Question for those who have lived in Thailand for a few years

[carter1882]

I have been in Bangkok for thirty plus years. Always amusing that some people reject Krung Thep as a place to live for some reason. One of the greatest most vibrant cities in the whole of Asia in my opinion. The perception that one cannot find quiet and peace here usually reveals the lack of experience of people. Still, more room for us I guess.

Incidentally, why did the OP say Bangkok was not an option, just curious.

Edited January 20, 2016 by carter1882

[alfieconn]

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.

So you live in Bangkok but you wouldn't consider living in CM because it's getting crazy traffic wise

[GoNavy]

If you are interested in a quiet, cheap town/city may I suggest Isan in the Sisaket province. I have recently moved to Kantharalak and it is a city with a technical school and large enough for stores that you need.......aka Tesco, car dealers, western restaurants. Udon Ratchathani is a 1 1/2 hour drive away as another option. Use to have an American Air Force Base there and have many military retirees. I am a member of the American Legion there, the only one in Thailand. That is a larger city then Kantharalak. There is also Si Sa Ket, which is the capitol of Si Sa Ket province and has immigration there.

I lived in Pattaya since 2005. It was great when I first arrived and a few after. I got older and lost my interest in bars and chasing the flesh. I now have a companion and that satisfies me. I'll be 70 in less then a couple of years.

[Beats56]

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.

[farangmick]

If I had no ties, and looking for somewhere to live, Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai would be top of my list. Without the cost of the wife and kids, I could escape to anywhere for a couple of months during the burning season.

Small town I live in works for me, with a family, but shopping for farang food is an expedition. Red cross delivery of bacon, sausages and pies arrived today, (from Chiang Mai)!

[Briggsy]

Mukdahan is the place you want.

[JaseTheBass]

Mukdahan is great if you've given up on life.

[Beats56]

I live in Rayong probley because I worked at Dow Scg when I came here. I like it here. Not too busy and 3 malls..a new Central too. The beach is close for our Sunday day out. The immigration in MAP ta Putt are easy to deal with. 2 hours from Bangkok and less than a hour from Pattaya and Koh Samet. Brand new hospital. Fairly easy to get around except when all kids get out of school..then it is busy but other that it is ok. Ya it gets hot here but I am use to it now. I live on a nice quiet street except the one idiot down the street that goes as fast as he can on a big PCX and gets the dogs barking. TESCO Express and a new 7 around the corner. Pharacy there too. Corner store,barber shop and some good street food. I don't go to bars but there is a nice coffee shop and sells beer too. I sometimes go there and sit outside with a cold one and watch the traffic go by. Free Wi-Fi too. May sound boring to you but is ok for me. Yes they have bars and massage thing on another street if that is your thing.

Cheers

[ExpatOilWorker]

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.

Boy-oh-boy, did Bangkok just chew you up and spat you out?

Obviously you have no clue how it is to live in Bangkok and adapt to big city life. What you describe is a first time tourist experience in Bangkok. Sandwich at 7/11? Give me a break!

Within 2-10 min walking from my place I have 5 GREAT wine bar, 100+ restaurants and 6 major super markets. Expensive? Of course not, it is cheaper than deep Isaan. You find your routines. All they wine bars have 100++ baht happy hours, use eatigo or tips from friends to fine good restaurants and supermarkets always have some kind of sale or point system. By the way, the supermarkets do home delivery, right to my kitchen, for FREE.

At lunch, when traffic is light, I might fire up the Bimmer and go for a set lunch at some of the better restaurants in town. 200 baht for the below cold cut.

There are tons of educational options and play areas for my kid.

I will give you credit for not driving Friday evening, raining or not, but they just opened something they call the "Sky Train", you should try it.

[MaeJoMTB]

^^

Looks a bit raw to me, for 200bht I expect it to arrive cooked.

[ExpatOilWorker]

^^

Looks a bit raw to me, for 200bht I expect it to arrive cooked.

Good point, maybe that is why they throw in a free coffee, but don't tell KhwaiTheWhiner, he thinks you have to pay for stuff in Bangkok.

[puffy]

Pak Kret which is Nonthaburi is a good option.

Just outside Bangkok if you want to go in. Good hospitals, largish expat community, Loads of good restaurants, no beach

and no bargirls. Loads of very good moo baans to live in or condos and much cheaper to rent than Bangkok.

Korat in Issan or Hat Yai in the South.

[BangkokKen]

Just don't

Everyone awake is fleeing THL.

[Oceanbat]

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.

Boy-oh-boy, did Bangkok just chew you up and spat you out?

Obviously you have no clue how it is to live in Bangkok and adapt to big city life. What you describe is a first time tourist experience in Bangkok. Sandwich at 7/11? Give me a break!

Within 2-10 min walking from my place I have 5 GREAT wine bar, 100+ restaurants and 6 major super markets. Expensive? Of course not, it is cheaper than deep Isaan. You find your routines. All they wine bars have 100++ baht happy hours, use eatigo or tips from friends to fine good restaurants and supermarkets always have some kind of sale or point system. By the way, the supermarkets do home delivery, right to my kitchen, for FREE.

At lunch, when traffic is light, I might fire up the Bimmer and go for a set lunch at some of the better restaurants in town. 200 baht for the below cold cut.

There are tons of educational options and play areas for my kid.

I will give you credit for not driving Friday evening, raining or not, but they just opened something they call the "Sky Train", you should try it.

Totally agree. Bangkok is a proper city and I enjoy living here very much.

OB

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Boy-oh-boy, did Bangkok just chew you up and spat you out?

Yes, definitely.

Obviously you have no clue how it is to live in Bangkok and adapt to big city life. What you describe is a first time toust experience in Bangkok.

Right. Only 20 years and all too frequent visits, with a couple 1-2 month stints.

As it happens I have to be in Bangkok again this Monday for a meeting. And you know what: I fly in in the morning and get the #$%(*# out on an afternoon flight back the same day. (Hotels, food and drinks would have been paid for, but I honestly don't want to be there a minute longer than absolutely needed. )

Within 2-10 min walking from my place I have 5 GREAT wine bar, 100+ restaurants and 6 major super markets. Expensive? Of course not, it is cheaper than deep Isaan. You find your routines. All they wine bars have 100++ baht happy hours, use eatigo or tips from friends to fine good restaurants and supermarkets always have some kind of sale or point system.

Sounds complicated. Also you make it sound like it's hard to find a bunch of cold cuts in major cities elsewhere.

At lunch, when traffic is light, I might fire up the Bimmer and go for a set lunch at some of the better restaurants in town. 200 baht for the below cold cut.

There are tons of educational options and play areas for my kid.

Right, that doesn't sound too different from Chiang Mai then. No "Bimmer" though.

Anyway you sound happy; you're in the right place.

Edited January 20, 2016 by WinnieTheKhwai

[ggt]

Knowing what I know now...if I had it to do over again...I would retire to Vietnam...a smaller city near the coast...genuinely smart hardworking people...genuine smiles...and relatively inexpensive...

[mesquite]

Knowing what I know now...if I had it to do over again...I would retire to Vietnam...a smaller city near the coast...genuinely smart hardworking people...genuine smiles...and relatively inexpensive...

Why don't you move there now?

[MAJIC]

If you have a respiratory problem, forget Chiang Mai. For over two months of the year, and it seems to be getting longer, the air is almost unbreathable. There is smoke in the air now and it will go on building until the rains come - if the rains come.

Apart from that small problem it is a lovely place.

And when the rains come there will be a high humidity problem,so chang mai will still be no good for those with a Respiratory problem !

[1FinickyOne]

I built and live in a small village outside of a small city in Northern Thailand - of course, most people only make that type of choice for the sake of their wife and I will never be sorry about that.

If I had to choose for myself only, it would probably be just outside of either CM or CR - and the determining factor might be what accommodations I fell upon... ideally I would want to be not more than 20-30 minutes out of town.

And yes, the air does get dirty and I would use that time to plan for vacation.

But since i already have a home in the countryside, I am thinking of buying a condo in CM to have both as a city escape place and to be near medical when a bit older.

Good luck and as someone said above, not easy to find perfection these days...

[Dumbastheycome]

For the elderly that do not drink, not interested in the seaside, think that oral sex is talking about it and the last french snog they had with a bird was back in 1974, Chiang Mai is the ideal place for you.

No need to smoke, because during certain months the pollution is so high that`s it is the equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes a day.

If I could turn the clock back would I do it all again? NO, not even at gunpoint.

BTW, did I mention that Chiang mai has the worse immigration facility in the whole of Thailand, not for for meek or the infirm.

.

No, I do not live there. I just appreciate the honesty !

[connda]

Sorry, can't be of help. Mid-60s, been here for 8 years, and live 50+ miles out in the boonies. I'm quite content with the way life has turned out. My only regret? Coming to a country with immigration laws that scream: "Go home foreigner and leave your money here." The government obviously would rather I'm not here. My extended family, whom I support, thinks otherwise.

Edited January 20, 2016 by connda

[bazza40]

I've lived in CM for 7 years, now age 72. Go back to Australia once a year now, only because I have to. Paid for the GF's house near Chiang Rai, go there when I want a break from city life. Yes, CM has some annoyances. Jai Yenn. Yes, it has good restaurants, hospitals and sporting facilities. Yes, I'd do it all over again - don't even need to think twice.

[rodknock]

only complaints; did not move earlier and did not take language lessons before moving.

[gamini]

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.

Your post does not make sense. What have onward and international flights have to do with living in Thailand?

[FloydGlenn]

If your 70 years old you're almost dead anyway so what difference does it make...555

[4737 Carlin]

Foreigners living in Thailand are unwelcome and unwanted. They only want foreigners to come here on holiday, spend lots of money, then go back to their own countries.

[Teak]

Just checked the farm... leaves getting dry. Going to be nice when I start the fires to get rid of that snake and scorpion cover and see the green shoots appear come rain.

It seems the condo dwellers don't have the same concerns....Ken

[CharlieH]

Insult posts have been removed.

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[cyberfarang]

How about 6 months in Chiang Mai and 6 months in Hua Hin?

I have thought about something like this, split the year up between Chiang Mai and another city in Thailand. The problem I see with that arrangement would be the 90 day reports. How would it be possible to get around that?

[cyberfarang]

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.

For Farlangs living in Chiang Mai it will be like the coming of the messiah.