Best Place To Live In Isaan?

[rgs2001uk]

well it depends on which type of farang u want to mix with in my area there are lets say well lets not go there im sure u know what i mean as issan attracts most of them.Im afraid issan as a hole is the same full of farmer giles and drunks and ..... if u like that then u will be at home anywhere.

Another way of phrasing the question, what areas in Issan to avoid?

Forum rules and good manners prevents us from naming the areas and the bars frequented however.

[SantiSuk]

Number ones for:

Night life - Udon Thani

Small and laid back - Nong Khai (but no airport)

Medium and thoroughly Issaan with great travel ops (Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam) - Ubon Ratchathani

Large falang communities - Korat or Buriram (though most live outside the cities). Udon and Khon Kaen also

Lose yourself in Issan culture/don't want to know other farang. Almost anywhere more than 50k from a 'city' (city = somewhere bigger than 50,000 people).

Just personal observation from one who does not live in any of the cities/towns mentioned (Changwat SiSaket, but close enough to Ubon to feel connected).

[zzaa09]

well it depends on which type of farang u want to mix with in my area there are lets say well lets not go there im sure u know what i mean as issan attracts most of them.Im afraid issan as a hole is the same full of farmer giles and drunks and ..... if u like that then u will be at home anywhere.

What if one has no desire to mix with Farang? Then what?

[cardholder]

well it depends on which type of farang u want to mix with in my area there are lets say well lets not go there im sure u know what i mean as issan attracts most of them.Im afraid issan as a hole is the same full of farmer giles and drunks and ..... if u like that then u will be at home anywhere.

What if one has no desire to mix with Farang? Then what?

At the last count, it was still an optional activity.

I imagine discourse on an English language internet forum is 'mixing with Falang'. - those that don't want to do it, they won't do it.

[Geekfreaklover]

well it depends on which type of farang u want to mix with in my area there are lets say well lets not go there im sure u know what i mean as issan attracts most of them.Im afraid issan as a hole is the same full of farmer giles and drunks and ..... if u like that then u will be at home anywhere.

What if one has no desire to mix with Farang? Then what?

Then move to Isaan,:jap: Prakon Chai is nice this time of year.

I think another poster pointed out that most farang find themselves in the dust- bowl as the consequence of a romantic attachment. Living in Isaan can be very lonely. If you are not in some kind of relationship or financial entanglement then perhaps consider another part of Thailand where you can have friendly people, transport links and shopping malls etc all for the same price. Plus if you can't speak Thai you better learn fast, because you will not find many that can speak English and in some areas can't find many that speak decent Thai.

In Isaan the topography is very flat apart from Pak Chong and Loei, there are few areas of natural beauty, no beaches, no real progressive cities with job opportunities. The whole area basically lacks ambition.

Why do you think hundreds of Thais are leaving the region everyday to find work elsewhere?

Not knocking it. I lived there for years. But if the OP wants a easy life style in Thailand then he shouldn't automatically think Isaan. Central plains, north, south. Take a few months to travel around. Find somewhere you like is the best advice as given by Iggy's avator.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Geekfreaklover

[Chivas]

Judging by the amount of farangs here in Buriram its obviously got appeal. And not "too" far away from Bangkok compared to Udon Thani as an example.

[fatfather]

Look ,I am going to be slightly facetious. Get yourself a nice lady friend, and she will tell you you the best place to live is. That is how most of us have ended up ,where we are. He,he ,We did not decide. The decision was made for us.!!!!Simplest solution.And the vast majority of us are definitely NOT unhappy. Quite the converse.Have fun.!!!! Say no more.!!!

On the point. Let your spouse choose, if she is happy you'll be happy, if she is unhappy you'll be poor quite quick. It is not that much on the beauty of the surroundings, it is about the contact to the family. The rest you will have to explore and adapt.

fatfather

[cardholder]

Judging by the amount of farangs here in Buriram its obviously got appeal. And not "too" far away from Bangkok compared to Udon Thani as an example.

I counted 14 in Big C Buriram on Wednesday.

[zzaa09]

Judging by the amount of farangs here in Buriram its obviously got appeal. And not "too" far away from Bangkok compared to Udon Thani as an example.

I counted 14 in Big C Buriram on Wednesday.

That's easily a quorum.

Big C city slickers.

[zzaa09]

Look ,I am going to be slightly facetious. Get yourself a nice lady friend, and she will tell you you the best place to live is. That is how most of us have ended up ,where we are. He,he ,We did not decide. The decision was made for us.!!!!Simplest solution.And the vast majority of us are definitely NOT unhappy. Quite the converse.Have fun.!!!! Say no more.!!!

:jap: Sound comment, AF.

[Thaddeus]

Big C city slickers.

Or the Buriram Hillbillies.

(depending on prejudice of course)

[arthurwasright]

Hello everyone

Home is where the heart is

Don't analyze it

Follow your heart

[Colin Yai]

Do you have a Thai wife? If so surely she would influence your decision as to where to live. If not wander around. I live in Buriram, suits me and many other farangs, but perhaps not for you. Good luck.

Yeah Barry , Buriram Province is not a bad old place is it,plenty of farangs who you can regail with over a beer or 3 and I heard they are opening a Tesco lotus in Ban kruat too, this will be a real boon for people who have to travel some distance to a Supermarket , I heard the local shop keepers are not too pleased ,thats just too bad cos its the consumer that is sure to benefit in the end and deservedly so in my book.

[zzaa09]

Hello everyone

Home is where the heart is

Don't analyze it

Follow your heart

Nice sentiment, but I can easily guess that most have to have hearts adjusted.....as they are somewhat coerced to live in that rare deep countryside setting - wives home village, family established, etc. This would not be the great majorities preference.

[vpi78]

I vote for Khao Yai and yes I do understand it is arguable as to whether it can be included in Isaan.

[Thaddeus]

Hello everyone

Home is where the heart is

Don't analyze it

Follow your heart

Nice sentiment, but I can easily guess that most have to have hearts adjusted.....as they are somewhat coerced to live in that rare deep countryside setting - wives home village, family established, etc. This would not be the great majorities preference.

Or only choice at the time.

[Latis]

Hey, doesn't Ubon get a look in? A one flight from BKK to UBP airport. A one hour drive and you are at Sirindhorn Dam. Waterfront bliss, peace and quiet...apart from Songkran. I'm a farang living and working in Bangkok and bought land at Sirindhorn Dam seven years ago, not through a Thai wife but through the desire to have a rural escape that is by a water resource.

[mrbeerlao]

Udon Thani will do me just fine.. when im ready or when i can afford to move over for good!!!! Cant wait

[Boo]

I like KK city, hubby is from there (1hr out of the city), family close by, western facilities but real thai life, reasonable housing costs, decent schools & lots to do. 1hr flight to BKK or 6hrs on a bus. we will head back in the next couple years & that's where we will go. Hubby offered me anywhere in Thailand but I chose KK. As a mid 30's mother of a 4 year old, it makes sense to be where family is & also where he wont be exposed to all the craziness of the beach resorts. We can still enjoy those places on family holidays but for us it has the best of all worlds. Give me Issan any day.

[sbk]

Needless animosity and trolling, response to that troll deleted, please don't use peoples real names, cheers

[phomsanuk]

As far away from her relatives as possible

[Colin Yai]

As far away from her relatives as possible

Fair comment I suppose but that depends on the strength of the farang individual, all my wifes relatives live here in our village ,yet I told them through my wife that(1) I do not lend money,(2) everything in our house is what I have worked and paid for so do not come here expecting to "freeload" just cos I married your Sister /Daughter (3)under no circumstances can you raid my fridge or "CAMP" at night watching my 48" TV (4)do not expect a free"taxi service" just cos I have a Isuzu 7 seater which happens to run on diesel and not water ,(5) do not expect Sin sod just cos I give your Daughter a life she could only dream of before she met me, I need only add my wife and I are blissfully happy ,and I get on really well with her family now they are very much aware that I am not a "stupid farang" , but treat their Sister /daughter with the respect and generosity she so richly deserves especially bearing in mind all the shit that she had to go through with her previous Thai Husband,in closeing I treat her little daughter of 5 years with all the love and attention as I would my own 3 grown up kids back in England when they was of a similar age. Edited August 20, 2011 by Colin Yai

[jfchandler]

No doubt you must be the most popular guy in the Village...

Let's hope we don't someday end up reading your obituary here...

But speaking seriously... I'm not saying your approach is wrong... But I would say, I think the typical Thai family has a somewhat different sense of familial interaction than what you describe above...

Some months back, my wife's younger sister had a particularly nasty breakup with her longish-time Thai BF, who moved out of the apartment they were sharing, took most everything with him, and left the younger sister on the hook for a bunch of bills.

Without telling me in advance, back then, my wife gave her younger sister about 20K out of my wife's own separate funds account, wiping out a good portion of her personal, non-retirement savings. She told me shortly after she'd given her own funds to her sister, and never asked me to support the bailout.

Today, I learned the younger sister now, maybe 6 months later, had returned all the funds to my wife's older sister, who's going to use them for some needed project upcountry, before returning them to my wife in BKK in a few months...

I had figured, once my wife gave her money to her younger sister, that she'd seen the last of those funds... Now maybe, I'll be proven wrong... But, it hasn't happened quite yet.

.

Edited August 20, 2011 by jfchandler

[afarang]

No doubt you must be the most popular guy in the Village...

Let's hope we don't someday end up reading your obituary here...

But speaking seriously... I'm not saying your approach is wrong... But I would say, I think the typical Thai family has a somewhat different sense of familial interaction than what you describe above...

Some months back, my wife's younger sister had a particularly nasty breakup with her longish-time Thai BF, who moved out of the apartment they were sharing, took most everything with him, and left the younger sister on the hook for a bunch of bills.

Without telling me in advance, back then, my wife gave her younger sister about 20K out of my wife's own separate funds account, wiping out a good portion of her personal, non-retirement savings. She told me shortly after she'd given her own funds to her sister, and never asked me to support the bailout.

Today, I learned the younger sister now, maybe 6 months later, had returned all the funds to my wife's older sister, who's going to use them for some needed project upcountry, before returning them to my wife in BKK in a few months...

I had figured, once my wife gave her money to her younger sister, that she'd seen the last of those funds... Now maybe, I'll be proven wrong... But, it hasn't happened quite yet.

.

That is such a lovely post .I thank you. Sometimes------

[jfchandler]

I appreciate it... sometimes...

[Fookhaht]

Whatever you do, don't settle in Mahasarakham. Called the "belly button" of Isaan (because it's the geographic center), it's certainly Isaan's Utopia, Rated several years in a row by Thailand's Health Ministry as "the happiest province in Thailand." But again, please don't come: we don't want to ruin it by hoards of grumpy expats descending upon our fair province.

[cardholder]

No doubt you must be the most popular guy in the Village...

Let's hope we don't someday end up reading your obituary here...

But speaking seriously... I'm not saying your approach is wrong... But I would say, I think the typical Thai family has a somewhat different sense of familial interaction than what you describe above...

Some months back, my wife's younger sister had a particularly nasty breakup with her longish-time Thai BF, who moved out of the apartment they were sharing, took most everything with him, and left the younger sister on the hook for a bunch of bills.

Without telling me in advance, back then, my wife gave her younger sister about 20K out of my wife's own separate funds account, wiping out a good portion of her personal, non-retirement savings. She told me shortly after she'd given her own funds to her sister, and never asked me to support the bailout.

Today, I learned the younger sister now, maybe 6 months later, had returned all the funds to my wife's older sister, who's going to use them for some needed project upcountry, before returning them to my wife in BKK in a few months...

I had figured, once my wife gave her money to her younger sister, that she'd seen the last of those funds... Now maybe, I'll be proven wrong... But, it hasn't happened quite yet.

.

That is such a lovely post .I thank you. Sometimes------

I imagine that comes under the Nam Jai umbrella - if you've got it, you give it. You don't expect it back but somehow it might find it's way back - Sometimes !

[Colin Yai]

No doubt you must be the most popular guy in the Village...

Let's hope we don't someday end up reading your obituary here...

But speaking seriously... I'm not saying your approach is wrong... But I would say, I think the typical Thai family has a somewhat different sense of familial interaction than what you describe above...

Some months back, my wife's younger sister had a particularly nasty breakup with her longish-time Thai BF, who moved out of the apartment they were sharing, took most everything with him, and left the younger sister on the hook for a bunch of bills.

Without telling me in advance, back then, my wife gave her younger sister about 20K out of my wife's own separate funds account, wiping out a good portion of her personal, non-retirement savings. She told me shortly after she'd given her own funds to her sister, and never asked me to support the bailout.

Today, I learned the younger sister now, maybe 6 months later, had returned all the funds to my wife's older sister, who's going to use them for some needed project upcountry, before returning them to my wife in BKK in a few months...

I had figured, once my wife gave her money to her younger sister, that she'd seen the last of those funds... Now maybe, I'll be proven wrong... But, it hasn't happened quite yet.

.

Yeah I am quite popular and also well respected, I have seen far too many "mugs" here who are the laughing stock of their Village , both to Thai's and farangs alike for being regarded as a human door mat/walking ATM,s many farangs cannot even go out for a drink "with the lads" in the evenings ,I have had my wifes house refurbished inside and out at considerable cost with all the modern conveniences ,for me this should be quite sufficient for her mother/sister,s to be very happy that I have Improved my wifes life beyond recognition to what it was 12 months ago,and I forgot to add in my earlier submission that I have made provision that when I pass away she will be financially secure for the rest of her life ,oh and another thing I failed to add she does not lend her brand new Honda click to anyone as if the borrower wrecks it no money will be forthcoming as she has a "rich farang" for a husband and I can always lay out another 51,000, as lets have it right us farangs get our money from the "money tree" and only Thai's have to bend their backs to get theirs,LOL. Edited August 21, 2011 by Colin Yai

[Colin Yai]

As far away from her relatives as possible

Ahh yes ,it would appear you have come into contact with the dreaded far Eastern disease of Thai inlawaitus of which the only cure is to shout loudly at every given opportunity the two by now very famous 4 and 3 letter words one beginning with F and ending with K and the other starting with O and ending with F ,I am afraid that this is the only thing that appears to work apart from maybe walking round your house stark naked which sometimes affects a short term cure , of course the only real PREVENTION for this dreadful malaise is to start thinking with what is between your ears and not between your legs,LOL. Edited August 21, 2011 by Colin Yai

[zzaa09]

We deserved a great pat on the back...

Edited August 21, 2011 by zzaa09