Retire / Live On The Andaman Coast

[pumper]

I originally put this in the 'south' forum .. decided Phuket was appropriate.

several questions .. all involving 'northern south Thai beaches' & farang living..

Phuket < > Ranong.

I've edited & redited this post .. my specific questions are confusing ME!

looking for 'impressions' of the Thai coastal beach / accommodation options north of Patong.

My Basics: I'm over 60 but will always consider Bangla Road a nice place to visit.

My favorite Phuket Island beach is Laem Sing .. the setting + ok body surfing. . a 'steep beach' is swell friendly.

my dream beach is one with the occasional 1m swell.

suggestions on Phuket north of Patong Si?

suggestion north of Phuket Island?

Do many Farangs live on the northwest coast of the Malay Peninsula, north of Phuket Island?

many Farangs in Ranong?

do many rentals allow pets? I'm looking to 'quietly retire' & have found dogs more reliable than BGs (before flames that was a joke) unsure.gif

Long term 'farang' rentals near the beaches of Laem Sing & Kamala? all I require are a quick intenet connection.. A/C & TV .. I assume my MBK mobile will work 'everywhere'.

what is the transportation like to / from Patong Si < > Kamela at night / off hours? I've only been daytime & had the patong pick-up wait for us at the laem sing trail head.

If I missed an issue I should address, help me out!

I guess a long ride from Patong Si to Ranong would answer my questions.

thanks, guys.

[smartecosse]

i can see why you confused yourself - i got confused trying to read it

are you wanting somewhere with or without farangs?

Bangla road a nice place to visit............. is there a hidden code in that?

[pumper]

'probably' desire to live in a non-tourist / non-tout area

Why? An apartment on / near Bangla Road would have me in bars far more than is best for a person with my personal weaknesses.

A more 'rural & serene' setting would be best for me & my personality.

I currently reside semi-retired in a small US coastal city .. has a Walmart & Safeway & little else.

no ( 0 ) nice clubs .. many 'blue collar working man bars' that are too rough for me ..

+ Indian casinos, thankfully I do not gamble ..

so I live a fairly healthy & frugal existence.

An occasional night out in Patong is ok (for the mentioned visit) .. but for 'my needs' the night life should be a little of a transportation problem ..

I do enjoy body surfing & frolicking in waves ..

but being a red head (former red head, now mostly gray) I never lay in the sun .. so the flat picturesque beaches south of Patong are of little interest.

walking is a life long past time .. began walking (marching) in the military, I felt SO good after basic training .. have continued with daily 'aerobic walks' after discharge.

a beach / non-highway / busy road way for walking is a prime requirement .. more than proximity to surf.

I am not much of a conversationalist .. hanging daily with groups 'farang buddies' would not be my style .. always glad to see friends, but like I said, I'm not much of a conversationalist.

Would want to be within a day trip of 'farang conveniences' .. such as coffee grounds ..

& Is it safe to live in a '100% Thai community'.

A 'transpacific farang seat mate' that has a wife & home in rural Issan reported occasional hassles by young Thai men .. not something I would tolerate.

I desire as few hassles as possible.

[keestha]

Consider the small beach resort Khao Lak which is about 70 KM north of Phuket. It is nice and quiet, and if you have a car you can enjoy a beer in a bangla road bar less then two hours after leaving home.

[kasi]

If you enjoy the modern conveniences and want to close to a wide variety of beaches, nightlife, restaurants, deli, and many housing options, Patong Beach offers much. The town itself is busy and noisy but there are many quiet neighborhoods to live in.

Driving between Kamala and Patong is dark and dangerous at night. Many people have been hurt. Low season surf in that area makes the beaches dangerous. At least one person drowns every year.

[traveldog]

Hey there,

Well being a surfer and living Phuket 4+ years here's what I have found. South of Phuket(Kata/Karon/Nai Harn) is the better and more consistent surf. Kalim is great but rarely breaks....Kamala is ok too and imho a much better lifestyle spot than Patong but the real thing you learn is....rent. If you find the ideal spot it can sure change with just one new pesky neighbor/or development so then you move. It takes time and maybe some mistakes before you really find your place again imho. There are some real rental gems to be found by driving round the small sois all over Phuket and exploring in the slow season especially-sorry but the papers are pretty skimpy.

I have explored long and hard north/south of Phuket for better surf and so far nothing as good....at least when I was there looking.

ok, just re-read your last post and surf isn't priortiy....but rural/serene and walking without getting run over by crazed tuk tuks maybe is? I live in Nai Harn...pretty good for walking/biking....but really just get here and check it out....Naithon Beach, just below airport is pretty ideal and certainly serene and could be my next spot....Good luck with your hunt....td

[pumper]

thanks for the replys & inputs.

after thinking about it Phuket Island meets my needs .. .

a thread in the Issan forum covers what guys do in rural areas .. might drive me bonkers.

will search for rentals Kamala - Surin .. w/ Liam Sing in the middle.

is 'local transportation' readily available in Kamala - Surin daytime?

perhaps Patong Si is best for me .. everything is available 24 - 7

or at least 18 - 7.

food .. transport .. a ride to a good beach .. apartment w/security

walking in the sand the length of Patong Si is an excellent early AM workout & Kamala is a 30 minute ride.

in '98 we (what ever happened to dearest Noot?) got a room across from the Shark Disco .. 2 AM was insane people watching .. as the disco LOUDLY emptied 3 - 4 Thai would get on 1 motorbike & zoom off ..

terrible hotel / great entertainment for insomniacs.

we got a quieter room early the next day!..

another thread reports home robbery is common on Phuket.

I assume this is not the case with 'condo / apartments' w/security. ??

I was pick pocketed in Pattaya last year .. started to chase the man & decided (after 5m) not catch him.. what was I going to do if I caught him? Muay Thai?

.. he got 5k Thb & a BTS card .. but my nose / teeth / ass are intact & in place!

with a robber in your home it could be unavoidable .. life threatening.

Thai Visa is the best Thai Forum!

[kasi]

24/7 is the word for Patong. Lot's of conveniences are available all day long.

I live in the Patong Tower which is in the center of it all. Rent here is a little expensive but it's just a 2 minute walk to the beach.

10 minutes to Karon

15 minutes to Kata

25 minutes to Nai harn

25 minutes to Chalong

20 minutes to Phuket town.

40 minutes to the Airport.

There are now 2 Starbucks

Jungleceylon is opening now.

BTW ThaiVisa is not the best Thailand forum for expats. PM me if you want addresses.

If I posted them here I would be banned for life. They ban people here for burping too loud!

[pumper]

thanks for the response

trying to figure out how to PM