Relocating From Australia To Udon Thani

[Gweiloman]

<snip>

It still bugs me when I do something that many people do not have the courtesy to say 'thanks' makes you feel a bit unappreciated.

Very true. This used to bug me, when you do something for them or buy them a dinner for eg and they don't even say thank you. However, that does not imply a lack of manners - it's simply just "their" way and not something they are used to doing / saying. My misses has "educated" her family enough to the point where they do say thank you occasionally but we must remember not to judge them by our own values. If they don't say thank you, it does not mean that it's unappreciated. One of those little things we need to get our heads around.

[OZEMADE]

I have friends living in Sydney and they pay $670 a WEEK rent. You pay $2000.00 a month at Penrith, then pay $1.50 a litre for fuel, food, electricity, gas,water and it goes on.

YES he can live here easily on the cash he has and quite comfortably. give it a go up North for a while and see how it goes, dont lock yourself into anything right away. If you decide you dont like it, try Jomtien or Pattaya on the Dark Side, we got it all here and it's good living as well. The thing I like about Pattaya is it is central to Thailand, 1 hour to Swampy, 1 1/2 to Bangkok, 3 hours to Koh Chang Island and half way to the north and south of Thailand. Good spot, been here for 10 yrs. Love it and I am a Vietnam Vet as well. There are quite a few Veterans living in Pattaya a couple in Hua Hin and some I know at Phuket.

[rotary]

Well we all have our opinions for various reasons but............Khon Kaen No No. The worst traffic in Thailand. Udon well a bit better but in my opinion never live more than a 4 hr drive maximum from Bkk and better yet live just outside Bkk like in Nontaburi or MinBuri. Getting to close to the family might get the family living with you. Each to his own but getting real close to the in laws aint in my plans. If you can swing it having a small place in Udon and a small place near Bkk might make the most sense.

[diggledunc]

<snip>

It still bugs me when I do something that many people do not have the courtesy to say 'thanks' makes you feel a bit unappreciated.

Very true. This used to bug me, when you do something for them or buy them a dinner for eg and they don't even say thank you. However, that does not imply a lack of manners - it's simply just "their" way and not something they are used to doing / saying. My misses has "educated" her family enough to the point where they do say thank you occasionally but we must remember not to judge them by our own values. If they don't say thank you, it does not mean that it's unappreciated. One of those little things we need to get our heads around.

My partner has done the same and I get a few TYs now. Have a bbq at the house reasonably often and now the Thai neighbours ( I am the only foreigner in 3 villages) bring something round maybe a duck to bbq or a few beers. They took on board also what she said about UK where the host for a bbq will often provide the food but the people who come usually bring some liquid refreshment. Really quite good and shows the benefit of having a good partner here which without can make the transition to the culture much more difficult.

[kingy70]

I think Udon is a great place to stay, it's a nice mix of country and big city. I'm not particularly interested in spending time with westerners regularly but it's nice to have access to some western delights when you feel the need. Burgers, KFC, Pizza's, a pub to watch the footy et etc

Udon has quite a few bars in town and an irish pub that has live music, I'm sure if you are volunteering your services you wouldn't have much trouble finding a place to jam.

I originally stayed in Nongbualamphu, about 30-40 mins drive from Udon, but now we have moved to Udon.

Most important if you're in a trusting, understanding relationship you'll enjoy yourself where ever you live.

From my experience about an hour drive from the family is a good idea.

cheers

kingy

[songhklasid]

I would consider keeping a residence in Aus, whether it be a small unit or something economical, & have extended long visits to L.O.S. travelling to different provinces or neighbouring countries,this way you don,t get bogged down, or bored with 1 spot & still have your exit plan (residence in Aus) I have been doing this on a smaller scale for 5 years now, there ain,t too many places in thai I haven.t been, bring on semi-retirement.

P.S. Down load the events calender & go from there.

regards songhklasid

[kirkieb]

Thanks Songhklasid am considering that very same thing. Am guessing will need a good back pack and a car cant see the need for too much more than that.

Am jealous to thinkl you have been at it for 5 yrs but no time like the present.

Brad

[Litlos]

As a general observation the people who are happier here are the ones who have something to do which they enjoy. Be it farming, hobbies or trolling. Those without the positives of this seem unhappy. Not unique to Thailand, just a bit more obvious due to the relatively small population of expats and the common interest in this type of forum. In Oz for example would I would be looking on forums for car related, not general.

The other thing about Thailand is very easy to buy a house, can be very hard to sell, unless to another expat. From what I gather the Thai people worry about who has lived there previously and bad spirits etc. This is all relative to how desirable a location we are looking at. So a beachfront in Hua Hin may sell easily, a house in a village just past Nakhon Nowhere, turn left at Udon Flip Flop will probably still have the for sale sign in 10 years time. So be careful to committing funds.

Currency. I partially agree about the the comments above. However I have been working here for 10 years, living full time for 2. In this time I have seen AUD to THB from 22 to 33. USD from 42 to 29. There is not a tie between the AUD/USD and no tie between USD/THB. If in doubt have a look at the historicals on somewhere like XE.com. The one thing I am sure about is the AUD is very high at the moment and will not remain that way with a Labour Govt in Australia, basically they overspend and the currency will react. So make long term plans on an exchange rate of about 22 Baht for the AUD. Treat anything above as a bonus. I am working on bringing a chunk of change over here in a few months while hopefully the AUD is still high. Also look at your options for transferring funds from Oz to Thailand. Banks want about AUD40 from OZ per transfer. I am looking at XE trade as uses anypay/BPay in OZ so no bank fee.

Cheers

[songhklasid]

Songhklasid again, further to that, I built a house in the wife's village, (east of Chaing Mai) luv the village life, have a 21 speed pushbike for exercise laps around the village, early morning when it,s cool, the afternoon laps have beer pitstops @ porn's shop, you can live cheaply & eat well, last trip I included a 2 burner flat plate BBQ in my booked in luggage,What I'm saying you can westernize your base station then travel around, & I wouldn't rent or drive a car, transport is cheap & conveniant. Sometimes I spend the week in the village, then catch a 20baht bus to Chaing-mai city for the weekend & indulge in a sunday roast.

regards songhklasid

[Goinghomesoon]

Is the military pension a life-long thing (sorry I'm not sure how they work). Or will you need to swap to the Aussie aged pension once you are old enough? If so you need to be very careful whether you are seen to be permanently living off-shore beforehand. There is a long thread on ThaiVisa about eligibility and Aussie residency requirements, but you might also want to talk to Centrelink.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Goinghomesoon

[cdmtdm]

As a general observation the people who are happier here are the ones who have something to do which they enjoy. Be it farming, hobbies or trolling. Those without the positives of this seem unhappy. Not unique to Thailand, just a bit more obvious due to the relatively small population of expats and the common interest in this type of forum. In Oz for example would I would be looking on forums for car related, not general.

The other thing about Thailand is very easy to buy a house, can be very hard to sell, unless to another expat. From what I gather the Thai people worry about who has lived there previously and bad spirits etc. This is all relative to how desirable a location we are looking at. So a beachfront in Hua Hin may sell easily, a house in a village just past Nakhon Nowhere, turn left at Udon Flip Flop will probably still have the for sale sign in 10 years time. So be careful to committing funds.

Currency. I partially agree about the the comments above. However I have been working here for 10 years, living full time for 2. In this time I have seen AUD to THB from 22 to 33. USD from 42 to 29. There is not a tie between the AUD/USD and no tie between USD/THB. If in doubt have a look at the historicals on somewhere like XE.com. The one thing I am sure about is the AUD is very high at the moment and will not remain that way with a Labour Govt in Australia, basically they overspend and the currency will react. So make long term plans on an exchange rate of about 22 Baht for the AUD. Treat anything above as a bonus. I am working on bringing a chunk of change over here in a few months while hopefully the AUD is still high. Also look at your options for transferring funds from Oz to Thailand. Banks want about AUD40 from OZ per transfer. I am looking at XE trade as uses anypay/BPay in OZ so no bank fee.

Cheers

i pay 20 bucks via westpac online banking, money hits my account within 24hrs here in thailand ,,,sometimes less ... send in aus dollars and convert here by the way ... pegged was a poor choice of words ... the thai baht is not traded on the open market and is heavily manipulated by BOT, giving it less volatility ..the aussie dollar on the other hand will correct and correct rapidly, depending on what happens in the rest of the world ie..consumption of minerals ...nothing to do with the present govt be it labour or liberal.... my advice use a bank for your transfer ,,,,

[Litlos]

As a general observation the people who are happier here are the ones who have something to do which they enjoy. Be it farming, hobbies or trolling. Those without the positives of this seem unhappy. Not unique to Thailand, just a bit more obvious due to the relatively small population of expats and the common interest in this type of forum. In Oz for example would I would be looking on forums for car related, not general.

The other thing about Thailand is very easy to buy a house, can be very hard to sell, unless to another expat. From what I gather the Thai people worry about who has lived there previously and bad spirits etc. This is all relative to how desirable a location we are looking at. So a beachfront in Hua Hin may sell easily, a house in a village just past Nakhon Nowhere, turn left at Udon Flip Flop will probably still have the for sale sign in 10 years time. So be careful to committing funds.

Currency. I partially agree about the the comments above. However I have been working here for 10 years, living full time for 2. In this time I have seen AUD to THB from 22 to 33. USD from 42 to 29. There is not a tie between the AUD/USD and no tie between USD/THB. If in doubt have a look at the historicals on somewhere like XE.com. The one thing I am sure about is the AUD is very high at the moment and will not remain that way with a Labour Govt in Australia, basically they overspend and the currency will react. So make long term plans on an exchange rate of about 22 Baht for the AUD. Treat anything above as a bonus. I am working on bringing a chunk of change over here in a few months while hopefully the AUD is still high. Also look at your options for transferring funds from Oz to Thailand. Banks want about AUD40 from OZ per transfer. I am looking at XE trade as uses anypay/BPay in OZ so no bank fee.

Cheers

i pay 20 bucks via westpac online banking, money hits my account within 24hrs here in thailand ,,,sometimes less ... send in aus dollars and convert here by the way ... pegged was a poor choice of words ... the thai baht is not traded on the open market and is heavily manipulated by BOT, giving it less volatility ..the aussie dollar on the other hand will correct and correct rapidly, depending on what happens in the rest of the world ie..consumption of minerals ...nothing to do with the present govt be it labour or liberal.... my advice use a bank for your transfer ,,,,

I will not use Westpac after previous experiences where they ably demonstrated how incompetent they are. Same goes for all the big four pretty much. Anyway not to hijack a thread with detailed politics or the economics of transferring funds I think that it is fair to say that there are several ways to transfer funds from Aust to Thailand and they have different costs etc. So check what the fees, charges and exchange rates are.

Probably a good idea for a thread in there as plenty on transferring USD/GBP to Thailand, nothing on the AUD that I have found. Maybe in a few days when I get back to BKK and chill out a bit after a month offshore, unless any volunteers to start in the meantime?

Cheers

[glassdude007]

great thread very informative....

me I've been living (renting) in Phuket for the past 3 years and I'm ready to make a move myself...

Phuket is just worn me down as it has really turned into a over (Russian) populated, filthy, greed riden, dangerous place too live I think ... so its time to move on..

was thinking Korat or Hua Hin , but after reading this thread will have too check out Udon as well (but maybe to close to telaks family in Kohen Khen could be an issue)...

I been accumulating alot of household goods as well as a Bamboo house i want to move with me..

anybody out there can reccomend a good safe honest trucking/moving firm that can move all my junk in one truck form Phuket to where ever i end up will be appreciate...

cheers

[lovetotravel]

glassdude: might want to consider Chantaburi. I've been hearing really good things about this place. Just past Rayong and then down towards Cambodia.

[rgs2001uk]

glassdude: might want to consider Chantaburi. I've been hearing really good things about this place. Just past Rayong and then down towards Cambodia.

Beautiful part of the country.

Within less than one hours drive you can have, mountains and waterfalls at Khao Soi Dao or beaches at Khung Wiman.

No jet ski mafias, rip off tuk tuks, overpriced seafood, rip off beach chairs etc etc, or anything else of that ilk that has turned some of the prime destinations into shitholes to be avoided at all costs.

Land and housing still cheap by Thai standards, the property developers havent tumbled to this area yet, as it is still somewhat of the tourist track.

Visit and enjoy while you can, can only pray it doesnt fall victim like other parts of the country.

[ROBINPATTAYA]

As a general observation the people who are happier here are the ones who have something to do which they enjoy. Be it farming, hobbies or trolling. Those without the positives of this seem unhappy. Not unique to Thailand, just a bit more obvious due to the relatively small population of expats and the common interest in this type of forum. In Oz for example would I would be looking on forums for car related, not general.

The other thing about Thailand is very easy to buy a house, can be very hard to sell, unless to another expat. From what I gather the Thai people worry about who has lived there previously and bad spirits etc. This is all relative to how desirable a location we are looking at. So a beachfront in Hua Hin may sell easily, a house in a village just past Nakhon Nowhere, turn left at Udon Flip Flop will probably still have the for sale sign in 10 years time. So be careful to committing funds.

Currency. I partially agree about the the comments above. However I have been working here for 10 years, living full time for 2. In this time I have seen AUD to THB from 22 to 33. USD from 42 to 29. There is not a tie between the AUD/USD and no tie between USD/THB. If in doubt have a look at the historicals on somewhere like XE.com. The one thing I am sure about is the AUD is very high at the moment and will not remain that way with a Labour Govt in Australia, basically they overspend and the currency will react. So make long term plans on an exchange rate of about 22 Baht for the AUD. Treat anything above as a bonus. I am working on bringing a chunk of change over here in a few months while hopefully the AUD is still high. Also look at your options for transferring funds from Oz to Thailand. Banks want about AUD40 from OZ per transfer. I am looking at XE trade as uses anypay/BPay in OZ so no bank fee.

Cheers

i pay 20 bucks via westpac online banking, money hits my account within 24hrs here in thailand ,,,sometimes less ... send in aus dollars and convert here by the way ... pegged was a poor choice of words ... the thai baht is not traded on the open market and is heavily manipulated by BOT, giving it less volatility ..the aussie dollar on the other hand will correct and correct rapidly, depending on what happens in the rest of the world ie..consumption of minerals ...nothing to do with the present govt be it labour or liberal.... my advice use a bank for your transfer ,,,,

I will not use Westpac after previous experiences where they ably demonstrated how incompetent they are. Same goes for all the big four pretty much. Anyway not to hijack a thread with detailed politics or the economics of transferring funds I think that it is fair to say that there are several ways to transfer funds from Aust to Thailand and they have different costs etc. So check what the fees, charges and exchange rates are.

Probably a good idea for a thread in there as plenty on transferring USD/GBP to Thailand, nothing on the AUD that I have found. Maybe in a few days when I get back to BKK and chill out a bit after a month offshore, unless any volunteers to start in the meantime?

Cheers

I also transfer from Westpac to Thailand in Aussie dollars, much better exchange rate thyat way. I have been doing that for 5 years & never had an issue. If you have had a bad experience, remember that times & technology have changed. Previously it took 36-48 hours to land in my account, no it can be as little as 4 hours depending on the time you send. I find early Thai time is best obviously with the time difference. For $20 to transfer $20,000, it is great value.

Cheers

[lovelaos]

If I had to live in Thailand I would probably choose Udon. It has a few good bars where you can get good grub and socialising. Most expats living there seem OK. As others have said, you will need to keep occupied to stop you becoming another grumpy old expat (there are many). It's centrally located and easy to make day/weekend trips around Isaan and Laos. The airport is great for some cheap flights to other parts of the country. Some good golf courses are within easy reach. Your 100,000 is plenty to live a very comfortable life in Udon. Enjoy.

Edited March 9, 2012 by lovelaos

[ripstanley]

When you do move do not send goods through DHL. I did and found out the hard way. If you do send goods send them through the Post Office. I never paid Customs duty using Post office but did through DHL.

[fishhooks]

I have a good knowledge of Udon, mainly through constant visits there over the past 5 or so years and have close contacts there and nearby.

It is a good location as has been said above. I've been travelling Thailand since the mid 70's. I've considered Udon for a few years now.

Where you will encounter main differences in moving from Australia is with the Thai's themselves and this is certainly no put-down.

However the culture is and has been since the Vietnam War, absolutely convinced that everything 'Farang' means a life with no-end to means and wealth.

This is mainly evident in the villages where the attention of everyone but your closest family will concentrate 24 hours a day on how you live. This will mainly show in what material evidence there is that you are there!

Again, apart from the close family, near and distant other family will hope very much to share in the fact that there is a Farang in town.

If you build, there is no guarantee whatsover that others will not want to enjoy the fruits of your success at a very close proximity, unless your wife is very very strong.

Brothers & sisters even other close relatives of your partner will be the main offenders.

As others have said, a distance must be created, but this will be very hard for your wife in a political sense as 'The Family' in most cases rules the roost to a great extent.

Corruption to do with anyone in authority here is bad, very bad and getting worse.

If you are intending to build, you better have one hell of a practical mind on how things should be done and when things go wrong you will need to be the best diplomat in the world at these times as reasoning here takes on a whole new meaning to what you may be used to.

A strange thing I'm finding of late is that my Thai wife of near 6 years, although loving her family dearly, would far prefer to live in Australia. As do many of her Thai girlfriends living in Australia and yet to decide whether to go back to their LOS.

Have just re-read your initial post in that you are mainly considering renting..............I still say that if your rented property is big and comfortable and you are in close proximity to others who may wish to join you, they just might!

Edited March 16, 2012 by fishhooks

[ozyjon]

Suggest you ask your mrs.

From what I have seen, most guys end up living in the back of beyond because thats where there mrs is from.

Plenty of time to learn new hobbies such as counting how many buffalo in the paddy opposite your house, what time in the morning the village speakers are going to kick off, you dont love your wife as much as the farang in the next village who gives his mrs 100k baht every month etc etc.

Do what suits you, but make sure your mrs is on the same page, if not wait for the money making opportunities to be presented to you, invest in a snow shoe rental business, employ the worthless family as tour guides, etc etc.

Sorry to be cynical, but you photo shows you as a young guy, what the hell do you want to come to an elephants graveyard for?

It seems we have something in common,, i was going to write the exact same words as you, do we know each other as we share the same story. People reading please note that in thailand it's the woman who controls the purse and the household not the man, you will end up living in her village with her family, like it or not.

[kirkieb]

So much more good advise has come out on this post. Have seen first hand the issues you all speak of with the wife ruling the roost and wanting to live in close proximity etc to family. In this case my Mum in law has told us to stay in Australia as she believes we have a better life here. Wife isnt convinved now moving back there is a great idea so we in limbo . Maybe its nerves, maybe its concern at the many Thai women who throw themselves at men , married or not. We will be in Udon and various locations in Isaan in May and hopefully she can feel the need to live carefree again. Will keep you posted but If i get a vote I will be moving back there soon.

[cdmtdm]

Suggest you ask your mrs.

From what I have seen, most guys end up living in the back of beyond because thats where there mrs is from.

Plenty of time to learn new hobbies such as counting how many buffalo in the paddy opposite your house, what time in the morning the village speakers are going to kick off, you dont love your wife as much as the farang in the next village who gives his mrs 100k baht every month etc etc.

Do what suits you, but make sure your mrs is on the same page, if not wait for the money making opportunities to be presented to you, invest in a snow shoe rental business, employ the worthless family as tour guides, etc etc.

Sorry to be cynical, but you photo shows you as a young guy, what the hell do you want to come to an elephants graveyard for?

It seems we have something in common,, i was going to write the exact same words as you, do we know each other as we share the same story. People reading please note that in thailand it's the woman who controls the purse and the household not the man, you will end up living in her village with her family, like it or not.

that depends on what sort of man you are ..... not all women control the purse strings in Thailand , yes they will if you let them ...

[lovetotravel]

So much more good advise has come out on this post. Have seen first hand the issues you all speak of with the wife ruling the roost and wanting to live in close proximity etc to family. In this case my Mum in law has told us to stay in Australia as she believes we have a better life here. Wife isnt convinved now moving back there is a great idea so we in limbo . Maybe its nerves, maybe its concern at the many Thai women who throw themselves at men , married or not. We will be in Udon and various locations in Isaan in May and hopefully she can feel the need to live carefree again. Will keep you posted but If i get a vote I will be moving back there soon.

Your last comment is one my wife was very concerned about. In the US, younger women don't tend to chase older guys. Unless they have BIG money. Here, happens all the time. Even if you are married. So, you wife has a legitimate concern. But not one that should stop you from moving here. As mentioned before, try to live a bit away from the in laws. Makes life much easier.

[TexasRanger]

Suggest you ask your mrs.

From what I have seen, most guys end up living in the back of beyond because thats where there mrs is from.

Plenty of time to learn new hobbies such as counting how many buffalo in the paddy opposite your house, what time in the morning the village speakers are going to kick off, you dont love your wife as much as the farang in the next village who gives his mrs 100k baht every month etc etc.

Do what suits you, but make sure your mrs is on the same page, if not wait for the money making opportunities to be presented to you, invest in a snow shoe rental business, employ the worthless family as tour guides, etc etc.

Sorry to be cynical, but you photo shows you as a young guy, what the hell do you want to come to an elephants graveyard for?

It seems we have something in common,, i was going to write the exact same words as you, do we know each other as we share the same story. People reading please note that in thailand it's the woman who controls the purse and the household not the man, you will end up living in her village with her family, like it or not.

Dream on, I live in the same village as my in laws and they have their own houses.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[farangme]

Be careful what 'help' or 'assistance' you give inlaws as they may come to think it their birthright and it may become contentious when you are no longer inclined to 'help out'.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[macksview]

Kirkieb, being an aussie you might like a game of cricket perhaps, some gents in udon play on saturdays out on a housing estate, great fun.

tennis ball cricket and very gentlemanly, good lads to talk to and very friendly, they know most of the handy things locally, where to get things made/buy and other useful info.

if your injury precludes you from playing, its still a nice arvo away from the wife, a good place for a beer and a chat.

[Paul1Kanya]

Evening,

If you wish to do charity work risk free there are Rotary and Lions clubs all over Thailand including Udon Thani ... All are on Google.

As well as helping others either organisation offers a nice extension to your social life and within the circle there will undoubtedly be people with local influence and knowledge, another bonus for us in a foreign land.

I am envious to a degree as we are not yet ready to make the move, we surely will one day though so I am so interested in reading the posts.

Paul1.