We normal spend the UK winter in India, renting an apartment for approx 5 months. Next season we fancy a change. Having never visit Thailand, we wonder how practical / feasible it would be to do the same in Thailand. We appreciate that prices will vary in different areas. We'll be looking for something away from the main tourist hot spots. In India we budget around £150 / month for an apartment. What sort of budget would we need, assuming that long term rents are available?

150 pounds. That's 7,500 baht. Apartment I'm currently looking at is 3,500 baht a month for a studio flat and it's in a non-touristy area. That figure gets tv, aircon, fridge, everything. I'm guessing India is not so cheap since I can get cheaper apartments in Thailand.

For that amount, you'll get a small room, Thai style, with few western amenities. But, it will be OK. Cheap and GREAT food is readily available everywhere. There are lots of options on where to stay here. Do you like mountains, beaches, small towns? Need to narrow it down a bit and then maybe some others can give you some good recommendations.

And don't forget to check the visa (permit to stay) situation.

5 months is doable, but would likely require a "visa run"/border run.

Is it easy in India?