out of Kuta away from the bogan aussies and hopefully you'll have a good time, but i haven't been for a few years, Ubud was my favourite 

[save the frogs]

3 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

That was a freelancer. Nice girls don't go around hitting on farang tourists. Passivity seems to be your problem. It takes time and a little effort to establish trust with respectable girls with conventional morals. Not the place to discuss that topic, however. We have numerous experts, even if failed, who'd be happy to explain in some other long thread.

 

No, she wasn't a freelancer.

 

She wanted to go for dinner, etc... the way normal women pick your pockets.

 

She was explaining to me that her Thai boyfriend wanted to introduce a permanent 3-some situation into their relationship by bringing in another girl.

She decided to cut her losses from her Thai bf, so was trying her luck jumping ship to a farang.

 

 

Edited September 22 by save the frogs

[tgw]

On 9/12/2024 at 9:24 AM, Conan The Barbarian said:

I am planning to settle in here love the culture.

 

depends on what you value and your budget.

for me, Pattaya was optimal.

[JimmerJJ]

Depends a lot on what your interests are.  A big consideration for me was to be close to airports for International travel so Bangkok was a no brainer there.  Well, you could go to Chiangmai but that usually adds another stop.  If you don't travel much that's probably not a deal breaker. 

 

If living within Bangkok my considerations was walking distances to supermarkets and BTS/MRT stations.  I ended up on upper Sukhumvit 22 which is a short walk or bike to the MRT, BTS, Makro, Foodland, Big C, Lotus, Villa Mart and Gourmet Market.

[The Fugitive]

3 minutes ago, JimmerJJ said:

Depends a lot on what your interests are.  A big consideration for me was to be close to airports for International travel so Bangkok was a no brainer there.  Well, you could go to Chiangmai but that usually adds another stop.  If you don't travel much that's probably not a deal breaker. 

 

If living within Bangkok my considerations was walking distances to supermarkets and BTS/MRT stations.  I ended up on upper Sukhumvit 22 which is a short walk or bike to the MRT, BTS, Makro, Foodland, Big C, Lotus, Villa Mart and Gourmet Market.

Well thought out! In UK I was totally sick of gridlocked roads. Even after the peak morning traffic a local journey might be at approx 6mph. Small town Issan provides me with Lotus's, Mini Big C, three 7/11's and CJ More plus independent shops, cafe's, barbers and coffee bars plus local community hospital all within 1km from home. We like to travel but mainly Nationally only. Next larger town is 11km distant and has railway and bus station. Regional airport (63km about 1hour) was domestic only but has recently enlarged by building an international terminal.

[GypsyT]

"I ended up on upper Sukhumvit 22 which is a short walk or bike to the MRT, BTS, Makro, Foodland, Big C, Lotus, Villa Mart and Gourmet Market."

 

You forgot one;  Soi Cowboy 😉

"This 150-m.-long street shines brightly at night from the neon lighting on its many go-go bars."

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, GypsyT said:

"I ended up on upper Sukhumvit 22 which is a short walk or bike to the MRT, BTS, Makro, Foodland, Big C, Lotus, Villa Mart and Gourmet Market."

 

You forgot one;  Soi Cowboy 😉

"This 150-m.-long street shines brightly at night from the neon lighting on its many go-go bars."

Living on soi 22, you wouldn't know soi cowboy exists, unless you purposely venture to it.

[sandyf]

On 9/14/2024 at 3:18 PM, newnative said:

I wonder when you were living there that it took so long.  My spouse and I live near Lake Mabprachan and we can be at Terminal 21 or Index in about 20 minutes or so, Jomtien in a half-hour.  We are on the side of the lake near the Motorway so perhaps a much shorter distance to town than where you were. 

Not so much the distance as the road. A lot of people that lived up that way used Soi Siam and that can be difficult. Friend of mine used to have a house in Soi 11, Soi Siam and it wasn't too bad going there but could be problematic coming back. A lot of traffic wanted to turn right at the railway causing massive tailbacks.

We still see some of that at times coming down the road from Siamburi.

[save the frogs]

just been watching a blogger.

he calls Phuket "Chirundia" - China Russia India invasion

 

Tier 1 cities to settle: BKK, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya

 

Tier 2 cities: Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, Krabi (so more authentic Thai feel?)

 

 

[Hummin]

On 9/16/2024 at 5:31 AM, Luuk Chaai said:

I'm slightly south of Hua Hin ..  on the west side of the highway  so it's only 15 minutes to town and to the beaches ..  beautiful, quiet, and no neighbors up my ***

I looked at one of the resorts up there at 134 I think. Huge villas with rooftop pools for a decent price. But it seemed like impossible project to resell if I wanted to.

 

I think the majority was Scandinavians there.

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I looked at one of the resorts up there at 134 I think. Huge villas with rooftop pools for a decent price. But it seemed like impossible project to resell if I wanted to.

 

I think the majority was Scandinavians there.

Here is the location, and for me it looked great for my purpose at the time, but still needed to head out to get to a decent gym, shopping, etc and the resell oppertunity did not look great at the tim even cheap m2, it was also expensive common maintenence fee pr m2. @Luuk Chaai

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/eQEdeJWGR6Lzr2ro6

[3NUMBAS]

If your over 65 you need a good hospital handy to make sure you stay alive ,many aged expats pop their clogs due to ill health