Why Not Bangkok

[Teach]

OK all you non Bangkokians, what's so special about where you live. This is only open to those living here ( at least half the time).

What's life like in the villages where some of you have suggested you are the only farang, are you there by accident, circumstance, or am I missing out on something.

This should remain quite sedate but then again.....

Teach

[Axel]

When I started reading in this forum I was impressed by people explaining their life in the '...rams and the ...buris'. No offence, it just never came to my mind to live outside of a big city.

However, great stories by some being the only farang on the country-side.

Perhaps, somebody brought up in big cities, like myself would not enjoy, but I would love to hear more from people living and enjoying the rural areas.

I alays enjoy to go up-country, know the people, they know me, but after 2-3 days it's time to go back to Bangkok.

[splitlid]

When i first came here my company gave me the option of staying in bkk everyday and commuting the 2 hours journey to work, or staying near the factory.

i chose to live near the factory.its a small town , when people ask me how big it is i say that it has 1 seven/eleven. They seem to understand easier.

anyway, this is my third year in the same place and i still love it as mush as i did when i first came.

smiling faces,people recognising me,kids staring as though im from a different planet.

the place has a real innocence that bangkok dosnt.

mind you there are setbacks...no cheese...fresh milk or meats, etc..thats always a journey to bangkok.but then i usually make a weekend of it and let my hair down as well.so i get the best of both worlds really.

lucky pr1ck that i am.

[RamdomChances]

Ok I live in a small village in Nakorn Sawan, and my nearest falang neibour is about 50km away.

We've got a dairy farm, shop and lorry.

Its a really small village and about 80% of the people that live here are all related, on big family.

I think the advantages are nicer, more genuine people, peace, quiet, clean air, cost, learn to speak thai quickly ect

Dissadvantages, vert quiet, if you cant speak thai you will be 100% dependant on you wife/GF, nearest supermarket 70km away (although I can be in BKK in 2 hrs), no night live/entertainment, no land line (this is satillite internet)

Anyway I love it up here and could never live in BKK, but then again I did'nt come from a city enviroment. Its not for everyone though, and even I need to take a "civilisation break" now and again.

Cheers RC

[Gazza]

In 1990 I lived for a year and a half in a small village near the banks of the Maekhong between That Phanom and Nakhon Phanom. Having to leave the village every three months to go down to Malaysia for a border run or Penang for a visa used to fill me with dread. After travelling through/to BKK, Hat Yai and Penang, I was always reluctant to want to go back to the village, preferring instead the ability to enjoy the nightlife, farang food, farang company etc. in the cities to the quietness of idyllic country living.

Arriving back at the village it would take me a few days to settle back into village life again. Of course at that time Laos wasn't open to tourism but had they been, I could've done a visa run in a matter of hours instead of 3 or 4 days and would've made life a bit more bearable and cheaper too. There was only one other farang living nearby (15kms) and he was my milkman Haven't been back since but my wife tells me that there's quite a few farangs now living in and around the village.

At that time it was great living there, very few villagers had pick ups trucks, only one land line in the next village, bi-weekly outdoor cinemas were set up in the temple grounds, numerous parties and festivals etc.

Now I'm living in a mubaan on the outskirts of BKK. It's kind of a fusion of upcountry village life and living in the city.

Gazza