angschneider84 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I'm relocating from California to Surat Thani (specifically Suratthani Town) in the beginning of April and wanted to see if anybody had any advice on where to stay when I first arrive? My plan is to get a feel for the area and then start looking for jobs teaching English (I finished my TEFL cert a couple of months ago here in the US). I have never been to Thailand, but after a lot of research am feeling that Suratthani may be a great place for me to start. Anybody living there right now? I am moving there on my own and don't know anybody, so it would be great to meet some people once I've arrived. Any/all advice and recommendations are appreciated! Thanks for your time - Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancealot Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 (edited) First thoughts; Why did you choose Surat(desolate and an inland location)? Guess you want to live the Thai life without having to be concerned about foreigners. Your motivation should help to give more specific advice.. Best wishes on your relocation. Edited March 5, 2013 by Dancealot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angschneider84 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 I always knew that I wanted to be in the southern part of Thailand as I really want to be closer to the beaches. Based on what I found/read, I narrowed it down to Krabi or Surat Thani and decided to go for Surat Thani since it is more removed from the tourist zones but does still have an expat community and appears to be a good starting point for accessing the islands in the gulf, etc. Plus, while I know it is going to rain everywhere I go... it seems that the Gulf side will get a little less rain than Krabi. Is that fair to say? While I don't want to be in a large tourist zone and want to have more of the Thai experience, I also don't want to be too removed. So, based on that, Suratthani town seemed like a good fit. Granted, I have never been there so this is all based on what I've found (and heard) over the past few months, so I'm still open to my options depending on how things go once I've arrived. Hopefully that helps to explain some of my thought process And if I'm wrong in any of that... please let me know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancealot Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 With thoughts like these you will never go wrong. . I have tried to cope with Surat 'solo'. But back in those days i was not experienced enough to be able to appreciate the atmosphere so i exited; stage left! I can work out alright and with your TEFL certificate in your pocket i would be the last person to stop you. I suggest you browse more in the teaching forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsailor35 Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I always knew that I wanted to be in the southern part of Thailand as I really want to be closer to the beaches. Based on what I found/read, I narrowed it down to Krabi or Surat Thani and decided to go for Surat Thani since it is more removed from the tourist zones but does still have an expat community and appears to be a good starting point for accessing the islands in the gulf, etc. Plus, while I know it is going to rain everywhere I go... it seems that the Gulf side will get a little less rain than Krabi. Is that fair to say? While I don't want to be in a large tourist zone and want to have more of the Thai experience, I also don't want to be too removed. So, based on that, Suratthani town seemed like a good fit. Granted, I have never been there so this is all based on what I've found (and heard) over the past few months, so I'm still open to my options depending on how things go once I've arrived. Hopefully that helps to explain some of my thought process And if I'm wrong in any of that... please let me know! Its a dump of a place, if you want beaches go to a quiet part of Koh Samui, or along the coast places like Sichon, Kanom etc. I have a house in Suratthani, but spend most of my time on Koh Samui. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I always knew that I wanted to be in the southern part of Thailand as I really want to be closer to the beaches. Based on what I found/read, I narrowed it down to Krabi or Surat Thani and decided to go for Surat Thani since it is more removed from the tourist zones but does still have an expat community and appears to be a good starting point for accessing the islands in the gulf, etc. Plus, while I know it is going to rain everywhere I go... it seems that the Gulf side will get a little less rain than Krabi. Is that fair to say? While I don't want to be in a large tourist zone and want to have more of the Thai experience, I also don't want to be too removed. So, based on that, Suratthani town seemed like a good fit. Granted, I have never been there so this is all based on what I've found (and heard) over the past few months, so I'm still open to my options depending on how things go once I've arrived. Hopefully that helps to explain some of my thought process And if I'm wrong in any of that... please let me know! There are not that many expats living in Surat Thani. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surat04 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 There are lots of young people teaching English in Surat. Most of them seem to work for one of the agencies in town. The new school year starts in May, so April should be a good time to look for a job. You will have to travel about an hour for an ok beach, Khanom or Sichon as mentioned before. As for it being "a dump of a place" his house must be in the wrong part of town. Its just a normal Thai town and you cant really compare it to a major tourist destination like Samui. For a true perspective of what its like to live and teach in Surat you should do a search for Super English and read the teacher testimonials. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Surat is a long way from being a dump of a place.. If you are not looking for the expat, bar scene then it has a lot to offer. It is a proper Thai town and the surrounding areas are stunning. Enjoy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 There are lots of young people teaching English in Surat. How many? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrry Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 (edited) I was expecting a lot worse when I stayed a few weeks in Surathani on my return to Thailand. Despite the fact that it is the jumping off point for tourists to the Islands it has not succomed to the tourist disease and is still friendly and cheap. THe river has some pleasant walks and it is a short ride north or south to other places. It does have a reputation of bing the home of hitmen and strong arm guys but from my observation most of these may originate here but perform their business elswwhere. Edited March 7, 2013 by harrry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angschneider84 Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 There are lots of young people teaching English in Surat. Most of them seem to work for one of the agencies in town. The new school year starts in May, so April should be a good time to look for a job. You will have to travel about an hour for an ok beach, Khanom or Sichon as mentioned before. As for it being "a dump of a place" his house must be in the wrong part of town. Its just a normal Thai town and you cant really compare it to a major tourist destination like Samui. For a true perspective of what its like to live and teach in Surat you should do a search for Super English and read the teacher testimonials. Good Luck Part of why I thought Suratthani might be a good place for me was based on the teacher reviews on the Super English website, so I'm glad to see that you recommended that as a place to start In an ideal situation, I would really prefer to be close to a beach as I'm used to living by the beach now in California and am looking for the same in Thailand... The biggest thing is that I want to make sure I can access things that I will need (stores, bus, etc), can get around easily, and will be able to meet people and find a job. What are Khanom/Sichon like? I've also looked at Nakhon Si Thammarat.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surat04 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 There are lots of young people teaching English in Surat. Most of them seem to work for one of the agencies in town. The new school year starts in May, so April should be a good time to look for a job. You will have to travel about an hour for an ok beach, Khanom or Sichon as mentioned before. As for it being "a dump of a place" his house must be in the wrong part of town. Its just a normal Thai town and you cant really compare it to a major tourist destination like Samui. For a true perspective of what its like to live and teach in Surat you should do a search for Super English and read the teacher testimonials. Good Luck Part of why I thought Suratthani might be a good place for me was based on the teacher reviews on the Super English website, so I'm glad to see that you recommended that as a place to start In an ideal situation, I would really prefer to be close to a beach as I'm used to living by the beach now in California and am looking for the same in Thailand... The biggest thing is that I want to make sure I can access things that I will need (stores, bus, etc), can get around easily, and will be able to meet people and find a job. What are Khanom/Sichon like? I've also looked at Nakhon Si Thammarat.... Surat has everything you want apart from the beach! Khanom and Sichon are just much smaller places and therefore a bit more limited in what they have to offer, although they do have the beach. Nakhon might be a good choice but again i dont think you would be that close to a good beach. You might be forced to choose between the job and the beach. I would scrape together a bit more money and just live by the beach for a couple of months. That should give you enough time to decide where you want to live and work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macclad Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 If you want to be right near to the beach,why dont you consider Songhkla ? Its got the sea on one side of the town plus the largest lake in Thailand on the other side. Compared to other Thai towns its pretty clean and its friendly as well.......not too many tourists. Things to do,as well as the beach area,would include Songhkla Water Park and Zoo and the island of Ko Yo for delicious seafood and butying fabrics like cotton and batik at very cheap prices. Just 30 kilometres away is the city of Hat Yai,which is the 3rd largest in Thailand.Its got airconditioned shopping malls,Night Markets,Malaysian/Thai food and a very "lively" nightlife. Just 6 kilometres out of town there is a huge Municipal Park with gardens,pedalos on a lake,statues,temples,Ice Dome and cable car....well woth visiting. It does get very busy at weekends when Malaysian and Singaporean tourists hop over the border. Easy to commute between Songhkla and Hat Yai......regular buses,shared minibus,taxis etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 (edited) There are lots of young people teaching English in Surat. Most of them seem to work for one of the agencies in town. The new school year starts in May, so April should be a good time to look for a job. You will have to travel about an hour for an ok beach, Khanom or Sichon as mentioned before. As for it being "a dump of a place" his house must be in the wrong part of town. Its just a normal Thai town and you cant really compare it to a major tourist destination like Samui. For a true perspective of what its like to live and teach in Surat you should do a search for Super English and read the teacher testimonials. Good Luck Part of why I thought Suratthani might be a good place for me was based on the teacher reviews on the Super English website, so I'm glad to see that you recommended that as a place to start In an ideal situation, I would really prefer to be close to a beach as I'm used to living by the beach now in California and am looking for the same in Thailand... The biggest thing is that I want to make sure I can access things that I will need (stores, bus, etc), can get around easily, and will be able to meet people and find a job. What are Khanom/Sichon like? I've also looked at Nakhon Si Thammarat.... Surat has everything you want apart from the beach! Khanom and Sichon are just much smaller places and therefore a bit more limited in what they have to offer, although they do have the beach. Nakhon might be a good choice but again i dont think you would be that close to a good beach. You might be forced to choose between the job and the beach. I would scrape together a bit more money and just live by the beach for a couple of months. That should give you enough time to decide where you want to live and work. Khanom a bit more limited than Surat Thani? You must be joking. Surat Thani is a big city with big malls, movie theatre, airport and more. Khanom is very small and has none of the above. Once it took me 25 minutes to change 500 euro because they needed so many forms to be signed and copies to be made. Edited March 9, 2013 by FritsSikkink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Go and live in Khanom on the beach and teach private English classes there. We are always getting requests from parents there about our English classes, it's just a bit too far for them to drive. There are plenty of potential students in that area and a lot of wealthy locals willing to pay you cash to teach their kids. Can't think of a more chilled way to live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Go and live in Khanom on the beach and teach private English classes there. We are always getting requests from parents there about our English classes, it's just a bit too far for them to drive. There are plenty of potential students in that area and a lot of wealthy locals willing to pay you cash to teach their kids. Can't think of a more chilled way to live Very good advise: Start working without a working permit, so you take the risk to get arrested when you get a problem with 1 of the parents. Then go to jail, get deported and blacklisted for 10 years. Very chilled way to live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Go and live in Khanom on the beach and teach private English classes there. We are always getting requests from parents there about our English classes, it's just a bit too far for them to drive. There are plenty of potential students in that area and a lot of wealthy locals willing to pay you cash to teach their kids. Can't think of a more chilled way to live Very good advise:Start working without a working permit, so you take the risk to get arrested when you get a problem with 1 of the parents. Then go to jail, get deported and blacklisted for 10 years. Very chilled way to live. Drama queen I never advised working without a permit... I advised working as a private teacher that is all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 (edited) Go and live in Khanom on the beach and teach private English classes there. We are always getting requests from parents there about our English classes, it's just a bit too far for them to drive. There are plenty of potential students in that area and a lot of wealthy locals willing to pay you cash to teach their kids. Can't think of a more chilled way to live Very good advise:Start working without a working permit, so you take the risk to get arrested when you get a problem with 1 of the parents. Then go to jail, get deported and blacklisted for 10 years. Very chilled way to live. Drama queen I never advised working without a permit... I advised working as a private teacher that is all... No drama queen, just know a bit more about the law then you. You don't get a work permit as a private teacher unless you start a company which needs quite a lot of money to setup. http://www.siam-legal.com//Business-in-Thailand/thailand-work-permit.php?gclid=CLubkbmA8rUCFcbKtAodAgMAnw Edited March 10, 2013 by FritsSikkink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 If you want to be right near to the beach,why dont you consider Songhkla ? Its got the sea on one side of the town plus the largest lake in Thailand on the other side. Compared to other Thai towns its pretty clean and its friendly as well.......not too many tourists. Things to do,as well as the beach area,would include Songhkla Water Park and Zoo and the island of Ko Yo for delicious seafood and butying fabrics like cotton and batik at very cheap prices. Just 30 kilometres away is the city of Hat Yai,which is the 3rd largest in Thailand.Its got airconditioned shopping malls,Night Markets,Malaysian/Thai food and a very "lively" nightlife. Just 6 kilometres out of town there is a huge Municipal Park with gardens,pedalos on a lake,statues,temples,Ice Dome and cable car....well woth visiting. It does get very busy at weekends when Malaysian and Singaporean tourists hop over the border. Easy to commute between Songhkla and Hat Yai......regular buses,shared minibus,taxis etc. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/TEACHERS-IN-SOUTH-DEMAND-MORE-SAFETY-30195179.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Go and live in Khanom on the beach and teach private English classes there. We are always getting requests from parents there about our English classes, it's just a bit too far for them to drive. There are plenty of potential students in that area and a lot of wealthy locals willing to pay you cash to teach their kids. Can't think of a more chilled way to live Very good advise:Start working without a working permit, so you take the risk to get arrested when you get a problem with 1 of the parents. Then go to jail, get deported and blacklisted for 10 years. Very chilled way to live. Drama queen I never advised working without a permit... I advised working as a private teacher that is all... No drama queen, just know a bit more about the law then you.You don't get a work permit as a private teacher unless you start a company which needs quite a lot of money to setup. http://www.siam-legal.com//Business-in-Thailand/thailand-work-permit.php?gclid=CLubkbmA8rUCFcbKtAodAgMAnw Complete drama queen... Reading a few links doesn't make you know any more about the law than anyone else. How the OP would go about getting legal would be their issue. I simply suggested a possibility, which is not impossible... Good luck with whatever you do OP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Complete drama queen... Reading a few links doesn't make you know any more about the law than anyone else. Maybe tha facts that: I have been there of and on for 32 years Married to a Thai and have 2 children. Speak and read the language Have a company which imports goods from Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRed Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Complete drama queen... Reading a few links doesn't make you know any more about the law than anyone else. Maybe tha facts that: I have been there of and on for 32 years Married to a Thai and have 2 children. Speak and read the language Have a company which imports goods from Thailand Bully for you! now go away and let the OP have her advice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sibelius Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Surat and Nakhon have a lot of english teachers and they come to Khanom often for weekends, chill out on the beaches in here + relax. Moving to Khanom for private teacher .......mmmmmmmmm????? Not so good idea. not enough kids who need OR want private teachers. (I have been here over 4 years !!!!! ) My opinion is Surat Thani!!! Welcome to Thailand Angela Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macclad Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 If you want to be right near to the beach,why dont you consider Songhkla ? Its got the sea on one side of the town plus the largest lake in Thailand on the other side. Compared to other Thai towns its pretty clean and its friendly as well.......not too many tourists. Things to do,as well as the beach area,would include Songhkla Water Park and Zoo and the island of Ko Yo for delicious seafood and butying fabrics like cotton and batik at very cheap prices. Just 30 kilometres away is the city of Hat Yai,which is the 3rd largest in Thailand.Its got airconditioned shopping malls,Night Markets,Malaysian/Thai food and a very "lively" nightlife. Just 6 kilometres out of town there is a huge Municipal Park with gardens,pedalos on a lake,statues,temples,Ice Dome and cable car....well woth visiting. It does get very busy at weekends when Malaysian and Singaporean tourists hop over the border. Easy to commute between Songhkla and Hat Yai......regular buses,shared minibus,taxis etc. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/TEACHERS-IN-SOUTH-DEMAND-MORE-SAFETY-30195179.html The link you post is about Pattani,Narathiwat and Yala.......nothing to do with Songhkla. Songhkla doesnt have the problems those 3 provinces have.Its a chilled out place,right on the beach and a great place to teach imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yahooka Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 If you want to be right near to the beach,why dont you consider Songhkla ? Its got the sea on one side of the town plus the largest lake in Thailand on the other side. Compared to other Thai towns its pretty clean and its friendly as well.......not too many tourists. Things to do,as well as the beach area,would include Songhkla Water Park and Zoo and the island of Ko Yo for delicious seafood and butying fabrics like cotton and batik at very cheap prices. Just 30 kilometres away is the city of Hat Yai,which is the 3rd largest in Thailand.Its got airconditioned shopping malls,Night Markets,Malaysian/Thai food and a very "lively" nightlife. Just 6 kilometres out of town there is a huge Municipal Park with gardens,pedalos on a lake,statues,temples,Ice Dome and cable car....well woth visiting. It does get very busy at weekends when Malaysian and Singaporean tourists hop over the border. Easy to commute between Songhkla and Hat Yai......regular buses,shared minibus,taxis etc. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/TEACHERS-IN-SOUTH-DEMAND-MORE-SAFETY-30195179.html If you been living here on and off for 32 years you should really know the difference between the 3 provinces that has daily terrorist attacks and Songkhla that has had a few !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) If you want to be right near to the beach,why dont you consider Songhkla ? Its got the sea on one side of the town plus the largest lake in Thailand on the other side. Compared to other Thai towns its pretty clean and its friendly as well.......not too many tourists. Things to do,as well as the beach area,would include Songhkla Water Park and Zoo and the island of Ko Yo for delicious seafood and butying fabrics like cotton and batik at very cheap prices. Just 30 kilometres away is the city of Hat Yai,which is the 3rd largest in Thailand.Its got airconditioned shopping malls,Night Markets,Malaysian/Thai food and a very "lively" nightlife. Just 6 kilometres out of town there is a huge Municipal Park with gardens,pedalos on a lake,statues,temples,Ice Dome and cable car....well woth visiting. It does get very busy at weekends when Malaysian and Singaporean tourists hop over the border. Easy to commute between Songhkla and Hat Yai......regular buses,shared minibus,taxis etc. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/TEACHERS-IN-SOUTH-DEMAND-MORE-SAFETY-30195179.html If you been living here on and off for 32 years you should really know the difference between the 3 provinces that has daily terrorist attacks and Songkhla that has had a few !! A few is more then enough for me. Edited March 11, 2013 by FritsSikkink Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angschneider84 Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Surat and Nakhon have a lot of english teachers and they come to Khanom often for weekends, chill out on the beaches in here + relax. Moving to Khanom for private teacher .......mmmmmmmmm????? Not so good idea. not enough kids who need OR want private teachers. (I have been here over 4 years !!!!! ) My opinion is Surat Thani!!! Welcome to Thailand Angela Thank you! I think it is best for me to just let go of living right on the water and know that I can get there on the weekends, but will be able to work, etc while living in Surat. If I end up not liking Surat, I can always head south, or east to Krabi. I'm sure that getting there and seeing it for myself will help a lot too. Thank you for all the advice and well wishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangkokburning Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) Hands down my least favorite city and people. Unfriendly, dishonest. Id rather live in Yala. Not to mention it is inland and I can tell you that the OP is dreaming of island beaches and gonna have to setyle for Kanom. Kanom would be a great place to live, a great compromise. As for a holiday beach it is wholly unspecial. Why rush into living anywhere? Travel the region and surely travel Thailand first. Youv'e already made one bad decision by making it from afar. What happens when you did in, rent a flat, buy some stuff and find out you hate it? Do not try Phuket or Samui either. Youv'e been warned. (Nice) Southern beach city that supports employment, not easy...Krabi city is notbing special, either. BTW not saying you cant find work, esp a pretty female but south id not known as a place with boatloads of teaching jobs outside Hat Yai. Edited March 12, 2013 by bangkokburning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangkokburning Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. (Nice) Southern beach city that supports employment, not easy...Krabi city is notbing special, either. BTW not saying you cant find work, esp a pretty female but south id not known as a place with boatloads of teaching jobs outside Hat Yai. Songkla...all in one package.....also sports a staggering three higher learning institutions...Taksin,Rajamangala,Rajabhat... Well, the universites would be good start for her. Ive never glomed on to the place, visited a few times. City center is quaint albeit scruffy in the cbd. Definately no beaches by any proper standard. Its not a bad choice, just not the best. Id love to love it more, wifes best friend is builder/developer we could get a place or custom cheap. One thing sure, it is stable. My wifes friend says she cant build homes fast enough to cover the outflow of buddhists moving oit of the border provs. Edited March 12, 2013 by bangkokburning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Surat and Nakhon have a lot of english teachers and they come to Khanom often for weekends, chill out on the beaches in here + relax. Moving to Khanom for private teacher .......mmmmmmmmm????? Not so good idea. not enough kids who need OR want private teachers. (I have been here over 4 years !!!!! ) My opinion is Surat Thani!!! Welcome to Thailand Angela I can always head south, or east to Krabi. Better go to (south) west for Krabi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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