Setting Up In Pattaya

[philliphn]

What are the good choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What are the bad choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What choices/decisions would you repeat or not? If you had it to do over again.

Edited March 28, 2009 by philliphn

[runner]

What are the good choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What are the bad choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What choices/decisions would you repeat or not? If you had it to do over again.

Just move here. It's not real complicated.

[Jingthing]

It's a legit question.

The list is long but for a starter I will say if you are going to buy a condo do not buy a small studio if you are going to live here full time. I think such a small space can lead to depression. I didn't buy so small and am happy about that.

I have been very happy with Siam Commercial Bank. I also overall have been satisfied with TOT DSL, you won't hear that from everybody.

The biggest mistake in setup that I can think of is buying a fabric sofa that cannot be fully cleaned. This is the tropics, you need to be able to clean things or they rot.

Edited March 28, 2009 by Jingthing

[patsfangr]

What are the good choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What are the bad choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What choices/decisions would you repeat or not? If you had it to do over again.

Moving to Pattaya was bad choice all the way for me. I believe that would be the case for anyone who places a high value (whether they realize it or not) on having order in their daily life; reliability and ethics in doing everyday business; reasonably consistent effort by law enforcement to do their job; and a reasonably clean environment.

If I had it to do over again, I would have chosen a far less "jaded, commericial and corrupt" area to live in, such as Korat or Chaing Mai. Pattaya is a town for "party people" and thieves. Decent people should choose to live elsewhere.

[thaimate]

What are the good choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What are the bad choices/decisions you made setting up in Pattaya?

What choices/decisions would you repeat or not? If you had it to do over again.

Moving to Pattaya was bad choice all the way for me. I believe that would be the case for anyone who places a high value (whether they realize it or not) on having order in their daily life; reliability and ethics in doing everyday business; reasonably consistent effort by law enforcement to do their job; and a reasonably clean environment.

If I had it to do over again, I would have chosen a far less "jaded, commericial and corrupt" area to live in, such as Korat or Chaing Mai. Pattaya is a town for "party people" and thieves. Decent people should choose to live elsewhere.

i dont wish to be rude,but what a load of b-llocks,we live on the outskirts of Pattaya ,have a son who goes to a great school ,we have all the ammenaties of Bangkok and indeed bkk at the end of the motorway,we have world class hospitals ,great dentists and doctors and fantastic beaches not far away .

if your a party person ,live in town ,if not live outside and have the quiet life.

as for what to do and not to do ,only the original poster knows what his lifestyle is ,but in todays economic climate i wouldnt buy but rent and yes not to small ,if you like to travell around ,get a car .

just do it if you can afford it,its not cheap here if you want a high old time.

[patklang]

My only bad move was to rent a condo on the 13th floor on a 6 month lease.I had never lived in a condo and i was always thinking of a fire and actualy dreaming about it too.After 3 months i found a 2 bed bungalow for 5,500 baht a month,and fully furnished.

Now, 6 years down the road i am still very happy in Pattaya and there is always the east side if i want more peace and quiet.

[samuibeachcomber]

My only bad move was to rent a condo on the 13th floor on a 6 month lease.I had never lived in a condo and i was always thinking of a fire and actualy dreaming about it too.After 3 months i found a 2 bed bungalow for 5,500 baht a month,and fully furnished.

Now, 6 years down the road i am still very happy in Pattaya and there is always the east side if i want more peace and quiet.

thats a good rental price,can i ask you what area of town you live in?

[NanLaew]

My only bad move was to rent a condo on the 13th floor on a 6 month lease.I had never lived in a condo and i was always thinking of a fire and actualy dreaming about it too.After 3 months i found a 2 bed bungalow for 5,500 baht a month,and fully furnished.

Now, 6 years down the road i am still very happy in Pattaya and there is always the east side if i want more peace and quiet.

thats a good rental price,can i ask you what area of town you live in?

Sshhhh pat.... don't even think about telling 'em where we are or else all the cheap charlies will start moving in and bugger up the 'hood.

[Jingthing]

Chaing Mai.

Chiang Mai air pollution is much worse than Pattaya.

[Tokay]

Coming from the midwest I can't really say that I save money while in Thailand. I think I spend a little more. Keep in mind, from Ohio, it was DIRTY CHEAP to live there, as Thailand was 10 years ago when I first came here.

The good: Always something new if you keep your eyes open. It's close to the airport and BKK is a great hub to travel and see the rest of Asia. It's entertaining. It's different than the life you currently live. You are forced to learn a new way of life. You can be reminded daily that you are indeed a "sexy man" should you feel the need to be reminded. Girls galore.

The bad: If you can't "check yourself" with booze or women, you will spend the bulk of your money here. The Thais in Pattaya are among the worst I have EVER encountered in my entire life. Most of them (not all) are real bottom feeders (and the same can be said about many falang here). Traffic is a mess, pollution is bad and overall its a low life city unless you live on the outskirts or in a gated area and have a little money.

Personally I will be moving out of Pattaya soon. Maybe not far out, maybe Rayong, but Pattaya is not a place I want to be anymore. It's not the Thailand I fell in love with so many years ago and truth be told I don't even know why I settled here for so long. I just got comfortable I guess.

[patklang]

My only bad move was to rent a condo on the 13th floor on a 6 month lease.I had never lived in a condo and i was always thinking of a fire and actualy dreaming about it too.After 3 months i found a 2 bed bungalow for 5,500 baht a month,and fully furnished.

Now, 6 years down the road i am still very happy in Pattaya and there is always the east side if i want more peace and quiet.

thats a good rental price,can i ask you what area of town you live in?

Sshhhh pat.... don't even think about telling 'em where we are or else all the cheap charlies will start moving in and bugger up the 'hood.

Hehehehehehehhe this was 5 years ago and i knew the guy who give me a great bargain.Moved to a 2 story house for 9,000 a month then bought my own.

[patklang]

Sorry, i live in Pattaya

[Jingthing]

The OP has decided on Pattaya. This is not the place for Pattaya bashing.

I LOVE PATTAYA!

It only gets better and better.

[torrenova]

OK, I don't care how many times you have been here, rent before you buy. If you can, organise it so your lease finishes during the quiet times. Much easier to get a bargain in July than November !

You will need way more money than you think. Your first 6 months and perhaps up to a year will set the way you live and the friends you make. Fiends on holiday are not the same. You will reduce expenses going forward but initially, you will need to be more socially outgoing.

If you can afford it, get a car or a truck. Admittedly I only got one when the missus was pregnant and we moved out a bit but after having one, I realised just how much easier the whole life was. Everything before was a hassle transport wise and now, nothing is an issue.

I bought an auto (really should be for here) Isuzu D-Max. Highlander, 2WD, 4 door. Drives great, can do anything. Car wise I'd probably have bought a Vios or a Honda City. All around 800k and when you factor in depreciation, insurance and al running costs, you are probably looking at about 100k a year. It is worth umpteen times that amount for your freedom. I would not buy into the "get a bike" crap. OK for some but if you can afford wheels, get some.

If renting, the condo versus house debate depends upon where you want to live. If you really want to be in party town most times you go out then presuming you don't drink and drive, you should really be on a baht bus route as eventually you will have the motorbike taxi accident. Price wise, condos on those routes are much better value than houses.

Go past Sukhumvit and you can get a nice 2 bed 2 bath house for less than 10k per month. Stand alone bungalows can be had for 10-12k though some people will ask 15k+ Somewhere like Soi Khaotalo has enough local bars for an evening beer and company, a local market and 7/11s and banks etc. Going further out I find it too barren and you really have to travel everywhere for the simplest things.

Don't underestimate companionship if you do not already have a partner. The vast majority of guys, whether they play around or not, have a live in or a succession of live ins. Don't rush into this but don't be afraid of it either. Get a girl who has a job and an income, not a hooker. Nothing wrong per se with bar girls but the fact is that the are inherently lazy, want easy money (or they would do a normal job), think nothing of fuc_king around and largely have no aspirations. Nor do they have anything to do and that is the greatest problem.

Get a girl with a job and I don't mean someone working 12 hours a day 7 days a week and you will have your free time, she will have her own income and if you do live together, keep her place on for a while in case it does not work out. That way she is not under your feet but you still have 1 or 2 days a week free together. Even part time work is sometimes enough but no work means problems.

If buying, then get a condo. Houses can be acquired through what are technically illegal bogus companies, whatever the real estate people say but you never know when they will clamp down on that. However, there are some nice houses available at some good prices and though I caution against it, I now know I prefer a house. For years, I preferred a condo. What I do know is that in a house you are more content to stay home whereas even with a large and nice condo, there is a greater desire to get out.

Overall, think before you make any important decisions. There are always bargains to be had, not only the one you see today. Think logically, going to see houses (many advertised with a sign outside) is impossible without your own transport and you will soon get pissed off with a bike. In air conditioned comfort in your own wheels you are fine.

So what would I do ? well I've lived here for years but with that experience I'd rent a detached house in an estate off one of the main Sois off Sukhumvit. Some amenities nearby but easy options to town should you want. If I knew nobody and wanted to go into town each day the I'd rent a condo in somewhere like View Talay 1 or 2 for 6 months. Peaceful but in town in 10 minutes. Cut the size of the condo or to a semi house to reduce costs. I'd maybe rent some wheels for the first 6 months, changing after a month or so to see what I liked. As for girls, then just go with the flow.

The biggest thing you have to figure out is just how much cash you have to buy all the big ticket items you need first off. Car, truck, computer, appliances perhaps etc. Then you need to see what you will have realistically each month. Then work out if you can live well enough on 50% to 75% of what you have coming in. If so, then you should be ok.