35 minutes ago, Maxbkkcm said:

Which town specifically you recommend in there?

Depends on what you want and need. For a few months, or to live there.

Need all things catering to westerner's lifestyle, food, bars, good hospitals if old, then Hua Hin.

Can live local's lifestyle, minimal western food, not so many AC venues, no nightlife, no real trauma hospital, then Muang, Prachuap Khiri Khan (PKK)

In between PKK & Chumphon, even less western comforts. Chumphon and Surat Thani are good size metro areas. Nakhon Si Thammarat is nice, as is Krabi. Phang Nga has limited western comforts, except Khao Lak.

10 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

The video talks about western food not Thai food. People who prefer western food probably should choose a different country as only Thai food is cheap.

It's cheap for a reason ... low quality meats, corners cut, made in bulk, stored, etc

If you want quality you will have to pay.

2 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

It's cheap for a reason ... low quality meats, corners cut, made in bulk, stored, etc

If you want quality you will have to pay.

Quality meat is expensive and always has been. The video guy would know that. He offers no reasoning for a 500 baht night out in Bangkok and says "bat" as another suggested. Be hard to find a worse and more useless Thai video. He could have shown a mix of prices across a dozen items to give some useful insight. Soy milk for instance is cheap and fortified with vitamins. Fresh coconut prices and other items. Cost of running a motorbike. Chicken liver, fish and kebab stick prices. Cost of a train ticket, some sports stadiums with pools, musuems, night markets, English breakfast.

9 minutes ago, Rockyroad said:

Quality meat is expensive and always has been. The video guy would know that. He offers no reasoning for a 500 baht night out in Bangkok and says "bat" as another suggested. Be hard to find a worse and more useless Thai video. He could have shown a mix of prices across a dozen items to give some useful insight. Soy milk for instance is cheap and fortified with vitamins. Fresh coconut prices and other items. Cost of running a motorbike. Chicken liver, fish and kebab stick prices. Cost of a train ticket, some sports stadiums with pools, musuems, night markets, English breakfast.

Didn't watch the vid, but reads like the usual papaya & mango comparisons.

Using Numbeo site for city comparison is usually fairly accurate, if not considering rent & home prices, as location location location affects any RE pricing.

You can pull up the prices of most things to do your own comparisons; Walmart vs Makro. I've peeked at menus of old haunts back in the USA, and gotten a bit of sticker shock. But then others, I peek at, and think cost same as TH.

Just another ranting maniac on YT, looking for clicks.

Guy is disgusting and I would challenge a liar spitting out how things have gone up 4 to 5 times.

Probably claims Thais are all about the money yet, he is a perfect hypocritical example as to who is all about the money. Pakistan and Libya are listed a cheap he should consider moving there.

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Just another ranting maniac on YT, looking for clicks.

He might have been screwed out of his house in a divorce here because he made another video called "Only an idiot gets married in Thailand".

He might be bitter due to setbacks.

Thailand can work out or if it doesnt can make a man bitter.

He looks like he's going off the rails in Thailand. All his topics seem to be negative. There are probably a lot of long-timers who go down this path of bitterness and regret being in Thailand 20 years.

There are some valid points. The costs of condos in Bangkok can probably rival the cost of condos in Toronto, but no one is forcing you to live in central Bangkok if you want to cut costs.

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

He might have been screwed out of his house in a divorce here because he made another video called "Only an idiot gets married in Thailand".

He might be bitter due to setbacks.

Thailand can work out or if it doesnt can make a man bitter.

There are some valid points. The costs of condos in Bangkok can probably rival the cost of condos in Toronto, but no one is forcing you to live in central Bangkok if you want to cut costs.

If I would have left, right after 1st Thai divorce, then I could easily make anti TH vids. I'd have blame TH instead of my ignorance though.

Raising daughter and having 2nd Thai wife has been BLISS.

It's worth listening to this guy and comparing it with yer own notes. Everybody's situation & perspective is different, there is no single answer. Make up yer own mind.

Well I suppose I could understand the OP's stance if all this happened is two or three or fives years...but twenty years? The majority of people's outlook on life will change in twenty 20 years for a start and one could on and on about changes that take place in twenty years. Over a span of twenty years one should expect considerable change.

12 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

The video talks about western food not Thai food. People who prefer western food probably should choose a different country as only Thai food is cheap.

When I was there in 2024, I was typically paying 4-6 dollars (US) for a "Full English Breakfast", not as cheap as Thai food but still much cheaper than breakfast in the US. Not exactly what I wanted for breakfast, but close enough.

He compares it to living in Manchester.

But come on , who wants to live in Manchester ?

And like so many Westerners, he talks about living in a condo. I found a number of very affordable apartments in the center of Pattaya. It's not all high rise buildings. I found one studio apartment for 8000 baht right in the center of town with a dozen places that I was eating breakfast within a 10 minute walk. Easy to live without a car or motorbike. Party areas 5 minutes away.

Yeah, it's not the 200 sq. meter house that I live in now, but I don't need a 4 bedroom house. Being able to get rid of my cars would save me a few hundred dollars a month. Not being in suburbia would be a major benefit, I had a far more active social life in Pattaya than I have here.

I do not know anyone personally that moved here because it cheap. ack to SoCalall moved either for work, or because they liked It.

Once my kid is out of school I may move back to SoCal

1 minute ago, technoronin said:

And like so many Westerners, he talks about living in a condo. I found a number of very affordable apartments in the center of Pattaya. It's not all high rise buildings. I found one studio apartment for 8000 baht right in the center of town with a dozen places that I was eating breakfast within a 10 minute walk. Easy to live without a car or motorbike. Party areas 5 minutes away.

Yeah, it's not the 200 sq. meter house that I live in now, but I don't need a 4 bedroom house. Being able to get rid of my cars would save me a few hundred dollars a month. Not being in suburbia would be a major benefit, I had a far more ,000active social life in Pattaya than I have here.

My in-laws have three shop houses in Prawet, Bangkok. All 4 1/2 floors. They rent one out for B8,000 a month.

33 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

Once my kid is out of school I may move back to SoCal

Or Americans may have the option to move to the new 51st State CUBA soon.

Better beaches, better food, better cigars, better women, cheaper wine.

33 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Or Americans may have the option to move to the new 51st State CUBA soon.

Better beaches, better food, better cigars, better women, cheaper wine.

I worked in Miami quite a bit and have no interest in Cuba. In any event, I don't smoke, don't drink and I already have all the woman I can handle.

Point Loma for me...

13 hours ago, Celsius said:

I can't afford a house in Toronto, it's 2 million.

Condo is walking distance to everything. Hospitals, beautiful lake, city airport, central station, grocery stores.... but yes, I would like to have a music studio for example which is impossible to do in a condo.

Having a woman 24/7 with you yapping? No thanks

Does your wife mind you sitting at home at 52 while she works. None of my business I suppose.

5 hours ago, still kicking said:

Ratchaburi

Your geographical knowledge matches your sense of humour.

57 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Or Americans may have the option to move to the new 51st State CUBA soon.

Better beaches, better food, better cigars, better women, cheaper wine.

I understand the Bay of Pigs is a good place to launch an invasion.

14 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

Go to basic restaurant then walk along the street markets, then go home.

OK in terms of a 500 baht night out, but not exactly a walk on the wild side.

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

My in-laws have three shop houses in Prawet, Bangkok. All 4 1/2 floors. They rent one out for B8,000 a month.

Most expats would probably not want to live there because it's too far from the party scene. They rent over-priced condos near Sukhumvit and party 7 nights a week on over-priced rooftop bars and then complain Thailand is expensive.

55 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Or Americans may have the option to move to the new 51st State CUBA soon.

Better beaches, better food, better cigars, better women, cheaper wine.

Nah, they seem to get hit by hurricanes too much. Same with Puerto Rico, as an option for retirement. Great diving of W. coast, as a really nice wall there.

I could go for a good Cuban (panini) though, and make them at home quite a bit. Use to hang out at Ybor City (Tampa area), decades ago. Get my Salsa freak on with the chicas.

I read the 'Cuban' has gone the way of the 'Philly Cheesesteak' and everyone serves now, and most suck. That's a shame, as great sandwich when done right. Not sure how you F it up, as too simple.

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

Most expats would probably not want to live there because it's too far from the party scene. They rent over-priced condos near Sukhumvit and party 7 nights a week on over-priced rooftop bars and then complain Thailand is expensive.

Boring people trying to not be bored. I did the bar thing for a while, but it got old pretty quick.

I had a good buddy (RIP Donnie) that had a job running the spotlight at an "upscale" strip joint. He said after a couple days, he was reading a book.

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Nah, they seem to get hit by hurricanes too much.

I could go for a good Cuban (panini) though, and make them at home quite a bit. Use to hang out at Ybor City (Tampa area), decades ago. Get my Salsa freak on with the chicas.

I read the 'Cuban' has gone the way of the 'Philly Cheesesteak' and everyone serves now, and most suck. That's a shame, as great sandwich when done right. Not sure how you F it up, as too simple.

I remember Cuban sandwiches in Miami back in the '80s, and never thought they were all that. Good bread and coffee though...

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

I remember Cuban sandwiches in Miami back in the '80s, and never thought they were all that. Good bread and coffee though...

Come on man ... Roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles & mustard in grilled bread, F'ing A.

Had a roast pork sandwich last night, and first thing that crossed my mind, 'damn, wish it was a Cuban', as tasty as it was.

14 hours ago, Celsius said:

Yea, I like living in big cities because of access to everything, especially airports in case things go titz up

Similarly in the suburbs where I don't have a car and use cheap public transportation and inexpensive commercial auto/motorcycle transportation.

13 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

and inexpensive commercial auto/motorcycle transportation.

this is one area where people cut corners in thailand to save money compared to owning a car back home ... but to me, motorcycles are not the safest way to commute

Over the years I recall many brilliant posters here who used things like the price of letuce or cheese in Miami as an indication of the comparitive COL with Thailand. Not exactly all-encompassing. This guy is similar.

Of course the popularity of a place directly impacts the costs as wealthy tourists and their profit takng service people flock in. It happens everywhere. When I first visited Bali in 1976 there were only 2 hotels in the village of Kuta and open countryside all around. Look at what it has become. I left Phuket after 10 years for similar reasons.

For me, as an intergrated expat here and not a quasi tourist, Thailand still has tremendous savings for day to day living. How much to fix your car or washing machine in Canada? I've had a guy come to my place, spend many hours under The Vios dropping the tank and replacing the fuel lines and asking only the equivilant of 12 bucks for his work! (He got a lot more)

Yesterday we hired an excavator to dig two largish ponds and paid the equiviland of 664 aud. (220 aud of that was attributed to fuel rises because of the orange fascist's war) I hate to think what that job would cost in Australia.

We're currently building new housing, a storage shed and even a small coffee business for a tiny fraction of what it would cost in western countries. There it would all still be held up in various govt agencies awaiting expensive permits!

58 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Come on man ... Roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles & mustard in grilled bread, F'ing A.

Had a roast pork sandwich last night, and first thing that crossed my mind, 'damn, wish it was a Cuban', as tasty as it was.

Good sandwiches, sure, but great? No. Give me a hot pastrami, Ruben, kielbasa or even a patty-melt any day.

I grew up eating great food. My mother was a great cook and worked as a baker, and my dad had worked as a cook for a few years before they were married.

15 hours ago, Rockyroad said:

According the internet Chumphon is 50% cheaper for living than Chiang Mai and 100% cheaper than Bangkok.

Lovely town, especially Tung Wa Laeng, but more for dotage years really. Any juice left in the batteries and Hua Hin/PKK would be preferable.

I also think you'd really need some decent Thai proficiency if you wanted to live in Chumpon happily.

It's on my list of possible final destinations on the planet.