Cheaper place to live than Bkk, and have a beach?

[Keesters]

life of a bodybuilder seems hardcore....good for you. i remember when i had to worry about 1-2 lbs with bike racing, and it's a business with very little payout except the knowledge that you are doing what you love, meeting goals, working hard, suffering, and life is short so why not?

i must advise against pattaya, even though i have only been there one day (and night). in MY opinion, there is the number 666 found 666 times on 666 roads and 666 buildings in that city......my soul is still fighting to get out.......what i saw cannot be unseen....i don't want your eyes to see the 9 rings of hll. or maybe 8 rings....let's just say 666 rings.....

With your limited experience of Pattaya you are not qualified to pass judgement.

[finy]

Remember that extra protein is just expensive carbohydrates

Edited January 14, 2015 by finy

[ttthailand]

I think heading down towards Cha Am way is your best option. Beaches are ok and wide enough to play some sports, throw frisbee, and take walks with out thousands of people. Buy or rent a motorbike and you are set.

If you like bar girls, tourists, traffic and beaches covered with chairs then Pattaya might be the ticket. Can find cheap rooms and food and have many gyms around town. Not good place for family or single man looking for non bar girls.

[dogpatch55]

Well, find the right places and Bangkok can be as cheap as anywhere else, but no beach to speak of. If you want a beach try Hua Hin, but its even more expensive than Bangkok. The thing is Thailand is not a cheap place anymore. Compared to say the Philippines. In fact it can be an expensive place. I got out 9 Months ago, for the Philippines and havn't looked back. And everyone speaks English....its a no brainer mate.

Well I did not think the Philippines would be cheaper than Thailand, apart from maybe beer?? The girls are nice, but the food is not as good..

[DLock]

The gear is much cheaper.......

Look at places like Khanom, Chumphon, etc etc.

But there might be no good gym

oh sorry i know it is much cheaper.

But i am actually talking about my food intake .. 6 meals a day

rice/potatoes/pad thai x chicken/pork repeat 6 times .. exhausting and expensive

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Are Khanom, Chumphon accessible by airplane?

also i am assuming phuket/koh samui/koh tao are a definite no because expensive, yes?

I think Jomtien is cheap enough. You can rent a reasonable condo for under 10k, there thousands of cheap, local little restaurants and you have a lot gyms,, Tonys have a few big gyms around Pattaya which is close,, i see quite a few body builders there as i waddle past. Oh, and of course a nice beach,,,

I have a friend that lives outside of Pattaya. She doesn't prefer the city and rubbish that goes on in and about pattaya city. I'll ask her about Jomtien. From what i've read so far, looks nice..

It's not like bangkok , crazy and busy all the time? Also will i need a motorbike?

I think you are on the right track with Jomtien.

Yes, you will need a motorbike to get to the gyms, shopping, visiting friends and just getting around. Just get a 125 scooter...maybe second hand.

I was where you are a few years back. I took 2.5 years of and did the same thing in Phuket. It was a good time...but in hindsight pretty meaningless. Walking around at 230+ at 10% is ego boosting...but not much more.

What you will find is that the bigger and leaner you get, you will be noticed - walking on the beach, on the street, riding your bike and that leads to meeting girls and going out. If you are using the right gear, your libido will also be through the roof 100% of the time. Thinking you can stay home every night is probably not realistic, even if you just drink water when you're out...you will go out more and more often, so factor that in.

Be where the big guys are. Pattaya has a lot of visiting bodybuilders to learn from and discuss things. You will meet some decent people and they will help you. You know you have to experiment, so the more input you get, the better.

Enjoy it for what it is...a passing phase of growing up. Take lot's of pictures because you know when you stop...so do the gains.

The biggest advice I would give is to do regular blood work and take time "off". It's easy to stay "on" longer than you should and mentally difficult to see the lbs fall away.

Wish you luck wherever you end up.

[William C F Pierce]

The recent headline, that more Thais are dying from inactivity than obesity. Shows there are not many places in Thailand with a gym. But saying that there is a beach town south of Hua Hin called Kui Buri that is not over run with western tourists. It is quiet, laid back and has a population of less than 20,000. If your not trying to be an Olympic athlete. You could consider a lease buying option of a house and set up your own home gym. The cost of equipment in Thailand is a lot less than buying it in the US or Europe. The fare by bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport is 305 Baht to Hua Hin for a 3 hour journey. Then about another hour taxi the rest of the way. The cost of this I don't know. The hotel costs are reasonable at less than $20 to $60 a night even in peak holiday season, using a website like agoda.com. If this is the environment you want check it out.