Living on Koh Chang

[migrant]

Hi All

Wife (Thai), and I, will be retiring over to Thailand next year. She is from Hua Hin area, but we don't really want to end up there.

When we land we'll probably spend a month in a lot of areas we have visited, and liked, before deciding where to settle down.

We always liked Koh Chang, but have never stayed for more than a week, and always as a tourist.

For those who live there I'd be interested in your thoughts of living there.

One thing about the bigger cities is convenience, Large shopping centers, Makro's, Villa markets, etc. But never looked around Koh Chang with that in mind.

I don't mind living without the major box places, part of the alllure, but need to convince the wife.

Always been a planner so starting here

Thanks!!

[Gonsalviz]

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

[craigt3365]

We just spent 4 days on White Sands beach. Had a great time. There's a Tesco for shopping and a small hospital. So you can get some think you need there. But I would guess for many items, you might have to head over to the mainland.

My friend is moving there next year. Just bought a piece of property and will start building soon. Don't forget the rain. If I am not mistaken, it's one of the wettest places in Thailand. Crazy rain during the monsoons.

[nanapong]

We just spent 4 days on White Sands beach. Had a great time. There's a Tesco for shopping and a small hospital. So you can get some think you need there. But I would guess for many items, you might have to head over to the mainland.

My friend is moving there next year. Just bought a piece of property and will start building soon. Don't forget the rain. If I am not mistaken, it's one of the wettest places in Thailand. Crazy rain during the monsoons.

Yes , heaps of rain and simple boredom. There's nothing there. The roads are treacherous. For supplies there's a huge Tesco and Makro in Trat. He'd probably be better somewhere like Chanthaburi. Only 1 hour to Chang or Samet. Plus when he gets sick of rumping the wife it's only 2 hours to Patters.

[Joe Mamma]

I have spent countless hours biking and hiking that beautiful island. The island still doesn't have a road that connects the island, so you have to drive back the way you came. Hope you move there and help keep it clean and protected.

[Travel Dude]

As you are in your retirement age please think if hospital access.

Also suggest you rent first before buying as you would not want to have property where suddenly a karaoke pops up...

[pauleddy]

Anybody over 55 might want to think about hospitals. Wherever I live, there must be a cardiac catheter suite within 1 hour away. Unless you are a real Crusoe type who doesn't care about your odds.

Eddy

[mrtoad]

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well.

[Jimbolai]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well. alt=jerk.gif width=25 height=20>

I am also interested in Koh Chang so please tell us something about it, other than down talking the poster. If you know the place please tell us about it.

[lahgon29]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well. alt=jerk.gif width=25 height=20>

I am also int,rested in Koh Chang so please tell us something about it, other than down talking the poster. If you know the place please tell us about it.

Mr Toad stated an obvious fact. What's wrong with that??...If you're interested in Koh Chang that much, Google the place. there's reams of info out there. Google "sense of humour" while you're at It.

[mrtoad]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well. alt=jerk.gif width=25 height=20>

I am also interested in Koh Chang so please tell us something about it, other than down talking the poster. If you know the place please tell us about it.

I have already exxhanged PM's with a number of posters about Koh Chang, including the OP. If you have a specific question ask it, and answer it if I can. I get sick of "island experts" making ridiculous comments based on a two day trip that they may or may have not had to Whitesands - the island is in fact quite large.

The fact that Gonsalviz has made a statement that clearly shows he / she has no affiliation with the island, or any proper knowledge the response was more than appropriate.

[mrtoad]

Anybody over 55 might want to think about hospitals. Wherever I live, there must be a cardiac catheter suite within 1 hour away. Unless you are a real Crusoe type who doesn't care about your odds.

Eddy

To answer that question with regards to Koh Chang.

There is government hospital at Ban Dan Mai, although it really is very limited in what it offers. Bangkok Hospital have the international clinic in Whitesands, although for more complex needs patients will be transferred to the Bangkok Trat Hospital - that can be done at anytime of the day. There is a good Cardiology team at Bangkok Trat Hospital. Across the road in Trat there is also the main government provincial hospital.

[nick4665]

Hi I lived on koh chang for 6 years its a beautiful place But the beauty soon wares off , I was attracted by the beeches but you will soon get bored of the beech

The road around koh chang is nice but very dangerous when its wet i lost 3 friends in my time there and countless tourists die or are seriously injured every year

boredom is the biggest problem there is nothing to do , I am a very keen fisherman I had a small boat which was great but again gets boring , most farang end up drinking through bordem be carefull of this .

Koh chang is one of the wettest parts of thailand hence the tourist season is very short.

buissness on koh chang forget it !! I had a succesfull restaurant there it was great in high season ( 4 months) but there was no way I could have lived off the short high season fortunately I had a summer job to subsidise my life in koh chang .

The infastructure is better now than it was 7 elevens , a big lotus , a very small hospital and an international trauma unit for the farang accidents ,

If you need to buy anything other than food you would need to go to the mainland as most things have ferry tax ! Trat is the nearest place a quaint town that now has a makro and a tesco lotus plus a nice market about 15 kilo from the ferry .

Finding long term accomadation is easy in low season average price of 6000 a month for a 1 bed bungalow with no living room !, which is fine at first but not ideal long term , 2 bed places are like rocking horse shit and expensive , beware of tha landlords charging crazy prices for electric per unit this is common on koh chang .

I hope my comments help with your choice of where to live .

also the best web site about koh chang is www.iamkohchang.com ian the website owner is very knowlegeable about koh chang and also helpfull

[ianf]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well. alt=jerk.gif width=25 height=20>

I am also interested in Koh Chang so please tell us something about it, other than down talking the poster. If you know the place please tell us about it.

We live in Chiang Mai but have been to Koh Chang a number of times. My wife wants to buy land and live there. For me, I can't see it! I am a cyclist so I enjoy the roads here (Chiang Mai) and the opportunity to ride with many people from various countries. Here in Chiang Mai we have decent malls, to which we can escape when we are sick of the heat. We also have an abundance of farang (and Thai) restaurants from very cheap to silly money. We have an airport. We have many opportunities for cinema, occasional concert/theatre and so on. Koh Chang offers quiet living. To go there as a farang and live you have to be really comfortable with your own company and yourself. Perhaps someone who has an absorbing hobby (bird watching, painting etc) would enjoy the peace and quiet. As far as hospitals are concerned, you have little choice but there is a decent international clinic that has recently opened and I think they have all the facilities you require. You'd have to visit the mainland for decent shopping (Makro etc) but that is not a problem. Overall, Koh Chang is a great place and I would hope that it does not become over developed in the future. One end is very touristy and the other offers a quiet and relaxed natural living option. (Anyway, that's my penny's worth!!!)

[ianf]

Hi I lived on koh chang for 6 years its a beautiful place But the beauty soon wares off , I was attracted by the beeches but you will soon get bored of the beech

The road around koh chang is nice but very dangerous when its wet i lost 3 friends in my time there and countless tourists die or are seriously injured every year

boredom is the biggest problem there is nothing to do , I am a very keen fisherman I had a small boat which was great but again gets boring , most farang end up drinking through bordem be carefull of this .

Koh chang is one of the wettest parts of thailand hence the tourist season is very short.

buissness on koh chang forget it !! I had a succesfull restaurant there it was great in high season ( 4 months) but there was no way I could have lived off the short high season fortunately I had a summer job to subsidise my life in koh chang .

The infastructure is better now than it was 7 elevens , a big lotus , a very small hospital and an international trauma unit for the farang accidents ,

If you need to buy anything other than food you would need to go to the mainland as most things have ferry tax ! Trat is the nearest place a quaint town that now has a makro and a tesco lotus plus a nice market about 15 kilo from the ferry .

Finding long term accomadation is easy in low season average price of 6000 a month for a 1 bed bungalow with no living room !, which is fine at first but not ideal long term , 2 bed places are like rocking horse shit and expensive , beware of tha landlords charging crazy prices for electric per unit this is common on koh chang .

I hope my comments help with your choice of where to live .

also the best web site about koh chang is www.iamkohchang.com ian the website owner is very knowlegeable about koh chang and also helpfull

Someone needs to use their spell checker!!!!!!! But thanks for the web reference.

[smotherb]

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well.

Okay, so tell us, what's so good about Koh Chang?

[Jimbolai]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

There is not much avaiable. I guess you have been to 'White' Sands. That's about it. It is a good long drive and a ferry ride to Tak.

Obviously you don't live in Koh Chang, and yes Tak is a long way from Koh Chang as well. alt=jerk.gif width=25 height=20>

I am also int,rested in Koh Chang so please tell us something about it, other than down talking the poster. If you know the place please tell us about it.

Mr Toad stated an obvious fact. What's wrong with that??...If you're interested in Koh Chang that much, Google the place. there's reams of info out there. Google "sense of humour" while you're at It.

So I take it that you have nothing to say about Koh Chang just get sarcastic with those that do. Go ahead, google sarcasm.

[Postmaster]

You have heard it now from many posters, its WET WET WET and the roads are dangerous. I do not live on the island but am but 4 hours away and go there

two or three times every high season December to March. I wouldn't contemplate going near the place outside this period - dismal, dreary, boring.

White Sands beach is lovely during that dry period and the hotels are generally good though many are Bangkok prices.

[ppmacready]

Samui has got a mall, cinema and better rds now.

I lived there 18 years ago for 2 years but left because of the bad weather.

I was shocked how much it has changed when I visited last year.

Its cheaper to stay in an air con room than 15 years ago!

May of stayed with a few more options like now.

Worth a look.

[guzzi850m2]

I was on holiday over there last Dec with my family and really liked it.

Spoke to an expat restaurant owner that have a kid same age as my son and if he liked it there? He said that he can't spend all year there or he goes crazy and also no private schools there.

I was toying with the idea of buying some kind of holiday home on Koh Chang (we live in Pattaya) but after thinking hard about it, bad idea, you can rent a lot of nice hotel rooms or bungalows for 4 mill baht and you can forget about it when you leave.

I am not a beach person, can't lay there all day long but like to walk there in the morning and late afternoon/ early evening so I think I would get bored if I stayed for a long time.

We will be back for sure, it's very beautiful there no doubt about that.

[snottgoblin]

You have heard it now from many posters, its WET WET WET and the roads are dangerous. I do not live on the island but am but 4 hours away and go there

two or three times every high season December to March. I wouldn't contemplate going near the place outside this period - dismal, dreary, boring.

White Sands beach is lovely during that dry period and the hotels are generally good though many are Bangkok prices.

From four posters that don't live there......

Thank you mrtoad for the info you passed to me and the other contacts, it was very useful, especially as you live on the island.

[migrant]

You have heard it now from many posters, its WET WET WET and the roads are dangerous. I do not live on the island but am but 4 hours away and go there

two or three times every high season December to March. I wouldn't contemplate going near the place outside this period - dismal, dreary, boring.

White Sands beach is lovely during that dry period and the hotels are generally good though many are Bangkok prices.

From four posters that don't live there......

Thank you mrtoad for the info you passed to me and the other contacts, it was very useful, especially as you live on the island.

Yes, Thanks Mr Toad! And others with helpful info

[Jimbolai]

I hear about the roads being so bad and the weather. I live in Pattaya. Thinking of renting a Motorbike and driving over there for a week or so. Is the weather oK at this time? And where should I stay at 500B max.

[snottgoblin]

I hear about the roads being so bad and the weather. I live in Pattaya. Thinking of renting a Motorbike and driving over there for a week or so. Is the weather oK at this time? And where should I stay at 500B max.

The weather at the moment is inclement - as it rains a lot this time of the year. According to mrtoad - the roads are slippery and not easy for an inexperienced motorbike rider.

Plenty of accommodation around in Lonely Beach area at 500 baht a night.