Why do you live where you live in Thailand?

[Gsxrnz]

Cuppa, based on your posts and our PM's, I'm thinking you may wind up doing a half and half. Getting the best of Aussie as well as SE Asia as your whim dictates. You certainly appear to be set up to do just that.

I have a friend that spends roughly equal amounts of time in the UK, Aussie, Thailand, and America. He's an Aussie with both UK and Aussie passports, plus he has permanent residence status in America. He has a condo in Brisbane, an Apartment in London, a small farmlet in Nakon Nowhere South Carolina, and rents condos in Jomtien when he's here on his retirement visa. Ask him where "home" is, and he has trouble responding.

You may find that the Gypsy lifestyle suits you until you finally figure out where you want "home" to be.

[Cuppa]

Cuppa, based on your posts and our PM's, I'm thinking you may wind up doing a half and half. Getting the best of Aussie as well as SE Asia as your whim dictates.

You may find that the Gypsy lifestyle suits you until you finally figure out where you want "home" to be.

Yes, you’ve probably read me correctly. Travel is important but so is having somewhere to belong. I envisage the balance between travel & belonging will change as we grow older.

[jacko45k]

Much maligned Pattaya has everything.

No need for taxis that refuse the meter... baht bus 10baht.

In a hurry, motorcycle taxi, there in minutes, maybe 50 baht.

Supermarkets, malls, mega-stores a plenty.

Airport, 90 minutes away, 2 of them!

The sea...... plenty of great beaches.

Plenty of theme parks for those out-of-town visitors.

Good accommodation at reasonable prices.

World class and restaurants of all nationalities.

And real night-life.........

And guess what, if you want a quieter life, drive 5km, live by a lake.

Edited September 1, 2014 by jacko45k

[AYJAYDEE]

because my house is there

[ianf]

This is good stuff folks, thanks & keep it coming.

Gsxrnz - I think what you say certainly makes a great deal of sense. I’m not quite sure though what you mean by an ‘enclosed/secure village’ - the community you describe sounds attractive, just not sure what the enclosed/secure bit means. Makes me wonder if there are places where it is not safe to live?

Right off to check Jomtien on Google maps.

Chiang Mai. Great town for providing everything you could wish for without nasty Phuket type 'entertainment'. I live in a small gated village populated by Americans, Brits, Chinese and Thai. Houses for rent or sale. I like it here because it is close to an airport, the weather is not stinkingly hot all year, there are some very good food shops and excellent fresh food markets with vegetables from the King's project (organic) and grown in the local mountains. I am a cyclist so the roads are variable: Mountains, plains, undulating. Chiang Mai has everything you could wish for .... except seaside. It has a great sports stadium, decent shopping malls with cinemas and an excellent choice of supermarkets selling western and imported foods. Avoid Tescos though. I really don't like them!

[dotpoom]

I live in Bang Saray...because that's where my house is.......sorry, just an early morning "funny".

[ggt]

It is a community filled with nice caring people...local shopping with low price guarantees...transportation is easy and low priced...the markets have all the best cuts of meat, seafood, and veggies...immigration is close and always very helpful, friendly and accommodating...banking is a breeze with hassle free transfers of fund to and from the mother country...and best of all the locals always include me in their conversations...express appreciation for me being in Thailand...and wish me well with my life here...

[Barney R]

Consider Jomtien. Close enough to the big smoke of Pattaya and all its good and bad points. Small enough that you can make friends that live locally, and if you make the right friends, have a sense of community without being a "bit of ol' Blightey".

Also consider living in an enclosed/secure village - you have the added benefit of living in a setting where you can be part of a European and Thai community if you choose.

I'd suggest you'd find it rather difficult if you went "bush" to start with. Try living in one of the larger centres or close to one initially until you get your bearings. Then consider some short term travel to the more remote areas to get a feel for them before you make a decision.

I mean....you may fall in love with living in a three buffalo village 200klm's from Nakon Nowhere, but it will be a culture shock from day one that you may never recover from.

[ttthailand]

It is a community filled with nice caring people...local shopping with low price guarantees...transportation is easy and low priced...the markets have all the best cuts of meat, seafood, and veggies...immigration is close and always very helpful, friendly and accommodating...banking is a breeze with hassle free transfers of fund to and from the mother country...and best of all the locals always include me in their conversations...express appreciation for me being in Thailand...and wish me well with my life here...

And where is this ?

[geezer2]

Phetchabun..can have the best of both worlds here..

[recycler]

To answer your question one would also need to know if you are working or retired, if working what kind of work and if your wife is Thai or also foreign.

I work in services to mainly oil & gas and chemical industries, so we live in Ban Chang, Rayong, close distance to the industrial areas, but not too close to be in the wind of them.

We have kids on schools so we live close to good schools.

My wife is Thai so we found a village in an area where there are many other mixed families and most of them are in similar working situations, not retired or tourists.

As you mention, major cities in our case Pattaya and Rayong are at a reasonable distance so shopping for some western stuff and dining out is within reach. Daily shopping is at the market or local Tesco Lotus.

But for dining out there is not a lot that beats the beach that is at the end of the street!

For medical facilities we prefer the very well equipped military hospital at 5 minutes from our home where the doctors are not working on a commission...

[canarysun]

I live in Naklua ( Pattaya ) i like it because it's out of the way from the " bars and flashing lights " it's still busy and can be quiet.Very few farang about which i like.( although good to have a few fellow farang to talk to ) Cheap accommodation ( 2000 baht a month with Wifi / Sat TV ) and 15 minutes stroll to the beach.I like to be outside during the daytime,walking a lot and soaking up the rays with " the suntan crew " on the beach in the afternoons! so being close to the sea important! Tesco Lotus 10 minutes walk away,Big C 20 minutes walk away.Bus station 15 mins walk and of course the train station which is about a 30 minute walk away. Lots of markets close by for daily food and cheap! ( Thai style )

I am also thinking of taking on another room in a village in Chiang Mai as its a completely different thing i can ride my bicycle and lovely walks and totally quiet. a room is from just 1000 baht a month.Then i can take the train as and when i wish between both locations ( Train cost Bangkok to Chiang Mai 231 baht ).

Two different locations and two Ideas!

Farang Jaidee

[ggt]

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It is a community filled with nice caring people...local shopping with low price guarantees...transportation is easy and low priced...the markets have all the best cuts of meat, seafood, and veggies...immigration is close and always very helpful, friendly and accommodating...banking is a breeze with hassle free transfers of fund to and from the mother country...and best of all the locals always include me in their conversations...express appreciation for me being in Thailand...and wish me well with my life here...

And where is this ?

In my dreams!

[Just1Voice]

I'm in a gated community of 100 houses about 18 klm from the center of Chiang Mai city. Only 2 other farangs live here, and that's fine with me. Mostly middle income Thai and Thai-Chinese here, and everyone is friendly and helpful. During the week, and even usually on weekends, it's totally quiet by 9:00 at night, except for an occasional dog barking briefly. 4 major roads into the city, and any store or mall I want is no more than a 15 minute drive.

Love it.

[smotherb]

Depends on the kind of life you want to live. Obviously, you will not have the wife's land on which to live, so many of the reasons stated are moot.

Since you are both farangs, and new to Thailand, you will probably want some farang interaction, especially farang goods and services. I chose a large city, near the beach and mountains with loads of shopping, airport, train station, hospitals, near a border, but with few farangs--after all, that is why I left faranghistan, too many farangs. Although I love visiting rural locations, I would not want to live in the country; I need almost instant gratification. I see no need to make a day-trip just to get jug of milk or have a cocktail.

So, come here, do a short-term lease in some central location, use it as a base, get a car, and find that bit of uptopia.

[stgrhe]

I live south of Hua Hin, just after the border to Pran Buri, and I selected this area for its tranquility, clear air, sea breeze, and nearness to Hua Hin.

Don't buy anything until you have lived (rented) in 'your' area at least six month. We all have different priorities.

Edited September 1, 2014 by stgrhe

[Cuppa]

To answer your question one would also need to know if you are working or retired, if working what kind of work and if your wife is Thai or also foreign.

Several folk have asked if my wife is Thai. No we are both of English origin but have lived in Australia for getting close to 3 decades.

We would not be working in Thailand.

Hope this assists other’s to offer something to this thread.

Cuppa

[Max in Udon]

I have lived in Udonthani in the north east of Thailand for the last 7 years. Wouldn't think of moving anywhere else. Udon has all the facilities you could want, and the opportunity to meet other Farangs if you want to.

I have built and sold a few houses in the last 7 years, and now have a lovely home on a small village which is 80% Farang owned. House and land prices are a lot cheaper here than further south.

I live on the edge of Udon, just 15 minute drive from the city centre, but only 5 minutes from the local Tesco Lotus and Big C. 10 minutes from Udon airport. Direct flights to BKK, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.

Nearly all of my wifes and my interests are home based, so we rarely go out, preferring to enjoy our home.

You can PM me if you would like to see pictures and maps of the area.

[Toscano]

I live where my wife had a house , that I have extensively renovated and modernised to gentleman's residence standard . All my wife's family are nearby , we look after her very elderly father , we take care of her grandchildren . We are about 60kms from Kalasin and about 74kms from Khon Kaen . I have 2 or 3 chosen friends whom I have long chats with occasionally .

We don't frequent bars or regularly drink . If I was totally free to choose where I lived , it would either be well down the coast from Hua Hin , or further south than Surat Thani , or by the sea in Krabi district . A 10 day holiday is not enought to decide to live in Thailand , the real Thailand is very different and can be very boring .

[shaurene]

I have been with my wife for 7yrs and married for 5. We live in her family's village up in Khon Kaen, large city and we live in a village 15 mins drive from the city, we have a nice house with a small shop in it, she is a 100% family lady! we live next door to her mother and her brothers are all close by! she takes care of her daughter and 2 grand kids who treat me like their dad, we pop into the city at times for a drink at a bar that get quite a few falangs in so I have a chat, I also have a few falangs live in the village and see them often and have a chat. We drive down to Pattays 6-7 hrs away each month and stay there on a Holliday for 6-7 nights which is good. So this village is my home and we are very happy together. Get little bored at times.

[Barney R]

Why is it that no one gives the bad points of where they live ? Is it because they are trying to justify where they live to themselves ?? I live on Koh Chang it's quiet , rains often during the monsoon season (17 out of 31 days of rain last month ) have to take the ferry to the mainland for major hospitals and bigger shops, schooling is not that good , nearest golf course is 3 hrs away so we make an overnight trip of it play in the afternoon then the next morning and do our shopping in chanthaburi on the way back every 10 days or so , electric supply can be hit and miss sometimes but for me that is far outweighed by the fact that we have very clean air and beaches ,can get on my bike and drive unhindered anywhere on the island at anytime apart from sonkran ,we have a good expat community ,it's cooler more temperate climate ( we have not used our air conditioner now for 3 months and don't really expect to until next March ) ,seafood is always fresh and cheap ( freshly caught sea prawns 200baht/kg ) it's not over commercialised (yet), has some great restaurants both Thai and falang ,we get all the TV, internet and phone services as the bigger mainland cities and can still rent fully furnished new bungalows (80 sm) for 14,000 / month with free water ,cable TV and internet . Everyone has different criterias and these are just some of the good and bad points of why I choose Koh Chang which I am sure someone will add too . Hope this helps

[geronimo]

I live near Minburi because I like it.

[balford]

My wife and I live in a village on the outskirts of Lampang. She's from Thonburi originally but we opted to keep as far as we could from family now here parents are dead.

The village is on a small rise so we've never had flooding problems, it has a health clinic where I'm registered, it has an airport, it is only 92km from Chiangmai, it is reasonably close to Lampang centre and the usual suspects in shopping - Makro, Big C, Tesco, Central Plaza and the smaller specialty shops, and it has visiting Immigration Officers each Tuesday to process the 90-day reports. But, most importantly we are comfortable here.

If you aren't comfortable where you are you won't enjoy what Thailand has to offer.

Bob A. - relaxed in Lampang

[villagefarang]

I live in Chiang Rai because I can stand in the front yard and look at this. (Taken yesterday)

[CMCMANGOMAN]

Chiang Mai = Too much smog, air pollution.

Chiang Rai = Same problem.

Bangkok = Expensive, noisy, crime, traffic.

Issan Anywhere = Flooding, drought, extreme ignorance, greed, malfeasance, etc.

Pattaya = Sin City, high crime, drugs, gangs.

Ayuttaya = Extreme flooding, infrastructure crumbling, traffic.

Hua Hin/Cha Am = Overrated, expensive, crappy beaches.

Phuket = 1 nice beach; Nai Harn. Expensive, crime, corruption aplenty, traffic, some flooding.

Koh Samui = Isolated, expensive, crime, power failures, traffic. Nice beaches.

The far South = Muslims, bombings, murders, nice beaches, scenic at times, flooding.

Minburi/Airport area = Flooding, severe mosquito problem, swampy, traffic, expensive.

Nawamin Area = TRAFFIC, poor infrastructure, expensive, some flooding.

Rangsit area = Horrible traffic, crime, taxi ripoff, many students, cheap and expensive housing, generally smells bad.

Nakoh Sawan area = Cheaper, too far from bkk, nothing special.

Suphanburi Proper = Extreme mosquitos, seasonal flooding in main town and low areas, good roads, close to everything, can be expensive.

Don Chedi = Some flooding, mosquito problem, no major stores nearby, generally ignorant indigenous people, greedy, etc.

Kanchanburi = some flooding in low areas, has large dam that may soon collapse, many tourists, has nice mountain areas, immigration office is unfriendly, etc.

[TheKnave]

I'd put a vote in for Nong Khai. The Mekong is spectacular, and although it's Isaan, it has some Viet and French influence, and is just the right size. 50 km to Udon Thani with many hospitals, restaurants, and plenty of shopping. Interesting parks and other natural attractions within a couple of hours drive, and, of course, Vientiane for some variety.

There's a Tesco, Makro, and Global House in Nong Khai, some great Thai markets. Housing is cheap as is local food.

Down sides might be that it has been 'discovered', and the farang element tends toward drunken louts, but there are some nice couples around, too. There is a bit of 'farang-weariness' among the locals these days, too, and they aren't as friendly as they were when I first lived there in 2005.

Bear in mind that outside of Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai, English isn't much spoken. Central Thai will get you by in Isaan, but the local dialect will still elude you, especially when they don't want you to know what's being said. After a while, though, you'll start to get the idea.

A dependable car (and a motorbike, preferably) is an absolute necessity, as tuk-tuks (Skylabs, in the local parlance, because parts are continually falling off) are relatively few once you get just out of town, and are about 40 baht to anywhere useful, which I consider expensive.

Our MO is a small pickup, and an enduro bike: we ride the bike around town, and on short excursions, and put it in the back of the pickup when we head out of the province, and use the bike to explore new places at our destination.

Not a bad retirement, actually.

Just a slightly different suggestion. Good luck wherever you may land.

[Anon999]

Recommendations by others is good if it works for them, however, where they live may not work for you. Take the time to spend a month here and travel around to many areas, Seaside and inland. I live on the outskirts of Roi Et a very pleasant small city of about 44,000 people. See the images @ https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=roi+et+city&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3dwDVKXSCtbX8gX9xIDgAg&ved=0CFEQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=775 Google it for more info. Look up the province on the map it's the 11th largest with over 1.3 million population and is a centrepoint with roads leading to all destinations.

You can drive to anywhere in the city in 10 minutes and most facilities are available. There is a fair size expat community some of who get together on an occasional basis. Personally I miss the seaside but so be it.

Bear in mind that if you ever need medical/dental facilities in a hurry that it's better to be near them. For instance, in the rainy season it could be difficult or even impossible to get there if located in the sticks.

If you want more details PM me.

Edited September 1, 2014 by Anon999

[ebean001]

i live in Chiang Mai and cannot determine why everyone does not live here. haha. It is laid back but still has a very good nightlife. Golf is great and cheap. Housing is extremely cheap compared to the est of Thailand. Less crime, no demonstrations, a lot less traffic that any other Thailand city, etc.

Bangkok is too expensive and too much traffic. Pattaya is right for only the single guy. Puket is too hot even through it is on the ocean.

[Just1Voice]

I live in Chiang Rai because I can stand in the front yard and look at this. (Taken yesterday)

VF, your post reminds me of something I've said and thought a thousand times. The cloud formations in northern Thailand are a photographer's dream! Prior to my stroke last October, I traveled at least once a month for 3-5 days throughout northern and north eastern Thailand on my CBR, and one of the things I have consistently noticed are the cloud formations. Sometimes they can make you feel as if you are in a different world, and the cares of this world don't matter. I love it here.

[patekatek]

I have the similar interests as the OP. I came from a very remote area in Minnesota on the border with Ontario and Manitoba. My Thai wife and I visited areas all around Thailand and finally settled in a beautiful area south west of Bangkok. It's called Kaeng Krachan, Phetchaburi province, and we love it here. We purchased 34 rai with chanote at 100,000 baht per rai and built on it. There is very little, if any, crime and we cannot see another house by us. When outside we get clear starlit nights and beautiful sunsets and sunrises not to mention mountains all around us (well, Thailand mountains that is. Not the Rockies or the Alps). It's an 8 km drive to the Kaeng Krachan dam and a 30 km drive to a large Tesco in Tha Yang. Cha Am is 50km, Hua Hin 70km, and Bangkok about 250 km.

The locals are friendly, the food in the small shops is very good and inexpensive. There are no bars, night clubs, etc.