Any Farang Living In Kanchanaburi?

[westbounder]

I am a 50 year old American. I liked Kanchanaburi and I may want to move there.

Is there anything to do there, shopping, big markets etc...?

Are there any farang living there?

I was there 3 years ago and I thought it was pretty.

I live in Chiang Mai.

Can anyone give me help or advice on Kanchanaburi.

Thank you kindly

[MHM]

This might help

http://kan71000.wordpress.com/

[Judy Khoo]

We will be moving there end of this month ourselves. I went there recently - just over a couple of weeks ago. I was told that Tesco is about 5km away from the center of the tourist spot and Makro has recently opened up there. But there are quite some businesses owned by farangs, so I am pretty sure there is a good farang community as well.

[HeavyDrinker]

The expats in Kan tend to congregate in the backpacker's area of town on Mae Nam Kwai road.

How can I put this delicately? Frankly the expat community in Kan seems to be largely made up of the dregs of other expat communities who have made previous places too hot for themselves. For example on my last visit I was dismayed to that see a former character who used to be a menace in Ayutthya was there now.

I'm a regular visitor to Kan and can only say that I find it one of the least appealing expat communities around.

I'm no snob and I believe in each to their own but for some reason (probably cost) Kan now seems home to the lowest of the low.

Over the past few years I've witnessed an increase in drunkenness on a large scale, a terrible attitude towards Thai women (and travelling women too) and worst of all expats getting into fist fights - not only among themselves, but also on a couple of occasions with the local Thai population (not the smartest move anywhere) - and generally really dragging themselves through the <deleted> but the problem was that none of them seemed too bothered or too keen to repair any damage done.

I'm not saying these things don't happen in other expat communities here but due to the small size of the community there, it's a lot more noticeable to such an extent that some GH owners even have a dossier on some of the worst offenders and will warn female Thai visitors to stay out of certain bars and to avoid certain people or even warn them against going out alone at night at all.

On three occasions recently my missus was subjected to harassment when she tried to go somewhere alone while I was working, and this was during daylight hours too. On our last few visits tings were such that she wouldn't go anywhere without calling for the taxi to come right to the GH to pick her up.

On another occasion two idiots followed her from the 7-11 as she walked back to the bar I was waiting for her in. She called me so I came out to meet her and on seeing me approach these 2 fools vanished into the ether as I gave chase. It was only 6.30 pm.

Such are things now that we've now sadly decided no longer to stay at the Guesthouse which had been a favourite of ours for many years now and to stay elsewhere in town instead which is a shame as we had become good friends with the family who owned the place.

As with many Thai women my missus is very wary of drunken Thai men after dark but has never had call be be wary of Western men before now.

We heard similar tales from the ladies who work at the Guesthouse and also from fellow female guests.

While I admit I only see snapshots of things there, after 4 visits in the last 12 weeks of 3-4 days each, I think I can say that what I've written is a fair reflection of how things are there now.

Personally if I was going to move out there I'd distance myself from that scene totally.

In spite of this, Kan is a beautiful place with some smashing people and if enough decent folks can make the move out there and raise the standard a little then that's no bad thing.

I know this will sound snobby and I apologise for that but it is one place where the locals really are suffering from 'Farang Fatigue' due to the actions of a few yet in small town Thailand people are often tarred with the same brush.

[Kananga]

Any farang?

I heard there were a few Peruvians, a Canadian and a couple from Finland, Why? Do you have anything in common with Peru?

[Kan Win]

The expats in Kan tend to congregate in the backpacker's area of town on Mae Nam Kwai road. (Total Bull <deleted> as we do not).

How can I put this delicately? Frankly the expat community in Kan seems to be largely made up of the dregs of other expat communities( like Pattaya) who have made previous places too hot for themselves. For example on my last visit I was dismayed to that see a former character who used to be a menace in Ayutthya was there now.

I'm a regular visitor to Kan and can only say that I find it one of the least appealing expat communities around. (We Ex-pats mind our own business and so should you). If it is so least appealing, why post then. My wife and I love this good country without the riff raft of as you called them "the expat community in Kan seems to be largely made up of the dregs of other expat communities"

I'm no snob (nor am I but, leave Kan alone as one little road is NOT Kanchanaburi) and I believe in each to their own but for some reason (probably cost) Kan now seems home to the lowest of the low.

Over the past few years I've witnessed an increase in drunkenness on a large scale, a terrible attitude towards Thai women (and travelling women too) and worst of all expats getting into fist fights - not only among themselves, but also on a couple of occasions with the local Thai population (not the smartest move anywhere) - and generally really dragging themselves through the <deleted> but the problem was that none of them seemed too bothered or too keen to repair any damage done.

I'm not saying these things don't happen in other expat communities here but due to the small size of the community there, it's a lot more noticeable to such an extent that some GH owners even have a dossier on some of the worst offenders and will warn female Thai visitors to stay out of certain bars and to avoid certain people or even warn them against going out alone at night at all.

On three occasions recently my missus was subjected to harassment when she tried to go somewhere alone while I was working, and this was during daylight hours too. On our last few visits tings were such that she wouldn't go anywhere without calling for the taxi to come right to the GH to pick her up.

On another occasion two idiots followed her from the 7-11 as she walked back to the bar I was waiting for her in. She called me so I came out to meet her and on seeing me approach these 2 fools vanished into the ether as I gave chase. It was only 6.30 pm.

Such are things now that we've now sadly decided no longer to stay at the Guesthouse which had been a favourite of ours for many years now and to stay elsewhere in town instead which is a shame as we had become good friends with the family who owned the place.

As with many Thai women my missus is very wary of drunken Thai men after dark but has never had call be be wary of Western men before now.

We heard similar tales from the ladies who work at the Guesthouse and also from fellow female guests.

While I admit I only see snapshots of things there, after 4 visits in the last 12 weeks of 3-4 days each, I think I can say that what I've written is a fair reflection of how things are there now.

Personally if I was going to move out there I'd distance myself from that scene totally.

In spite of this, Kan is a beautiful place with some smashing people and if enough decent folks can make the move out there and raise the standard a little then that's no bad thing.

I know this will sound snobby and I apologise for that but it is one place where the locals really are suffering from 'Farang Fatigue' due to the actions of a few yet in small town Thailand people are often tarred with the same brush.

Well for me I left that street (Mae Nam Kwai road) a few years ago due to the "Drink Driving Law" and never looked back only at Songkran when I drive down that road to take photos for me web-page Kan as I see it

As for

While I admit I only see snapshots of things there, after 4 visits in the last 12 weeks of 3-4 days each, I think I can say that what I've written is a fair reflection of how things are there now.

Over the past few years I've witnessed an increase in drunkenness on a large scale

Please make your mind up witch was it over, the past few years or after 4 visits in the last 12 weeks of 3-4 days each, well "Jam Rolly Polly" get your wife to report these as highlighted above in Red. Never ever heard of this from my wife.

As for the other things that you mentioned like "on seeing me approach these 2 fools vanished into the ether as I gave chase. It was only 6.30 pm" Ex-pats where they and why did your wife or other folks not call the Police????

Such are things now that we've now sadly decided no longer to stay at the Guesthouse which had been a favourite of ours for many years now and to stay elsewhere in town instead which is a shame as we had become good friends with the family who owned the place.

^ Please give me a break now as that is total Khrap.

Kan Win

[HeavyDrinker]

Ex-pats where they and why did your wife or other folks not call the Police????

Ah! And that would have helped how? We were openly told not to bother with the police.

Please make your mind up witch was it over, the past few years or after 4 visits in the last 12 weeks of 3-4 days each, well "Jam Rolly Polly" get your wife to report these as highlighted above in Red. Never ever heard of this from my wife.

Read my post again carefully.

Well for me I left that street (Mae Nam Kwai road) a few years ago due to the "Drink Driving Law" and never looked back only at Songkran when I drive down that road to take photos for me web-page Kan as I see it

So you admit to being a drink driver yet you are a beacon of Kan expat life...?

Kan expats DO congregate there and as much as I understand your embarrassment at being lumped in with such low-lives, please don't talk dribble sir.

[Kan Win]

Ex-pats where they and why did your wife or other folks not call the Police????

Ah! And that would have helped how? We were openly told not to bother with the police.

Why was that then ? May one ask by whom where you told this? By Ex-Pats was it or by Kan Locals folks?

Well for me I left that street (Mae Nam Kwai road) a few years ago due to the "Drink Driving Law" and never looked back only at Songkran when I drive down that road to take photos for me web-page Kan as I see it

So you admit to being a drink driver yet you are a beacon of Kan expat life...?

Yes, have been since 1980 not in Thailand btw, but in Thailand from 1990 until 4 years ago. There is NO shame in admitting me faults is there

HeavyDrinker ?

Kan expats DO congregate there and as much as I understand your embarrassment at being lumped in with such low-lives, please don't talk dribble sir.

Not sure what you mean about "being lumped in with such low-lives,". Most Kan Ex-Pats are NOT (low-lives,) as you mentioned, but then that is your opinion of Ex-Pats in Kan.

Your choice HeavyDrinker walk the street and talk about it, but please do give us all Kan folks a break Locals and Ex-Pats, about that little road as it is NOT the real Kan is it HeavyDrinker ? Sure please write about this little street by all means, I have no problems with that, however do not tarnish Kan as you portrait that to be, only do that to this road.

The Colonel an Amateur Photographer

Sawadee

[BLACKJACK2]

We will be moving there end of this month ourselves. I went there recently - just over a couple of weeks ago. I was told that Tesco is about 5km away from the center of the tourist spot and Makro has recently opened up there. But there are quite some businesses owned by farangs, so I am pretty sure there is a good farang community as well.

Yes you have Tesco and Makro, though have not been in Makro yet, around the bus station you also have plenty of small shops and inside Kanockan you have a small supermarket plus plenty of electrical and clothing goods. The same area on a night has lots of food stalls or if you follow the road past the police station towards the river there are a few bars and plenty of restaurants next to the river. There is a night market next to the train station which i think is on nearly every night now so it has pretty much all you will need and the added attraction of lots of beautiful scenery a short drive out of the city.

[DEREK-C]

I fully agree with Kan Win. I've been here for 10 years and have never had any trouble, even in the bar area referred to.

Kanchaburi province has some of the best scenery in Thailand.

There is quite a large mixed nationality of expats in and around Kanchanaburi and two more groups centred around Ratchaburi and Ban Pong. Kanchanaburi has a Tesco super store and Makro (plans for Big-C), Ratchaburi has Tesco, Big-C and Topps and Ban Pong Tesco and Big-C. There are also many Tesco mini stores dotted about.

There is normally a large Thai style market going on in easy driving distance every night.

I previously lived in Chiand Mai, but prefer this area. Not as cool as Chiang Mai, but you get used to it, and the air is a lot fresher.

[CockneyGit]

We will be moving there end of this month ourselves. I went there recently - just over a couple of weeks ago. I was told that Tesco is about 5km away from the center of the tourist spot and Makro has recently opened up there. But there are quite some businesses owned by farangs, so I am pretty sure there is a good farang community as well.

There is quite a large Farang community here, though whetehr it is "good" is certainly open to interpretation..!!

[Frank La Rue]

I don't live in Kanchanaburi but my wife is from the province. The area has grown on me and I love it there. The scenery is beautiful, there are ample collection of shopping centres between Big C in Nakon Phatom and Tesco Lotus in Kan town and we use all of them. There are lots of nice restaurants and I have met quite a few descent,friendly farangs (Derek-C take a bow ).

When the wether is very hot or we want a break there is an hour drive down to Amphawa for the floating market and luch by the seaside or we go to Cha Am /Hua Hin for a couple of days.

Edited May 22, 2011 by Frank La Rue