first experince of gf isaan village

[lovinglifeinthailand]

I said a few post not all many have been very helpful pro's and con's

[patongphil]

I think if I told you 4 years ago not to move I would have been talking to a brick wall also.

I do not feel that I will be isolated as I said i have a group of young friends mid 20s same interests living an hours drive away, if and when I feel the need to socialize ill pop in the car. that's when the in-laws come in handy to babysit. its not like we are tied to the village if me want a holiday in Thailand no problem for a few weeks.

as well as being in the uk for a few months each year.

I do not plan to spend £65k no need to spend 1million on a car. and a modest clean house will do.

I to feel I am being sensible the house is for the family now and my child long term even if he/she wants to live or sell the land in the future after we are in the ground.

I have read all the comments and taken on board the many helpful posts, but a few my way or the highway post are not helpful to me as I was always moving to the village just wanted to here readers experiences.

I have to agree with Mat on this. Although some can make the change and live in a village most cannot. I am one of those who cannot. We have a house in the village which we visit for a few months every year and that is enough for us all. There are a few farangs aorund and about our area with fairly regular "meetings" in various places but all require a few miles on the bike or in car and with the beer, rural roads etc etc not too good an idea.

By the way I know Nong Song Hong a bit and it is defintely not a village, such as most posters here are referring to, but also a fair flog up to KKC or down to Korat to see friends.

There are quite a few westerners in Ban Phai who meet up twice a week but definitely not in your age group

[Dakling]

I move in jan, but have now decided to build next November when the baby will be 8 months, don't want any stress during the birth.

will also give me more time living with the family see how we get on.

I think this is a brilliant approach. the time between Jan. and Nov. will give you lots of time to decide if the village life is for you. Don't feel like it is some sort of a failure if down the road you decide to change your mind.

If you like the village life but having it 24/7 is too much for you consider fixing the parents place up a bit so it is comfortable for you to spend weekends there and then rent a place in Khon Khen and stay there during the week. Renting an unfurnished house in Issan "cities" can be amazingly cheep. Having a place to stay while looking makes it easy too.

The longer you can stand to wait to build a house the better in my opinion, because the money you put into the house will be virtually impossible to recover. The car you can take with you or resell so that is allot less risky cars are almost never a good investment but at least in Thailand they hold their value longer.

Good luck however it all pans out, keep us posted in future. It is always interesting to see how others are managing the transition, many of the experiences are common to all but how they affect us is different for everyone.

[farmerjo]

haha seems like it.

I was always going to move to the village just wanted some pro's and con's to help me not follow anyone else mistakes.

I think if I told you 4 years ago not to move I would have been talking to a brick wall also.

Life is good and exciting, everyday I smile to myself that im not stuck in a 9-5 job starring out the window waiting for my life to start..

if it ends in tears so be it, but at least I would have tried. as long as my little family are looked after and happy I will keep this smile.

When your settled in give me a buzz and we can have a game of golf in khon kaen,great courses to choose at all right rates.

Get out of the house,exercise,clear the mind,talk a bit of english and a couple of well earned beers.

[ryro88]

So guys it's off to the village tomorrow for a few days. Wish me luck lol

[onionluke]

Enjoy the trip ...

all the best

[Bcgardener]

The various opinions make interesting reading. Anyone that can live a life in an Issan village must have a certain relaxed and understanding approach to life. I guess it is no different to someone in Australia preferring the quiet life of a country town or farm over a big city. I have always lived in cities and could never contemplate a life like that even though I am not far off 60. I need the stimulus that work and an urban environment provides. I have been to Issan and various villages there, not recently, but about 15 years ago. Unless things have changed dramatically, I have no desire to go back. I like my urban comforts. However I can understand how some people enjoy the lifestyle there. We are all different. No one is right or wrong in their choices ( some TV posters may disagree). It's the differences that make people interesting.

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[lovinglifeinthailand]

Bcgardener very true I worked on a farm in aus for a year and was far more isolated than I would be in isaan. For example where I worked was 3 hours drive to cairns and 80km to the nearest super market. the village had 1 pub 1 shop and a petrol station.

[ryro88]

Bcgardener very true I worked on a farm in aus for a year and was far more isolated than I would be in isaan. For example where I worked was 3 hours drive to cairns and 80km to the nearest super market. the village had 1 pub 1 shop and a petrol station.

Awesome I would love to live that kind of life for a few months just away from it all. And a pub too! Excellent!

[cMe2]

Bcgardener very true I worked on a farm in aus for a year and was far more isolated than I would be in isaan. For example where I worked was 3 hours drive to cairns and 80km to the nearest super market. the village had 1 pub 1 shop and a petrol station.

Awesome I would love to live that kind of life for a few months just away from it all. And a pub too! Excellent!

Easy , buy a ticket to Cairns, drive out for three hours, find a map and chart 80 km away from nearest supermarket, look for the village with one Pub -Shop-and a Petrol Station ...

[Bcgardener]

 

Bcgardener very true I worked on a farm in aus for a year and was far more isolated than I would be in isaan. For example where I worked was 3 hours drive to cairns and 80km to the nearest super market. the village had 1 pub 1 shop and a petrol station.

Awesome I would love to live that kind of life for a few months just away from it all. And a pub too! Excellent!

 

 

Easy , buy a ticket to Cairns,  drive out for three hours, find a map and chart 80 km away from  nearest supermarket, look for the village with one Pub -Shop-and a Petrol Station ...

 

Lived in Townsville and Mt Isa over about 6 Month period. Sure are some strange folks out there.

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[lovinglifeinthailand]

That was near me, I was in Lakeland. You must of drove past there to get to Townsville. went to the rodeo in Townsville and your right some strange people but had some good times.

[lovinglifeinthailand]

I was in Lakeland not far from Townville went there to a rodeo once. You must have past thought Lakeland on your way to Townsville. Yes true some strange people out there but had some good times.

[Boo]

My outlaws are not too far from you in muang phon and over the last 15 years have spent alot of time in the area. We have a diverse group of friends, jewellers, bankers, lawyers, business owners, teachers and farmers all living in the area and as much as I like the outlaws and my thai friends I could never live full time in phon, tried it and lasted 5 months the longest, kk city on the other hand I could easily live in, big city amenities with a rural attitude.

Try it and see how you get on, 6 months will give you a very good idea of what life will be like, dont invest till you are 100% sure.

I used to drive into the city several times a week from phon just to get away from the banality of phon and that is a pretty big town in itself but as with most of bumfcuk thailand, there is very little going on day to day. Being female too gives me a different set of requirements that small town thailand just doesnt offer.

[robbieh]

The Outlaws - that's funny

The OP really reminds me of a very close friend, that was of a similar age at the time, who decided to buy a house and car in Thailand that would be of great benefit to his children.

The outlaws even told him that they loved him more than their own children and how he and his wife would inherit their land when they died etc and how popular he was with everyone.

The whole charade went on for years until the day he told his wife that he would not buy a second house or any other assets in her or the outlaws name but still pay a monthly income.

To cut a long and painful story short, they were filing for divorce within a year and the only people who got any long-term benefit from the assets were the outlaws and not his children.

The Isaan wife was university educated, but got married instead of working, to a farang husband who spoke reasonable Thai, but her priority was always money and face for the outlaws.

A few posters have tried to give some good advice about delaying the investment until some true perspective is gained as otherwise that is all the OP may well be left with in a few years.

Renting is cheap. Why wouldn't you first rent and get to know the area? Next learn some Issan and then announce you plan to build a house on land with a 30+ year lease in your name!

[lovinglifeinthailand]

robbieh I will be living with the in-laws for 11 months until I even think about building, so I have plenty of time to see how I get on.

The gf is an only child, and her parents are 66 so the land will be passed on to the gf and child, probably by the time im 50.

Thank you for your post always good to read others opinion's.

If all does go wrong like any marriage in the world can do and I only loose £20-30k ill live with that. certainly cheaper than getting divorced in the west.

Would be interesting to start a post ( have you lost more money to your western or thai wife)

[cMe2]

To everyone, but I'll be honest, KunMatt is in front of mind ... what consideration is given to access by the grandparents / other close relatives?

Just know how strong Family connections are in Thailand.

And you are an expert in such matters.....Not...

[faranginexile]

LLiT: Welcome to Isaan. Always nice to see someone coming in with the proper attitude. With the baby on the way, and KK only an hour away, you may wish to consider building or buying there, for Junior's educational purposes. That, and there's likely more for you and the (soon-to-be) Missus to do as well. Never fear, grandma and grandpa will be visiting often enough. Just a thought.

[lovinglifeinthailand]

LLiT: Welcome to Isaan. Always nice to see someone coming in with the proper attitude. With the baby on the way, and KK only an hour away, you may wish to consider building or buying there, for Junior's educational purposes. That, and there's likely more for you and the (soon-to-be) Missus to do as well. Never fear, grandma and grandpa will be visiting often enough. Just a thought.

HI thanks for a good reply.

I did think about khon kaen but I would like our child to grow up around the whole family in an village environment for the first 5 years at least, then see where we are at.

I also think the family will be of great help, as I hear raising a child is very hard work.

Once the baby grows up a bit the misses and I can have some nights out without the worry of looking for a babysitter.

To be honest just playing it all by ear at the moment, am on a long learning curve.

[David48]

To everyone, but I'll be honest, KunMatt is in front of mind ... what consideration is given to access by the grandparents / other close relatives?

Just know how strong Family connections are in Thailand.

And you are an expert in such matters.....Not...

Hi there cMe2 ... have we met?

No, I don't think so.

A bit presumptive to think that you know what I have experienced ...

In the statement you quote, I asked a question and made a statement.

Only the statement in your mind could be wrong.

My statement is "Just know how strong Family connections are in Thailand."

Are you saying my statement is wrong and that indeed ... Family connections are weak in Thailand ?

[SantiSuk]

Just another TV thread degenerating into waste of space personal spats

[David48]

Just another TV thread degenerating into waste of space personal spats

but ... but ... he started it ...

OK ... OK ...

[lanng khao]

at 31... very young for village life...i survived 4 years...but the boredom and the interference from the family was just to much..

no privacy at all..the more they get used to you..the more they expect...

life in the village can be good and bad...in my village they spoke what they call issan..so i spoke thai and every body ignored me...

so i learnt issan...then it was falang lauw mak..which means falang aint stupid..be careful what you say..

yes they talk about you and money all day long...

this wont be easy for you for sure

you sure they weren't sayin you very handsome ?