Living in Thailand

[ronster]

Any crime I have read about or seen is usually for a reason . If you do your own thing and don't interfere with others business then you should have zero problems.

Obviously people breaking into property can be a problem with people being poor in certain areas or wanting cash to get wasted instead of working like most people. But if you live in the right area and take precautions you should never be broken into either.

If you offered me a choice of any city/town in Thailand Vs any major UK city to live then Thailand would win every time . UK looks like a warzone most days 😀

[Presnock]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

You must be ancient. 😉 

 

ancient? older than that even!  But almost daily I learn something else about people and this country.  Guess it is true that one is never to old to see something new.

[GypsyT]

On 1/26/2025 at 11:11 AM, Hammerheads said:

My wife is a dual passport holder British/Thai. I am keen to come and live in Thailand after spending the last 20 years in the UK

Do yourself and your family a favor; Consider Spain!

I'm going to check out many places and 90% sure will start spending winters there.

Welcome!

 

 

[youreavinalaff]

7 hours ago, ronster said:

Any crime I have read about or seen is usually for a reason . If you do your own thing and don't interfere with others business then you should have zero problems.

Obviously people breaking into property can be a problem with people being poor in certain areas or wanting cash to get wasted instead of working like most people. But if you live in the right area and take precautions you should never be broken into either.

If you offered me a choice of any city/town in Thailand Vs any major UK city to live then Thailand would win every time . UK looks like a warzone most days 😀

Not so long ago I made a 360 mile trip in UK. I didn't see anything even remotely looking like a war zone.

[Cardano]

On 1/26/2025 at 5:04 PM, MalcolmB said:

I feel a lot safer here than back in the UK. People here, unless they are nutters, are very calm and mind their own business.

 

I recommend you live in the south as the air is quite good. Most foreigners in Bangkok and anywhere north of it seem very stressed out. Pollution is terrible.

People everywhere, unless they're nutters, are very calm and mind their own business. 

[ronster]

25 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Not so long ago I made a 360 mile trip in UK. I didn't see anything even remotely looking like a war zone.

Were you driving round the isle of wight ? 🤔

[youreavinalaff]

3 hours ago, ronster said:

Were you driving round the isle of wight ? 🤔

No, I wasn't.

 

 

[GypsyT]

3 hours ago, ronster said:

Were you driving round the isle of wight ?

They ride around here;

https://www.iomttraces.com/

[Young Hick]

I'm a single man so the choice is easy for me  -- retire in Thailand.  I still am 10 years away from the early age of 62 though to retire.  

Started reading this site on news and forums just to get more knowledgeable.  I love the beaches and sunsets but hate tsunami so that narrows down my choices.

[newnative]

1 hour ago, Young Hick said:

I'm a single man so the choice is easy for me  -- retire in Thailand.  I still am 10 years away from the early age of 62 though to retire.  

Started reading this site on news and forums just to get more knowledgeable.  I love the beaches and sunsets but hate tsunami so that narrows down my choices.

       The forums can be very useful with information for expats living in Thailand and those, like yourself, who are planning a move here.  It always amazes me that there will usually be a forum member who can answer a specific question posed by another member, especially on things like visas and immigration, but also on other topics, as well, everything from health care to solar power.

       The forums can also have plenty of not-so useful, untrue information so you do need to be aware of that when some topics come up, my favorite being Pattaya, where I have lived with my spouse for 14 years.   Since I actually live here, I know that a lot of what is posted is just completely untrue.  Some of it may have been true years ago--such as Pattaya Beach being having lots of trash on it--but not true today.   Love when a poster starts out with something like, "When I visited Pattaya for a day 12 years ago . . ."   Blah, blah, blah.  Sometimes their visits weren't even this century.   Lots of chaff with the wheat.   

      My best advice when you are looking for a place to live in Thailand, give every place on your list a good, hard look, yourself, and pay close attention to what housing is available and at what price ranges, what types of neighborhoods are available, what shopping is available for all your needs, what services are readily available, and does the place meet specific wants and needs you may have.   If you like to bowl twice a week, is there a bowling alley nearby?

       I would also take the 'news' featured on the news feed with a grain of salt.  Often, they are rather petty crimes that are highlighted; apparently, popular for some expats here, and others not even living here, to read and comment on.  Pattaya and Phuket seem to be featured a lot--as both have millions of tourists--being the 14th and 15th most visited cities in the world, according to Mastercard.  With millions of tourists, some crimes will happen--anywhere in the world, not just here.  Don't let the abundance of these stories leave you with a false impression--which has been known to happen.  

      For awhile, we had a string of top-of-the-page stories of hapless, mostly Indian tourists, having gold necklaces snatched while they were visiting Pattaya.  Were the necklaces actually gold?  Were the snatches actually planned as an insurance scam?   Were there even actual snatches?  Who knows?  Who cares?   Non-news stories for big cities.  It's the same with drunk tourists behaving badly, often at 2 or 3am.  Usually a lead 'news' story, as well.   Do read the forums and the news feeds, but, hopefully, with the above caveats in mind.  Good luck with your move to Thailand, when it happens.

       

[SAFETY FIRST]

3 hours ago, Young Hick said:

  I still am 10 years away from the early age of 62 though to retire

Thailand is changing fast, the Woke's are arriving and changing Thailand, they want Thailand to be the same awful place they have left behind. 

 

Thailand has been my home for over 20 years, I reckon another 10 years it won't be worthwhile relocating here. 

 

The Thai's are no longer welcoming us as they have in the past, the nasty foreigners that are arriving is changing the Thai attitude. 

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

18 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Thailand is changing fast, the Woke's are arriving and changing Thailand, they want Thailand to be the same awful place they have left behind. 

 

Thailand has been my home for over 20 years, I reckon another 10 years it won't be worthwhile relocating here. 

 

The Thai's are no longer welcoming us as they have in the past, the nasty foreigners that are arriving is changing the Thai attitude. 

Not really seeing any 'wokeness' myself, except 'same sex' marriage, and not sure that really counts, as should have been a thing, long ago.

 

The 'nasty' foreigners are tourist, and not here long enough to matter.  All easily avoided, unless you live in a tourist area, and that would be by choice.

 

Oh well ... 

[Young Hick]

5 hours ago, newnative said:

       The forums can be very useful with information for expats living in Thailand and those, like yourself, who are planning a move here.  It always amazes me that there will usually be a forum member who can answer a specific question posed by another member, especially on things like visas and immigration, but also on other topics, as well, everything from health care to solar power.

           My best advice when you are looking for a place to live in Thailand, give every place on your list a good, hard look, yourself, and pay close attention to what housing is available and at what price ranges, what types of neighborhoods are available, what shopping is available for all your needs, what services are readily available, and does the place meet specific wants and needs you may have.   If you like to bowl twice a week, is there a bowling alley nearby?

       I would also take the 'news' featured on the news feed with a grain of salt.  Often, they are rather petty crimes that are highlighted; 

   Good luck with your move to Thailand, when it happens.

       

Thanks.  I had visited Pattaya 2x since it opened and saw how clean the beach is first hand.  I expected that since the government cut off sewage systems that used to go to the beach and installed new pipes that go north and south to their respective waste treatment plants.  Sure the will be debris during high season but nothing that cannot be cleaned up, and yes, the issue of flooding does pour murky water to the beach when the street drains get clogged.  That I think is the next goal in Pattaya -- to have better community involvement in cleaning and proper disposal of trash.

I'm avoiding Pattaya though and would go either north or south of it,  I visited both and currently leaning towards the north -- Wongamat.   I was thrilled to learn T21 has crocodile rotisserie as well as that is something I wish to eat from time to time.  😄  

Re the news, yes pretty gruesome when I watch the news on TV during my stay.  It did turn me off but eventually I knew that what goes out in the news are the crimes and not much the good stuff happening.  The y do it for the ratings as you all know.  😄 

  

[Young Hick]

Re wokeness -- if it's gay scene, I'm more of let them be.   I don't think other facets of wokeness would impact me as I'll just go about my boring life of sleeping, exercising, eating, and binge watching.  Those are 4 things that I really have not done much of since I started working so I'll be putting retirement into good use.  😄  

 

[newnative]

6 minutes ago, Young Hick said:

Thanks.  I had visited Pattaya 2x since it opened and saw how clean the beach is first hand.  I expected that since the government cut off sewage systems that used to go to the beach and installed new pipes that go north and south to their respective waste treatment plants.  Sure the will be debris during high season but nothing that cannot be cleaned up, and yes, the issue of flooding does pour murky water to the beach when the street drains get clogged.  That I think is the next goal in Pattaya -- to have better community involvement in cleaning and proper disposal of trash.

I'm avoiding Pattaya though and would go either north or south of it,  I visited both and currently leaning towards the north -- Wongamat.   I was thrilled to learn T21 has crocodile rotisserie as well as that is something I wish to eat from time to time.  😄  

Re the news, yes pretty gruesome when I watch the news on TV during my stay.  It did turn me off but eventually I knew that what goes out in the news are the crimes and not much the good stuff happening.  The y do it for the ratings as you all know.  😄 

  

      Before our move to Pattaya's Darkside, spouse and I lived for a time in Wongamat, which I consider to be one of the neighborhoods of Pattaya, and it was our favorite place to live in town.  Much of the nice, new development is happening in the north part of Pattaya, away from Walking Street, Including, of course, T21.  We liked Wongamat's quieter location, it's size, the variety of beachfront condos available, and the back streets we could use to get to T21, Central Festival, Big C at Marina, the hospital, etc. 

     We also lived in Jomtien but would likely never live there again as it is getting just too congested and there are a number of massive, new condo projects under construction, and others about to start, that will make the congestion even worse when they all come on-line.  Also, the majority of the places we frequent are more in the north or central part of town rather than to the south. 

[Young Hick]

^ Yup, I like to just stay within 2 miles radius say from Norhpoint (?) condo.  I visited the Naklua Fish Market and s T21.  I've not gone much to other places but as per research, these are some of the attractions in Wongamat:
 

- Sanctuary of Truth

- Secret Beach and its Night Fire Show
- Mini Siam
- Art in Paradise
- Terminal 21
- Tiffany's (Gay) Show 

- Naklua Fish Market
- Centara Buffet

I don't really need much because at 60+ by then, I'd rather just be doing my 4 activities I mentioned earlier.  🙂  
But just in case I'm missing something, I'm all ears. 
 

[Young Hick]

On 1/30/2025 at 12:14 AM, PomPolo said:

Sounds like you guys are also looking to stay in one of the more peaceful non-resort and out of the way places, I find those are the best, I like it when you don't bump into a fellow foreigner every 2 minutes.

I have recently built a house in a rural area but maintain a place in the city.  The only thing I would say is the more rural you go the less you will find people speak English, and if you don't know little bits of Thai could find yourself becoming heavily reliant upon your wife for translation etc.

As far as safety goes as long as you are not frequenting the heavily populated tourist traps where drunk muppet foreigners are drinking and trying to pick up girls and fighting with each other for no reason you should be fine.

 

I understand your post was meant for another person but I wish to reply to some of the points you mentioned.   
 

My retirement goal is to retire in front of beach.  Wongamat seem peaceful enough for me.  Nothing is perfect anyway but when I stayed there on one of my trips, I  felt rural peace.  😄  

The other point you mentioned is about avoiding foreigners.  I want to be with similar situations as I am.  Safety in numbers.  Also, I don't want to standout among the locals.  I want anonymity.   The issue with many folks though is privacy and this is valuable to me so I really need to have a unit where folks can't view me from my balcony.  Though I don't do it, I love the option to just be naked in my own abode.    I know I would be paying premium for a property that meets this but hey, it's like sex on the balcony forever.  😄 

While I do not like going to bars, I like the option to be close to some of those as needed distraction every now and then.  There is a Baht bus that rides 24 hours a day in Wongamat road (Naklua 16 road) that takes me to heaven of Pattaya.  My hope is the risk of safety issue is reduce by lessened trips to such area.  Perhaps, 2x a month would suffice, preferably to meet up with friends I'd make there.  

I would just rent and keep an eye for better prospects.  As another poster mentioned, 10 years from now, the are could be different.  

 

 


 

[PJ71]

On 1/26/2025 at 6:11 AM, Hammerheads said:

My wife is a dual passport holder British/Thai. I am keen to come and live in Thailand after spending the last 20 years in the UK. My wife is very concerned about the lack of safety in Thailand. Her concerns surround the heavy increase in drugs, crime by Thais towards farangs, widespread corruption etc. I'm keen to hear from anyone about their experiences. We do not plan to live in a big city - probably somewhere like Ao Nang, Hua Hin or Khao Yai national Park.

Thailand is safer than the UK, especially for thai nationals.

[Young Hick]

Man, thinking about retirement 10 years out is hard.  Especially, seeing how I like very much Thailand.   Philippines and Indonesia are 2 other countries I'm looking at and I have joined separate sites on those as well.   But on this day, my ranking of the 3 for me are:

 

1.  Thailand  - Main Pro:  First World Accommodations by the beach; Main Con: Language Barrier

2.  Philippines - Main Pro:  Language;  Main Con:  Overpopulation

3.  Indonesia - Main Pro:  Island Lifestyle;    Main Con: Language

[Hammerheads]

Just want to thank everyone, your comments have helped cement our move to Thailand so well done. We are going to move to Khao Yai, likely to arrive end of March, so toasty. Wife is not really a beach person, more in love with mountains, wildlife and nature in general. So, I'm looking for ex-pats to hook up with who are living in the area. I want to build a community of friends. At the same time I am learning the language which I personally feel is essential if moving to another country. All my family are bilingual, it's just me who is the lazy one. 

 

I do know Thailand very well, have travelled extensively and lived there for a year. Khao Yai is ideal for me as an inland location - I hate big cities. If it was completely down to me, we'd be headed for Ao Nang or even Hua Hin. Alas, the northern part of the eastern seaboard is not my cup of tea, I find Chonburi a bit too commercialised but it'll be handy for beach visits by car from Khao Yai.   

 

 Wife wants a monkey, I want a baby elephant. Probably end up with a parrot 😁. 

 

Anyone living in or near Khao Yai, be really good to hear from you.

 

[Sheryl]

24 minutes ago, Hammerheads said:

Just want to thank everyone, your comments have helped cement our move to Thailand so well done. We are going to move to Khao Yai, likely to arrive end of March, so toasty. Wife is not really a beach person, more in love with mountains, wildlife and nature in general. So, I'm looking for ex-pats to hook up with who are living in the area. I want to build a community of friends. At the same time I am learning the language which I personally feel is essential if moving to another country. All my family are bilingual, it's just me who is the lazy one. 

 

Anyone living in or near Khao Yai, be good to hear from you. 

 

You cannot move to or live in Khao Yai.

 

It is s protected national park. No residential areas.

 

I live on the south side of it, probably just 20-30 km or so from its boundary in a straight line but a good hour drive to actually go in as road access is lmited. 

 

I am the only expat in the area.

 

The north side, Pak Chong area,  has small expat community. 

[Hammerheads]

On 1/26/2025 at 9:51 AM, Tropicalevo said:

I live on Koh Samui (25 years now) and there is very little obvious crime.

I live on a private development where there is very basic security and I have never locked my doors or windows.

When my wife was alive, she felt very safe wherever we lived in Thailand.

(She had been mugged twice in her home town in the UK - Birmingham.)

 

Hasn't Koh Samui got the best airport ever? I love the island, I also love Ko Phangan - I have a friend who runs a small resort there with her own bit of beach looking out at Samui. It is breath-taking. Just stay away from Haad rin during party time (if it's still going on). I believe the tallest tree in Thailand exists on the island. Remember riding past it and thinking "goodness me, that is enormous".  The beaches in the north and east are stunning. 

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

On 1/27/2025 at 5:17 PM, georgegeorgia said:

I walked the Manila railway at 11pm at night went from one end to the other Abdo Santos, I thought of myself as a patrol officer.

 

On behalf of the entire Manila population, we thank you for your service.

[Hammerheads]

On 2/2/2025 at 3:07 AM, ronster said:

Any crime I have read about or seen is usually for a reason . If you do your own thing and don't interfere with others business then you should have zero problems.

Obviously people breaking into property can be a problem with people being poor in certain areas or wanting cash to get wasted instead of working like most people. But if you live in the right area and take precautions you should never be broken into either.

If you offered me a choice of any city/town in Thailand Vs any major UK city to live then Thailand would win every time . UK looks like a warzone most days 😀

We are very lucky living in Bath where crime is minimal and the City has a real vibe. But one thing that doesn't ever change is the rare appearance of that big orange ball in the sky - and I'm sick of not seeing it. Really looking forward to Thailand - any place is what you make of it.   

[Hammerheads]

On 2/2/2025 at 8:17 AM, GypsyT said:

Do yourself and your family a favor; Consider Spain!

I'm going to check out many places and 90% sure will start spending winters there.

Welcome!

Hi, I lived in Spain for 3 years, lovely country and nearly as much corruption as Thailand 😄. But even the north is a bit too dry for us, looking forward to the tropical climate. 

 

 

[Hammerheads]

On 2/4/2025 at 2:45 AM, newnative said:

       The forums can be very useful with information for expats living in Thailand and those, like yourself, who are planning a move here.  It always amazes me that there will usually be a forum member who can answer a specific question posed by another member, especially on things like visas and immigration, but also on other topics, as well, everything from health care to solar power.

       The forums can also have plenty of not-so useful, untrue information so you do need to be aware of that when some topics come up, my favorite being Pattaya, where I have lived with my spouse for 14 years.   Since I actually live here, I know that a lot of what is posted is just completely untrue.  Some of it may have been true years ago--such as Pattaya Beach being having lots of trash on it--but not true today.   Love when a poster starts out with something like, "When I visited Pattaya for a day 12 years ago . . ."   Blah, blah, blah.  Sometimes their visits weren't even this century.   Lots of chaff with the wheat.   

      My best advice when you are looking for a place to live in Thailand, give every place on your list a good, hard look, yourself, and pay close attention to what housing is available and at what price ranges, what types of neighborhoods are available, what shopping is available for all your needs, what services are readily available, and does the place meet specific wants and needs you may have.   If you like to bowl twice a week, is there a bowling alley nearby?

       I would also take the 'news' featured on the news feed with a grain of salt.  Often, they are rather petty crimes that are highlighted; apparently, popular for some expats here, and others not even living here, to read and comment on.  Pattaya and Phuket seem to be featured a lot--as both have millions of tourists--being the 14th and 15th most visited cities in the world, according to Mastercard.  With millions of tourists, some crimes will happen--anywhere in the world, not just here.  Don't let the abundance of these stories leave you with a false impression--which has been known to happen.  

      For awhile, we had a string of top-of-the-page stories of hapless, mostly Indian tourists, having gold necklaces snatched while they were visiting Pattaya.  Were the necklaces actually gold?  Were the snatches actually planned as an insurance scam?   Were there even actual snatches?  Who knows?  Who cares?   Non-news stories for big cities.  It's the same with drunk tourists behaving badly, often at 2 or 3am.  Usually a lead 'news' story, as well.   Do read the forums and the news feeds, but, hopefully, with the above caveats in mind.  Good luck with your move to Thailand, when it happens.

       

I too have heard lots of negative stuff about the region. I will be visiting as it is the nearest beach to Khao Yai. Looking forward to forming my own opinions.

[Hammerheads]

25 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

You cannot move to or live in Khao Yai.

 

It is s protected national park. No residential areas.

 

I live on the south side of it, probably just 20-30 km or so from its boundary in a straight line but a good hour drive to actually go in as road access is lmited. 

 

I am the only expat in the area.

 

The north side, Pak Chong area,  has small expat community. 

OK let me expand. We will be moving to Pak Chong District, likely tambon of Mu Si. 

[Hammerheads]

On 1/30/2025 at 6:14 AM, PomPolo said:

I am deviating from my usual political conversations 🙂
If your wife is Thai and you guys are a peaceful couple, Thais are very welcoming to foreigners and even more so to Thais.
Sounds like you guys are also looking to stay in one of the more peaceful non-resort and out of the way places, I find those are the best, I like it when you don't bump into a fellow foreigner every 2 minutes.

I have recently built a house in a rural area but maintain a place in the city.  The only thing I would say is the more rural you go the less you will find people speak English, and if you don't know little bits of Thai could find yourself becoming heavily reliant upon your wife for translation etc.

As far as safety goes as long as you are not frequenting the heavily populated tourist traps where drunk muppet foreigners are drinking and trying to pick up girls and fighting with each other for no reason you should be fine.

Good luck with the move if you make the leap, you probably wouldn't regret it especially with you and your wife already being married so long and he having dual citizenship, there are many options in the world for you both of you if Thailand didn't immediately work out for you also.

Thank you for your comments you've summed us up pretty well. My wife has been in the UK 25 years, we met in London. So it's a big change for both of us. We don't like the heavily commercialised world, we want to live in peace with nature. We have a large family in Bangkok so will be visiting fairly regularly which is fine.  

[Hammerheads]

On 1/31/2025 at 3:56 AM, Thingamabob said:

I suspect what your wife is really worried about is that you will be drawn into Thailand's nightlife.

She may well be - but I detest it!

[Hammerheads]

On 1/30/2025 at 4:48 PM, rickudon said:

I live in a small village on the edge of Udon Thani. I feel safe, worst problem are some territorial dogs. As far as crime goes not much in the village/city unless ostentatious displays of wealth. Yes, Yabba and drunks are around, but rarely a problem. I do know of some killings but these are nearly all Thai on Thai or loss of face (e.g. one farang fired his bar manager over missing money).

 

Health and safety are not priorities here. Several people in the village have died in road accidents, a couple of drownings and electrocutions. Just treat all road use as needing extra vigilance - and avoid using motorbikes.

 

In the UK, over the years my home was burgled 4 times over a 40 year period - it is like a tax. I know of people who have been mugged or assaulted for no reason. Better off in Thailand 

My wife is originally from Udon, I lived there for 6 months but not really what I was looking for. The people I met are fantastic. If you want to buy a big plot of land up there please let me know 🤣