13 hours ago, mran66 said:

Pratamnak Soi 5 (plus minus 1) area. Not sure about organic food though

The problem for me for anywhere around there is no baht bus access, so basically anywhere you want to go you have to drive/ride. No good if you want a drink.

5 minutes ago, henryford1958 said:

The problem for me for anywhere around there is no baht bus access, so basically anywhere you want to go you have to drive/ride. No good if you want a drink.

Motorcycle taxi, Bolt or Grab?

Indeed, in the heart of Pratumnak now at the Crèmerie. The French are a great people. Coffee is breathtaking. The little things... So important to notice when things go well.

Charlie Munger spoke often of the importance of lowering one's expectations. Much to like about this area and Pattaya as a whole. And I am far less keen on other bugs/features. Look forward to the next week of exploring and reflecting.

It's a bit like a relationship -- you try to find someone whose foibles you can tolerate (and vice versa).

1 hour ago, henryford1958 said:

The problem for me for anywhere around there is no baht bus access, so basically anywhere you want to go you have to drive/ride. No good if you want a drink.

Or, even if you don't want a drink. Spouse and I, mostly non-drinkers, started in Pattaya on Pratamnuk Soi 6 down at the end by the beach and eventually moved, partly due to the lack of baht buses.

13 minutes ago, Remain Calm said:

The French are a great people. Coffee is breathtaking. The little things... So important to notice when things go well.

Have you also considered going to France?

Isn't Wongamat a posh name for Naklua. ?

My favorite beach is Naklua. Used to stay on Soi 18/2 many years ago. Walk to Naklua Road and get a baht bus anywhere. Or I suppose now a Bolt bike/car.

2 hours ago, henryford1958 said:

The problem for me for anywhere around there is no baht bus access, so basically anywhere you want to go you have to drive/ride. No good if you want a drink.

Indeed if baht bus access is an important criteria, then the area does not match.

Bolt has largely solved the public transportation problem though, at least in the rare occasions I had to go somewhere without own bike or car, bolt arrived in minutes and was inexpensive.

On 4/19/2026 at 8:58 AM, Remain Calm said:

We will also be checking out Malaysia soon.

KK or Kuching 👍

On 4/18/2025 at 9:53 AM, Remain Calm said:

searching for a place to eventually call home in retirement.

In retirement some believe the most important thing is a new social scene/ friends/hobbies etc. . So you'll need to visit often before retirement to find them. The actual location is somewhat secondary.

As you live in BKK you'll already know that walking in +30C heat soon gets old. Locals don't walk much for a reason. So moto/car reliance is almost a given in the modern world unless one lives, say, in Paris?

I can walk to Tops 1.5k or for a pizza 1.2k but I don't. Even my wife has an electric scooter.

Waffle

waffle

waffle

1 hour ago, Remain Calm said:

Indeed, in the heart of Pratumnak now at the Crèmerie. The French are a great people. Coffee is breathtaking. The little things... So important to notice when things go well.

Charlie Munger spoke often of the importance of lowering one's expectations. Much to like about this area and Pattaya as a whole. And I am far less keen on other bugs/features. Look forward to the next week of exploring and reflecting.

It's a bit like a relationship -- you try to find someone whose foibles you can tolerate (and vice versa).

How about Belgians (as far as I know he guy running the cremerie place is from Belgium)?

We’re currently in Hanoi having spent the last month in Nha Trang, Dalat, Phu Quoc, Da Nang/Hoi An. We live in Chiang Rai but holiday in Vietnam every couple of months.

In Vietnam I would only consider Dalat and An Bang (5km towards Da Nang from Hoi An).

Da Nang is a sh?t hole, An Bang was a backpacker destination decades ago, now its flash packer with restaurants full of over 50s, my theory is they used to come as backpackers in their 20s.

Dalat is in the mountains and is a balmy 28°C every day year round. We love it and stay at the Swiss Belhotel in the mountains.

If you’re a couple you will tire of Pattaya. I lived there for 3 years, it’s a city for single male sex tourists and is nothing like Thailand.

We like Chiang Rai, again in the mountains, the Condotel has some rooms with Mountain View and some with town view. It’s very popular with foreigners as its walking distance to everything in town. We don’t live there or have any interest there, but we do go the western restaurant in the building occasionally.

On 4/21/2026 at 8:27 AM, Palatus said:

Have you also considered going to France?

Spent a year there in my misspent youth. Picked up the language, which amounts to a parlor trick these days. I do not anticipate returning to my native American heath or Europe unless they extradite me.

On 4/21/2026 at 9:15 AM, VocalNeal said:

Isn't Wongamat a posh name for Naklua. ?

My favorite beach is Naklua. Used to stay on Soi 18/2 many years ago. Walk to Naklua Road and get a baht bus anywhere. Or I suppose now a Bolt bike/car.

Checking it out! 🙏🏼

On 4/21/2026 at 9:41 AM, VocalNeal said:

KK or Kuching 👍

In retirement some believe the most important thing is a new social scene/ friends/hobbies etc. . So you'll need to visit often before retirement to find them. The actual location is somewhat secondary.

As you live in BKK you'll already know that walking in +30C heat soon gets old. Locals don't walk much for a reason. So moto/car reliance is almost a given in the modern world unless one lives, say, in Paris?

I can walk to Tops 1.5k or for a pizza 1.2k but I don't. Even my wife has an electric scooter.

Waffle

waffle

waffle

Thanks for the KK Kuching recommendations. Generally feel more at home in LOS, but we truly remain open-minded as we have not done an extended stay in Malaysia. Heard good things about KK.

Otherwise, still holding out for that walkable ecosystem -- but the heat is definitely brutal. We would plan to do early-morning and early-evening beach walks and otherwise take conveyances as needed. Walked from La Crèmerie to Lunch Box cafe up the hill at 10:45 am and still pleasant.

On the positive side in regard to the local heat... enjoying the balmy Muscle Factory -- incredible for sweating out 18 years of Bangkok toxins.

On 4/21/2026 at 9:47 AM, mran66 said:

How about Belgians (as far as I know he guy running the cremerie place is from Belgium)?

One might be forgiven for the assumption, as they play La Vie en Rose on maximum rotation. (Also lots of Frank and Julio. Place makes me feel young.)

Coffee is delightfully strong. Impeccable service as well.

On 4/21/2026 at 9:51 AM, JBChiangRai said:

We’re currently in Hanoi having spent the last month in Nha Trang, Dalat, Phu Quoc, Da Nang/Hoi An. We live in Chiang Rai but holiday in Vietnam every couple of months.

In Vietnam I would only consider Dalat and An Bang (5km towards Da Nang from Hoi An).

Da Nang is a sh?t hole, An Bang was a backpacker destination decades ago, now its flash packer with restaurants full of over 50s, my theory is they used to come as backpackers in their 20s.

Dalat is in the mountains and is a balmy 28°C every day year round. We love it and stay at the Swiss Belhotel in the mountains.

If you’re a couple you will tire of Pattaya. I lived there for 3 years, it’s a city for single male sex tourists and is nothing like Thailand.

We like Chiang Rai, again in the mountains, the Condotel has some rooms with Mountain View and some with town view. It’s very popular with foreigners as its walking distance to everything in town. We don’t live there or have any interest there, but we do go the western restaurant in the building occasionally.

We are super-interested in Dalat. Planning a visit in 2026.

Lightly apropos of Dalat, we liked Baguio's weather. But it proved less magnetic than we had hoped. Have yet to visit Chiang Rai but that's on the list. Thanks for the great recommendations!

The beach has somewhat more appeal for us as a base but let us see if we change tack in the next couple of years.

Perhaps a dead thread at this stage, but wondering if anyone has experienced Khao Lak -- and whether it amounts to a walkable ecosystem?

Next stop may be Malaysia after a month-trip to Boracay.

1 minute ago, Remain Calm said:

Scouting Pattaya for a Potential Long-Term Base – Welcome Any Leads

Perhaps a dead thread at this stage, but wondering if anyone has experienced Khao Lak -- and whether it amounts to a walkable ecosystem?

Next stop may be Malaysia after a month-trip to Boracay.

Yep, Pattaya is now toast, left your run too late, it was great 20 years ago, no longer Thailand, too many strange foreigners destroying the city.

Get the hell out of Pattaya, so many other nicer places

Edited May 24May 24 by SAFETY FIRST

6 minutes ago, Remain Calm said:

Perhaps a dead thread at this stage, but wondering if anyone has experienced Khao Lak -- and whether it amounts to a walkable ecosystem?

Next stop may be Malaysia after a month-trip to Boracay.

Khao Lak is nice but very spread out and would seem to be too small for what you are after. The main town isn't much to want to see or be a part of other than as a tourist.

4 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

Khao Lak is nice but very spread out and would seem to be too small for what you are after. The main town isn't much to want to see or be a part of other than as a tourist.

Thanks so much... This is great intel.

FWIW, we are scouting Georgetown for 11 days. No place ticks all the boxes but interesting.