Bored of Bangkok... Any advice to an alternative place to live?

[newnative]

    To echo a previous poster, Pattaya's for you.  Lots of neighborhoods, lots of variety, lots of housing choices, several good malls, cheap transportation, all sorts of restaurants and inexpensive food courts, and still close to Bangkok if you want to visit now and then--as my spouse and I do.

[grumpyoldman]

11 hours ago, Billpro785 said:

I'm an American expat living in Kanchanaburi. Love it here. Close enough to Bangkok, 2 hours if you need anything. Nice little expat bar area, low key, but fun. Plenty here to keep you busy, and the scenery . 

On costs, you can rent a nice 1 bedroom floor level apartment near the river for less than 100 Used per month. So yes, with your 1100 USD per month, you can live well, and put some aside for savings. 

Pm me if you have any questions. 

Been there and agree. A flat near the river, do some fishing, Kanchanaburi should be on the OP's list. Lovely place.

[MangoKorat]

I don't understand why anyone would want to live in Bangkok anyway - do you not care for your health?

[Thingamabob]

On 1/19/2025 at 10:51 PM, kingofallasians said:

I am afraid Bangkok is getting a bit boring (and expensive) for me.

 

I had a best friend out here that I used to hang out with a bit.  Long story short, I think she is ghosting me and humankind for that matter.

 

The Meetups have me bored to tears.  The same locals who have nothing going on for themselves seem to show up all the time.  Retired expats and weirdos.  But also, it's exhausting to have the same conversations with people who you are never going to see again in your entire life.  Things were pretty awesome when Tao had his Meetups and I met some pretty cool and interesting people that way, but those are no more.  The only meetup in the city I find engaging is the FIRE meetup.

 

I am considering living in another part of Thailand or Cambodia.  I enjoy the events that happen around Bangkok and the livelihood of the city, but I am becoming an old fart where maybe I want a little bit less people.

 

Jomitien I heard is nice and cheaper than BKK.  Maybe I can try living in Chiang Mai or Udon Thani for a bit. 

 

I get around $1100 a month and was also wondering if it would be possible to living somewhere comfortably and maybe even save some of that per month.  I have horrible discipline in BKK since boom boom is everywhere and I admit I am probably a sex addict and bit of a sexpat at times.  Also, I eat my fair amount of Burger King and McDonald's as I am a cultureless American.

 

Has anyone lived in Siem Reap before?  I heard it is cheap but boring.  I went there for a few days and was pretty impressed.  However, I like to hide in malls from the sun during the day and Siem Reap does not seem to have any of them.  Also, there is the ease of staying there on a visa.  From what I hear it costs around $40 - $50 a month to extend your tourist visa and they will keep doing that indefinitely.  This seems better than leaving for a visa run every few months which also includes the 1900 baht extension at their immigration office.

 

So I guess I'm asking for some advice.  Is there more or less going on in Jomtien, Chiang Mai, and Udon Thani?  I thought I could never get bored of Bangkok because it's such a lively and interesting city, but it really has not been as good as before the pandemic.  No more 24 hour bars.  Thailand wants to be like Singapore which kind of sucks.

 

 

 

 

You sound confused. It will be difficult to find anywhere more lively and interesting than Bangkok and environs. However, Phnom Penh resembles life in Bangkok 30 odd years ago. Friendly people, entertaining nightlife. Worth a look.

[Hanuman2547]

Jomtien might be a good move for you.  There is a lot going on there.  If you end up not liking it, you can always move to somewhere else.  

[Yagoda]

1 hour ago, Thingamabob said:

You sound confused. It will be difficult to find anywhere more lively and interesting than Bangkok and environs. However, Phnom Penh resembles life in Bangkok 30 odd years ago. Friendly people, entertaining nightlife. Worth a look.

PP is a shi*thole. Bangkok was never that bad, even 30 years ago.

[impulse]

On 1/20/2025 at 2:51 PM, Billpro785 said:

I'm an American expat living in Kanchanaburi. Love it here. Close enough to Bangkok, 2 hours if you need anything. Nice little expat bar area, low key, but fun. Plenty here to keep you busy, and the scenery . 

On costs, you can rent a nice 1 bedroom floor level apartment near the river for less than 100 Used per month. So yes, with your 1100 USD per month, you can live well, and put some aside for savings. 

Pm me if you have any questions. 

 

I love KBuri. It was always my favorite weekend getaway from working in Bangkok.  Nowadays I try to get up there on my monthly visa runs to Thailand, including last weekend.  I absolutely love the Saturday night street market.  But I'm just not sure it's got enough variety to live there full time, especially as a non-drinker.  If I can get a decent room at $100 or $200 a month, I may go ahead and have a dual residency in Bangkok and KBuri.  It would be good to have a place to store an SUP and canoe/kayak so I don't have to haul them up from BKK like I did when I worked at Asoke.  Otherwise, the decent $15-20 a night hotels are fine. 

 

Bangkok for the excitement and KBuri for the sanity breaks.

 

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

PP is a shi*thole. Bangkok was never that bad, even 30 years ago.

What I said was in PP the people are friendly and the nightlife is entertaining, as was the case in Bangkok 30 plus years ago. Central Bangkok has always been well developed, as it was when I first arrived here in 1962.

[GypsyT]

8 hours ago, impulse said:

Nowadays I try to get up there on my monthly visa runs to Thailand, including last weekend.

Are you saying it's possible now?

 

Others say this;

"All land borders with Myanmar are closed to foreigners and have been for years. The only border that's available for a border bounce with Myanmar is Ranong and that's at least a 10 hour drive so.. plus it involves taking a boat to Myanmar."

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, GypsyT said:

Are you saying it's possible now?

 

Others say this;

"All land borders with Myanmar are closed to foreigners and have been for years. The only border that's available for a border bounce with Myanmar is Ranong and that's at least a 10 hour drive so.. plus it involves taking a boat to Myanmar."

 

My visa runs are TO Thailand.  I fly to BKK from China, stay a few days, then fly back.  Once a month. 

 

If I have time, I try to take the train to KBuri for a few days, because I love the place.  Other months, I'm busy visiting hospitals, dentists and former co-workers and don't make it out of Bangkok.  Which doesn't suck, either.

 

[GypsyT]

On 1/20/2025 at 1:51 PM, Billpro785 said:

I'm an American expat living in Kanchanaburi. Love it here. Close enough to Bangkok, 2 hours if you need anything.

I regret I didn't visit Kanchanaburi... when I went to check out Ban Pong last week. Not much there.

Some nice homes along the river but markets etc were untidy, messy, and traffic real bad on narrow streets.

 

Real reason was, as usual, hot date 🙂 That didn't go well neither.

However, cheapest ticket (30 B) train trips were fun. To be the only farang...

 

 

[GypsyT]

On 1/20/2025 at 6:15 PM, realfunster said:

Just returned from Bang Saen, yes a very clean and well presented area, however I noticed a large % of the tourist (Thai) who visit there are of the obese size

I'm in Bang Saen now and noticed same and locals are fat too.

So many chocolate makers! They are excellent too.

I'm about to walk to one soon to get my fix. I don't get fat, 10km walks every day take care of that.

 

The beach boulevard is absolutely lovely! Wide, clean, smooth and have shade.

Pattaya and Jomtien beach is dump compared to it. They should copy this.

 

Lots of young well-off Thais during week end. Otherwise quiet.

This area will be top destination in 5 years. I see so many new condos on the way.

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, GypsyT said:

I'm in Bang Saen now and noticed same and locals are fat too.

So many chocolate makers! They are excellent too.

I'm about to walk to one soon to get my fix. I don't get fat, 10km walks every day take care of that.

 

The beach boulevard is absolutely lovely! Wide, clean, smooth and have shade.

Pattaya and Jomtien beach is dump compared to it. They should copy this.

 

Lots of young well-off Thais during week end. Otherwise quiet.

This area will be top destination in 5 years. I see so many new condos on the way.

How is the sea water? I haven't been to Bang Saen for at least ten years as it was such a dump but I heard it was much improved these days.

[GypsyT]

I don't swim but looks clear and many are swimming. Doesn't smell bad. Some are fishing too.

 

Chairs are well placed and cost 50 THB a day. Much neater than Jomtien mess...

 

Hundreds of vendors! It's about 3km long...

Prices are high on the beach; flat grilled chicken 80-90-100-120 B dep on size. Twice as expensive as on Jomtien.

 

A block away from beach same as on Jomtien.

 

 

[GypsyT]

Bang Saen - I found this about water quality. Very strange...

 

"The sea at Bang Saen is usually not clear. But from October to February of every year, the sea at Bang Saen is as clear as the Maldives, a natural phenomenon"

 

I don't think it's ever as clear as Madives etc but it's good now.

 

I like this too being very romantic person. However, no partner yet to duplicate but still seeking;

 

"Its name, Bang Saen, comes from folklore about two young Chonburi lovers, Saen (แสน) and Sam Muk (สามมุก). The unrequited lovers threw themselves off a cliff and drowned together"

 

[GypsyT]

Want to visit Japan?

 

Come to Bangsaen;

https://thesmartlocal.co.th/bang-saen-fish-market/

 

Very lively place with many variations of Japanese food. Great rock band was playing from Japan.

Japanese students from Bangkok arrive by bus. I counted 11 full size buses yesterday - full of young Japanese at Fish Market. Mega popular.

 

I prefer Thai food... but great place to visit and there's an other open air Japanese market too. Not open yesterday.

 

PS. While walking I run into "Monkey Paradise!" At tip of peninsula. I had to run away... I hate them.

http://www.barefootpattaya.com/?p=598

"Careful!

These monkeys can be aggressive, do not play or tease the monkeys with the food they have been known to bite and even attack people! It is safest to place the food down a few feet in front of them!"

[Mike_Hunt]

You will be bored wherever you live. Sounds like someone needs some hobbies.  

[GypsyT]

I think Bang Saen is for me.

Can't find "Heaven on Earth" so I'll settle for "Hell on Earth".

According to my late father that's where I'll end anyway...

 

https://worthygo.com/destination-wat-saen-suk-one-of-the-best-hell-temples-yet-nsfw/

 

[grumpyoldman]

On 1/23/2025 at 7:36 PM, GypsyT said:

Bang Saen - I found this about water quality. Very strange...

 

"The sea at Bang Saen is usually not clear. But from October to February of every year, the sea at Bang Saen is as clear as the Maldives, a natural phenomenon"

 

I don't think it's ever as clear as Madives etc but it's good now.

 

I like this too being very romantic person. However, no partner yet to duplicate but still seeking;

 

"Its name, Bang Saen, comes from folklore about two young Chonburi lovers, Saen (แสน) and Sam Muk (สามมุก). The unrequited lovers threw themselves off a cliff and drowned together"

 

All the water that flows from upcountry, all the Bangkok scheit water, flows out right across from Bang Saen. Sure, dry season months the water flow into the gulf is much less, so the water there probably clear but for the rest of the year? I'll pass.

[GypsyT]

9 hours ago, grumpyoldman said:

All the water that flows from upcountry, all the Bangkok scheit water, flows out right across from Bang Saen

That makes sense! Thanks.

[Caldera]

Well if you get bored in Bangkok and only have a budget of $1100 per month, chances are you'd get even more bored in any other place you could afford to live in - Bangkok is probably by far the most interesting one of them at least within Thailand.

 

In Cambodia you'd have the problem of always running into the same people at meet-ups even more so.

 

That being said, I'd consider Vietnam for a change of scenery. I think locals and expats there are quite a bit different and might be more to your liking, and the cost of living is low.

[1happykamper]

You've been living in BKK in 1100 a month? Wow! Nit noi baht. Seriously... Most can't live comfortably here in chiang mai for that little. 

 

When a man gets tired of Bangkok... He gets tired of life itself. 

 

 

[1happykamper]

On 1/19/2025 at 11:14 PM, grumpyoldman said:

Sounds to me your next move would be Pattaya.

 

Somewhere inexpensive on the outskirts, when you want to have some fun you can head into town.

But he could do that at the end of a train line in Bangkok 

[Ben Zioner]

Trat.

[Wuvu2]

On 1/20/2025 at 8:26 AM, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

"The same locals who have nothing going on for themselves seem to show up all the time.  Retired expats and weirdos."

 

Are you talking about Meetups or Asean now?

 

 Sounds to me like he's speaking of himself 🙄

[GypsyT]

Back to Big Buddha Hill. I like Pattaya again - let's see for how long.

I took white mini van from Bang Saen to Pattaya Tai. 80 THB. Cool ride with many single women with kids.

 

Maybe there isn't a place in any country to stay longer than 6 months? So, gotta keep moving. Could be worse.

[Letseng]

On 1/19/2025 at 10:51 PM, kingofallasians said:

I am afraid Bangkok is getting a bit boring (and expensive) for me.

 

I had a best friend out here that I used to hang out with a bit.  Long story short, I think she is ghosting me and humankind for that matter.

 

The Meetups have me bored to tears.  The same locals who have nothing going on for themselves seem to show up all the time.  Retired expats and weirdos.  But also, it's exhausting to have the same conversations with people who you are never going to see again in your entire life.  Things were pretty awesome when Tao had his Meetups and I met some pretty cool and interesting people that way, but those are no more.  The only meetup in the city I find engaging is the FIRE meetup.

 

I am considering living in another part of Thailand or Cambodia.  I enjoy the events that happen around Bangkok and the livelihood of the city, but I am becoming an old fart where maybe I want a little bit less people.

 

Jomitien I heard is nice and cheaper than BKK.  Maybe I can try living in Chiang Mai or Udon Thani for a bit. 

 

I get around $1100 a month and was also wondering if it would be possible to living somewhere comfortably and maybe even save some of that per month.  I have horrible discipline in BKK since boom boom is everywhere and I admit I am probably a sex addict and bit of a sexpat at times.  Also, I eat my fair amount of Burger King and McDonald's as I am a cultureless American.

 

Has anyone lived in Siem Reap before?  I heard it is cheap but boring.  I went there for a few days and was pretty impressed.  However, I like to hide in malls from the sun during the day and Siem Reap does not seem to have any of them.  Also, there is the ease of staying there on a visa.  From what I hear it costs around $40 - $50 a month to extend your tourist visa and they will keep doing that indefinitely.  This seems better than leaving for a visa run every few months which also includes the 1900 baht extension at their immigration office.

 

So I guess I'm asking for some advice.  Is there more or less going on in Jomtien, Chiang Mai, and Udon Thani?  I thought I could never get bored of Bangkok because it's such a lively and interesting city, but it really has not been as good as before the pandemic.  No more 24 hour bars.  Thailand wants to be like Singapore which kind of sucks.

 

 

 

 

I worked in Siem Reap for 3 yrs. Best place I ever lived. But our interests are different. And it was 25 yrs ago. It was not cheap for me then, it is not cheap now. All depends on your lifestyle. Can't comment on visa as my employer did it. 

[grumpyoldman]

On 1/29/2025 at 5:40 PM, Ben Zioner said:

Trat.

1happycamper's end of the BKK rail line?

[Celsius]

On 1/21/2025 at 1:16 AM, MangoKorat said:

I don't understand why anyone would want to live in Bangkok anyway - do you not care for your health?

 

Ya you live so much better yes....

 

 

 

At least people in Bangkok are not stuck eating Thai slop