Moving To Thailand

[mike1963]

Hi really sad to see so much negative stuff about Ko Samui rearing its head

I was planning to move out there next year but after some of the pictures being painted not so cionfident as I was

I have visited Samui before and have been to Thailand many many times although I don't really want to locate to a touristy area I want to scuba dive regularly play golf regularly my (thai) wife is hung up on the repeat tsunami thing so the Andaman side is off limits ( at the moment) where could a farang locate to with great scuba golf a few farang faces with all the good bits of thailand thrown in

I love Thailand and that is why I want to emigrate there but the last thing I want is to go from the frying pan and into the fire thailand has so many faces and all different people have different needs I respect that but I don't like the chaweng/patong/pattaya thing but this is huge country so please ex-pats give me some geographical tips

Thanks Mike

[solo siam]

Krabi?

[Rooo]

Come & judge for yourself.Don't let others make your mind up for you.

[mike1963]

Krabi?

Hi Yeah I liked Krabi bit touristy though but I think my wife cosiders it still ghgosty apocalypse type area ( are you aware of so many thais convinced of more disaster to come sorry to wander off)

Has Krabi got good scuba and golf I know the roads are not extensive which means it may remain not too built up

Have you spent time there and where do you reside

Come & judge for yourself.Don't let others make your mind up for you.

Hey Roo do you live in samui if so where is good for you

[Khun Jean]

I was happy my wife at least wants to take a look there.

She is a little westernized, but still if you hear ghost stories from the moment you are born she is brave to take the step.

I also like the area around Krabi. No not ao nang as members will understand after my rants about Samui.

Koh Lanta, the Yao islands look very interesting. For the children i have to have a good school too, so an island can be difficult to live. The children probably get bored stiff when they get in there teens.

When you grow up around the beach and palmtrees they probably want to see concrete in a big city.

I used this website as a start to look for nice places around Krabi. For small trips or maybe a place to stay for a while.

http://andaman-island-hopping.com/

I am not affiliated with this site, so don't worry.

It just has a nice list of that area and will give you at least some first impressions.

To stay clear of a tsunami any of the bigger island should be safe, especially on the eastern sides of the islands. Also having Phuket as a cover looks safe.

Unless you are very close or almost on the beach, i imagine you can not escape it then. But living a few hondred meters from the beach should be ok.

We know now what to look out for. Next time when on the beach and the water retreats very far, i will be running. And i hope the warning system is in place.

The chance of it happening again is very small.

I read somewhere it is once in about 300 years.

Another area i like is the coastline between HuaHin and Chumphon. Prachuap Khirkhan is nice. But not too much diving. Around Chumphon it gets better. I am not a diver but i like snorkeling. From there not to far to Koh Tao which has great snorkeling and from what i hear good diving. It is a little bit crowded and almost exclusively foreigners. But with that comes clean beaches. Nice for a few days trip.

Happy hunting for your place to live.

[solo siam]

I live in Phuket and its really way too touristy for what you are after, I like it for now as I have a business servicing property owners. However I wont be retiring here.

The problem is going to be that anywhere with good International Schools and Golf Courses is going to have to be touristy or dense (in terms of populous) else those attractions probably wouldnt be there.

I wouldnt have thought of Krabi as too touristy, I've only passed through really but dont meet many people that have been/are going there as tourists.

Only other place I could think of would be Hua Hin - The Schoolings going to be the problem just about anywhere else.

[mikeybee]

well try looking at hua hin or cha-am lovely places not to touristy but you do get alot of thia's from bangkok coming down at the weekend but hey they wouldn't come if was a bad place so check it out

happy hunting

mike.

[Rooo]

Mike 1063,as mentioned previously anywhere you are looking for with school facilities,is bound to have an expat community or tourists.

Yes I live in Samui,like anyone else here, I do get fed up with tourists too *certain type*.The trick is to choose where you live & pick your friends (appplies anywhere).The quiter sides of the island will offer you respite from holiday traffic & festivities.We have lived here in some capacity or other for over 9 years,now permanently.Like any other place it has it's problems, but also a lot of attributes.Just keep your nose clean & mind your own business, you shouldn't have a problem.

I must point out , I do not have a business, so can't comment on that side of things, perhaps someone else can.

As for diving , several sites around the outlying islands.As I said , keep away from Chaweng & Lamai , if you want to avoid the hordes.

[Moonhunteruk]

Hello Mike

Well i used to live on Samui for a year and a half, but i moved away for the same reasons, it was getting to busy and there was soo much S**t going on.

I moved to Trang which is inbetween Hat Yai and Krabi in the South, is a very good location for visiting all those places Hat Yai, Malaysia, Krabi, Koh Samui, Phuket......

I the same like to play golf and there is a course in Trang luckly enough. The coast is about 25km from the heart of Trang and there anr some beautiful islands surrounding with some great dive sights.

But as Rooo said come and judge for yourself, there are soo many nice places.

Good luck

Mike

[mike1963]

Mike 1063,as mentioned previously anywhere you are looking for with school facilities,is bound to have an expat community or tourists.

Yes I live in Samui,like anyone else here, I do get fed up with tourists too *certain type*.The trick is to choose where you live & pick your friends (appplies anywhere).The quiter sides of the island will offer you respite from holiday traffic & festivities.We have lived here in some capacity or other for over 9 years,now permanently.Like any other place it has it's problems, but also a lot of attributes.Just keep your nose clean & mind your own business, you shouldn't have a problem.

I must point out , I do not have a business, so can't comment on that side of things, perhaps someone else can.

As for diving , several sites around the outlying islands.As I said , keep away from Chaweng & Lamai , if you want to avoid the hordes.

Rooo thanks for taking the time

you make some very valid and helpful points basically when you make the momentous decision to leave Blighty yo want to get it right that is all i want to do I think I will take your advice and spend time in the nicer quieter parts I hated Chaweng and Lamai but did see some nice spots elsewhere If you want golg and scuba and an airport I suppose you cannt have your cake and eat it

Thanks again mate

Mike

[mike1963]

Hello Mike

Well i used to live on Samui for a year and a half, but i moved away for the same reasons, it was getting to busy and there was soo much S**t going on.

I moved to Trang which is inbetween Hat Yai and Krabi in the South, is a very good location for visiting all those places Hat Yai, Malaysia, Krabi, Koh Samui, Phuket......

I the same like to play golf and there is a course in Trang luckly enough. The coast is about 25km from the heart of Trang and there anr some beautiful islands surrounding with some great dive sights.

But as Rooo said come and judge for yourself, there are soo many nice places.

Good luck

Mike

Mike thanks for replying Where you are situated sounds lovely have you had any problems with things being a bit heated in the South please excuse myt ignorance but things get said or posted and a mental image is perhaps totally distorted sp please tell me more although my wife is Issan so the chances of her moving to where you are are about as good aas me winning the lottery (and I don't do the lottery) but still interesting to here about your "home"

I used to support Spurs many years ago saw my first game69/70 all through the really bad years so when they did the FA 2 years on the trot 80-82 I stopped going got out on a high note you could say and now no real interest - do you get the prem where you are

Thanks again Mike

[Paraglider]

I live with my foreign family since 6 month in Chumpon.

It's a nice,little town,very friendly locals ,to the sea only 8 km.Visarun to ranong only 2 hours by minibus.My fly-hill is only 12 km from our house.Some tourists,but not to many-resonable price level compared to the expensive tourist destinations.

We avoid these touristy areas.If you speak a bit Thai,you can help yourself where ever you are.

[mike1963]

I live with my foreign family since 6 month in Chumpon.

It's a nice,little town,very friendly locals ,to the sea only 8 km.Visarun to ranong only 2 hours by minibus.My fly-hill is only 12 km from our house.Some tourists,but not to many-resonable price level compared to the expensive tourist destinations.

We avoid these touristy areas.If you speak a bit Thai,you can help yourself where ever you are.

Hi yes I have heard that there is some decent diving around Chumphon is this the case and how about golf are there any courses in the general area

Thanks again for your help

Mike

[limbos]

Mike,

There's more EPL live on TV in Thailand than there's in the UK.

On Staredays at least 3 games live. Sundays two games live.

No pay neither, this is on UBC satelite.

[Paraglider]

I live with my foreign family since 6 month in Chumpon.

It's a nice,little town,very friendly locals ,to the sea only 8 km.Visarun to ranong only 2 hours by minibus.My fly-hill is only 12 km from our house.Some tourists,but not to many-resonable price level compared to the expensive tourist destinations.

We avoid these touristy areas.If you speak a bit Thai,you can help yourself where ever you are.

Hi yes I have heard that there is some decent diving around Chumphon is this the case and how about golf are there any courses in the general area

Thanks again for your help

Mike

Yes,the next Golf course is less than 10 km out of Chumphon