Best City In Thailand For Expats

[sarahsbloke]

Come back after 20 years when the red taxis and tuktuks of Chiang Mai have been shredded

I quite like the red (or white) songtow. 20km journey from Wororat market to my home 15bht, or 17bht if I take the expensive route.

[chops]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

[craigt3365]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

Too many tourists and too much traffic. Let's see, that could be Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, CM...and at least massive jams for BKK. Hua Hin is fast approaching this also...

[Ulysses G.]

I've lived in Samui and Bangkok but now am 90kms from Laos in a fairly big town. Udon Thani province (not important enough for your poll)

I have all the comforts I need and it's very peaceful.

Like somebody mentioned before, you can walk through the local market and people know you and are pleasant.

I feel up here people don't tend to want your money so much. In the tourist areas I get accosted daily by money grabbers, sometimes farangs!

I had all this in a Thai neighborhood in Chiang Mai and it took ten minutes in a songteaw to get to the action. If someone likes living in the middle of nowhere, that is fine with me, but I enjoy having the Western amenities when I want them.

[Newguy70]

Hi Guys.

Currently I am in Bangkok and it has everything one would want out of a big city, but I would also say Chiang Mai, or Chiang Rai (Really surprised more foreigners do not live here). I love to ride my motorcycle, and the roads up in both of those cities, and just a few km out are very fun. Chiang Mai really does have everything to offer, and is less crowded than Bangkok. Everyone has different neeeds and wants, so it's tuff to pinpoint.

I could say Pattaya, it does have everything one would need as well, including the beach.

My suggestions are based on amenities,food, nightlife, (none were based on job opportunities.)

Somewhat Just a rant: I found a few prior responses in this thread, and usually every thread posted weekly about language funny. This is Thailand (Not America, England etc); either learn the language or stop whinning about your inability to comprehend it, or speak it. Please take the time to learn the language, and culture as you are only making it harder on others with you ignorance. Enjoy your stay....

:jap:

[richieudon]

I've lived in Samui and Bangkok but now am 90kms from Laos in a fairly big town. Udon Thani province (not important enough for your poll)

I have all the comforts I need and it's very peaceful.

Like somebody mentioned before, you can walk through the local market and people know you and are pleasant.

I feel up here people don't tend to want your money so much. In the tourist areas I get accosted daily by money grabbers, sometimes farangs!

I had all this in a Thai neighborhood in Chiang Mai and it took ten minutes in a songteaw to get to the action. If someone likes living in the middle of nowhere, that is fine with me, but I enjoy having the Western amenities when I want them.

I must admit I like CM. It would be my 2nd choice but there is an air quality problem there.

I found the people really friendly as apposed to southern Thailand.

The islands really do have some dodgy characters. Thai and farang.

[Birdman]

Living on Samui since 20+ years and never had any problems at all. Quite the contrary. Nature is still beautiful, people are quite ok, prices differently, one still can live very cheap if he wants to. No pollution at all all year round if you live on/near the beach. And the surf is stronger than in that video during the monsoon season.

Actually the whole South is completely underrated by most Westerners. The whole area e.g. between Had Yai and Songkhla is really nice to live, the sea is nearby, as well as a metropolis, jungle national parks and Malaysia is only a stone's throw away.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Birdman

[richieudon]

Living on Samui since 20+ years and never had any problems at all. Quite the contrary. Nature is still beautiful, people are quite ok, prices differently, one still can live very cheap if he wants to. No pollution at all all year round if you live on/near the beach. And the surf is stronger than in that video during the monsoon season.

Actually the whole South is completely underrated by most Westerners. The whole area e.g. between Had Yai and Songkhla is really nice to live, the sea is nearby, as well as a metropolis, jungle national parks and Malaysia is only a stone's throw away.

I admit Samui still has charm but was first there in '88 and it was the most beautiful place ever. There's a lot of high end resorts now which ain't my thing.

Chaweng stinks. So much more could have been done to the place with the money that's been through there over the years but the infrastructure is useless.

How is Cheong Mon these days? Has that now got posh resorts like parts of Lamai...?

[Birdman]

everywhere are luxury resorts of course, also on Choeng Mon. But South Lamai is a place where time stands still. There are still young travellers like in the 80s > hammocks on the small verandas, guitars, easy going mood....a nice place indeed.

Besides, masses of ordinary Thais live on Samui now > and so there are masses of ordinary Thai restaurants catering them, local markets got bigger as well, more temple markets and local festivities, different pedestrian areas weekly and so on.

[chops]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

Too many tourists and too much traffic. Let's see, that could be Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, CM...and at least massive jams for BKK. Hua Hin is fast approaching this also...

How about Chiang Rai? Does it have as many tourists as Chiang Mai?

I'm really looking to move away from the tourist towns.

[fcgprg]

Chiang Mai wins hands down.The most friendly people in thailand.

[Newguy70]

How about Chiang Rai? Does it have as many tourists as Chiang Mai?

I'm really looking to move away from the tourist towns.

Hi,

Chiang Rai does not have as many tourists as Chiang Mai. I stayed in Chiang Rai for about 3 mounths in a village, it was awesome for me, not sure it would appeal to most as no Western amenities. However, I loved camping, hiking, anything adventourous prior to moving to Thailand, so it worked for me. They do have a superstore (Big C) , a downtown area, and I am guessing a few foreign owned establishments . I can say that everyone I met was very friendly, then again almost everywhere I go they usually are. Not sure what you are looking for, but take a look it may fit the bill.

They do not have meter taxis at the airport, so be prepared to do some haggling, this was probably the only thing i disliked about Chiang Rai.

:jap:

[Digitalbanana]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

If this forum had been around in the 1980's when I lived in Pattaya I could have posted the exact same post at that time?

[Lite Beer]

Inflammatory post removed.

[bangkokcitylimits]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

I used to like Pattaya too, defenitely not for it's girls but because there's something of culture, a culture like the Ripley museum, good shows, art galleries, professional a-gogo bars and the alive atmosphere in general etc. so it's OK, but I wonder if it's still a good idea to do a jetski ride, concerning the scammers with some local police, even tourist police involved.

In January my Philippine girlfriend will come over for the first time and Pattaya is a must, and so is a jetski ride, but the stories are terrible and nothing seems to be done about it.

Not much about the far south in this topic btw, guess Chiang Mai traffic kills more then the few bombs there ! Defenitely will go have a look there soon.

Edited November 23, 2010 by bangkokcitylimits

[ciaociao]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

If this forum had been around in the 1980's when I lived in Pattaya I could have posted the exact same post at that time?

I now live in Jomtien/pattaya,but you need to speak russian

.

[sunholidaysun1]

Glad to see Chiang Rai isn't on the list, stay away, it's horrible!

That is why I voted for Bangkok.

I agree with you both, BKK for me also, Chiang Rai is a terrible place, not worth even a stop over.

[chops]

I used to like Pattaya, but it has gone to the dogs over the past few years. I really don't like living amongst tourists and having to deal with traffic jams(can't even cross the street anymore). There was a certain novelty to it at first, but no longer. The beach? Haven't even dipped in it for ages(wouldn't want to either with all the trash in it). The bars are fun, but you just end up being an alcoholic here. I want to stop the boozing.

Basically, there's no reason for me to stay here in Pattaya any longer. After 2 years living here, I am about ready to leave this dump for greener pastures.

If this forum had been around in the 1980's when I lived in Pattaya I could have posted the exact same post at that time?

I now live in Jomtien/pattaya,but you need to speak russian

.

Pattaya = too many Russians. They used to be managable, but now I can't even walk outside without bumping into them.

Anybody live in Udon Thani? I'm leaning towards relocating there next week. Have my bags packed and ready. I'm just hoping the Russian tourists down here in Pattaya haven't gotten word of the place..

[craigt3365]

Hi,

Chiang Rai does not have as many tourists as Chiang Mai. I stayed in Chiang Rai for about 3 mounths in a village, it was awesome for me, not sure it would appeal to most as no Western amenities. However, I loved camping, hiking, anything adventourous prior to moving to Thailand, so it worked for me. They do have a superstore (Big C) , a downtown area, and I am guessing a few foreign owned establishments . I can say that everyone I met was very friendly, then again almost everywhere I go they usually are. Not sure what you are looking for, but take a look it may fit the bill.

They do not have meter taxis at the airport, so be prepared to do some haggling, this was probably the only thing i disliked about Chiang Rai.

:jap:

Great description. If you like the quiet, outdoor life, then CR is great. If you like western amenities, then forget it. Plus, the air is really bad for 2-3 months out of the year.

Pattaya = too many Russians. They used to be managable, but now I can't even walk outside without bumping into them.

Anybody live in Udon Thani? I'm leaning towards relocating there next week. Have my bags packed and ready. I'm just hoping the Russian tourists down here in Pattaya haven't gotten word of the place..

I would visit there first before relocating. It's just an ugly Thai city in Issan. Of course, most Thai cities are ugly, but at least Pattaya is near the sea and is MUCH cooler in spring/summer. It gets blazing hot in Udon. Kind of a boring town. Some bars/things to do, but nothing like we have here.

For sure there are lots of Russians, but who cares? They don't bother me. And some of the women are hot, hot, hot! At least it gives us something else to look at!

[edwinchester]

First the list of cities. We can't include every single village of course but it would be a shame to forget some nice corners of the Kingdom just because they are not on every travel agency "must visit" list.

My advice to anyone who's found a sweet little corner of paradise is to keep quiet about it.

I have a good friend who found one such spot, blogged about it on the ANOther Thailand Forum and was within the year surrounded by people he'd spent his life trying to escape (all members of that ANOther Thailand Forum).

Best advice I have heard in a long time

[Forethat]

To be perfectly honest, I haven't read more than the first post in this thread, and I wasn't planning on posting until I realised someone has made an effort to create a poll (in which I will not participate, of course).

I am willing to bet a case of Singha that someone has already made an effort to point out to the OP that in order to establish some sort of statistical facts (whether it's quantative information or just plain simple opinions) you need to establish the conditions prior to the question. In this case the original question contains a black hole - the definition of an expat.

So, the obvious question here; answering a question like "which is the best place to live in Thailand" is likely to get an answer based on personal preferences. Add to this the fact that there's no definition of "expat" and the question becomes nothing but naive, childish and utter uninteresting.

[Ulysses G.]

You sure take this poll stuff very seriously.

[Forethat]

You sure take this poll stuff very seriously.

Read again

[Lancelot]

I used to like Pattaya too, defenitely not for it's girls but because there's something of culture, a culture like the Ripley museum...

You made my day

[JurgenG]

Why is nobody saying anything about Phuket ? Phuket seems to have all the advantages (location, location, location !!!) of a world city, without the "bad" reputation of Pattaya, so why is it that nobody is talking about it ?

I have an explanation. The last few times I went there, Phuket was such a disappointment, so much hype about nothing, that for any true expat in Thailand, Phuket is just for tourists ...

Am I right ?

[craigt3365]

Why is nobody saying anything about Phuket ? Phuket seems to have all the advantages (location, location, location !!!) of a world city, without the "bad" reputation of Pattaya, so why is it that nobody is talking about it ?

I have an explanation. The last few times I went there, Phuket was such a disappointment, so much hype about nothing, that for any true expat in Thailand, Phuket is just for tourists ...

Am I right ?

Same, same...but different. Too far from Bangkok, limited...and expensive...air connections, poor roads, limited shopping, scams galore, same crime as Pattaya...but great beaches!

[remiss]

I'm not an expat, but I like most of the places I've been to in Thailand and thinking about moving there some day. I like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kantharalak, a village in Sisaket province (not going to say which one ). Pattaya and Khon Kaen aren't on my return-list.

As long as you're nice and not rude it's hardly a problem getting to know the "locals", even in Bangkok.

[Boksida]

I think we are spoiled for choice for good places for expats to live. I've driven through every province in Thailand except for Narathiwat. I don't have anything against the place, just have never had work or any other reason to go there. I have worked in over 50 different provinces which has necessitated stays ranging from weeks to months and have lived in Bangkok, Khon Kaen, Udon, Chiangmai and Lampang for periods extending into years. I have had my share of village living, which I didn't like, and for me now, I would want to live in at least a provincial capital. The one I have settled down in now comes after more than ten years in both Bangkok and Chiangmai. I like both places and built a house in Bangkok but the traffic has made the quality of life a lot worse than it used to be.

There is a good social life to be had in most of the capitals. I like Khon Kaen and Udon, mainly because the local people there are fun. Korat falls into the same trap as places like Nakorn Sawan and Kamphaeng Phet - the cultural identity is blurred because they are not sure if they are part of the Central Region or the one to the north. This made them boring to me. Chiang Rai is a nice place and I like it more than Phayao and Phrae as there seems to be more to do.

I have settled down again in the North in a place which is already good and I can live comfortably right in the city. Hopefully it will not develop further at too great a rate as Chiangmai sucks the development away from other northern capitals. I can get to Chiangmai for a beer or meet friends anytime I want to faster than I could drive to my favourite spots in Bangkok anyway.

One tip I would give the OP is to always keep at least one province between you and your in-laws.

[Forethat]

I have an explanation.

Where is it hiding?

...for any true expat in Thailand, Phuket is just for tourists ...

Am I right ?

Why cant you initiate your "explaining" by defining "expat"? You use the word extensively, though I have yet to understand your definition of the word. And is there such thing as an untrue expat (I reckon there is since you use the term true expat. I just dont have a clue what it is)?

[JurgenG]

One tip I would give the OP is to always keep at least one province between you and your in-laws.

That's something I definitively agree with, but unfortunately my gf having relatives in Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, CQ, Bangkok, Chanthaburi and a couple of other places as well, it's an advise that will be difficult to follow.

Actually most of them are really great people. As long as I stay away from her mother, I should be fine

PS : If my gf sees this post, I'm dead !!!