I've got a female acquaintance (friend of my sister's) who has heard enough of me talking about Bangkok and Phuket and has decided to move to the Land of Smiles for a year. Her work is done remotely, so a high speed internet connection is all she needs in that regard. She's not a "big city" person.....and didn't care much for Bangkok (I love Bangkok!!). She also doesn't want to live in Phuket or Pattaya.....as she would prefer something more quiet.

Her ideal place would be a beach town.....with at least one high quality grocery store, gym, and international caliber hospital / clinic. She would be living alone and doesn't want to live in a house. Rather, she would prefer a fully serviced, one bedroom apartment. She's from California and she says what she wants is a "high end apartment" that is also quiet....but near the beach.

I've done all I can for her.....but my experience is limited to Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.....and while she doesn't know where she DOES want to live....she knows she DOESN'T want to live in any of those three places.

As I read what I've written so far here.....lol!!!......it makes her sound like a "rich bitch". She's actually anything but that. Cool girl, indeed!

I also know that my question here is worded poorly and may very well attract all sorts of off topic or unhelpful replies. Maybe I can just ask for some mercy with it being Thanksgiving week....and ask that you do whatever you can to make helpful suggestions so I can put together some information for her.

So....question is.....which "beach cities" should she consider for a high end, fully serviced, quiet, safe for a single woman living alone....apartment?

CHEERS!

D

Beach town..Why donot you take a look at Hua hin. Lots of info on the net and Thaivisa

Hey Carib.....thank you for the suggestion. I've heard great things about Hua Hin.....and am more embarrassed every day that I haven't made it there for a visit. Do you / have you.....lived there? If so, what do you like best about it?

CHEERS!

D

Nope, have not lived there, but from what I know it is a good mix between a Thai and a western atmosphere.

Beach is ok, not really all that white sand everywhere, but ok. There are shops and restaurants who cater for the more western orientated person.

Lots of expats live there.

Some nice condo`s and good hotels too.

Check out the Hua Hin /Cha Am forum here on Thaivisa. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Hua-Hin-Cha-Forum-f34.html

I am sure if you have specific questions about that area, some members there will be happy to answer your questions.

Lived there last year for a couple of months. It's good.

The driving is crazy, especially the motorcycles, away from the main street, no one takes any notice of traffic lights etc.

Cha Am, 25 km north is quieter, except at weekends when the Thais arrive. It is very dirty though.

I don't know why the Scandinavians seem to have colonized it, as their countries are so clean and well organized.

You're right about Cha Am.

Hua Hin is OK though.

hua hin sounds the best to me

I think you will find the beach near Veranda Resort and Hoiliday Inn Regent to be very clean and much nicer than Hua Hins beach, for one thing it does not disapear at high tide. There are some very nice 4 and 5 star resorts nearby and many good Thai restaurants to choose from.

It is much quieter than Hua Hin and easier to drive in the traffic.

My wife and I have lived in a condo at the beach for a year and love Cha Am. Since it is very close to the kings summer palace it is very peacefull in both Cha Am and Hua Hin.

Driving through Cha Am is not at all impressive nor is the main beach but a few K out of town towards HH is very nice. Not a place to go for night life though. But only 20-30 minutes from HH nightlife and shopping.

Hope your friend finds the perfect spot.

I've got a female acquaintance (friend of my sister's) who has heard enough of me talking about Bangkok and Phuket and has decided to move to the Land of Smiles for a year. Her work is done remotely, so a high speed internet connection is all she needs in that regard. She's not a "big city" person.....and didn't care much for Bangkok (I love Bangkok!!). She also doesn't want to live in Phuket or Pattaya.....as she would prefer something more quiet.

Her ideal place would be a beach town.....with at least one high quality grocery store, gym, and international caliber hospital / clinic. She would be living alone and doesn't want to live in a house. Rather, she would prefer a fully serviced, one bedroom apartment. She's from California and she says what she wants is a "high end apartment" that is also quiet....but near the beach.

I've done all I can for her.....but my experience is limited to Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.....and while she doesn't know where she DOES want to live....she knows she DOESN'T want to live in any of those three places.

As I read what I've written so far here.....lol!!!......it makes her sound like a "rich bitch". She's actually anything but that. Cool girl, indeed!

I also know that my question here is worded poorly and may very well attract all sorts of off topic or unhelpful replies. Maybe I can just ask for some mercy with it being Thanksgiving week....and ask that you do whatever you can to make helpful suggestions so I can put together some information for her.

So....question is.....which "beach cities" should she consider for a high end, fully serviced, quiet, safe for a single woman living alone....apartment?

CHEERS!

D

Hello. Having read your friends plea, [removed phone number, use pm funtion instead]

There she can discuss her needs with the office staff. She can mention my advice if she wants.

BUT: Minimum unit is 2 BR. It will be on the safe beach both in water and out. Her only concern could be that it is more quiet than she wanted. And she will be on a high floor, secure and soaking in the views that will last her for the rest of her life. Edward

+

Well, has she got her VISA sorted yet? ++ I would suggest she should travel around a bit. ++ Seconding others, I would vote for Hua Hin as a sleepy and quiet sea place with many restaurants and amenities.

Hua Hin is exactly what I was going to say. Alternatively, anywhere along the coast near there is nice.

why no mention of Koh Samui???

why no mention of Koh Samui???

I think the original post mentioned safety.

I do not think that Samui is a safe place for a non street wise western lady.

I second the votes for Hua Hin. I love the intense life in Bangkok and was bored out of my brains in Hua Hin But it's a nice place, soft and friendly atmosphere and a general feeling of safety. Traffic is much better than in Bangkok, but beware of the unguarded railroad junctions, these are hazardous to say the least... I didn't get to see much of the beach, but the town is quite nice. There seems to be a lot of expats there, the golfing kind, if you get my drift.

just as safe as most place in Thailand, probably safer.....

I am a solo female who works via the internet as well. After 6+ years here I would not recommend the islands as a very safe destination for a solo female, especially the gulf islands of Samui and Phangan. Hua Hin might be ok- I personally hate it, but some people like it as evidenced above. Phuket or Ao Nang in Krabi are good choices. Ko Chang near Trat is iffy.

If you want quiet, safe, and near the beach, you can't get much better than Ko Chang. Although it falls short on the supermarkets.

tell her to move to Bangkok and travel around and find out for herself. If she can work anywhere just take a laptop and stay at Hau Hin, go to Ko Chang,

Sounds like a great life

Hua Hin, or somewhere like Banchang, (Rayong) sounds ideal for the lady in question.

I've got a female acquaintance (friend of my sister's) who has heard enough of me talking about Bangkok and Phuket and has decided to move to the Land of Smiles for a year. Her work is done remotely, so a high speed internet connection is all she needs in that regard. She's not a "big city" person.....and didn't care much for Bangkok (I love Bangkok!!). She also doesn't want to live in Phuket or Pattaya.....as she would prefer something more quiet.

Her ideal place would be a beach town.....with at least one high quality grocery store, gym, and international caliber hospital / clinic. She would be living alone and doesn't want to live in a house. Rather, she would prefer a fully serviced, one bedroom apartment. She's from California and she says what she wants is a "high end apartment" that is also quiet....but near the beach.

I've done all I can for her.....but my experience is limited to Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.....and while she doesn't know where she DOES want to live....she knows she DOESN'T want to live in any of those three places.

As I read what I've written so far here.....lol!!!......it makes her sound like a "rich bitch". She's actually anything but that. Cool girl, indeed!

I also know that my question here is worded poorly and may very well attract all sorts of off topic or unhelpful replies. Maybe I can just ask for some mercy with it being Thanksgiving week....and ask that you do whatever you can to make helpful suggestions so I can put together some information for her.

So....question is.....which "beach cities" should she consider for a high end, fully serviced, quiet, safe for a single woman living alone....apartment?

CHEERS!

D

Reading the post of your friend’s requirements if she decides to stay in Thailand, I would say that nowhere in Thailand would be suitable for her.

She is looking for a home from home with all the same Western mod- cons.

Thailand is completely different and has an almost opposite type of lifestyle to what your friend is used to. Roughing it a little is all part of the fun of staying in Thailand, but I doubt whether this would be of benefit for your friend.

For someone like that, she would feel more comfortable in a European country, Australia or even New Zealand.

Whilst I agree with Sassienie Ao Nang/Krabi is the safest for western females imo

Wow! Thank you so much for the comments, suggestions, and even specific recommendations. I'm not sure if it's "just me"....and if so, please know I'm trying to improve.....but a lot of the time when I ask a broad based question such as, "where is paradise in Thailand?"......the responses come in more along the lines of telling me what an idiot I am for asking that question and less along the lines of the kind of helpful information that this post has received.

Thank you again. For the time being....I'm going to recommend to my sis's friend that she absolutely book a "look around" visit to Hua Hin (I think I'll join her for that!).....and then also consider the other alternatives that were mentioned in the posts above.

Hua Hin, eh? Who'da'thunk'? :-)

CHEERS! (and happy Thanksgiving a day early)

D

I just suggested Krabi as a good place too but I wanted to add something- I went there with a farang female friend once and we decided to check out the nightlife in Krabi Town. There are just a few places (Crazy Bar, Mixer Pub, can't remember the others) so we decided to have a drink in each. They are very Thai style places, and it is rare to see a farang in them. Later in the evening when everyone around us was drunk, the ladyboys pulled us up on stage to dance with them as the token farangs. All the boys in the audience made blow job motions at us and called us names. We were a little put off by that to say the least. We decided to pay up and leave, and several boys followed us out, asking us to come home with them. Two of them actually followed us with their motorbikes all the way to our hotel about 10 minutes away. So my impression was that the young Thai guys in Krabi town succumb to the delusion that all western girls are up for going home with strangers. It is not a place that seems to have a lot of western influence. This can be dangerous. It is like this in all smaller towns in Thailand but I would have thought with the tourists coming through Krabi it might be different, but guess not.

Ao Nang/Railey seemed to be a lot more westernized, but even then we noticed some sketchy characters.

Just a tip.

GIRLX.....I'm sad to hear about the night you had in Krabi Town. Believe it or not....on some level....I can relate. When an American dude asks around for a referral to a good massage parlor, or is even more ambitious and simply walks into one.......while I won't say "most times".......certainly a LOT of the time the presumption is that he's there for more than just a massage.

Clearly not entirely analogous to your experience.....and with no intent of minimizing how awful that must have been for you and your friend............I'll say that apparently your conclusion (that a lot of locals.....not just Thai's!!.....presume that all western women are up for going home with strangers) extends to men, too....at least in some regards.

CHEERS!

D

yeah to be honest it happens a lot in thailand, in all areas... from taxi drivers in bangkok to ignorant fishermen in the middle of nowhere, just keep in mind they get a lot of their knowledge of western women from porn and the like!!!!

there is a good thread on Safety Tips for Women in Thailand on the ladies' branch which you might want to have a peek at....

why no mention of Koh Samui???

I think the original post mentioned safety.

I do not think that Samui is a safe place for a non street wise western lady.

I've lived on Samui for 5 & a half years & my Vote for the Girl is Hua Hin...