Do You Live In A Thai Village Full Time

[Gary A]

GaryA, I would love to be in your condo in Pattaya right now.3 days of driving rain, can't get out of the house never mind the village.

BKK if you see a big old farang house lying empty just go to the village head, he will tell you who owns it. Round this district there are many and the Thais won't live in them as they are usually to far from the village and family. Second hand houses don't have much value. Jim

One thing I forgot to mention is that I had an eight by eight meter garage/workshop built about six years ago. I am a tinkerer and enjoy it very much. I have a MIG welder and an arc welder as well as a power hack saw, drill press and a couple of air compressors. I'm not much of a wood worker but have a router, planer and a circular saw for the few and far between projects. I have plenty to do but nothing that I HAVE to do. My dog also enjoys helping me but most of the time his help is not needed or wanted.

[Bkkorupcountry]

GaryA, I would love to be in your condo in Pattaya right now.3 days of driving rain, can't get out of the house never mind the village.

BKK if you see a big old farang house lying empty just go to the village head, he will tell you who owns it. Round this district there are many and the Thais won't live in them as they are usually to far from the village and family. Second hand houses don't have much value. Jim

One thing I forgot to mention is that I had an eight by eight meter garage/workshop built about six years ago. I am a tinkerer and enjoy it very much. I have a MIG welder and an arc welder as well as a power hack saw, drill press and a couple of air compressors. I'm not much of a wood worker but have a router, planer and a circular saw for the few and far between projects. I have plenty to do but nothing that I HAVE to do. My dog also enjoys helping me but most of the time his help is not needed or wanted.

I used to do a fair bit of domestic woodwork when I was in the UK but don't have the space now for a workshop. Also, I don't think the neighbours would appreciate the noise, particularly the circular saws and routers.

Maybe in the next few years, I'll built another house in the middle of the rice paddies, miles away from the closest neighbour

[David006]

One thing I forgot to mention is that I had an eight by eight meter garage/workshop built about six years ago. I am a tinkerer and enjoy it very much. I have a MIG welder and an arc welder as well as a power hack saw, drill press and a couple of air compressors. I'm not much of a wood worker but have a router, planer and a circular saw for the few and far between projects. I have plenty to do but nothing that I HAVE to do. My dog also enjoys helping me but most of the time his help is not needed or wanted.

me jealous...need power equipment to cut a straight line in wood..no jesus for sure..goodonya mate...

[Morgo]

I live in a small village with my Thai wife, located between Korat and Non Thai. Do other villages have the local news broadcast over loudspeakers each morning, say about 6AM? I usually wake to this information. This morning we were told how much the community has spent on the water supply system and the upcoming upgrade of the pipes, which will require a mains shutdown. (interesting stuff). When the wet season ends we will enter the monk party season. This involves installing 2 storey speakers at the front of the house, which commence blarring out music at about 5AM and finish at about 8PM and lasts for about 3 days. Plenty of food and beer (or Thai wiskey) before the families son is packed off to the temple to become a monk. Don't think I would want to live any where else.

[eslteacher]

I havent read through this entire thread yet but I must say, I am jealous of the lifestyle you guys live. You guys seem to enjoy life in beautiful parts of Thailand. Cant beat that.

You guys have what im striving for. I'd love to just wake up, sit outside and have a coffee while reading a good book or newspaper while enjoying the nature surrounding me.

[Bkkorupcountry]

I havent read through this entire thread yet but I must say, I am jealous of the lifestyle you guys live. You guys seem to enjoy life in beautiful parts of Thailand. Cant beat that.

You guys have what im striving for. I'd love to just wake up, sit outside and have a coffee while reading a good book or newspaper while enjoying the nature surrounding me.

Yes, that's like saying, "I've arrived". No more rat race and stress of having to kowtow to clients etc.

Shame I can't afford to (or dare not) retire yet.

[billd766]

I havent read through this entire thread yet but I must say, I am jealous of the lifestyle you guys live. You guys seem to enjoy life in beautiful parts of Thailand. Cant beat that.

You guys have what im striving for. I'd love to just wake up, sit outside and have a coffee while reading a good book or newspaper while enjoying the nature surrounding me.

Yes, that's like saying, "I've arrived". No more rat race and stress of having to kowtow to clients etc.

Shame I can't afford to (or dare not) retire yet.

That's only because you don't have my dam_n chickens cackling around 3 or 4 in the morning demanding to be fed.

Stupid birds, don't they know it is half past dark and they do get fed around 6 am along with the ducks and the cats.

Other than that it's fine.

I usually get up around 5 am, go downstairs and have ss&s, get my sons school clothes ready, boil the kettle and generally wake my wife and son around 6am.

The speakers outside on the lamppost don't work but nobody complains, the food cars are rolling before dawn, each with it own music so you know whose is whose, the tractors and e-tans are out a bit later and my son gets his school bus at 6.30 to go to school 45 km away.

After he has gone I read my emails and the papers, give my mother in law her insulin injection, then eat breakfast of fresh melon and banana, homemade toasted bread with jam or marmelade and tea.

I usually spend a couple of hours 4 or 5 days a week with the brush cutter keeping the grass and scrub down then come back for a coffee and a shower then make my lunch mostly Thai food but very little spice.

Wash up then spend a couple of hours on the internet and have about a 20 or 30 minute power sleep and do any small jobs around the house.

My wife cooks dinner for us ready for when our son gets home.

He eats, does his homework, plays or watches videos etc and goes to bed around 8 pm

I have a couple of Sang Som and sodas during the evening and I am generally in bed not long after them and read for a while.

The same thing Sunday night to Friday night ans there is no school at the weekend.

We take the weekend as it comes.

Cities are definitely not for us.

[Bkkorupcountry]

I havent read through this entire thread yet but I must say, I am jealous of the lifestyle you guys live. You guys seem to enjoy life in beautiful parts of Thailand. Cant beat that.

You guys have what im striving for. I'd love to just wake up, sit outside and have a coffee while reading a good book or newspaper while enjoying the nature surrounding me.

Yes, that's like saying, "I've arrived". No more rat race and stress of having to kowtow to clients etc.

Shame I can't afford to (or dare not) retire yet.

That's only because you don't have my dam_n chickens cackling around 3 or 4 in the morning demanding to be fed.

Stupid birds, don't they know it is half past dark and they do get fed around 6 am along with the ducks and the cats.

Other than that it's fine.

I usually get up around 5 am, go downstairs and have ss&s, get my sons school clothes ready, boil the kettle and generally wake my wife and son around 6am.

The speakers outside on the lamppost don't work but nobody complains, the food cars are rolling before dawn, each with it own music so you know whose is whose, the tractors and e-tans are out a bit later and my son gets his school bus at 6.30 to go to school 45 km away.

After he has gone I read my emails and the papers, give my mother in law her insulin injection, then eat breakfast of fresh melon and banana, homemade toasted bread with jam or marmelade and tea.

I usually spend a couple of hours 4 or 5 days a week with the brush cutter keeping the grass and scrub down then come back for a coffee and a shower then make my lunch mostly Thai food but very little spice.

Wash up then spend a couple of hours on the internet and have about a 20 or 30 minute power sleep and do any small jobs around the house.

My wife cooks dinner for us ready for when our son gets home.

He eats, does his homework, plays or watches videos etc and goes to bed around 8 pm

I have a couple of Sang Som and sodas during the evening and I am generally in bed not long after them and read for a while.

The same thing Sunday night to Friday night ans there is no school at the weekend.

We take the weekend as it comes.

Cities are definitely not for us.

Boy, do I envy you

Slight difference for me will be doing lots of bbq's.

[billd766]

I havent read through this entire thread yet but I must say, I am jealous of the lifestyle you guys live. You guys seem to enjoy life in beautiful parts of Thailand. Cant beat that.

You guys have what im striving for. I'd love to just wake up, sit outside and have a coffee while reading a good book or newspaper while enjoying the nature surrounding me.

Yes, that's like saying, "I've arrived". No more rat race and stress of having to kowtow to clients etc.

Shame I can't afford to (or dare not) retire yet.

That's only because you don't have my dam_n chickens cackling around 3 or 4 in the morning demanding to be fed.

Stupid birds, don't they know it is half past dark and they do get fed around 6 am along with the ducks and the cats.

Other than that it's fine.

I usually get up around 5 am, go downstairs and have ss&s, get my sons school clothes ready, boil the kettle and generally wake my wife and son around 6am.

The speakers outside on the lamppost don't work but nobody complains, the food cars are rolling before dawn, each with it own music so you know whose is whose, the tractors and e-tans are out a bit later and my son gets his school bus at 6.30 to go to school 45 km away.

After he has gone I read my emails and the papers, give my mother in law her insulin injection, then eat breakfast of fresh melon and banana, homemade toasted bread with jam or marmelade and tea.

I usually spend a couple of hours 4 or 5 days a week with the brush cutter keeping the grass and scrub down then come back for a coffee and a shower then make my lunch mostly Thai food but very little spice.

Wash up then spend a couple of hours on the internet and have about a 20 or 30 minute power sleep and do any small jobs around the house.

My wife cooks dinner for us ready for when our son gets home.

He eats, does his homework, plays or watches videos etc and goes to bed around 8 pm

I have a couple of Sang Som and sodas during the evening and I am generally in bed not long after them and read for a while.

The same thing Sunday night to Friday night ans there is no school at the weekend.

We take the weekend as it comes.

Cities are definitely not for us.

Boy, do I envy you

Slight difference for me will be doing lots of bbq's.

I leave them to my wife and generally supervise with a glass of something cold near my hand

[sezze]

I haven't read all 22 pages of this thread, but one thing keeps occuring to me: Why would anyone want to live like a Thai peasant?

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

I am not sure how many people in the West would say, "Yes, when I retire I want to live in basic conditions with no intellectual stimulation and feed pigs/watch rice grow/house countless relatives on my nickel, and so on. Oh, and since I can't really speak Thai, I have no idea what anyone is talking about unless my wife chooses to tell me, but even that's iffy since her English language skills are at about the level of a three-year-old English speaker."

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves. What could possibly be the key motivation for this?

Of course I respect the right of the individual to conduct his last years, or his mature years, in any fashion he desires. But the motivation escapes me here. It would be like someone wanting to live in quasi-poverty among the uneducated (or under-educated) and the intellectually incurious....where a "big event" is going to "the city" to shop at Tesco? I mean that's just sad.

And by the way, how many Western women come to Thailand to retire in a backwoods village? What does this tell you about the situation?

A few remarks :

- not everybody likes theaters etc . Concerts are everywhere in Thailand , not the big names but a concert is a concert if you are into that . Art ... well ... modern art as a toilet hanging

on the wall or a shitmachine ( yes both are real modern art , look on internet to see pics of them ) , you can find in the villages ( when you are lucky ) . As of ancient arts , yes it is difficult but i guess you do not visit them every day or every week do you ? You can have a TV and internet in the villages so movies are no problem . Music is also plenty available .

- As far as intellectual things go . What about learning Thai and the local dialects . Or is that below your ranking of intellect ?

- not everybody in the villages is in his last years of his life and if he is what about some getting away from hectic citylife ?

- yes , most people in the village are uneducated , so what . It is not that i want to talk about chemistry , fysics and maths in a city also . I prefer people talking about normal things , which are important in life .

- yes many people are farmers . So what , no farmers = no food , everywhere in the world .

-The advantage of living in the enviroment is the nice green views , instead of concrete as far as you can see .

- For intellecs again ... maybe try to learn about nature itself . The critters and plants are plenty around and i guess you've never seen 80% of it ( or you go to a museum to see them ) . I can cross the street without looking , try that in a city .

-

[andycrosby]

My morn starts like this Kids picked up in a minibus to school at 8am. Quick coffee,and an egg sandwitch then let the goats out and milk a few. collect eggs from the chickens, quail, ducks and Turkeys,feed and water them. relax for an hour or two. back to check on everything about lunch time. Eat some Thai food hotter the better. few jobs round the farm. 4 pm time for the kids to come home. put everything back watered and fed then go fishing for an hour or two while the wife cooks Dinner. Watch a bit of TV with a beer or six a bit of internet lights out at 10-12 pm

Its a hard life but someone has to do it

[Aroon]

Hey this is such a good topic, I thought I would add mine....I came to Kutchum near Yasothon, about 8 months ago just for a short stay and then we was going to go back to Perth, australia, for a few more years, but I just loved living here we decided to stay and clear about 12rai and plant Rubber trees and leave some room on the land for the house to be built. I am officially retired now, a little bit before my time, so I guess I am one of the lucky one's.

Fingures crossed our home should be finished in about another 4 months. At the moment my wife and myself live at the side of the inlaws house, we had a room built for us

in this room it is typical thai house with stuff crammed every where. bed fridge desk, well everything except the sink.

I am kept busy with the build and keeping the weeds away form the trees about 1200, next year we will plant Thai potato along side of the trees.

I am lucky that I have met about 8 farrang that live close by and I get to play golf 2 times a week, my wife does not mind me playing as it gives her an excuse to go off to the

beauty shop. I would like to add that the people in Kutchum are very friendly, which makes life a lot easier, it is not a farrang user friendly village though as not many people can speak English, yes I know I am learning the Thai language but I finding it very difficult. If there is anyone else that lives in the Kutchum area, that would like a chat, or a game od golf

my name Is Ian and my email is [email protected]. Thanks and bye for now.

[Billmont]

I haven't read all 22 pages of this thread, but one thing keeps occuring to me: Why would anyone want to live like a Thai peasant?

Don't get me wrong, heyseeds can be nice people, but living without meaningful culture -- no access to the arts, concerts, performances, exhibitions, theater, cinema, bookstores, fine dining, clubs of like-minded people, et al -- seems to be a dire regression in the quality of life.

I am not sure how many people in the West would say, "Yes, when I retire I want to live in basic conditions with no intellectual stimulation and feed pigs/watch rice grow/house countless relatives on my nickel, and so on. Oh, and since I can't really speak Thai, I have no idea what anyone is talking about unless my wife chooses to tell me, but even that's iffy since her English language skills are at about the level of a three-year-old English speaker."

Almost everywhere I look, I find educated gentlemen from the West dumbing themselves down to the point where they are a pathetic parody of themselves. What could possibly be the key motivation for this?

Of course I respect the right of the individual to conduct his last years, or his mature years, in any fashion he desires. But the motivation escapes me here. It would be like someone wanting to live in quasi-poverty among the uneducated (or under-educated) and the intellectually incurious....where a "big event" is going to "the city" to shop at Tesco? I mean that's just sad.

And by the way, how many Western women come to Thailand to retire in a backwoods village? What does this tell you about the situation?

A few remarks :

- not everybody likes theaters etc . Concerts are everywhere in Thailand , not the big names but a concert is a concert if you are into that . Art ... well ... modern art as a toilet hanging

on the wall or a shitmachine ( yes both are real modern art , look on internet to see pics of them ) , you can find in the villages ( when you are lucky ) . As of ancient arts , yes it is difficult but i guess you do not visit them every day or every week do you ? You can have a TV and internet in the villages so movies are no problem . Music is also plenty available .

- As far as intellectual things go . What about learning Thai and the local dialects . Or is that below your ranking of intellect ?

- not everybody in the villages is in his last years of his life and if he is what about some getting away from hectic citylife ?

- yes , most people in the village are uneducated , so what . It is not that i want to talk about chemistry , fysics and maths in a city also . I prefer people talking about normal things , which are important in life .

- yes many people are farmers . So what , no farmers = no food , everywhere in the world .

-The advantage of living in the enviroment is the nice green views , instead of concrete as far as you can see .

- For intellecs again ... maybe try to learn about nature itself . The critters and plants are plenty around and i guess you've never seen 80% of it ( or you go to a museum to see them ) . I can cross the street without looking , try that in a city .

-

Maybe its just me but having dealt with 'educated' people most of my working life I have found a lot to be dickheads with their feet not on the ground. Maybe its my very poor background born just as the war finished (the second world war for the benefit of the dickheads) lived on a smallholding in South West of UK and did not have running water or electricity until I was about 14. I did however qualify as a Chartered Engineer and was a Director of several companies and a MD of another. I also owned my own company and employed over 300 people. I had dealing with very rich people and they were fine, generally down to earth and very pleasant socially. However those that profess to like the arts and culture were often false and wanted to impress but were of little substance. I can remember a panel of experts were asked to rate five pieces of modern art. After much debate they chose one and went into great depth about its meaning etc. and it was painted by an Elephant. Probably an educated Elephant who went to Chang University. I also owned pubs, restaurants, tea rooms and a small hotel mainly run under management and I found ordinary people who liked a pint or three to be very knowledgeable with a lot of common sense. I have now retired and live in a small village in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima, I am the only Farang in the village. Not many educated people here but good hard working people with little money but enough to provide for their families. I keep myself to myself and do not socialise, I let my wife do that. I no longer want city life, I lived in London for a number of years and while it was good at the time I have no desire to return to city life other than for a bit of civilisation a few times a year (Bangkok and Pattaya) to enjoy fine restaurants. Would I travel to see an Opera, theatre, music or even a football match, No! Would I watch in on TV, yes sometimes. I was told by one of my pub regulars that to have a long and happy retirement is always have something to do but never quite get around to doing it. Good advice I think. What do I do with myself all day, not a lot. I still have some business interests in the UK and I am a consultant for a business in the UK run by Hungarians and I do most of their correspondence and give advice on many matters to ensure they business runs smoothly. They are both young and hardworking but have little knowledge of legal, insurance, tax, accounting and disputes so I give them advice and write letters that they just have to sign. This keeps me occupied for a few hours, not each day but often and this is all done over the Internet by email. We recently got 3G which is a big improvement. We built a western style house right in the centre of the village as a plot was available, just enough for a house with a front and back garden, we have 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and a European kitchen. I do small things around the house, often with the help of my wife who is getting a dab hand at technical things. Her sister lives outside of the village in about 14 Rai of land, a big house with swimming pool but remote and her parents live with her although in a separate house and work the land and raise pigs. I considered that we would do something similar but my wife said that she, unlike her sister, could not live there on her own. We considered the facts she is about 30 years my junior and if life goes according to plan she will survive me and therefore needs a house close to other family members for peace of mind. Hence the house in the centre of the village with her brother and wife one side and her aunt and cousin in two houses to the other side of us, so 3 houses bordering ours. No problem for me I have a wall all around with an electric gate, nobody can get in without ringing the bell. We employ a family member to do the garden as we also return to the UK for 3 months each year and need someone to take care of the garden and thought it unfair to just use them when we are away. I do a lot of cooking but only Farang food and my wife does the Thai food although she is also good at certain western dishes as she lived with me in the UK for about 5 years. I batch cook such items as Chilli, Bolognese, Pie fillings, such as Chicken in White wine, Chicken and leek with bacon in cream, Beef in Beer and freeze in portions. I also make my own pastry as difficult to buy here, I do buy pastry if I get the opportunity. I also bake bread but buy as well. I usually do a traditional Sunday Roast, be it Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings, Pork with Cracking or Lamb and always roasted veg as well as steamed veg. When we go to Pattaya for a few days we stock up on Swede and Parsnips, and Leeks which I use fresh as long as possible and also blanch and freeze. I mainly eat on my own as my wife like to eat with her family which is fine by me. However we always have Sunday lunch together and a few dinners each week and one or two lunches. We go to The Mall in Korat once a week for our weekly shop which is about 60km away and make it a sort of day out and have lunch there usually in the Sizzler or Fuji Japanese. We also eat out a couple times a week but mainly for lunch as the two restaurants we use are about 25km away each in a different direction from our house. I am not keen on night driving although my wife is happy to drive and passed her driving test in the UK but I prefer to stay at home at night. I go to bed about 10pm to 11pm after a nice dinner, a few beers a Scotch or two, maybe some wine, and get up about 7am, often I am awake about 2am and get up and work on the Internet. After lunch I always have a snooze for about half an hour while watching BBC World Service as I like to keep up with World News to note which places we will NOT be visiting. My wife likes to clean the house and she also like washing and ironing which keeps her busy, she changes clothes at least twice a day, usually 3 times and each time it goes into the washing basket. Nothing wears out, it is washed to death. We do not have any children so we have alot of freedom, although I have two from a previous marriage, a married daughter with one son who moved to Cyprus a couple of years ago to get out of the UK, we keep in touch by email. I also have a son who is presently in Afghanstan with the British Army trying to get pieces of himself blown off as he searches for IED’s with a dog. Difficult to contact him, mind you in was always the same even when we lived a few miles apart. When the mood took him he would turn up and say “Come on Dad let go and have a few” and then I would not see or hear from him for months. He never visits his mother or contacts her, that’s just the way he is. So the days go by very quickly “by not doing anything in particular’ but this is the life for me, lovely wife, house, car, no stress, clean air and beautiful countryside all around. Maybe I am lucky but I have no problems with the Thai authorities I follow their rules and everything goes smoothly. I accept that I am a guest in this Country and as such I also accept that things are done differently here, some for the better, some not, but that is the way it is. I stay here because I prefer it to OTT bureaucratic Britain. Time for lunch!

[jpduggan]

Planning on trying out that life myself.....now I'm reconsidering...only joking. All very interesting, Thanks all

Jim.

[bentarm44]

I'm over 4 years in small village near Phimai, only farang etc. A bit like Billmont; and I want his wall and gate!

My uk ex wife took half my hard earned, and I didn't have the heart to start again in the open prison.

As I age, I realise my choices my be less, but my alternatives remain the same.

There really aint no paradise, not anywhere.

The best we can hope for is to be left alone to chose our own alternatives, and very few people value/want the same things.

I started this as a five year plan; and I aint got a better alternative today.

When I came here, I had Greece or Spain down as euro bolt holes.

Ha ha, don't think so now !!

Back to the beach for 2012

[canuckamuck]

I have been in this village full time since January but spent most of last year here reconstructing the house.

It is an hour to the nearest 7-11, an hour and a half to first real city. Much of that is back to back hairpin corners, a bikers paradise. We have pavement right up to the house, plenty of land, a stream and a river on our land, so we are never out of water. I get to do whatever I want, but mostly I am still renovating. I have two staff that help with all the kids and the farm stuff and My wife keeps everyone busy including herself. There is none of the silly ghost nonsense so we don't build or do anything special to accommodate spooks. No one in the family is an animist/Buddhist. We have a minimum of 10 people sleeping in our house every night and sometimes more than 20. But I have a man cave on the second floor which is my refuge when things get too... (insert whatever adjective you like). Also my bedroom is quite cozy. The Internet is really slow, but it seems to be improving.

I wake up with a big mental list of things to do, and I accomplish a bit of that list every day.

I am researching and testing various agricultural projects, and on the way I taught myself welding, concrete work, tiling, and did my own wiring with no previous experience.

So, it's fun for me.

[legendarysurfer]

I am four months into my retirement in my wife's village not far from Nong Bua Lamphu. I am one of those crazy falang's who live pretty close to the khon Thai lifestyle and am writing about living in the village at: http://the-isaan.blogspot.com

[MobileContent]

I have been living now 14 months in Sakon Nakhon province in a local Thai village and my general experience is very positive.

Edited June 4, 2012 by MobileContent

[jamescollister]

Hell if everyone keeps talking up the rural Issan life style the place will start to get western refugees. I was the first farang here 10 years ago and am still the only farang, wouldn't mind 1 or 2 good lads in the area, but too many whites will bring down the neighborhood. Jim.

[zzaa09]

Hell if everyone keeps talking up the rural Issan life style the place will start to get western refugees. I was the first farang here 10 years ago and am still the only farang, wouldn't mind 1 or 2 good lads in the area, but too many whites will bring down the neighborhood. Jim.

Sound like me, Jim..

I'm easily, the only Farang within a broad region.

The fewer the better.

[khwaibah]

Hell if everyone keeps talking up the rural Issan life style the place will start to get western refugees. I was the first farang here 10 years ago and am still the only farang, wouldn't mind 1 or 2 good lads in the area, but too many whites will bring down the neighborhood. Jim.

Sound like me, Jim..

I'm easily, the only Farang within a broad region.

The fewer the better.

YES YES and YES but hear they come.

[billd766]

Hell if everyone keeps talking up the rural Issan life style the place will start to get western refugees. I was the first farang here 10 years ago and am still the only farang, wouldn't mind 1 or 2 good lads in the area, but too many whites will bring down the neighborhood. Jim.

I live in Khampaeng Phet province on the other side of the country.

For me it was 9 years ago and we live in a moo ban 6 km from the big village.

Now there is a Dutch guy next door I have known for a while before he moved here, my Danish mate is next door again but only once or twice a year, an Aussie up the road but he works offshore, a Swiss/French guy about 3 km away who is here more often than not, a French guy close to the big village, an Austrian lives up by the waterfall.

I speak to my neighbour most days but we don't live in each others pockets as it were and the rest I see now and again.

[willyumiii]

In my village ( Ban Mai Rimool ) we have 4:30 am roosters and 5:30am roosters..but I may wake up earlier than that to the sound of my mother inlaw and sisters inlaws washing pots and pans in the dark....wonder how they know they are clean???lol

My wife washes clothes in a tub, by hand each day, cleans the floors and cleans up the muddy mess left by all the village dogs on our large covered tile porch daily. Other than that, cooking, careing for our 4 year old daughter. Sometimes helps with the farm work..rice & tapoica...in the heat of the day...naps are pretty common...reminds me of the siestas in Mexico....lol

[thehelmsman]

I'm south of Sakon Nakhon. I work off shore so am not there full time. To live there full time I'd have to figure out what to do to stay busy. I'm thinking alot of trips to the beach. Still have 2 young dogs left for sale - 200 baht each. They'll be gone soon. Cheers...............

[David006]

Hell if everyone keeps talking up the rural Issan life style the place will start to get western refugees. I was the first farang here 10 years ago and am still the only farang, wouldn't mind 1 or 2 good lads in the area, but too many whites will bring down the neighborhood. Jim.

+1 Jim...think there are a couple of Germans , Swiss or Swedes who have houses and Wife or GF here but never seen 'em..think they live offshore....I remember there was a Thai/Farang wedding a couple of years back about 2k away..know the house ..the only aircon within ks methinks.

[samuidreams]

I've spent a few days reading all of the replies, what a fab thread. It's made me smile, you all seem to be enjoying life in your villages. I'm hoping to make the big move to Thailand in the next 1/2 years, I will definitely be taking some trips to check out the villages. Keep posting, I love reading all of the stories.

[cardholder]

Hell if everyone keeps talking up the rural Issan life style the place will start to get western refugees. I was the first farang here 10 years ago and am still the only farang, wouldn't mind 1 or 2 good lads in the area, but too many whites will bring down the neighborhood. Jim.

Sound like me, Jim..

I'm easily, the only Farang within a broad region.

The fewer the better.

I somehow think that you living far away from other Falangs will suit all parties, Jeff

[MobileContent]

We have actually an Irish, Dutch, another German, a French, a US, a Swiss plus a Japanese but they only visit the village for the Songkran holidays.

Some of their wife's are playing already with local guys and the foreigners just keeps sending money. Go figure...

[jamescollister]

One of the not so good things of living in rural Issan. Sitting as I often do watching the kids play in the street with the other village kids, supping a few cold ones. Sun sets and everyone moves inside, if you can call it that as it is open area. Loads of yelling is heard between FIL and BIL, try and keep out of such things, but it really gets heated. So put beer down and go have a look. Kids are sitting eating in front of the TV seemingly undisturbed by the yelling etc. FIL walks in to room and grabs a gun, time to intervene. Luckily other BIL grabs the gun, more yelling then everyone except for BIL that had the gun pointed at him sit down and start eating as if nothing had happened,

This happens every so often, first time FIL was a bit ashamed of his sons behavior, wife explained that in my family all my brothers were boxers and when a family dispute happened hospital and sowing were normal. It makes for an interesting life. Jim

[dezy1801]

I live in SaKaeo and the village is situated between Khao Chakan and Wang Nam Yen we are just 1km from the village we have a fantastic view of 2 mountains, but unfortunatly as I have just found out also an easy target for thiefs for the time being until I get that sorted which will be very soon.

I love life up country opposed to living in the City, I tend to get up about 6am go train in my gym right next to my house (if I not drink to much night before) while the Mrs sorts out her Pa's food for today he is 85 year old and stays with us. By 9am we are both eating breakfast and either going out for supplies (Beer) or if nothing much going on just relax or I tend to go for a ride on my bike around SaKaeo. By 5pm I have watered the garden and sit outside having a beer then some food and normally in bed by 8pm although not sleeping just watching TV normally dose off around 10pm and wake up 6am next morning.