Somdet and Kalasin, good to live in ?

[PJPom]

I recently did a trip through Isaan and spent some time around Somdet, the area seemed very pleasant and the people were friendly even if my Thai was probably painful to them. My question is can any one please give me any relevant information on living in this area ?. One thing that was very obvious was the lack of Farangs in the streets or the markets, is this a good or bad sign?.  

[pianoman]

I have lived in Kalasin (City) for over 15 years, and truly enjoy it here...  When I first arrived there were only about 5 or 6 other Farangs in or around the city, but now seems to be possibly 50 or more, not counting the one's who only come for a month or two a couple times a year...  Whether that is a good thing or not is up to interpretation...  When I moved here there were only 4   7/11's, and that was the only place to get anything even close to "Western Food"...  Now we have Lotus, Big C, and a new Makro opening in a couple of months...  Plus I heard that they will start on a New Robinson's Mall sometime this year, due for completion next year...   I truly have enjoyed both Kalasin and the people in it, including the Farang's from Europe, Australia, the US, etc...

 

As for Som Det, it has always been the semi-city where you either turn right to go to Mukdahan or go straight, over the mountain to Sakon Nakhon...  I think that I would find it a little too small and boring for my taste, but there are many Farang's who enjoy living in even smaller villages....

 

Pianoman in Kalsin

[terryw]

My wife is from Kalasin and I would agree that it is a pleasant city to live in. The only downside seems to be that the relatively rapid development is pushing up property prices. 

[pianoman]

33 minutes ago, terryw said:

My wife is from Kalasin and I would agree that it is a pleasant city to live in. The only downside seems to be that the relatively rapid development is pushing up property prices. 

Rising property prices can be both a curse and a blessing depending on which side of the equation that you are on...  When I bought property and built our house (10 years ago),  we paid 300,000 baht for our Lot, and spent another 960,000 baht building our 3 bedroom, 2 bath home...  Friends tell us that we could now easily sell it for between 2.5 to 3 Million baht...  I know of some smaller 2 and 3 bed, 2 baht houses that are available or have recently sold in the 1.5 to 2 million baht range...

 

Pianoman

[Laza 45]

I agree with pianoman & terryw.. I've been in Kalasin for the past 10 years and find it a good place to live.. it is getting busier and land prices are going up but still cheaper than many other places..  We have just had 4 or 5 months of great weather.. high teens to low 20s at night.. high 20s during the day.. beautiful.. starting to get hot now and will be hot until the rainy season starts in mid May.. for me the rainy season is good.. the cloud cover brings the temp down and the rains freshen things up...  The big Lam Pau dam 30 ks from town provides irrigation water for a summer rice crop and while much of Thailand is dry and burnt off Kalasin looks like an oasis..  I have many good ferang friends from many different countries and enjoy a good social life.  I think because Kalasin has never had a tourist industry the locals are not jaded with ferangs as they are in the tourist hot spots.. the locals treat me well..  It is definitely a 'quiet ' place with only 1 ferang bar and not many restaurants serving ferang food.. so if you are into night life Kalasin probably isn't for you...  I would suggest that you rent a place for a few months and see how you like it here.. good luck!

[Gonefortea]

If i had to move from Khon Kaen  area ( which i wont) Kalasin would be my only choice. Not in the city mind somewhere in a little village close enough but far enough away if you get my drift.

[Leung Falang]

My Thai wife of 25 years and I retired in 2000, and began to go to her Isaan village every year for five years-village life is terrible, don't do it.  Life in most ampurs is not much better,  only in cities will most enjoy life.  We bought a nice home in Mukdahan in 2009 and love it.  Prices have doubled since it is now a SEZ and also has a bridge to Laos.

 

I know Somdet a little and would not live there.  Kalasin is a growing city for now.....

 

One third of Thailand involved in agriculture and a good friend tells me Isaan is 80%  rural.  This cannot continue.  When will Kalasin growth stop?  Who knows.

 

 

[bangkokorbust]

My Thai wife of 25 years and I retired in 2000, and began to go to her Isaan village every year for five years-village life is terrible, don't do it.  Life in most ampurs is not much better,  only in cities will most enjoy life.  We bought a nice home in Mukdahan in 2009 and love it.  Prices have doubled since it is now a SEZ and also has a bridge to Laos.
 
I know Somdet a little and would not live there.  Kalasin is a growing city for now.....
 
One third of Thailand involved in agriculture and a good friend tells me Isaan is 80%  rural.  This cannot continue.  When will Kalasin growth stop?  Who knows.
 
 

"village life is terrible, don't do it."

LOL went to a wedding a few years back and on the 3rd day I was offering Serious bribe money just to get dropped to a bus station!

Lots of married guys love it. They usually have post counts around 7 mill.

[billd766]

15 minutes ago, bangkokorbust said:

"village life is terrible, don't do it."

LOL went to a wedding a few years back and on the 3rd day I was offering Serious bribe money just to get dropped to a bus station!

Lots of married guys love it. They usually have post counts around 7 mill.

 

Sorry about that but I live in a rural moo ban but in Khampaeng Phet and I have done for more than 12 years.

 

I do agree that it isn't for everyone but I like it. OTOH I hate city life especially in big cities so Kalasin wouldn't be too bad.

 

BTW my post count is 12,256 (I had to look it up} and it has taken me from November 2003 to reach that count.

[rhodie]

Not much in Somdet, but they do have a Big C now. :) A bit too small. Kalasin is nice. Traffic is horrendous in Khon Kaen.

[pianoman]

3 hours ago, rhodie said:

Not much in Somdet, but they do have a Big C now. :) A bit too small. Kalasin is nice. Traffic is horrendous in Khon Kaen.

Sorry for this post, but I couldn't resist making it....  Somdet's "Big C" is really a "Little C"....  But then again I consider the "Big C" in Kalasin as a "Medium C" when compared to the "Big C" in Khon Kaen...

 

Also regarding Village Farangs,  I have known many over the years here and I would estimate that more than 80% if them are gone within 2 years,  either to larger areas or back to their home countries...  Most find it way too Slow, Boring and inconvenient...

 

Pianoman

[PJPom]

Thank-you Gentlemen for your replies, as suggested my first step will be to rent and explore the area. Should everything go to plan watch out for more queries, thanks...PJ

[billd766]

11 hours ago, pianoman said:

Sorry for this post, but I couldn't resist making it....  Somdet's "Big C" is really a "Little C"....  But then again I consider the "Big C" in Kalasin as a "Medium C" when compared to the "Big C" in Khon Kaen...

 

Also regarding Village Farangs,  I have known many over the years here and I would estimate that more than 80% if them are gone within 2 years,  either to larger areas or back to their home countries...  Most find it way too Slow, Boring and inconvenient...

 

Pianoman

 

I will have been out here in Nakhon Nowhere for 13 years this year and I have no intentions of moving nor do quite a few of my farang friends.

 

It takes a while to get used to it but IF you do rural Thailand is a great place to live

 

I can quite understand that so many Village Farangs quit though I do think 80% is just a tad too high.

 

It is a bit like living as an expat anywhere really. You either enjoy your life  and live with the shortcomings or you admit defeat and move on. No shame either way.

[Bangkok Barry]

I live a few kilometres from Somdet. My wife comes from a village on the road to Mukdahan and I was able to buy a house and one rai on the main road only a couple of k's from her family. Cost 600,00 then and I've spent about 1.4 million making it into a very nice dwelling (now there's an old fashioned word). Might be worth 3-3.5 million now.

 

I live halfway between Somdet and Huaiphung. Both places, which are really not much more than large villages, have 7/11s and 24 Tesco Lotus Express and large markets selling meat, fish, vegetables etc. And there are plenty of us aliens around. I can hardly ever go out to these places without seeing one or two. My sister-in-law nearby has a Dutchman living with her. We have a terrific restaurant just 15 minutes away run by someone who was a chef at the Midland hotel in Manchester, THE hotel there, and each month he has a roast dinner Sunday where I've counted a good 20 aliens there at any one time. So I'm surprised you didn't spot any of us on your visit to the area. It is teeming with foreigners.

 

Next - one or two have written of terminal boredom. Nonsense. I have a very decent internet connection from CAT, and TOT have just run a new cable past the house, apparently to link schools together but it might be possible to use that if it can offer an even better service. I get the football from a True satellite dish but am changing soon to a streaming service. Just trying to decide between IVIEWHD which has over 100 channels but no catch-up, or PULSE which has fewer channels but 24-hour catch-up for those late/overnight matches. At present I watch all the normal, what I guess are Freeview channels in the UK, free on UKTV via a spare laptop linked to the tv.

So to sum up, decent mini supermarkets (and someone has also mentioned the Big C Market which is also very decent), a good restaurant not far away, UK tv and decent internet, and plenty of foreigners to meet up with if you want to go down that road. And 40 ks from Somdet in Kalasin are two very large supermarkets, plus Makro opening (good Cumberland sausages, by the way) and, as someone mentioned, a Robinson (and Tops supermarket?) planned to open opposite Global house, I'm told. There is even a dual carriageway road all the way from Somdet to Khon Kaen (well, the last 2 ks are being done now). Did I mention there is even a KFC now if you want it.

I'm perfectly content living in the area.

[billd766]

31 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I live a few kilometres from Somdet. My wife comes from a village on the road to Mukdahan and I was able to buy a house and one rai on the main road only a couple of k's from her family. Cost 600,00 then and I've spent about 1.4 million making it into a very nice dwelling (now there's an old fashioned word). Might be worth 3-3.5 million now.

 

I live halfway between Somdet and Huaiphung. Both places, which are really not much more than large villages, have 7/11s and 24 Tesco Lotus Express and large markets selling meat, fish, vegetables etc. And there are plenty of us aliens around. I can hardly ever go out to these places without seeing one or two. My sister-in-law nearby has a Dutchman living with her. We have a terrific restaurant just 15 minutes away run by someone who was a chef at the Midland hotel in Manchester, THE hotel there, and each month he has a roast dinner Sunday where I've counted a good 20 aliens there at any one time. So I'm surprised you didn't spot any of us on your visit to the area. It is teeming with foreigners.

 

Next - one or two have written of terminal boredom. Nonsense. I have a very decent internet connection from CAT, and TOT have just run a new cable past the house, apparently to link schools together but it might be possible to use that if it can offer an even better service. I get the football from a True satellite dish but am changing soon to a streaming service. Just trying to decide between IVIEWHD which has over 100 channels but no catch-up, or PULSE which has fewer channels but 24-hour catch-up for those late/overnight matches. At present I watch all the normal, what I guess are Freeview channels in the UK, free on UKTV via a spare laptop linked to the tv.

So to sum up, decent mini supermarkets (and someone has also mentioned the Big C Market which is also very decent), a good restaurant not far away, UK tv and decent internet, and plenty of foreigners to meet up with if you want to go down that road. And 40 ks from Somdet in Kalasin are two very large supermarkets, plus Makro opening (good Cumberland sausages, by the way) and, as someone mentioned, a Robinson (and Tops supermarket?) planned to open opposite Global house, I'm told. There is even a dual carriageway road all the way from Somdet to Khon Kaen (well, the last 2 ks are being done now). Did I mention there is even a KFC now if you want it.

I'm perfectly content living in the area.

 

quote "plus Makro opening (good Cumberland sausages, by the way)". The problem that I have found with rural Makro is that their stock is issued from Makro central stores and they quite often ship stuff out and if it doesn't sell it gets reduced and sold off, rarely to re-appear. I do a monthly bulk shop and what is in stock one month may run out and not be restocked for a couple of months.

 

Other than that Makro is a pretty good store.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 minute ago, billd766 said:

 

quote "plus Makro opening (good Cumberland sausages, by the way)". The problem that I have found with rural Makro is that their stock is issued from Makro central stores and they quite often ship stuff out and if it doesn't sell it gets reduced and sold off, rarely to re-appear. I do a monthly bulk shop and what is in stock one month may run out and not be restocked for a couple of months.

 

Other than that Makro is a pretty good store.

 

Interesting. I don't actually get much from them. I went to the one in KK yesterday, probably for the last time now that I'll have a 'local' one). I like their mince and the sausages which I've always found in stock, and the salmon is good. Plenty of bacon choices too. It will be interesting to see what stock the Kalasin place has.

[Laza 45]

5 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I live a few kilometres from Somdet. My wife comes from a village on the road to Mukdahan and I was able to buy a house and one rai on the main road only a couple of k's from her family. Cost 600,00 then and I've spent about 1.4 million making it into a very nice dwelling (now there's an old fashioned word). Might be worth 3-3.5 million now.

 

I live halfway between Somdet and Huaiphung. Both places, which are really not much more than large villages, have 7/11s and 24 Tesco Lotus Express and large markets selling meat, fish, vegetables etc. And there are plenty of us aliens around. I can hardly ever go out to these places without seeing one or two. My sister-in-law nearby has a Dutchman living with her. We have a terrific restaurant just 15 minutes away run by someone who was a chef at the Midland hotel in Manchester, THE hotel there, and each month he has a roast dinner Sunday where I've counted a good 20 aliens there at any one time. So I'm surprised you didn't spot any of us on your visit to the area. It is teeming with foreigners.

 

Next - one or two have written of terminal boredom. Nonsense. I have a very decent internet connection from CAT, and TOT have just run a new cable past the house, apparently to link schools together but it might be possible to use that if it can offer an even better service. I get the football from a True satellite dish but am changing soon to a streaming service. Just trying to decide between IVIEWHD which has over 100 channels but no catch-up, or PULSE which has fewer channels but 24-hour catch-up for those late/overnight matches. At present I watch all the normal, what I guess are Freeview channels in the UK, free on UKTV via a spare laptop linked to the tv.

So to sum up, decent mini supermarkets (and someone has also mentioned the Big C Market which is also very decent), a good restaurant not far away, UK tv and decent internet, and plenty of foreigners to meet up with if you want to go down that road. And 40 ks from Somdet in Kalasin are two very large supermarkets, plus Makro opening (good Cumberland sausages, by the way) and, as someone mentioned, a Robinson (and Tops supermarket?) planned to open opposite Global house, I'm told. There is even a dual carriageway road all the way from Somdet to Khon Kaen (well, the last 2 ks are being done now). Did I mention there is even a KFC now if you want it.

I'm perfectly content living in the area.

I enjoyed the Sunday roast at you local restaurant a few weeks ago..  we really enjoyed it.. met some of the locals too.. nice place..

[habanero]

My husband and I would move from Khon Kaen to Kalasin except for the fact he likes having the Thai office immigration close. It is my  understanding, Kalasin does not have an immigration office. Where do you have to go for immigration services? 

[JoeW]

20 hours ago, billd766 said:

 

quote "plus Makro opening (good Cumberland sausages, by the way)". The problem that I have found with rural Makro is that their stock is issued from Makro central stores and they quite often ship stuff out and if it doesn't sell it gets reduced and sold off, rarely to re-appear. I do a monthly bulk shop and what is in stock one month may run out and not be restocked for a couple of months.

 

Other than that Makro is a pretty good store.

We live near the up-and-comming Makro Kalasin and they visited us. People who live nearby get a "special" card which gives a bit extra discount. Never knew it existed. Anyway they told us that the Makro in Kalasin will be a central-hub Makro same as the one in Khon Kaen. Also same in size. So this Makro should carry the same stock as the one in Khon Kaen.

 

Anyway, don't shoot the messenger. It's what they told us when they came over.

[JoeW]

18 minutes ago, habanero said:

My husband and I would move from Khon Kaen to Kalasin except for the fact he likes having the Thai office immigration close. It is my  understanding, Kalasin does not have an immigration office. Where do you have to go for immigration services? 

Extensions, etc are handled by Sakhon Nakhon, but only need to go there once a year. 

90-day reporting is done by EMS.

Re-entry permits can be done at any immigration office. Roi-et being the closest to Kalasin.

[Laza 45]

3 hours ago, habanero said:

My husband and I would move from Khon Kaen to Kalasin except for the fact he likes having the Thai office immigration close. It is my  understanding, Kalasin does not have an immigration office. Where do you have to go for immigration services? 

We have to go to Sakon Nakhon...  I do mine by post..  perhaps he can as well..  worth checking..   There has been talk of Kalasin getting an Immigration office but no sight of it yet..

[Bangkok Barry]

A very, very large local admin office is being built in Kalasin. I don't know if that will include an immigration office.

[Laza 45]

Just now, Bangkok Barry said:

A very, very large local admin office is being built in Kalasin. I don't know if that will include an immigration office.

...could be... I heard that one reason for the delay is that it has to be in government property.. when it was first talked about there was nothing available..

[Laza 45]

3 hours ago, JoeW said:

We live near the up-and-comming Makro Kalasin and they visited us. People who live nearby get a "special" card which gives a bit extra discount. Never knew it existed. Anyway they told us that the Makro in Kalasin will be a central-hub Makro same as the one in Khon Kaen. Also same in size. So this Makro should carry the same stock as the one in Khon Kaen.

 

Anyway, don't shoot the messenger. It's what they told us when they came over.

Any idea when it is going to open?..   is the card just for immediate neighbors?

[billd766]

20 minutes ago, Laza 45 said:

...could be... I heard that one reason for the delay is that it has to be in government property.. when it was first talked about there was nothing available..

 

The one we have in Khampaeng Phet was first in a small office next to a large government office block outside the town but last week it moved to a partly deserted mall near the post office. Plenty of parking and a toilet block outside but little else.

[JoeW]

1 hour ago, Laza 45 said:

Any idea when it is going to open?..   is the card just for immediate neighbors?

immediate neighbors only :) June seems to be the target date.

[MahasarakhamMitch]

My husband and I would move from Khon Kaen to Kalasin except for the fact he likes having the Thai office immigration close. It is my  understanding, Kalasin does not have an immigration office. Where do you have to go for immigration services? 

I'm sure there is an immigration office in Maha Sarakham . Maha Sarakham (just down the road) is growing very fast with McDonald's, makro, big c, Tesco, multiplex cinema, and a few swimming pools that you can pay 50 baht and swim all day. The large university populations are changing Maha Sarakham into a lively city

[habanero]

On 3/12/2017 at 7:53 PM, MahasarakhamMitch said:

 

I'm sure there is an immigration office in Maha Sarakham . Maha Sarakham (just down the road) is growing very fast with McDonald's, makro, big c, Tesco, multiplex cinema, and a few swimming pools that you can pay 50 baht and swim all day. The large university populations are changing Maha Sarakham into a lively city

 

We have all that and more in Khon Kaen. We would like to get away from a university town. 

[JoeW]

On 3/9/2017 at 1:06 PM, JoeW said:

immediate neighbors only :) June seems to be the target date.

New date: construction finished ahead of time and scheduled to open at the end of April :)

[JaseTheBass]

...could be... I heard that one reason for the delay is that it has to be in government property.. when it was first talked about there was nothing available..

Chiang Mai immigration is in a shopping mall, so that's not true.

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