Issan Living

[mark100]

Hi been living in Pattaya for the last 5 years with my wife and 3 year old daughterand against my better judgement we are upping sticks and moving to my wife's village 1 hour from Si-Saket near the cambodian border !!! Have to say we are doing this for health reasons my little girl suffers from breathing problems and we could no longer make suffer the polluted air of Pattaya.

Hoping someone out there could give me the run-down on Si-Saket and Ubonratchatani, hospitals, bars things to do etc. Thanks

[bkkharry]

Just curious where you are moving to, we are building a home a couple miles outside of kanthalax, which is about 10 miles from camboidian border.

Best bet would be the hospitals in Ubon, dont know much about the ones in Si Saket.

[nongfrank]

Hi been living in Pattaya for the last 5 years with my wife and 3 year old daughterand against my better judgement we are upping sticks and moving to my wife's village 1 hour from Si-Saket near the cambodian border !!! Have to say we are doing this for health reasons my little girl suffers from breathing problems and we could no longer make suffer the polluted air of Pattaya.

Hoping someone out there could give me the run-down on Si-Saket and Ubonratchatani, hospitals, bars things to do etc. Thanks

Hello and Welcome here in SiSaket. We live in Sisaket now 11 years and we are still happy. If you need some Informations check the Maps of Sisaket for Visitors or when you' re in Town , visit me at the Livin'in the Past. The pub is near the policestation. You can met there other Expats and you can get Information about Sisaket. I hope i will see you soon.

Frank and Nong

[jackmuu]

If health reasons are involved, the last thing I would do is move to Issan, I would move the a cleaner area but still within range of decent hospitals. Some of my extended family have had some very dodgy experiences with hospitals in Issan.

[Krub]

I will be settling in Khun Han 50km south of Sisaket not far from the border.

The local hopsital there is great for basic care

Am not into the bar scene so would not know

Do drop in Frank's place in Sisaket as suggested as you will be welcomed and gather loads of info.

Life is quiet and healthy in the villages

A big change if you liked the bar scene of Pattaya !

[Bicko]

If health reasons are involved, the last thing I would do is move to Issan, I would move the a cleaner area but still within range of decent hospitals. Some of my extended family have had some very dodgy experiences with hospitals in Issan.

Hey Jackmuu please tell us more. I'm not sure what you mean by moving to a cleaner area. Isaan is a much cleaner and healthier environment than Bangkok or Pattaya. I live in Isaan (Buri Ram) and have only had good experiences with local doctors, dentists, pharmacies and Paya baan for basic needs. On the one occasion that i needed more i went to Bkk to the Mongkutwattana hospital in Laksi and received excellent service and the cost was minimal. The VIP bus cost us about Bt700 return each or about Bt800 each way if I take the car.

[roietjimmy]

In general Isaan is cleaner than most places and good health care is available. You will find good hospitals and bad hospitals. My guess is your wifes family members went to the "30 baht per visit" hospitals or clinics and naturally had some bad experiences. Given your daughter has breathing problems, she might be suffering from hay fever. If she is, then moving to Isaan will make things worse because pollen is much higher than near the sea. I live in Roiet but have been to Sisaket many times and can say it is a very beautiful province so I'm sure you will enjoy it!

[Nongwahyay]

There appear to be umpteen Farangs living in Buriram town or the surrounding are. What makes Buriram so special?? Why are there so many (???) Farangs living there????

[StinkyMudFish]

My wife is also from Sisaket and I suffer with Asthma, HayFeaver, Alergies to animal fur and have eczema. My son's suffer with similar conditions but not as bad. If you are planning to move into the village where your inlaws reside then think again. The village can be very dusty environments with dogs, chicken and any number of other animals wandering around. For me it was hel_l and my sons' skin came out in a rash in no time at all. I now have to restrict family visits in/out to a day max:

However, we decided for this very reason of health that Ubon Ratchathani city was the better option as it has better hospitals and having a house on the outskirts meant relatively cleaner alergen free air. It also keeps us at a distance from Sisaket of 45-60 mins drive making in-laws/family accessible but retaining our privacy so we don't have to be around them 24hrs/day all the while.

I recommend the Rajavej Hospital (Private) just off chayagkul rd (Next door to BigC). The treatment is first class and not expensive.

If you are hel_l bent on Sisaket then give it a try for a few days first before comitting yourself but based on your concerns for your children's health and lungs i'd advise ubon but its down to everyone's personal prefferences at the end of the day. Ubon also enables you to shop, eat/dine, drink and sight see with ease where as I always found sisaket boring but that's just me.....some people prefer an isolated life but i like to be near shops, hospitals and restaurants when over in thailand.

Edited August 12, 2007 by StinkyMudFish

[roietjimmy]

If you are hel_l bent on Sisaket then give it a try for a few days first before comitting yourself

Sound advice.

[citizen33]

The best hospital care in Isaan is probably that provided by the two large tertiary care centres in Khon Kaen, especially the Srinagarind University hospital. Private hospitals are of variable quality. They may be good for routine elective procedures but are not the best option for a serious acute condition. RoiEt Jimmy's comment about '30 baht scheme hospitals' is rather misleading because all public hospitals and many private hospitals participate in the scheme. It is a funding mechanism (an insurance programme) rather than a separate division of the health care system. Indeed at the inception of the 30 baht scheme many private hospitals that wished to participate were unable to meet the accreditation requirements, usually because they did not offer the full range of required services. In Kalasin, where residents in the muang area had the option of registering with the contracting unit run by the provincial public hospital or the one run by the main private hospital, the latter found it difficult to recruit sufficient members, allegedly because of distrust about quality. Other cities in Isaan such as Mahasarakham and Ubon have established medical schools but the associated hospitals are not yet up to the standard of Khon Kaen.

[mark100]

Just curious where you are moving to, we are building a home a couple miles outside of kanthalax, which is about 10 miles from camboidian border.

Best bet would be the hospitals in Ubon, dont know much about the ones in Si Saket.

l will try to pronounce my wifes village literally as she says it Guangerab 22 k from the border.

[mark100]

Hi been living in Pattaya for the last 5 years with my wife and 3 year old daughterand against my better judgement we are upping sticks and moving to my wife's village 1 hour from Si-Saket near the cambodian border !!! Have to say we are doing this for health reasons my little girl suffers from breathing problems and we could no longer make suffer the polluted air of Pattaya.

Hoping someone out there could give me the run-down on Si-Saket and Ubonratchatani, hospitals, bars things to do etc. Thanks

Hello and Welcome here in SiSaket. We live in Sisaket now 11 years and we are still happy. If you need some Informations check the Maps of Sisaket for Visitors or when you' re in Town , visit me at the Livin'in the Past. The pub is near the policestation. You can met there other Expats and you can get Information about Sisaket. I hope i will see you soon.

Frank and Nong

Im the UK until Friday but the week after will be in Si-Saket will drop by Thanks.

[mark100]

If health reasons are involved, the last thing I would do is move to Issan, I would move the a cleaner area but still within range of decent hospitals. Some of my extended family have had some very dodgy experiences with hospitals in Issan.

Thanks will have a good look around the area, not dead set on my wife's village will keep an open mind.

[mark100]

I will be settling in Khun Han 50km south of Sisaket not far from the border.

The local hopsital there is great for basic care

Am not into the bar scene so would not know

Do drop in Frank's place in Sisaket as suggested as you will be welcomed and gather loads of info.

Life is quiet and healthy in the villages

A big change if you liked the bar scene of Pattaya !

Thanks for the advice

[roietjimmy]

RoiEt Jimmy's comment about '30 baht scheme hospitals' is rather misleading because all public hospitals and many private hospitals participate in the scheme.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek with no intent to mislead. The point is choose your health care facility with care or you will live (assuming you survive) to regret it. As in Bangkok, Pattaya, etc. there are many facilities staffed by indifferent personnel and inadequate diagnostic equipment to treat anything more than a common cold. Isaan, as Citizen33 states, has some fine facilities so health care should not be among the reasons to avoid living here.

[mark100]

My wife is also from Sisaket and I suffer with Asthma, HayFeaver, Alergies to animal fur and have eczema. My son's suffer with similar conditions but not as bad. If you are planning to move into the village where your inlaws reside then think again. The village can be very dusty environments with dogs, chicken and any number of other animals wandering around. For me it was hel_l and my sons' skin came out in a rash in no time at all. I now have to restrict family visits in/out to a day max:

However, we decided for this very reason of health that Ubon Ratchathani city was the better option as it has better hospitals and having a house on the outskirts meant relatively cleaner alergen free air. It also keeps us at a distance from Sisaket of 45-60 mins drive making in-laws/family accessible but retaining our privacy so we don't have to be around them 24hrs/day all the while.

I recommend the Rajavej Hospital (Private) just off chayagkul rd (Next door to BigC). The treatment is first class and not expensive.

If you are hel_l bent on Sisaket then give it a try for a few days first before comitting yourself but based on your concerns for your children's health and lungs i'd advise ubon but its down to everyone's personal prefferences at the end of the day. Ubon also enables you to shop, eat/dine, drink and sight see with ease where as I always found sisaket boring but that's just me.....some people prefer an isolated life but i like to be near shops, hospitals and restaurants when over in thailand.

My daughter is 3 now and since the day she was born we have had trouble with her health, mainly she gets hot then she can't breathe and she ends up in the Bangkok Pattaya Hosipital for 2or 3 days then she will come out for 2or 3 weeks and then back him with the same problems. We have had every test you could imagine done to her to determine what was wrong , and every doctor gives a different opinion. Many have said the hot air in Thailand makes young children prone to infection, but none could pinpoint her problem. So we have carried on like this for the last 3 years and probably spent more than 2 million baht the last visit 2 months ago was 90,000 baht!! For the last 6 weeks my wife and daughter have been in my wifes village visiting her family and touch wood by daughter has been fine, so we think it could be something to do with the air in Pattaya. My wife told me the other day that Sophie can play in the village all day with her friends without any discomfort, but in Pattaya she looks out of breath quickly if running around. So based upon this there is no way we will be moving back to Pattaya !!

What you were saying about the dust and problems in the village seems to be a common issue with many people on this forum so i will definitely consider this.

Ubon is one of the areas we were looking at for all the reasons you mentioned in your reply and if it was up to me that is where we would be. Have to say my wife is very open minded and is not set on her own village, she told me all the problems with living in her village right from the start.

Just nice to know there is life in these places as l have never been to this part of Thailand will be coming the week after next to have a good look around Si-Saket/ Ubon though.

Thanks for your reply Mark

[mark100]

The best hospital care in Isaan is probably that provided by the two large tertiary care centres in Khon Kaen, especially the Srinagarind University hospital. Private hospitals are of variable quality. They may be good for routine elective procedures but are not the best option for a serious acute condition. RoiEt Jimmy's comment about '30 baht scheme hospitals' is rather misleading because all public hospitals and many private hospitals participate in the scheme. It is a funding mechanism (an insurance programme) rather than a separate division of the health care system. Indeed at the inception of the 30 baht scheme many private hospitals that wished to participate were unable to meet the accreditation requirements, usually because they did not offer the full range of required services. In Kalasin, where residents in the muang area had the option of registering with the contracting unit run by the provincial public hospital or the one run by the main private hospital, the latter found it difficult to recruit sufficient members, allegedly because of distrust about quality. Other cities in Isaan such as Mahasarakham and Ubon have established medical schools but the associated hospitals are not yet up to the standard of Khon Kaen.

Thanks for the info Mark.

[mark100]

RoiEt Jimmy's comment about '30 baht scheme hospitals' is rather misleading because all public hospitals and many private hospitals participate in the scheme.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek with no intent to mislead. The point is choose your health care facility with care or you will live (assuming you survive) to regret it. As in Bangkok, Pattaya, etc. there are many facilities staffed by indifferent personnel and inadequate diagnostic equipment to treat anything more than a common cold. Isaan, as Citizen33 states, has some fine facilities so health care should not be among the reasons to avoid living here.

Thanks for reply Mark

[citizen33]

RoiEt Jimmy said: "My comment was a bit tongue in cheek with no intent to mislead. The point is choose your health care facility with care or you will live (assuming you survive) to regret it. As in Bangkok, Pattaya, etc. there are many facilities staffed by indifferent personnel and inadequate diagnostic equipment to treat anything more than a common cold. Isaan, as Citizen33 states, has some fine facilities so health care should not be among the reasons to avoid living here."

I didn't mean to sound too critical! It's just that there is a lot of confusion about the 30 baht scheme, which has its limitations but also its good points. Generally I find Roi Et Jimmy's posts very informative.

[jackmuu]

If health reasons are involved, the last thing I would do is move to Issan, I would move the a cleaner area but still within range of decent hospitals. Some of my extended family have had some very dodgy experiences with hospitals in Issan.

Hey Jackmuu please tell us more. I'm not sure what you mean by moving to a cleaner area. Isaan is a much cleaner and healthier environment than Bangkok or Pattaya.

I think you misunderstood, maybe I wasn't clear (sorry) I meant a cleaner area than he is currently in.

[Vegemite]

Ubon is really worth a look.

It has a lot going for it. A large river running through the middle of it, close to that really large river that I allways spell wrong " Mea Khong " ( sorry ).

The people that I met were really nice.

There didnt seem to be a lot of Farang in Ubon and I had trouble finding food other than KFC and some pizza chain. And The Wrong Way Cafe wich serves great food.

I had trouble finding food to cook.

But it seems to be a bit off the beaten track for Farang and that isnt allways a bad thing.

Definately worth a look.

[Farma]

Vegemite if you’re looking for a steak in Ubon I found a nice little restaurant serving western style steaks and other food near the Ubon airport. I got the impression it’d been set up to cater for the Americans when they were based there. It’s worth a visit if you’re in need of a steak and the prices were reasonable.

I can’t remember the name. As you drive towards the Ubon airport gate turn right into the last street before the gate. The restaurant is a hundred metres or so down the soi on the right side. Inside it has a country style theme.

[Farma]

There’s plenty of shopping in Ubon. You have Makro, Big C and Tesco/Lotus to choose from. They have a good selection of fresh and packaged western ingredients and fresh vegetables for cooking.

I’ve also found American baked beans and Campbell’s tinned soups in the big warehouse place opposite Ubon Wasuda across the bridge on the way to Warin Chamrap.

Living upcountry a lot of things are available if you spend the time looking and asking friends.

[bergen]

Vegemite if you’re looking for a steak in Ubon I found a nice little restaurant serving western style steaks and other food near the Ubon airport. I got the impression it’d been set up to cater for the Americans when they were based there. It’s worth a visit if you’re in need of a steak and the prices were reasonable.

I can’t remember the name. As you drive towards the Ubon airport gate turn right into the last street before the gate. The restaurant is a hundred metres or so down the soi on the right side. Inside it has a country style theme.

I think the place you meen is called Grand Pa's place.

I would consider Wrongway to be better though, especially with their new menu.

A couple of up-market and very good evening restaurants are The Smile in Sinarong rd.,

and Jum-pa-hom by the traffic lights east of Laithong hotel.

Makro - Big C, and Tesco Lotus are now quite good on farang food, and Makro is very good on frozen imported meat from Aus and NZ. and with a wide selection of frozen seafood!

[Bicko]

There appear to be umpteen Farangs living in Buriram town or the surrounding are. What makes Buriram so special?? Why are there so many (???) Farangs living there????

Many of us live quite a way from Buri Ram town. I think you will find that Buri Ram province is the biggest province in Thailand. I live near Lam Plai mat and about 60 kms from BR town and about 100 kms to Korat. We visit and shop in both cities.

BR is not the most beautiful or scenic part of Thailand by any stretch of the imagination but it's just a great place to live. It's pretty flat and mostly rice growing farms. It's cheap. nice people, many traditional Thai customs are still observed and people live a simple lifestyle, There is a very strong Lao influence and many people speak Thai and Lao.

The ancient Khmer temples in southern BR and the history of the region is an attraction for me. AND ISAAN FOOD IS AWESOME!!!!

Isaan is poles apart from the Thailand of Pattaya and Bangkok. BR and similar areas represent the real Thailand.

[joeuk1]

The only reason I did not buy the Vios was that long waiting period...

In my opinion Vios is the best option. But how long is the waiting period you mentioned?

WCA

The reason Buriram has many Farang is because Buriram lady loves farang too much

JB