Which place in Thailand is best to live in, do you think? And can you explain why? (amenities, entertainment, tranquility, price, nature...)

So the question is not where do you live now, but where would you like to live (if you're not entirely happy with where you are of course).

Before I forget: yes, I know that I haven't included all options. Please indicate the town nearest to your choice or otherwise choose "Other location".

I love the beach the weather. I think business my be profitable.

I like Nakhon sawan.

There is hardly any Tourism here and that reflects on the Price and on the people living here. It is a friendly Place surrounded by Nature ....my wife just looked what i typed and she said " bedroom is the best place in Thailand" ...i agree on that too,

must go now.......se ya

rcm

Chiang Mai.

Its number one so far...so that says a lot about it .

Living is easy, people are friendly, prices are cheap and although the City attracts around 2m tourists a year I don't feel like I am living in the midst of a tourism City. ex pats are nice as well plus the climate is cooler than the south.

Hospitals are probably the best outside BK and there is every possible ammenity that an ex-pat could wish for, shopping malls, cinemas et al.

Only cock up is the polution , but then again I smoke so it really does not affect me that much as I am in control of my own personal body polluting system!!!

Chiang Mai.....#1 !!

I vote for Ban Chang

As you have missed the second largest province off the list i will have to vote other....

Nakhon Ratchasima

I voted other, Live in Bangkok now which I love, but eventually would like to move down to South, my girlfriend is from Phattalung and the countryside is beautiful there and its realitively unspoilt tourism wise.

Pattaya

More Bang for you Buck... in more ways than the obvious. Full amenities, English spoken everywere and if you want to get away from it all just a few min outside of the city and it gets real rural real fast.

I like Nakhon sawan.

There is hardly any Tourism here and that reflects on the Price and on the people living here. It is a friendly Place surrounded by Nature ....my wife just looked what i typed and she said " bedroom is the best place in Thailand" ...i agree on that too,

must go now.......se ya

rcm

I like Nakhon Sawan too and am planning to move there within a few months...leave the hustle and bustle of bangkok behind. I've never lived there for a long time but visited several times as I have some kin at Bak Nam Pho. It's such a great contrast one moment being in Thailand's fourth largest city, modernized and booming, and simply crossing the river and be in boondocks...lots of good fishing, swimming, and wilderness!

I also voted other...but besides Nakhon Sawan, I'd have to give Phetchburi city and proxemics a hollar too. For being so close to Bangkok, the cost of living is one of the lowest in all central/southern regions. In the city you can still get 10-15 baht made to order rice dishes and the best pad-thai in all of Thailand as I've seen for the same price...

Three years ago, I used to rent a Thai style 2 storey wooden house near Phetchburi market for 1000/baht a month! Try finding that in most other city market areas.

Only 15-20 minutes away from the beach (Jao Samran and Bpuktien) not to mention, as well as real close to Thailand's largest national park (by area) , Kaengrajan...

Hua Hin

I don't live there now but I'd like to

We just came back fromThailand where we spent some time looking all over for a place to retire. We checked out places in the north and south.

We decided on Hua Hin.

Reasons:

1 Weather: it doesn't rain there as much as in other areas of Thailand and it's right on the ocean so we hope it will be a little cooler and breezier

2. Not too many farangs...yet. We didn't like Phuket and Pattaya. Too much like living in the land of farangs.

3. More family oriented. Not a lot of bars and prostitutes plying the streets.

4. Clean and safe. The King lives in Hua Hin so the place seemed relatively safe and very clean. Some cities in Thailand have grown too fast and the services haven't been able to catch up. Not polluted like Pattaya.

4. Quiet. Except on the weekends with a lot of Thais come in for their weekend away from Bangkok

I have lived in HH ... it is set for a HUGE boom in a couple of years ... I might invest there with an eye to selling ... but not long term plans for living there

The Dude gives 500 shovels for BKK on his 500th post. BKK a most diggable city. Can you dig it?

I have lived in HH ... it is set for a HUGE boom in a couple of years ... I might invest there with an eye to selling ... but not long term plans for living there

Yes. I would agree. Hua Hin is quickly becoming "discovered" by farangs.

But I think as long as the King makes his home there, I'm hoping we won't be seeing the crime, bars, prostitutes and pollution that have overtaken some other popular farang cities in Thailand. It may grow in population but I'm hoping it will maintain it's charm.

As you have missed the second largest province off the list i will have to vote other....

Nakhon Ratchasima

Very strange leaving out Thailands 2nd city Korat......

Home of the Korat Expats Club.......

Plenty farang live here and have a great life style........

Edit - Just checked and Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) is Thailands largest province.....

I have lived in HH ... it is set for a HUGE boom in a couple of years ... I might invest there with an eye to selling ... but not long term plans for living there

Yes. I would agree. Hua Hin is quickly becoming "discovered" by farangs.

But I think as long as the King makes his home there, I'm hoping we won't be seeing the crime, bars, prostitutes and pollution that have overtaken some other popular farang cities in Thailand. It may grow in population but I'm hoping it will maintain it's charm.

farang aren't the issue there ...

As you have missed the second largest province off the list i will have to vote other....

Nakhon Ratchasima

If I were to live in Issan, it'd be in Nong Khai. I like the feel of the place, it's comfortable, I don't feel that way in Korat.

However I've no choice in the matter, my wife says we will live in Chiang Mai, which I also like

Pattaya of course, without a doubt. No need to see anything else or go anywhere else.

As for Chiang Mai, it would be great if it did not suffer as heavily from the leper problem and the brain washer zombies.

I've chosen other as i'd like to live in Chantaburi. A province with great beaches, nice mountains, not too far from Bangkok, not far from Koh Chang, Rayong etc. Nice mueng city. Friendly people as not on the western tourist trail. And best of all no over done Western bar scene.

All round nice place.

Sav

living in issan is like living in laredo texas or fargo north dakota, why would anyone do it?

living in issan is like living in laredo texas or fargo north dakota, why would anyone do it?

I would say the same about why on Earth would anybody choose to live in Bangkok, but some people love it, personally after 15 years living in a very busy city, to have a house in Loei is great, I also have a place in the city which I really don't care for anymore.

Issan isn't only rice fields, it's very diverse. Quality of life is much better.

For me anyway.

living in issan is like living in laredo texas or fargo north dakota, why would anyone do it?

I've never heard of laredo or fargo, and haven't a clue where north dakota is.

Living in Isarn is great - the best place I've ever lived.

Have you actually lived in Isarn?

Khon Kaen has everything that I need.

Today we jumped in the car and within half an hour were out the city and sitting in a great restaurant at Ubon Rat Dam - Bang Saen 2.

Tonight we are going bowling, and I can get there in 10 minutes. in Bangkok it would take me at least half an hour, and I lived in Central Bkk.

I'd recommend living on the edge of a large city - that way you have best of both city life and country pleasures.

living in issan is like living in laredo texas or fargo north dakota, why would anyone do it?

I would say the same about why on Earth would anybody choose to live in Bangkok, but some people love it, personally after 15 years living in a very busy city, to have a house in Loei is great, I also have a place in the city which I really don't care for anymore.

Issan isn't only rice fields, it's very diverse. Quality of life is much better.

For me anyway.

I don't think he was thinking about Loei when he posted that, there are good places to live in i-saarn (especially Loei). If he was referring to some of the more featureless and far flung places like Surin, Buriram or Sakon Nakon then i'd agree.

living in issan is like living in laredo texas or fargo north dakota, why would anyone do it?

Living in a village in the middle of nowhere may be a challenge for some i agree, but there are some expats who prefer this life..you cut your own cloth.

I live just on the ouside of korat, 5 mins to the malls and 5 mins to the open fields..

Would i want to be anywhere else...no!

Why would i want to give up this stress free relaxed life for anywhere else..

Would i like to live in bangkok where the roads are a nightmare, shops are crowded, pollution is as bad as it can get and the cost of living is higher...err no thanks..

Issan is the real Thailand.

As maigo rightly said...

Quality of life is much better.

I don't think he was thinking about Loei when he posted that

Reading some of Monochasers previous posts , I don't think he thinks before he posts at anytime.

Savage, I think you are gonna get some stick from the Surin boys, lol. Then again, you knew that!

Pattaya because of its close to the beach and pretty much has everything one could ask for without the headaches of BKK traffic.

Pattaya because of its close to the beach and pretty much has everything one could ask for without the headaches of BKK traffic.

Except at weekends when Bangkok invades Pattaya and the traffic is just as bad. Brit, a few years ago I would have not thought the traffic was that much to talk about in Pattaya, but now.....

I think the traffic problems are really bad in Pattaya and getting worse, with every available piece of land being built on meaning even more Condos and housing, and even more Farang style housing estates, the roads just can't cope as it is, I have a place on number 3 road, and have done for years, during the week it's busy but not unbelievably bad, but Friday till Sunday, it's a Nightmare.

Then again, the shopping is good in Pattaya...I guess we can't have it all ways....

I don't think he was thinking about Loei when he posted that

Reading some of Monochasers previous posts , I don't think he thinks before he posts at anytime.

Savage, I think you are gonna get some stick from the Surin boys, lol. Then again, you knew that!

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers my friend, my point is only my opinion after all! But if you bear in mind the topic starting question "best place to live in Thailand?" If people are absolutely honest with themselves and not just showing a slightly biased view based on where their partners happened to grow up, i'm sure they would agree that somewhere like Chantaburi, Trat, Ranong, Rayong or Loei etc would be slightly more idyllic. The reason I say this is because in my humble opinion these places have everything on offer in a place like Surin or Buriram plus a whole lot more. And i'm sure you'll agree that they are the "real Thailand". For the people in Surin, I hope I haven't upset anyone and hope you can see the reasons behind what I say.

Sav

living in issan is like living in laredo texas or fargo north dakota, why would anyone do it?

I've never heard of laredo or fargo, and haven't a clue where north dakota is.

Living in Isarn is great - the best place I've ever lived.

Have you actually lived in Isarn?

North Dakota is south of Canada

Or North of Mexico...

Laredo or Fargo is in between Canada and Mexico

Not much to do with Isaan..

I like Thailand everywhere mot leuye..Except for the go-go bars...

I don't think he was thinking about Loei when he posted that

Reading some of Monochasers previous posts , I don't think he thinks before he posts at anytime.

Savage, I think you are gonna get some stick from the Surin boys, lol. Then again, you knew that!

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers my friend, my point is only my opinion after all! But if you bear in mind the topic starting question "best place to live in Thailand?" If people are absolutely honest with themselves and not just showing a slightly biased view based on where their partners happened to grow up, i'm sure they would agree that somewhere like Chantaburi, Trat, Ranong, Rayong or Loei etc would be slightly more idyllic. The reason I say this is because in my humble opinion these places have everything on offer in a place like Surin or Buriram plus a whole lot more. And i'm sure you'll agree that they are the "real Thailand". For the people in Surin, I hope I haven't upset anyone and hope you can see the reasons behind what I say.

Sav

Yes it's true, if I could choose anywhere in Thailand to live it probably wouldn't be Surin, but as it happens the wife has land there and lots of family members around, so I guess I'll be building a little house on the prairie. Out here it's kind of like the rural Midwest in the USA, which I don't much care for either.

I plan to keep the costs very low on the build, and then buy something in Jomtien or BKK for recreational purposes.

It would be nice if the family owned something in a more picturesque part of the country, but I figure once the house is built to my specs, my home is my castle, humble though it may be.

Circumstances change and where you want to live changes too. I lived in Bangkok for several years mostly because that's where I worked but after I retired I was still there. I eventually got tired of the noise, pollution and traffic. I moved to Jomtien and decided that was the right place for me. Jomtien had a tourist boom after it was truly discovered. Roads are inadequate and the number of tourists and the traffic was overwhelming. I love Pra Chuap Kirikhan but Isaan won out. Nong Kai was my answer but my wife has a western style house in Loei and after spending a lot of time there I decided Loei suited me fine. Will I move again? It's possible. I still like Pra Chuap and Nong Kai.