Retirement In Chiangmai Or Khon Kaen?

[zzaa09]

The city [CM] is like Bangkok without any public transportation. No way would I live in that city.

I shimmer to think that you consider Chiang Mai and BKK similar.

Not at all. Different worlds and atmosphere.

CM still retains an overgrown village way about it and Bangkok would be considered the proverbial big bad metropolis.

[Ulysses G.]

There is plenty of public transportation in CM however.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[kerryk]

Now I will suggest something completely different, never mind incoming flak, he-he.

Try Pattaya, yes Pattaya. Never mind the +10.000 hookers, I don't use them myself as I am a family man with kids and all.

Here you have all the shopping you can imagine, the new Central is just aw some with lots of cheap Japanese restaurants and good shopping too, books- clothes and so on.

More and more Thais (mostly from BKK) are coming here in the weekends, some are even buying condos/houses because so much are going on, car shows- model (international) cat walks and the list goes on.

There is even a woman expat club here.

Close to BKK and swampy airport.

We have another house in the sticks some 60 km from SiSaket. I can stay there for max 4 days and I am bored out of my skull, he-he.

I like Thai food too but not every day, so in that regard Patts is perfect for me.

I do find CM very very nice, but the yearly burning of the fields in the whole area (Burma too) puts me off.

If I was you I would stay here a week to check yourself, you might run screaming away but you might like it too.

You make a good point. In addition there has to be at least 5000 of KK's best looking women in Pattaya.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I like KK, have spent a lot of time there on travel, and my wife is from there...

That said, the OP talked about coming from Singapore, not wanting a too slow life in the future, and asking about English language media work....

For all the nice things it is, KK is not Singapore or anywhere close to it. It certainly for an older, retirement-age woman would likely be a much slower, different style of life. And you can pretty much forget any likelihood of English language TV work there.

CM also isn't Singapore, and would be a different lifestyle as well.... But probably would be a bit closer to what the OP has been used to....and perhaps be a more supportive environment...

But different cultures, different terrain and different weather between the two places.

That said, sometimes what people start out thinking is important to them is different than what ends up being important to them down the road...

[Captain Haddock]

"Convenience foods. Of course. "

Que pasa senore? What do you mean?

Is there a rhyme to your reason?

I know you like CM. One of the many great places to live in Siam. But by no means the only one. Go on, explore a bit - you might be surprised!

[Johnniey]

Khon Kaen has good hotels and hospitals.

Tesco, Big C, Makro ,Global Home,Index etc. Shopping malls including a new Central Plaza. Multi Plex cinema.

Airport with flights only to Bangkok. (3 a day). Train Station.

A large university.

Just to add to Litebeers post - Khon Kaen is "GROWING BY THE DAY" we have all of what Litebeer said plus more, it is identified as the centre of Issan and rumoured to be the North South/East West cross roads in the future.

I will hang my neck out by saying that by the amount of money being invested in Khon Kaen it will upgrade the airport to international within the next 10 years.

I agree with the friend of the OP's Issan people are very friendly and welcome genuine farangs my advice come and visit have a look decide for yourself.

We have lived here for several years now and no complaints, before the resident TV knockers get on their soapboxes - yes my wife is Thai yes we have been married for some time and No she (my wife) does not come frome Issan we came here on invite some 6/7 years ago liked what we experienced and are happy to promote KK as a possible place to live - remember each to their own.

Why the need to say this - do you think there is something wrong with a Thai woman from Isarn?

[maxme]

Fortunately i have lived in both and Khon Kaen offers everything that Chiang Mai has and more

Nothing against Khon Kaen, but this is BS. It does not offer anywhere close to the number of decent foreign restaurants, used bookstores, English language libraries, cheap English language cable TV options and a number of of other things that Chiang Mai does. It does have its own advantages for some people though.

Maybe you should do an extensive research on why alot of Thais that don't eat junkfood get cysts before you even comment like that. Their food is filled with chemicals and pestocides but when it comes to junkfood I think its more about personal choice. No one forces you to go to a junk food restaurant and if you want to someone to blame for kids getting fatter, blame the lazy parents who dont care enough about making a proper meal for the kids.

[zzaa09]

Fortunately i have lived in both and Khon Kaen offers everything that Chiang Mai has and more

Nothing against Khon Kaen, but this is BS. It does not offer anywhere close to the number of decent foreign restaurants, used bookstores, English language libraries, cheap English language cable TV options and a number of of other things that Chiang Mai does. It does have its own advantages for some people though.

Maybe you should do an extensive research on why alot of Thais that don't eat junkfood get cysts before you even comment like that. Their food is filled with chemicals and pestocides but when it comes to junkfood I think its more about personal choice. No one forces you to go to a junk food restaurant and if you want to someone to blame for kids getting fatter, blame the lazy parents who dont care enough about making a proper meal for the kids.

I blame Farang and their interloping ways....

[roamer]

The city [CM] is like Bangkok without any public transportation. No way would I live in that city.

I shimmer to think that you consider Chiang Mai and BKK similar.

Not at all. Different worlds and atmosphere.

CM still retains an overgrown village way about it and Bangkok would be considered the proverbial big bad metropolis.

Seconded. That was probably one of the more bizarre statements I've read on TV. I happen to like both of 'em but there are loads more differences than similarities. Gary, if you see someone with a white cane waiting to cross the road, do them a favour and walk on by.

Edited September 7, 2011 by roamer

[mca]

Fortunately i have lived in both and Khon Kaen offers everything that Chiang Mai has and more

Nothing against Khon Kaen, but this is BS. It does not offer anywhere close to the number of decent foreign restaurants, used bookstores, English language libraries, cheap English language cable TV options and a number of of other things that Chiang Mai does. It does have its own advantages for some people though.

Maybe you should do an extensive research on why alot of Thais that don't eat junkfood get cysts before you even comment like that. Their food is filled with chemicals and pestocides but when it comes to junkfood I think its more about personal choice. No one forces you to go to a junk food restaurant and if you want to someone to blame for kids getting fatter, blame the lazy parents who dont care enough about making a proper meal for the kids.

Comment like what?

[Ulysses G.]

Fortunately i have lived in both and Khon Kaen offers everything that Chiang Mai has and more

Nothing against Khon Kaen, but this is BS. It does not offer anywhere close to the number of decent foreign restaurants, used bookstores, English language libraries, cheap English language cable TV options and a number of of other things that Chiang Mai does. It does have its own advantages for some people though.

Maybe you should do an extensive research on why alot of Thais that don't eat junkfood get cysts before you even comment like that. Their food is filled with chemicals and pestocides but when it comes to junkfood I think its more about personal choice. No one forces you to go to a junk food restaurant and if you want to someone to blame for kids getting fatter, blame the lazy parents who dont care enough about making a proper meal for the kids.

I am not sure what this has to do with the posts that you have quoted (including mine), but I agree that eating fast food is OK in moderation and is a personal choice that should not be regulated by governments or PC loons.

[IanForbes]

I don't know why it has to be restricted to just Chiang Mai or KK. None of us fully understand what might suit the OP's needs. Maybe there are other options more suitable... such as Pattaya, or even the outskirts of Bangkok. There is lots to like about Pattaya; it's a good sized city with many options and places suitable for westerners. You can totally ignore the obvious bar-girl scene if you want to. It's not like they attack you in the dark like a big bad boogyman.

[guzzi850m2]

I don't know why it has to be restricted to just Chiang Mai or KK. None of us fully understand what might suit the OP's needs. Maybe there are other options more suitable... such as Pattaya, or even the outskirts of Bangkok. There is lots to like about Pattaya; it's a good sized city with many options and places suitable for westerners. You can totally ignore the obvious bar-girl scene if you want to. It's not like they attack you in the dark like a big bad boogyman.

+1

I been traveling a lot in Thailand and still are. For me Patts. is perfect, good schools for the kids, good hospitals (y never know when you will need one). I don't want to eat Thai food every day, lots of choices here for something else incl junk food which I like to eat min once a week, he-he. 1.5 hour drive to the airport is nice too, as I work world wide.

I been living on Phuket, in BKK and now I live in Patts, and I must say that of those 3, Patts suits me best.

I will say after app 10 years time living here that I basically have 2 places I can stay long term: Pattaya& Chang Mai. Thats a bit like night & day maybe, thats properly why I stay in Patts, he-he.

[Ricardo]

Well having lived in a village in KK for the past 11 years and witnessing first hand enough families dealing with alcohol abuse by one of the members Id have to politely disagree with you and say it's neither myth nor sterotype as far as my own two eyes can see. Of course not everyone is on the lash daily but there's a fair percentage who are.

The TV ad campaign fairly recently about the dangers of alcohol showing father sitting on the floor of the shack with a bottle in front of him raving while wife and daughter look on terrified would seem to support my idea. Hardly aimed at the shoppers at Siam Paragon wouldn't you concur?

+1

When I have an occasional convivial-afternoon, drinking Chang with a couple of friends at the village-shop, I see the workers coming in from the field for a tot of paint-thinner-quality spirits, and a chaser of water. It's not everyone, but it certainly does happen, IME too.

Don't get confused between junk and convenience foods.

Convenience foods. Of course.

Praise the Lord for marketing !

Their product is junk-food, My product is convenient & has 12 added-vitamins, made from natural-ingredients and cheaper too !

Edited September 11, 2011 by Ricardo