Where Is The Best Place In Thailand To Live

[bkkmadness]

Like many people here I live in Thailand full time, it's a beautiful country with lovely countryside and great islands and out of the whole country I live in Bangkok, dirty, polluted and not a green space in sight from my window. I'm sure when people from back home think of me living in Thailand they see me sitting under a palm tree eating coconuts looking out to a blue sea but it's not the case.

Of course like a lot of people I'm stuck in Bangkok because like most Bangkokians I stay here because it's the place to make money and it's convenient, but next year I hope to move out of here and to one of these dream places outside the city and get some of the quiet life.

I can't help but read Random Chances Blog (get it updated when you have time by the way, it keeps me going!) and think "that guy has got it made, he wakes up to open fields and nature everyday and can look into the sky and see stars and breathe fresh air".

Who here lives in Bangkok and wishes they didn't? Who wishes for that beach life? Who lives in these small towns that I pass by when travelling North and South?

I suppose, what I am asking is where do you live and whats the pros and cons of living there?

[Doctor John]

  I suppose, what I am asking is where do you live and whats the pros and cons of living there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I live in Pattaya:

Pros: close to Bkk airport, good shopping facilities, nice places nearby, nightlife ( if u want it )

Cons: Traffic, sex tourists, too many Farang losers that should have been deported years ago, too much of everything, can't cross the road easily, beach road is a disaster area, baht bus's etc etc.......

I am gonna move to Isaan, Mountains and Clean air, Pattaya was not so bad a few years ago, but it has got too busy and it cannot cope with the volume of traffic, every available piece of land seems to have a building project on it, it will get a lot worse than it is now.

Isaan di kwa, but Pattaya is good for a night out.

[lampard10]

  I suppose, what I am asking is where do you live and whats the pros and cons of living there?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am gonna move to Isaan, Mountains and Clean air,

For once good doctor I will agree with you. I used to live in Pattaya and had one of the big bars,but moved out to Surin seven years ago. It was a one horse town with no good roads leading in or out. Now the whole place has changed for the better. Makro,Big C,Tesco/lotus.

And of course we have some of the best looking gals in the world.

Against: Tends to be the hottest,coldest,most humid, wettest and driest place in Thailand during the various seasons. And of course it's quiet. You can do most things here that you can do in other parts. You just need to know where to go.

And of course there's me

[Shola]

I live in Bkk with my Hubby we have to be here due to business/money etc.. but absolute dream is to live on one of the Islands, Koh Chang, Samui, Sumet, Phuket, anyone! and run a resort! I love the beach, being near the sea soothes me, and i really hunger for it in Bkk.

If we ever get rich thats what I'm gonna do!

[cdnvic]

Its dirty, polluted, and has a lousy transit system but I love Chaing Mai all the same.

Have a place in Bkk near impact arena thats like a concrete jungle but its a cool neighbourhood, lively, good people, and alot of places to shop. drink and get food. Being so close to the arena brings noise some nights, but also decent transport links.

Lets just say I get awful homesick for both when I'm over here.

cv

[_Echinochloa_]

Everyone taallllkkkksss toooooooo sssllllllllooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwww on the islands Man.

Edited February 3, 2005 by _Echinochloa_

[Gazza]

I've lived in a village on the banks of the Maekong and have lived in the BKK city center.

Now I get the best of both worlds and live in a mooban on the BKK/Patum Thani border.

Easy access to city for business and shopping, while living in a little community partly surrounded by greenery.

A full days ride to the furthest of most places and only a 90 minute ride away from the mountain greenery of Khao Yai.

[deebsterlad]

I'm in Phayao, having done six months of Bangkok, a couple of years in Trat / on Koh Chang, and a year up in Pai.

Here you get seasons (cold nights in winter. And I mean cold, like 5 degrees), clean air, space, cheaper rent and general cost of living, no sex-pats, very few tourists / Khao San Roaders, open roads to drive on (but still idiotic drivers), to name a few things.

But, there is little work for a foreigner (I don't need to right now, which is one of the reasons the family and I are here), few English-speakers, less infrastructure (no broadband in the boonies), poor shopping, amenities, entertainment, social life.

So, like everywhere else in Thailand, it's a trade-off.

Having moved around as much as I have, and with friends and family also dotted around the country I'd say I've had experience of quite a few of the provinces (except for the south) and, unless money is no object, there is always something you don't like to go with what you do.

Conclusion? Who knows - we're planning to return to the UK soon anyway.

[Harmonica]

Like many people here I live in Thailand full time, it's a beautiful country with lovely countryside and great islands and out of the whole country I live in Bangkok, dirty, polluted and not a green space in sight from my window.  I'm sure when people from back home think of me living in Thailand they see me sitting under a palm tree eating coconuts looking out to a blue sea but it's not the case.

  Of course like a lot of people I'm stuck in Bangkok because like most Bangkokians I stay here because it's the place to make money and it's convenient, but next year I hope to move out of here and to one of these dream places outside the city and get some of the quiet life. 

  I can't help but read Random Chances Blog (get it updated when you have time by the way, it keeps me going!) and think "that guy has got it made, he wakes up to open fields and nature everyday and can look into the sky and see stars and breathe fresh air".

  Who here lives in Bangkok and wishes they didn't?  Who wishes for that beach life?  Who lives in these small towns that I pass by when travelling North and South?

  I suppose, what I am asking is where do you live and whats the pros and cons of living there?

Its NOT Phuket, Samui, Patty, Chiangmai or Bangkok -- what's left? ... CRai or the villages in the NW or NE --

[tuky]

Sri Racha for me!!!

Koh Loi for exercising , Robinsons for shopping (read for the wife), Time Bomb/Website for the big nights out , Tesco up the road. Ang Sila/Bang Saen. PTY just down the road.

Have a great house, fantastic family and a really great mate that I like to go fishing with.

What the heck am I doing in Sweden? oh yeah, financing it all

[bkk_mike]

Bangkok outskirts...

Air is clean, houses have gardens, theres even a small lake I can see from the windows.

We get Bangkok prices for ADSL, and I can drive in far enough to get the skytrain / subway and get to the city centre in under an hour (outside the morning rush hour).

Adding a pool is waiting until all the kids can swim, but that's about the only thing I would change. In the future, if broadband (which I need for work) gets more developed on the islands, then we might move, but the kids' schooling would probably dictate Phuket or Koh Samui. - Until then, we're happy where we are...

Edited February 3, 2005 by bkk_mike

[monty]

Live at the end of Jomtien, much more quit compared to Pattaya while being close by!

I think the entire Eastern Seaboard offers great posibilities, reasonable prices, you can live in the boonies while being only 45 minutes away from anything you need!

Only mountains we don't have here, but then again the Khao Yai reservation is only about 3 hours away from here!

[srisatch]

I lived in Phuket for nearly 5 years and got fed up with the farangs, the tourists, the Thais, nothing but money....though I loved the sea.

Then I lived in Bangkapi for 3 years which was great-small Moo Baan, had The Mall, easy to drive out of town, took the boat to Sukhumvit/Pratunam and beyond. But with small children we went 'home' to near Sukothai, which is great. Beautiful, clean, most of what you want in Phitsanulok and Chiang Mai and it has an airport-1hr to BKK and 40 mins to CNX.

It is the family home town. Wife has lots of friends who have been to University in BKK, worked and then given up on BKK.

But mainly it meets my three essentials-To be with whom I want to be with-the wife and the kids, do what I want to do..as long as I have a computer and a phone..and be where I want to be..which is the Thai countryside. We go to the seaside for holidays. The only thing I really miss is a decent bookshop but now Kinokuniya delivers!

To be fair we don't stay all year round, we do go back to Europe; but not for long. Education will in a while be the crunch-but that will be true of Anywhere in LOS.

(You can look at the pics of the place on my weblog! Don't know that it will cheer any one up, though!)

[bkkmadness]

Sounds like you lot have found some nice spots in Thailand.

Bangkok just gets a bit much sometimes. I was out the other night and we ended up in the "jungle" of sukhumvit rd after 1am and it just seems like such a dump. I remember saying to my mates that this is probably the worse place in Thailand to be right now, apart from Pattaya I suppose and parts of Samui. It's just full of alchys, losers and working girls and just seems so far removed from other parts of the country.

Because of the business I hope that will be running this year I will still need to be reasonably close to the city and since I've always lived in a city since I was a kid (London before) I always feel the need to be close to one and the conveniences it has ie. nightlife/shops and I think too far out in the sticks may be a bit much for me.

I like the idea of these moobans on the outskirts of the city though, seems a bit of the best of both worlds, a bit of fresh air and a house and garden on one hand and a big capital city on the other, maybe it's time to get to the suburbs.

What abpout you people out in the sticks, isn't the lack of facilities a pain in the arse sometimes? I suppose it is a trade off really, coz true you might not be able to go to a Japanese restuarant, but then you can always go fishing or for a nice walk at other times. Whats your thoughts?

[Neeranam]

I like the idea of these moobans on the outskirts of the city though, seems a bit of the best of both worlds, a bit of fresh air and a house and garden on one hand and a big capital city on the other, maybe it's time to get to the suburbs.

What abpout you people out in the sticks, isn't the lack of facilities a pain in the arse sometimes? I suppose it is a trade off really, coz true you might not be able to go to a Japanese restuarant, but then you can always go fishing or for a nice walk at other times. Whats your thoughts?

I lived in Bangkok for many years, once in a moobaan in Nontaburi. I thought the air was fresh there. But on moving to Isaarn, I now know that it wasn't clean at all.

It is wonderful to actually see the stars in the sky. One problem is that what was once such a revelation has become 'commonplace'. The grass is always greener, as they say. I have to go back to Bkk sometimes, which reminds me of how good it is here. Looking at all the stressed out faces on the BTS, I often wonder why some call this country LOS. I think for many people somewhere a bit farther than the suburbs of Bangkok is better. Bangkok is filthy!

What about Chachaengsao, Chonburi, or somewhere only about an hour from Bangkok if you need what she has to offer.

Pattaya is the pits!

Somewhere like Udon, Khon Kaen have Japanese restaurants and other things, obviously on a smaller scale than Bkk. Bowling, golf, fishing, cinemas,massage parlours etc.

Things are so much cheaper. Buy a nice detached house on in the suburbs of Udon Thani for 1 million baht. Wake up to the view of fields, fresh air etc.

[britmaveric]

Pattaya- has everything you need! Plenty to see/do - island beaches close by, shopping, nightlife!

[Neeranam]

Pattaya- has everything you need! Plenty to see/do - island beaches close by, shopping, nightlife!

Pattaya has everything I don't need.

Each to their own, though.

What about Hua Hin?

Edited February 3, 2005 by Neeranam

[ThaiPauly]

Hua Hin is lovely, but too hot all year round I did consider it but plumped for CMX as at leaset you get four reasonably cool months and its cheaper to live here. My wife thinks its far too cold, but she is from Surat Thani!!

[bkkmadness]

Pattaya definately not the nightlife scene for me, too much hassles down there, but Chonburi does looks nice, coastal and I love the sea, close enough to Bangkok as well.

What kind of money you lot paying for your places as well?

I pay 17 000 for my place in Bangkok, I bet I could get a small palace for that amount in most parts of the country.

[Harmonica]

Pattaya definately not the nightlife scene for me, too much hassles down there, but Chonburi does looks nice, coastal and I love the sea, close enough to Bangkok as well.

What kind of money you lot paying for your places as well?

I pay 17 000 for my place in Bangkok, I bet I could get a small palace for that amount in most parts of the country.

you mentioned RC in your origination -- agree, it does look like he has it made. Have you read the Isaan forum? Nice stories there, even good analysis on tradeoffs etc. --

[Phil Conners]

Pattaya for the reasons already mentionned, though Pattaya is not just between north and south, beach and Suk ... I'd define Pattaya as the triangle Laem Chabang - Sattahip - Rayong.

I like the idea of Sri Racha. Close enough to Pattaya yet far enough away. Not much housing available though, I suppose you just have to buy a plot of land and build your dreamhouse?

[cdnvic]

Went to a wedding in Nakhon Sawan last year and was impressed at the beauty of the place. It's definitly on the list of possible future places to settle. Anyone know what the cost of housing (to purchase) is there?

cv

[chico]

britmaveric : pattaya - everything I need

neeranam : pattaya - everything I don't need

love those two posts, they say it all!!!

"....out in the sticks, isn't the lack of facilities a pain in the arse sometimes? "

we do have facilities, but they are different :

unfortunately there are no drunken farangs(thais) pushing the rented bike to the max, no waiting one hour to cross the street, no smog, nobody hustling for "one more" or ladydrink, no music that you have to shout for your neighbour to hear you......

but we have all kinds of birds, flowers, ... and silence - all you hear, is nature!!

of course, if you want farang food (apart from some restaurants like farang connection in surin) have to go shopping in pattaya/bkk, or at least korat, but once every three month to stock up, is good enough.

talking farang languages - same possibilities as in pattaya : within 20-30km about 50 permanent, more than 200 occasional.

costs of living : around 30.000/month like a king!!

one extreme : someone built a house, about 350sqm, all furniture custommade, everything european style, kitchen including dishwasher (not the model with two hands and two legs), own water with filter system for drinking water, big vegetable garden with garden house, ..... says about 1.8mil!

if that'ts what you like, come and join us!

[wamberal]

Bangkok outskirts...

Air is clean, houses have gardens, theres even a small lake I can see from the windows.

We get Bangkok prices for ADSL, and I can drive in far enough to get the skytrain / subway and get to the city centre in under an hour (outside the morning rush hour).

Adding a pool is waiting until all the kids can swim, but that's about the only thing I would change. In the future, if broadband (which I need for work) gets more developed on the islands, then we might move, but the kids' schooling would probably dictate Phuket or Koh Samui. - Until then, we're happy where we are...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bkkmike,

Whereabouts are you?

[srisatch]

Sounds like you lot have found some nice spots in Thailand.

  Bangkok just gets a bit much sometimes.  I was out the other night and we ended up in the "jungle" of sukhumvit rd after 1am and it just seems like such a dump.  I remember saying to my mates  that this is probably the worse place in Thailand to be right now, apart from Pattaya I suppose and parts of Samui.  It's just full of alchys, losers and working girls and just seems so far removed from other parts of the country. 

Because of the business I hope that will be running this year I will still need to be reasonably close to the city and since I've always lived in a city since I was a kid (London before) I always feel the need to be close to one and the conveniences it has ie. nightlife/shops and I think too far out in the sticks may be a bit much for me.

  I like the idea of these moobans on the outskirts of the city though, seems a bit of the best of both worlds, a bit of fresh air and a house and garden on one hand and a big capital city on the other, maybe it's time to get to the suburbs.

What abpout you people out in the sticks, isn't the lack of facilities a  pain in the arse sometimes?  I suppose it is a trade off really, coz true you might not be able to go to a Japanese restuarant, but then you can always go fishing or for a nice walk at other times.  Whats your thoughts?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are starting to say what you want/need...but not entirely..What do you want? Does the business really mean you have to be close to BKK?...The wife was keen on the Rangsit suburbs...Had shopping centers, grubby klongs and a university...I thought it was more the sticks than Sukothai....Looked at Baan BuaThong too..yuk! Sounds like you can do without Pattaya...if you can answer my three essentials for youirself you will get closer....I hope

As you probably know land/houses are getting expensive in the countryside....if you have a partner, though, you can buy a nice place in/outside of many Jangwat capitals..Udon, Phitsanulok/ Ranong/ Nong Khai...a place a lot of my friends thing is good...for 1mB +/-

Get out that Life Planner!

[Ajarn]

Here's my favorite place in Thailand to live.....

No need to go anywhere else

[sendbaht]

"if that'ts what you like, come and join us!"

Chico, where do you live?

[chico]

"if that'ts what you like, come and join us!"

Chico, where do you live?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

south of Burirum (66km)/Surin (52km), near the cambodian border, next "town" Prakhonchai (16km), although 8km from us, about same size village, 15 permanent, 40-50 occasional farangs!

end of the world, but beautiful

[Harmonica]

Went to a wedding in Nakhon Sawan last year and was impressed at the beauty of the place. It's definitly on the list of possible future places to settle. Anyone know what the cost of housing (to purchase) is there?

cv

That's where I'm going, about 80Km south of Nakhon Sawan City -- within 15 months and there, I WILL put up a house -- with a pool too!! All welcome to join me for a swim -- the views? as has already been mentioned, wiiiiiiide open fields, slightly hilly here and there, blue skies and just vast open space and, farmers with big, wide smiles --- ahhh!!!!

[Harmonica]

Went to a wedding in Nakhon Sawan last year and was impressed at the beauty of the place. It's definitly on the list of possible future places to settle. Anyone know what the cost of housing (to purchase) is there?

cv

That's where I'm going, about 80Km south of Nakhon Sawan City -- within 15 months and there, I WILL put up a house -- with a pool too!! All welcome to join me for a swim -- the views? as has already been mentioned, wiiiiiiide open fields, slightly hilly here and there, blue skies and just vast open space and, farmers with big, wide smiles --- ahhh!!!!

Land for 40K-120K per rai depending on how far the plot is from either one or two of the main roads -- as for the actual house, I think RC is the man to ask -- possibly about the land price too.