Living in Udon Thani city vs Pattaya

[georgegeorgia]

As a single older male going to retire how would my life be different in Udon Thani city vs Pattaya ?

 

I haven't been for 15 years to Udon Thani city 

 

I would prefer a place in the city areas as I don't like driving a motorcycle.

 

Is there Big condos in Udon Thani ?

Rents vs Pattaya ?

Financial costs vs Pattaya ?

 

Lifestyles vs Pattaya ?

Is there any single farangs living there ?

[KhunLA]

... this is enough of a reason for me.

 

 

[georgegeorgia]

I wonder why the Air Quality is low in UD?

[Ralf001]

6 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I wonder why the Air Quality is low in UD?

burning.

[GypsyT]

Bummer... I was interested in visiting and staying for a week or so in Udon Thani.

I'm surprised about burning. I thougt it was a modern, civilized place. I guess not.

 

I've heard it's the most "American city" in Thailand.

 

"It is clear that the city and people of Udon Thani has benefited economically from the US
Air Force Base. For example, the US built a large airfield that is still used today for domestic
flights. The huge amount of American money that was poured into the city resulted in new
companies, stores, hotels, bars, and cafes. The educational system was also expanded and an
AUA center established. Thai women who married Americans usually built a house in the city
or in the surrounding villages. They also supported their families for a long time, because it is a tradition and a duty of children to support their parents in Thailand."

Source;

https://psy.au.dk/fileadmin/site_files/filer_psykologi/dokumenter/CKM/NB36/bragason.pdf

 

 

[marin]

Udon Thani is also a province while Pattaya is a city. Please keep this in mind.

[Briggsy]

Should answers be tailored to your 20,000 Baht per month budget? @georgegeorgia

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, marin said:

Udon Thani is also a province while Pattaya is a city. Please keep this in mind.

Did state "Udon Thani city vs Pattaya ?" 

 

Guessing to avoid the need to own transport.   Both have decent baht bus system for getting around, though unless really lazy, don't really need, as both very walkable, unless shopping.

[kiwikeith]

1 hour ago, marin said:

Udon Thani is also a province while Pattaya is a city. Please keep this in mind.

You will soon get bored walking around the lake and painting plaster moulds, no beaches and prawns grown in toxic ponds, but I would sooner live there than Pattaya if I had to make a choice, I lived there for one year, a few years back, but it's changed now along with the rest of the world, it's getting harder to find somewhere relaxing in any country now. If you can stand the heat, go to Udon, but nice winter and people quite friendly. Same rules apply, stay out of trouble. 

[ArnieP]

On 12/20/2024 at 8:03 PM, georgegeorgia said:

As a single older male going to retire how would my life be different in Udon Thani city vs Pattaya ?

Udon Thani is the total opposite of Pattaya: low-key and less colourful - in every way. There are few regular bars, no go-go’s, snd only a couple of streets featuring any action.

 

I haven't been for 15 years to Udon Thani city 

 

I would prefer a place in the city areas as I don't like driving a motorcycle.

 

Is there Big condos in Udon Thani ? There are 3: Lumpini, The Base, and Aspire.

Rents vs Pattaya ? Condo rents start at 5,500฿ a month.

Financial costs vs Pattaya ? Fairly low cost, other than farang items which are expensive.

 

Lifestyles vs Pattaya ? Udon is a quiet place in comparison. There’s one major soi with sports bars, a few foreign restaurants, massage shops, hotels and an entertainment complex comprising 20 bars - cubicle style, not enclosed - and it looks like an enlarged nissin hut.

Is there any single farangs living there ? There are a number of lonely Joes, but not so many since Covid.

 

 

[KhunLA]

Not a fan of Pattaya, and avoid it when in the area. 

 

Lived at Udon Thani for 17 years.  3 different locations, just outside the city.   It was tolerable, but I would never go back.

 

Between the 2, Pattaya wins hands down.  That's saying quite a lot 

[The Old Bull]

Different strokes for different folks, I have lived in a village outside Udon Thani for twenty years, suits me fine. Never been to Pattaya and no wish to go.

[Hummin]

Pattaya

 

Other Choices before Pattaya, Ban Chang where I just visited a couple of friends on holiday. Nice little part in Rayong. I would also choose Hua Hin before Pattaya, and Korat before Udon Thani. 

 

Pattaya is smelly and dirty as well overcrowded with alot of Traffic almost year around now. Hua Hin, mostly in the prime high season and weekends and not that smelly from. 

 

 

[edwardflory]

 Lived in Pattaya 2 years, BKK 2 years, visited a friend in KORAT 6 years ago - am still in KORAT, and in a good location ( for me @ 80 ) and live in a house with friendly Thai neighbors.

 

A bonus being, I had a hospital stay at the Thai Army hospital ( 1 week ), SUPERIOR service and same low cost as Thai civilians using hospital.

 

[Hummin]

19 minutes ago, edwardflory said:

 Lived in Pattaya 2 years, BKK 2 years, visited a friend in KORAT 6 years ago - am still in KORAT, and in a good location ( for me @ 80 ) and live in a house with friendly Thai neighbors.

 

A bonus being, I had a hospital stay at the Thai Army hospital ( 1 week ), SUPERIOR service and same low cost as Thai civilians using hospital.

 

the only drawback in Korat is the lack of western restaurants. However there is a few. 

[KhunLA]

34 minutes ago, Hummin said:

the only drawback in Korat is the lack of western restaurants. However there is a few. 

 

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&sca_esv=7a163b9e581ba9d1&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ADLYWILF23Cqf6bkF3hZUZle4Ddm2PXkNg:1737080535143&q=western+food+locations+at+nakhon+ratchasima&rflfq=1&num=10&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih__ih2fuKAxWqSmwGHbtOOa4QjGp6BAglEAE&biw=1229&bih=562&dpr=1.56#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:[[15.035580820938184,102.2155019713036],[14.896930341151533,101.90786333916273]]

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

 

https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&sca_esv=7a163b9e581ba9d1&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ADLYWILF23Cqf6bkF3hZUZle4Ddm2PXkNg:1737080535143&q=western+food+locations+at+nakhon+ratchasima&rflfq=1&num=10&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih__ih2fuKAxWqSmwGHbtOOa4QjGp6BAglEAE&biw=1229&bih=562&dpr=1.56#rlfi=hd:;si:;mv:[[15.035580820938184,102.2155019713036],[14.896930341151533,101.90786333916273]]

Sorry, good western restaurants 

 

Chez Andy is ok, and also have a few bottles of wine of quality. 

 

Except from Chez Andy,  haven't come across of any worth mentioning.

 

But please enlighten me. I also made a tread a couple of years ago, and got no replies. Not one reply

[KhunLA]

20 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Sorry, good western restaurants 

 

But please enlighten me. 

Can't help you there, as been disappointed too many times at 'western' restaurants, run by foreigners that thing they are chefs.

 

Thais do western food much better, in my experiences, as strange as it sounds.  

 

I don't go out to eat food I can do at home, so usually order Thai food, that is too much hassle to make at home.

 

Udon used to have a decent selection of western food, but most closed up.  Just soi samphon and a couple other offering, last time there.

 

Again, Patts better for western food, I think, or so I read.

[GypsyT]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

Pattaya is smelly and dirty as well overcrowded with alot of Traffic almost year around now.

Jomtien is part of Pattaya but nice. South end almost too quiet...

 

"Porno Pattaya" I only visit when I walk along the beach to Central Festival once or twice a year via Big Buddha hill.

[Hummin]

7 minutes ago, GypsyT said:

Jomtien is part of Pattaya but nice. South end almost too quiet...

 

"Porno Pattaya" I only visit when I walk along the beach to Central Festival once or twice a year via Big Buddha hill.

I stayed one night in Jomtien at the Palm Beach hotel during Christmas before heading down to Ban Chang, and have no doubt in my mind, I would chosen Ban Chang anytime before Pattaya or Jomtien.

 

I had the same feeling as I useally had in Benidorm 30 years ago.

 

Still, if I was single, lonely, and 70 years, I might had lived in one of the Base towers close to central in Pattaya. If I had no other options than Thailand

[Expat68]

Have you thought of Nong Kai, personally nicer than UD. Promenade next to the Mikhong (probably 15 km long). Only 50 km from UD, if you want you can catch the train (11 baht). Has western restaurants and bars

[Acharn]

On 12/21/2024 at 8:20 AM, GypsyT said:

Bummer... I was interested in visiting and staying for a week or so in Udon Thani.

I'm surprised about burning. I thougt it was a modern, civilized place. I guess not.

 

I've heard it's the most "American city" in Thailand.

 

"It is clear that the city and people of Udon Thani has benefited economically from the US
Air Force Base. For example, the US built a large airfield that is still used today for domestic
flights. The huge amount of American money that was poured into the city resulted in new
companies, stores, hotels, bars, and cafes. The educational system was also expanded and an
AUA center established. Thai women who married Americans usually built a house in the city
or in the surrounding villages. They also supported their families for a long time, because it is a tradition and a duty of children to support their parents in Thailand."

Source;

https://psy.au.dk/fileadmin/site_files/filer_psykologi/dokumenter/CKM/NB36/bragason.pdf

 

 

American airbase? Good Lord, that was 50 years ago, man.

[KhunLA]

9 hours ago, Hummin said:

Sorry, good western restaurants 

 

Chez Andy is ok, and also have a few bottles of wine of quality. 

 

Except from Chez Andy,  haven't come across of any worth mentioning.

 

But please enlighten me. I also made a tread a couple of years ago, and got no replies. Not one reply

Don't want to go off topic, but if at Korat, click on a few of those photos in the link I posted (left side), and some tasty looking dishes.

[AloisAmrein]

Udon Thani is a much better place then Pattaya. Not crowded and much cheaper. Some nice places nearby too and not far to Nong Khai and Laos.

[NickyLouie]

On 12/21/2024 at 8:22 AM, marin said:

Udon Thani is also a province while Pattaya is a city. Please keep this in mind.

 

Muang Udon Thani is a proper city, it's a nice place.

[newnative]

      I don't know anything about Udon Thani but I do know Pattaya, having lived here for 14 years.  My advice, however, would be the same no matter what two places you were considering.  I think the most important thing for you to do is to first take an honest, hard look at your lifestyle.

      What are your interests?  How do you spend your time each day?  Any hobbies or things that you like to do that one place or the other might be better for?  What is a typical week like for you?  How is your health?  Are you a social butterfly or a hermit--or something in-between?  Do you like to have other farangs around to socialize with or would you prefer some place with fewer?   What sports do you play, or other physical activities, such as going to the gym, snorkeling, etc.  What do you see yourself living in--rented condo or rented house?  What's the budget you have to work with for either?  Are you looking to keep your usual routine when you move or are you looking to shake things up with your life and make some changes?

     Once you have done your lifestyle review, one or the other of the two places you are considering might come out on top--for you.  For someone else it might be the opposite--depending on their lifestyle.  For my spouse and myself, Pattaya was the best choice for us, after we first lived on the beach outside of Rayong, and found it too isolated and limiting--for us.

    Pattaya was a much better fit for our lifestyle.  We arrived with limited funds.  Fortunately, Pattaya has an abundance of different housing available, both to rent or own, at all price points.  We started with a small condo we bought--all we could afford.  As our finances improved, so did our housing.  Over the years, we have sampled about all of Pattaya's neighborhoods, each with its own vibe.  There's a neighborhood in Pattaya that likely has what would suit just about anyone--depending on their lifestyle.  

     Beachside, I think my favorite neighborhood was Wongamat.  I liked that it was quieter but still close to the places we spent time, such as Terminal 21, Central Festival, Big C Marina, the big box stores.  Bangkok Hospital wasn't far and I liked the beach right outside our condo.  

    As we got older, our needs changed and we wanted more space and privacy than a condo offered.  Again, Pattaya had a wide variety of houses, and housing projects, for us to choose from and we ended up on the Darkside near beautiful Lake Mabprachan.  We're finding a whole new world in this part of Pattaya, and liking it a lot.  If you venture away from the adult entertainment area, which is actually small in relation to all the other areas, you'll find that Pattaya can be a great place to live year-round--whether you are on a small budget or a large one.  But, for you, choose what city works best for your budget and lifestyle.

[KhunLA]

12 hours ago, AloisAmrein said:

Udon Thani is a much better place then Pattaya. Not crowded and much cheaper. Some nice places nearby too and not far to Nong Khai and Laos.

 

Not crowded ... 

 

[ArnieP]

On 1/17/2025 at 9:47 AM, KhunLA said:

Udon used to have a decent selection of western food, but most closed up.  Just soi samphon and a couple other offering, last time there.

 

Currently, there are a number of western restaurants in Udon city centre including Italian, German, Danish, Australian, hybrid Thai-Western along with fast foods such as Burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Pizza Company.

 

Non-western include a host of Japanese eateries in UD Town and some Chinese dotted around the city.

 

[KhunLA]

2 minutes ago, ArnieP said:

Currently, there are a number of western restaurants in Udon city centre including Italian, German, Danish, Australian, hybrid Thai-Western along with fast foods such as Burger King, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Pizza Company.

 

Non-western include a host of Japanese eateries in UD Town and some Chinese dotted around the city.

Lived there for 17 yrs, and one of the pluses, a decent food town.  Sadly, too many really good places didn't last, as cost a wee bit more, and the CCs thought it was expensive.

 

Seem to be quite content with crap food at low prices, and washed down with even worse, cheapest beer.

 

As good as UT was for a large metro (relative to TH), there were too many negatives for us.

 

Did enjoy popping into town between 1000 - 1500 hrs, for a munch, but basically avoided it at all other times.

 

Traffic was simply horrendous.

[NanLaew]

On 1/15/2025 at 9:22 PM, KhunLA said:

Not a fan of Pattaya, and avoid it when in the area. 

 

Lived at Udon Thani for 17 years.  3 different locations, just outside the city.   It was tolerable, but I would never go back.

 

Between the 2, Pattaya wins hands down.  That's saying quite a lot 

 

Saying quite a lot about you? Yes.

 

Lifestyle comparisons between Muang Udon Thani and Pattaya, maybe not so much?

 

I did the whole, wild hedonistic Pattaya decade back in the 1980's. Unforgettably great but I digress.

 

After a total 16-year Thailand hiatus, I returned around 2006 and did Pattaya 2013-2018 as the filling in an Udon Thani "sandwich". I much prefer the sumptuous Issan bread to the cloying Pattaya sandwich spread.

 

But that's just me.