yellowboat Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 An 85 year old friend just travels in and out of Thailand. He keeps a small apartment in Cambodia for things he does not need to carry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northernjohn Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 The air quality can be very poor for between six and eight weeks each year, the rest of the time it's good or better. The change in seasons make it a great place to live for many westerners although it can get very hot in the "hot season". To answer the OP's question directly and I very nearly fit his description exactly (I'm only 66), yes, I would not hesitate to do the same thing over again. The Immigration issue is very poor currently although using an agent can circumvent the issues. And health care here is good, we live north of Chiang Mai by about 25 kms and I can get to decent hospitals in under thirty minutes, I can get to a large government hospital in fifteen (I also am diabetic). And the Provincial Hospital in CM is excellent being attached to the CMU medical training facility. If it seems as though I'm trying to sell Chiang Mai I'm not, I'm simply giving you my answer. But for somebody who has never lived here before, the best answer is to take your time and travel around and see where suits you personally. Waste of time to read the rest. I 100% agree with chiang mai. I would do it all over again. If the smog is a problem to you maybe not the place for you. That is a personal point. I can live with it and I am 74 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfieconn Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I moved Chiang Mai years ago but the traffic is now a nightmare and you can't move for Chinese. Is there somewhere better within Thailand? I think not but if the Philippines had the infrastructure and the security I'd be there not here but it doesn't so it's academic. Live outside the city and Chiang Mai still has tons to offer and, in my view, beats the other Thai cities hands down but perfection? only in the dreams of romantics and idealists. I doubt if the OP is going to live in tourist areas so shouldn't affect him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExpatOilWorker Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Why is Bangkok not an acceptable answer? Great city, just find a condo at 30+ floor and enjoy life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrahamzvi Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I wouldn't hesitate for a moment. Although I prefer to vacation elsewhere (smaller islands with uncrowded beaches and good scuba diving,) I find that Chiang Mai offers me everything I require in a 'home base.' I'll turn 70 at my next birthday, and can understand your questions about this area. There is a wide choice of medical facilities, even wider choice for shopping and entertainment, yet at the same time, if you chose your home location wisely, it still retains the 'feel' of a small town. Shop keepers are friendly, on the street Thais you meet will smile and nod as you pass, and there are many different expat communities that you have the option of joining if that is your wish. Air quality 'can' be a problem for some. It does get bad for four to six weeks every year. The degree of 'bad' varies though, and I find that wearing an N95 filter mask (the sort you can purchase in most home centers or larger pharmacies) for 2-3 weeks during that time is sufficient to insure comfort and health. While it 'looks' bad, it's not necessarily life threatening for the entire burning season, and once that clears up, the air quality for the rest of the year combined with the mountain lifestyle make Chiang Mai a very pleasant place to live year round. I entirely and absolutely agree. I am more or less the age of the OP and have lived in Chiang Mai for the last 8 years. It's a wonderful place to live in for all the reasons you have pointed out to and I would most certainly recommend this place to anybody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suradit69 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Settled in my condo in Pattaya first part-time when I was still working in UAE and nearly 10 years full time, about 17 years in total. Have a fifteenth floor condo with steady sea breeze so I seldom use a/c. When I first came here, shopping trips to Bangkok were needed for some things, but these days pretty much everything I could want is available locally. Used to go to the beach in Jomtien regularly, but these days, aside from less frequent morning walks along the beach in Pattaya, I don't go anymore. Have a glass of wine or two with a restaurant meal or some sake with sashimi, but otherwise haven't sought the numbing effects of alcohol and it's probably been close to a decade since I was in a bar. I don't think I would have enjoyed staying in the boonies or in Bangkok all this time. Pattaya was a happy medium in that respect, but it is far more busy that it was when I first came. I sort of miss the quiet that used to descend during the low season. Fortunately I have an excellent driver who copes with all the traffic chaos, so that doesn't bother me much. Of course if you stay in one place for this long, you sometimes think a change would be nice just for the sake of change, but at this point in life I appreciate the convenience for shopping, dining, medical care and a pleasant climate. Despite Pattaya's reputation, I have no interactions with the seedy, touristic places or the drunks & noise they produce. Aside from immigrations, and I consider our office in Jomtien to be excellent, I have never had to deal with police. It always surprises me how many posters on TV seem to have so many (alleged) encounters with them. I never feel lonely but am still free to be alone as much as I like. So, I could have done much worse and by & large consider the decision to settle here to have suited me quite well. I feel very much at home here and if I were given an opportunity to move elsewhere, I wouldn't be all that eager to change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnno2 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 i live in bangkok. its a crazy city. i've got a house at hua hin. its nice there but traffic can be a pain. A friend lives at prachuap khiri khan. its a nice sleepy town on the beach and has nice beach places close to it such as pranburi to the north and bang saen to the south. i'd say its like hua hin was like maybe 15-20 years ago. rayong might be woth considering. its close to pattaya but far enough away. koh samet is a ferry ride away. i've been to chiang mai a couple of times. its not a place i'd consider living at because its getting crazy traffic wise. chiang rai i like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoshowJones Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Yes, I would live where I do now and do much the same again, but like any honest person, I would have to say that there are some things I would have done differently, I am not contradicting myself by saying this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trujillo Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Con: Not enough park benches to sit and feed the pigeons. Not enough parks, actually. edit// By the way, just sayin', Monday was exactly 10 years in Thailand for me. Where the hell did the time go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoshowJones Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I am wondering why the OP would pick Thailand. Why not Malaysia or Indonesia, for example? Isn't it obvious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesquite Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 An 85 year old friend just travels in and out of Thailand. He keeps a small apartment in Cambodia for things he does not need to carry. So where does he live? Cambodia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dotpoom Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Kamphaeng Phet for me is the best place I have been in Thailand. People absolutely lovely, soft spoken (not shouting at each other like one was in BKK and the other in Pattaya when they are standing side by side together ). No Soi dogs that I could see, lovely parks with signs to pick up your dog's poo. Big wide main roads that are kept in beautiful condition along with wide footpaths. No motorbike taxis or tuk tuks that I could see. Food cooked lovely with big portions and not expensive. Didn't see any beer bars but then again I wasn't looking for them but the ladies I did come a cross had a lovely manner. I will more than lightly end up moving there myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihalis Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Phuket... Simply has all you need... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mango66 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 One little-mentioned advantage of Pattaya/Jomtien, is that you don't need a 1-hour flight, to reach Swampy and your onward international-journey, I didn't appreciate the time/cost of this when we were originally choosing where to live in Thailand. but most time you need a min 2 hrs Thai high way drive with traffic jam too !! Look on all, BKK surround still the best , if you dont want a beach, otherwise i would select jomtien- Bang saray !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mango66 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Kamphaeng Phet for me is the best place I have been in Thailand. People absolutely lovely, soft spoken (not shouting at each other like one was in BKK and the other in Pattaya when they are standing side by side together ). No Soi dogs that I could see, lovely parks with signs to pick up your dog's poo. Big wide main roads that are kept in beautiful condition along with wide footpaths. No motorbike taxis or tuk tuks that I could see. Food cooked lovely with big portions and not expensive. Didn't see any beer bars but then again I wasn't looking for them but the ladies I did come a cross had a lovely manner. I will more than lightly end up moving there myself. where is that village in LOS which have no karaoke bar ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Deerhunter Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 If this wasn't only about Thailand you might have asked about other SE Asian countries. If i was not married to a Thai, perhaps Viet Nam. If she didn't still have live parents here my wife has hinted that we could have been in Viet Nam. But our 7 dogs would not enjoy it there for long. Or Laos if I didn't care about being a bit near the sea. I used to like Khon Kaen but it is way too big & fast now. Was in Buriram a month or two ago & very impressed with the sense of civic pride. A very nice looking clean & tidy town, unlike many others. It would be the kind of atmosphere i would look for. I thought Chiang Rai was nice & friendly too. Totally different feel about it from big brother CM down the road.(Bangkok North.) Chiang Rai starts to be getting a long way out it but has an international airport. Not sure about hospitals but the shakies might put people off nowadays. That must be a negative to be worried about waking up wearing your own roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca46 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I have lived in Udon Thani for the past two years suits my life style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subterminalvelocity Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I live in Bangkok with my wife from this city. Having visited CM and CR again recently, I enjoyed both thoroughly and honestly it was a nice respite. Yet, living in a quiet pocket not far from Chatuchak, it's an oasis within the city. Different when on the road however. I agree with Dotpoom re Kamphaeng Phet. City for me and DMK is close for a monthly get away. PKK is great also. Phuket and Pattaya...I don't recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springheeled jack Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I have been here since 1996 in pattaya and although it has got steadily worse due to the influx of a lot of undesirables I don't think I would live any where else my advice is pick up the map and look for somewhere that hasn't been touched too much by civilisation go and look then make up your mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinnieTheKhwai Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Why is Bangkok not an acceptable answer? Great city, just find a condo at 30+ floor and enjoy life. Because doing absolutely anything overthere takes way more time, cost and hassle? The quality of living equation (esp. versus cost) goes right out the window for Bangkok. You're spending a lot more there even than in many (rural) places in the USA for example. Friday night in Thailand (anywhere outside of Bangkok): Get in your car or bike, drive bit, pick a place to try for food or drinks. Friday night in Bangkok: Oh.. it's raining so traffic won't move until 10pm. Stay at the office. Get sandwich from 7-11. Research restaurants on the Internet. Find a place down a soi somewhere. Get taxi. Turns out some sub-soi is one-way, requiring a 45 minute detour. Get there already exhausted. Now go order some food that's priced about the same as in most places in the USA. Get taxi to go back. Taxi doesn't want to go on meter. etc, etc, etc. Phuket... Simply has all you need... Yes, that would be my other choice if not Chiang Mai. Not near the main beaches though, but (near) Phuket town, or somewhere in the middle. I also like Trang actually, as far as Thai towns go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaeJoMTB Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 7 years here in CM, 6 married. I only came for a 3 week holiday! Condo 1 year, houses 6 years. I prefer the houses a bit out of town, 25Km too far, 15Km perfect. Chinese have all disappeared in the last 2 weeks, will they come back or has the stock market broke them? Wasn't bothered anyway, the Chinese girls have nice legs. Traffic, no problem on m/c and bicycle, nowhere to park a car in town anyway. Immigration is a pain, the boss will be changed soon, and then it'll be back to normal. Internet is good, food supplies for foreigners good. Overall, a great place to live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Phuket... Simply has all you need... The place is not really Thailand any longer, it has no Thai culture to speak of, it's sadly expensive and it has far too much of things that residents don't need, an excess of tourists being one, which begets the other two points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangkapi Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 There are lots of nice Bangkok suburbs on both sides of the river that make you feel like you are far away, but everything is convenient. Ruling out Bangkok metro area without giving it a fair shake is not really a smart move for an old timer who might need some of the amenities nearby at short notice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Freckle Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I am wondering why the OP would pick Thailand. Why not Malaysia or Indonesia, for example? Isn't it obvious? Same dog..., different leg...., they are all overly polluted s###holes are they not ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khun custard Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 One little-mentioned advantage of Pattaya/Jomtien, is that you don't need a 1-hour flight, to reach Swampy and your onward international-journey, I didn't appreciate the time/cost of this when we were originally choosing where to live in Thailand. True, but Najomtein to Suvanabhumi on a good day is 90 min and Don Muang is 130min and if the traffic really goes south so does arriving in time for your flight ! More to the benefit to those living down here is Utapo airport and the direct flights to Singapore and KL almost daily There's also Macau and PRC destinations - if that is of any use? Looks like the new Utapo terminal will be finished with in the next 6 months Way to go!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pchansmorn Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I would sagest another country, Thailand is Broken, nothing works. Try somewhere who wants your retirement money, like South America, they are willing to give you a 1 year visa. I have no idea's for you within Thailand. Good Luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pchansmorn Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 How about 6 months in Chiang Mai and 6 months in Hua Hin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanchajohan Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I can recomend Kanchanaburi, nice city. 1 goverment hospital, 2 private in city. cloose to Bkk, cloose to border, 1 hour 15 min. still very cheap. a lot of things to see and do. And immigration in city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy Joe Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I was happy and joyful single in Pattaya then I got married .... With my young wife we left for two months across the country choose a city to live for some years. We visited Koh Chang, of course Bangkok, Hua Hin, Phuket, Southern Islands and all cities to the Malay border. Then Issan, Kanchanaburi and cities from the center, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai to finish. Quite clearly two favorite sites were the Hua Hin and Chiang Mai but I am not a rich man and it is this last city we have chosen for low prices. Chiang Mai really possesses an unique charm in this country. After a few years I can assure you that we do not regret this choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishbrando Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 One thing to consider is the amount of mafia/crime presence in the city. Rule of law is a nice thing to have. One day someone is going to impose on you and the last thing you'll want to hear is, "Oh, he's good friends with the village chief, so there's nothing you can really do." For me this rules out many of the more scenic/tourist areas such as Hua Hin, Pattaya, Phuket, and our favorite place, Koh Tao. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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