Saraburi

[Bee1lsu]

My wife and I are planning to move there, she is a Thai National that left Thailand 37 years ago. What's the cost of living there?

[lopburi3]

How long is a piece of string? Not really a visa question so will move to the section covering that part of the country. You might want to ask specific questions and provide some indication of how you live and want to live and where you are currently.

[pault17]

Saraburi is a quiet place without tourist and few (big) business/factories.

Almost no Western-style food and for specials and non-common goods a trip to Bangkok is a must.

Cost of living? Depends largely on your life style.

Want to keep up your western style? Expensive.

Go with the Thai masses? Reasonable.

If you want specific answers I suggest you ask specific questions.

[fredob43]

How long is a piece of string? Not really a visa question so will move to the section covering that part of the country. You might want to ask specific questions and provide some indication of how you live and want to live and where you are currently.

Suggest you read the post Saraburi dust then have a rethink.

[Route21]

Suggest you read the post Saraburi dust then have a rethink.

It may depend on whether the OP means the town or province of Saraburi. We regard Saraburi town as the northern limit of the Bangkok industrial zone. Once beyond there, you are basically into a less industrialised, more rural habitat.

We used to regularly drive thru' Saraburi on our way North to Phetchabun. If you go up the steep hill on Route 1 to the North of the town and thru' the high "mountain pass", you get out of the industrial zone.

Unlike Phetchabun, the town is actually on a railway line. It's had a Tesco hypermarket longer than we have. It's much closer to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Wang Noi and Korat than we are.

So, if the OP means to settle down north of Saraburi, among the fields of sunflowers and close to the reservoir/dam area - the source of ram's head water chestnuts (water calthropes) etc and go into the town for Tesco's and the market, like we do with Phetchabun, then it may be a different story.

Is there anyone out there living in Saraburi province who can helpthe OP further on the positive side?

Regards

R21

[phutoie2]

Minor point: That "steep hill" is on Route 21, not the "1". !

Saraburi has some good hospitals, Mittraparp is one. Plus a half decent cheap golf course managed by SCG, I've had reason to visit both.

[Route21]

Minor point: That "steep hill" is on Route 21, not the "1". !

Saraburi has some good hospitals, Mittraparp is one. Plus a half decent cheap golf course managed by SCG, I've had reason to visit both.

Oops! You're right of course. You leave Saraburi on the "1", then fork right, to where they sell bunches of small coconuts on the "21" before takling the deep ruts left by the heavy trucks grinding up the hill. Then a "peep-peep" as you pass the mountain's shrine and you're in a different world.

Regards

R21

[rgs2001uk]

Suggest you read the post Saraburi dust then have a rethink.

It may depend on whether the OP means the town or province of Saraburi. We regard Saraburi town as the northern limit of the Bangkok industrial zone. Once beyond there, you are basically into a less industrialised, more rural habitat.

We used to regularly drive thru' Saraburi on our way North to Phetchabun. If you go up the steep hill on Route 1 to the North of the town and thru' the high "mountain pass", you get out of the industrial zone.

Unlike Phetchabun, the town is actually on a railway line. It's had a Tesco hypermarket longer than we have. It's much closer to Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Lop Buri, Wang Noi and Korat than we are.

So, if the OP means to settle down north of Saraburi, among the fields of sunflowers and close to the reservoir/dam area - the source of ram's head water chestnuts (water calthropes) etc and go into the town for Tesco's and the market, like we do with Phetchabun, then it may be a different story.

Is there anyone out there living in Saraburi province who can helpthe OP further on the positive side?

Regards

R21

Is there anyone out there living in Saraburi province who can helpthe OP further on the positive side?

I can think of nothing positive to say about SaraBuri, too much traffic, dirty, noisy, polluted, I couldnt live there.

Your post sums it up for me, if by SaraBuri he means some place like Chai Badan or further up the 21 yes go for it.

Theres a one buffalo town a bit further up called Phu Toei, it always amazes me how clean looking the town is compared to some of the towns I have driven through in Issan.

Another little shock the OP may have is the cost of land in some of these areas.

If the mrs left there 37 years ago she will be in for a shock, she may even decide she cant live there.

[lopburi3]

How long is a piece of string? Not really a visa question so will move to the section covering that part of the country. You might want to ask specific questions and provide some indication of how you live and want to live and where you are currently.

Suggest you read the post Saraburi dust then have a rethink.

Rethink what? Or are you intending to post to OP rather than my post that you quoted? As for dust we are talking about a province and the difference between North and South are major (the South being a green oasis of tree farms/plants). Having travelled highway 1 when it was single lanes some 40 years ago can say transit of the mining areas today is like being in the middle of the ocean compared with the dust then (you tried to hold your breath going through a few towns).

[beautifulthailand99]

Everything seems to shut down around 8:30 in the evening in the supposed centre. Some nice countryside round and about but thats about it.

[fredob43]

How long is a piece of string? Not really a visa question so will move to the section covering that part of the country. You might want to ask specific questions and provide some indication of how you live and want to live and where you are currently.

Suggest you read the post Saraburi dust then have a rethink.

Rethink what? Or are you intending to post to OP rather than my post that you quoted? As for dust we are talking about a province and the difference between North and South are major (the South being a green oasis of tree farms/plants). Having travelled highway 1 when it was single lanes some 40 years ago can say transit of the mining areas today is like being in the middle of the ocean compared with the dust then (you tried to hold your breath going through a few towns).

Thought it was pretty obvious you post about dust +++ in Saraburi had an article about the fume's there it also went on to say that the so called government was looking into it could take 4+ year's knowing how thing's work here read never. The OP never stated what part of Saraburi province he was going to that's why I suggested that he looked at your article then make up his mind or as I put it rethink.

[siamsaint]

Saraburi is like a previous poster said, the end of industrial North Bangkok, Pak Chong and Muak Lek are two beautiful places close by and Lopburi is similar to Saraburi but more pleasant with better facilities. Saraburi is a small army town, industrial, dusty, quite nationalistic and very lacking in public transport. It's not all bad but unless you have connections there I wouldn't move there.

[lucjoker]

How long is a piece of string? Not really a visa question so will move to the section covering that part of the country. You might want to ask specific questions and provide some indication of how you live and want to live and where you are currently.

verry important :how big is your wife's family?

[lopburi3]

This is not my thread - unfortunately OP has not posted any details.

As for my comment on dust it was in response to post #4 as often traveled the Lopburi/Bangkok route 1 when it was single lane and towns above the highway 21 junctions were covered in stone dust - but in recent times trips through that area have been clear of such massive dust clouds (although obviously still a mining area) and we do not know what area the OP was talking about moving into.

[Bee1lsu]

My wife's family is very large and live in Hai Bong, which is very rural. I will retire at 62 and move, the wife and I don't need much to be happy. We don't need much to be happy, Internet , satellite and each other. Could I live on $2000 a month in Hai Bong?

[beautifulthailand99]

I have connections there - the governemnts new year celebrations in front of the municipal offices were wonderful to say the least - only saw one farang there in all my time.though so get practsing with your Thai.

[rgs2001uk]

My wife's family is very large and live in Hai Bong, which is very rural. I will retire at 62 and move, the wife and I don't need much to be happy. We don't need much to be happy, Internet , satellite and each other. Could I live on $2000 a month in Hai Bong?

None of my business, but here we go, have you accounted for, land purchase, build house, furnish house, buy a truck?

Could you live on $2,000 per month? I dont know.

What do you intend to do all day, what are your hobbies, will you be taking holidays yearly, what will you do at New Year for example will you travel internally in Thailand for a few nights in a hotel?

What type of food do you eat, Thai food soon gets pretty boring, farang imported food is available but expensive, look at the price of cheese for example.

Try taking the wife and a couple of kids to Pizza Hut and you wont have any change from 1,000 baht.

Have you budgeted for health insurance for you and your wife?

What happens if tomorrow you need root canal treatment, theres another 15,000 baht gone.

And so it goes on and on.

Of more concern to me would be the very large family, how good is your wife at budgeting, will she be able to hold off the pleas for finance that will come?

I could go on, others will chip in with their thoughts.

When was the last time you and your wife visited here, that should give you some idea of costs.

What will you do if the dollar drops against the baht to say 25, instead of 60,000 baht per month you now only have 50,000 coming in.

Have you taken into account inflation and exchange rates?

I dare say its doable, its probably the minimum you should have to live on, what happens in 10 years , do you have a plan A, B and C?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

"Hai Bong"?? Can't find it. What district of Saraburi is it in?

As another poster mentioned, Muak Lek can be nice. Wang Muang district is even more rural, mostly farming, corn, tapioca, sugar cane, some sun flowers late in the year, and lots of dairy cattle.

Mac

[Route21]

"Hai Bong"?? Can't find it. What district of Saraburi is it in?

Mac

Do you mean Huai Pong, which is North of Lopburi?

Regards

R21

[sabian]

Did you come to Saraburi? I've lived here 5 years. Like it a lot, living next to the river.

[kaspercat]

Depending where in Saraburi you live? We have a factory by the dam and near muak lek and it's quite nice and quiet. Close enough to khao yai and dairy home. It can quite livable if you like quiet.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[weedywhaoo]

Hello Saraburi guys,

I just moved here this week from a 5 year stay in Phuket. I am living at a small hotel (Saraburi Garden Resort) for the first week.

I am really trying to find a small house to rent.

Can anyone here give some help to find a rental house please.

Trying to find something on internet is useless. I have been driving around in different housing estates but I haven't seen any sign

on any house "for rent".

I would appreciate any help from you guys.

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^^,

try DDproperty, just been on there and there are at least 3 houses for rent.

Where in SaraBuri do you want ?

[weedywhaoo]

Hello RGS,

Thank you for the advice about DD property. I have been there and contacted 2 of the listed house but has had no reply for over 4 days.

If I could choose, I would like to live somewhere from the city center to tambon Takud or baan kluay.

[joedee]

My wife's family is very large and live in Hai Bong, which is very rural. I will retire at 62 and move, the wife and I don't need much to be happy. We don't need much to be happy, Internet , satellite and each other. Could I live on $2000 a month in Hai Bong?

Hi,,, Saw your post that you live in Hai Bong....I have been offered 2 rai plot(with modern house & pool) in that area that I quite like.

I have no idea of the property prices in that area and wonder whether you can give me any advice...

Would be much appreciated....Thanks Joe

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Is this "Huai Bong" that I see in Chalerm Prakiat District when Googling?

Re land prices, take a wander down to the local Land Department and check through recent sales. Not sure where the LD is located, I know there's one in Khaeng Khoi but it may not cover your area. Ask the nai ban for the "kom ki din".

Mac

[joedee]

Is this "Huai Bong" that I see in Chalerm Prakiat District when Googling?

Re land prices, take a wander down to the local Land Department and check through recent sales. Not sure where the LD is located, I know there's one in Khaeng Khoi but it may not cover your area. Ask the nai ban for the "kom ki din".

Mac

Yes, that is the area you mention. Unfortunately I am not in that area at present to visit the Land Department. Basically I am trying to help someone out who wants to sell sharpish. I don't mind to help but I want to stay in the comfort zone with regard to the buying price. I would plan to market it for sale again in the near future. Possibly split the land and build or put services and sell plots separately... Thank you for your advice,,, much appreciated...Joe