Lesser Known Cities To Live In.....

[Thighlander]

I've spent a couple of years in Thailand. Mostly Bangkok and Chiangmai. I am looking for another place to settle. Chiang Rai has been near the top of my list. Not looking to work (only need broadband), and would like to avoid motorbike drama. Maybe a city, where all amenities are walkable. I've been to Pattaya--ONCE. I kind of like Udon, but would lean towards Chiang Rai. I maybe interested in purchasing a flat, so I would want to avoid big flood areas. I love thai food, but do Tesco occasionally.

Any free advice would be appreciated. Cheers!

[IanForbes]

If you like it a little quieter with still a bit of night life and some English speaking people it's hard to beat Kanchanaburi. It's only 3 hours by slow bus to Bangkok and yet only an hour into the mountains and reservoirs. The only drawback is it's about a 7 hour run for a border crossing to get a visa stamp.

[jackdanielsesq]

I would suggest the two peas - tough to beat - one can live off the beaten track, yet merely minutes from where all the action is. The are freeway close to everything, and frankly, its tough not to get mountain/island fever living in isolation

BR>Jack

[sunholidaysun1]

I've spent a couple of years in Thailand. Mostly Bangkok and Chiangmai. I am looking for another place to settle. Chiang Rai has been near the top of my list. Not looking to work (only need broadband), and would like to avoid motorbike drama. Maybe a city, where all amenities are walkable. I've been to Pattaya--ONCE. I kind of like Udon, but would lean towards Chiang Rai. I maybe interested in purchasing a flat, so I would want to avoid big flood areas. I love thai food, but do Tesco occasionally.

Any free advice would be appreciated. Cheers!

Check out the Chiang Rai forum . Great place to live.

[Thighlander]

Kanchanaburi? That's a good suggestion. One of the more memorable thai beauties I met came from there. The 7 hour thing would factor in. Which reminds me of the ease at which you can get to Mae Sai from CNR. Thanks for directing me to the CNR forum, but I will take any further suggestions. Thanks, everyone. Maybe I'll see some of you all at Tusker's again. Nice people, for sure.

[lioness]

Yes, Kanchanaburi is a nice spot. Just on 2 hours by coach to Bangkok. A small Farang community, I was told about 200, some nice people amongst them, as with anywhere you pick your friends.

By car it's about 4 hours to the nearest border run.

Plenty to do, low cost of living compared to the more popular places. It's worth a look.

If you would like further info try www.tourismthailand.org/kanchanaburi and/or www.kanchanaburi-info.com

[LennyW]

Kanchanaburi or Suphan Buri are very nice.

[Gary A]

I live in Loei province and I like it. Farang activities and super stores are non existent but it is peaceful and scenic. I could easily live in Chiang Rai. Not too big and not too small. As far as Chiang Mai, I'd rather live in Bangkok and I DON'T like living in Bangkok.

[webfact]

Never lived there but visited many times Chanthaburi. Nice place IMHO

[sanook2me]

I was in kanchanaburi last weekend.

Yup lovely slow pace of life. Great restaurants on the river and lovely scenery mountains etc.

Drove through a main roadish from the bridge and there is about 500 yds of sh1t open bars full of cr@ppy people but if you like that scene you have a little bit of it too.

How about on the outskirts of BKK life is slow but still in reach of everything.

Do any farangs live on Koh Kred in Bangkok?

[mauGR1]

I like Kanchanaburi too,specially the surroundings,which i eagerly explored a few years ago.But i have a soft spot for Nong Khai too,maybe because it's close to Laos, whose unspoiled people and nature i enjoyed very much,like to be in Thailand before the nineties.

[citizen33]

Some smaller places that are nice in their own way - if you don't mind quieter places - are Nong Khai, Roi Et, Mukdahan and Rayong.

[phitsanulokjon]

I've spent a couple of years in Thailand. Mostly Bangkok and Chiangmai. I am looking for another place to settle. Chiang Rai has been near the top of my list. Not looking to work (only need broadband), and would like to avoid motorbike drama. Maybe a city, where all amenities are walkable. I've been to Pattaya--ONCE. I kind of like Udon, but would lean towards Chiang Rai. I maybe interested in purchasing a flat, so I would want to avoid big flood areas. I love thai food, but do Tesco occasionally.

Any free advice would be appreciated. Cheers!

Phitsanulok and the surrounding area is nice (OK OK, I'm a bit biased cos my wife from there !!) but serously its worth checking out. Not a high proportion of farangs but all amenities including a couple of Tescos, the usual malls etc etc. Fantastic national parks all around. Good rental prices as well as just that little bit off the beaten track. 5 hours north BKK by bus or rail.

Guess it depends what you're after overall but worth a stopover on the way to Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai.

[Tingnongnoi]

Ubon Ratchathani not a bad place to live.

[Birdman]

Sooner or later every province town will be mentioned.

I like Trat, because it's not polluted, clean, the sea, beaches and the Koh Chang archipelo are not far away, and on the Western outskirts there are beautiful, hilly fruit and rubber plantations.

But next Tesco would be in Chantaburi, appr. 45 minutes by car. In the whole province of Trat there is no Tesco, Big C or another major shopping mall.

[Gerontion]

In the whole province of Trat there is no Tesco, Big C or another major shopping mall.

I'm moving there.

Edited July 5, 2009 by Gerontion

[mahtin]

Do any farangs live on Koh Kred in Bangkok?

Ask this lady.

[Bobsyouruncle]

Do any farangs live on Koh Kred in Bangkok?

Ask this lady.

Why ask her?

[mahtin]

Cos she's the Koh Kred information lady - map of KK on wall.

[MJP]

Some smaller places that are nice in their own way - if you don't mind quieter places - are Nong Khai, Roi Et, Mukdahan and Rayong.

ROI-ET!

Fantastic town. 'Civilisation' is the best word to describe it. Clean, well organised, beautiful place.

[Thighlander]

More good suggestions.......What city (if any) has taken control of the soi dogs? Getting chased by dogs at night aggravates the shit out of me.

[BigSnake]

Loei would be a nice choice or maybe even Phetchaboon both are very nice town in my opinion, both located North west of Udonthani, which is also not bad itself.

[cdnvic]

Nakhon Sawan is a very nice city in the middle of an otherwise desolate countryside. Close enough to Bangkok for when the need for more excitement hits.

Chumphon sits along some of the nicest, unspoiled beaches of the western gulf, and the locals are quite friendly as they aren't sick of farangs yet.

Hua Hin has to be one of the cleaner cities in Thailand. I think that it being a frequent home for the Royal Family is part of that reason, yet it still has some nightlife and lots of great beach. Nearby Cha-am is sleepier but they both are a fairly short hop to the airport.

[Datsun240Z]

I've spent a couple of years in Thailand. Mostly Bangkok and Chiangmai. I am looking for another place to settle. Chiang Rai has been near the top of my list. Not looking to work (only need broadband), and would like to avoid motorbike drama. Maybe a city, where all amenities are walkable. I've been to Pattaya--ONCE. I kind of like Udon, but would lean towards Chiang Rai. I maybe interested in purchasing a flat, so I would want to avoid big flood areas. I love thai food, but do Tesco occasionally.

Any free advice would be appreciated. Cheers!

That's looks very peacefull, nice !

[Tim207]

Never lived there but visited many times Chanthaburi. Nice place IMHO

I agree it is a great place but it isn't very walking friendly. The OP doesn't want to deal with motorbikes and I wouldn't want to live in Chan without wheels.

[henryalleman]

Nakhon Sawan is a very nice city in the middle of an otherwise desolate countryside. Close enough to Bangkok for when the need for more excitement hits.

Right on, nakhon Sawan(the origin of the Chaopaya river), the best place to stay, maybe its because its not a typical Thai town due the fact that the majority of his population are Chinese, nice park to spend the evenings plenty of activity there, good restaurants, have a BigC, Tesco and Makro. A 2 hour drive from Bangkok. Double pricing is unknown, and there is 24 hour a day business and other activities, good nightlife.

Have some good hotels and Bong Phoraphet the biggest lake in Thailand is famous for his birds. Have buses to all directions, its a central halt and stop place.

Only have one inconvenience can't find an European style condo or apartment.

And I have to contradict the statementabout desolate countryside, there are many interesting places in the neighbourhood.

Edited July 5, 2009 by henryalleman