Dream or nightmare..?

[razor]

For over a year now i have lived in and around Pattaya, and as a young buck of 53, ive managed to enjoy the attractions on offer with out inducing a heart attack !!. Now for some un-known mystical reason , when i lay in bed at night next to my " till-lack '' i start to dream of having a quiet , calm , and tranquil life away from the thorns in my side of NOISE, MENTALLY DISTURBED SOI DOGS, THE BOOM-BOOM OF INEBRIATED KARAOKE CUSTOMERS, AND THE EVER INCREASING END LESS TRAFFIC. All the things i never noticed in the early days of getting to know Pattaya.   In my dream i see my self going to bed knowing i won't be woken up by the endless barking of the soi dog's pack, or the screaming of over reveing Honda motor bike engines as the young riders wildly twist the throttles on the way to an early grave. I see my self after a wonderful un broken nights sleep waking to the sounds of singing birds, and spend the rest of the day tending to the fruit trees and plants on my small holding, not for getting to feed the chicken's ( NO cocks allowed ) as too much noise !!!, and later retiring to the veranda to sip a glass of wine, and gaze at the sun setting . " O WHAT A LIFE " . Now back to reality my question is , ... has any one managed to escape to a place like the one i see in my dream ..?. if so can they offer me some words of wisdom , or comments about life away from the big city's has any one had this same dream ,and its turned out to be ok, or may be turned into a nightmare..?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

The doctor prescribes more drink and more girls ..............

[Thetyim]

I also spent three years in Pattaya and got fed up with it.

I now live up north in Phrae, have been here for eight years and much prefer it to the buzz of the city.

House rental here is only 3000 month for a decent house,

and dual pricing hasn't been invented here yet.

Go for it. You can always go back if you change your mind.

[MaiChai]

Here is a radical idea. Live in the countryside/small village outside the city (Pattaya/Bangkok). Have the benefits of the country and easy access to the city. Personally I live in a small village near Sukhothai, but even we are becoming invaded by lots of farangs building houses here  

[jayenram]

Three years ago I built a small house in a village suburb about 3 km from the center of Surin, Isarn. The village is generally quiet (except during weddings and funerals) and the facilities in Surin are acceptable. Around 100 farrangs of various nationalities live either in Surin or the surrounding area and regularly meet up in the town’s ex-pat bar for a few (or more) Beer Changs.

The nightlife for such a small town is vibrant particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. The are numerous bars and restaurants, massage parlours (straight and not so straight) kareoke bars (although these are not my cup of tea) and sing-a-songs a plenty.

House rental in the area ranges from 2,500 to 4,500 Bht depending upon your requirements.

The Khmer border at Chong Chom is now open so visa runs are not a major problem (approximately 70 kms south of Surin).

Overall, the farrangs here appear to be content with their lot.

[Dominik]

I also live in Pattaya for more then a year (after one year Bangkok) and I agree: this place is maybe nice for tourist, but not for a long term stay. To noisy and many other things that I better not tell in here.

However there is an alternative: if you go up to norh Pattaya (that is "Naklua") you can find a more quiet area and still enjoy the city also.

Just do the trouble of going to soi12 or even further on (In the mean time visit the pier at the end of soi12). Still public transportation and all the nice things of the city are there but it is a LOT more quiet. And you have the best restaurants in Pattya over there.

On the other hand: my partner and I already decided to move to the north of Thailand in maybe 10 years. When we are a bit older. There we already have found the spot of our dreams in the middle of a small village.

In the mean time we are saving money to build a nice wooden house. We will also move to north Pattaya soon, or maybe even back to Bangkok.

To conclude: just move! There are no bad spots in Thailand. Everywhere is food, transportation, and so on.

[Richo]

You should try Koh Samui,it has it all with the buetifull beaches.