Moving to the Gulf of Thailand

[Moochie]

I am seeking advice regarding a new location to live in Thailand.

 

I have been living in Phuket for over 4 years on a retirement visa. I have a modest but adequate pension and lead a quiet life.

Having previously lived in big cities for all of my working life I came to Phuket seeking a quieter life near the sea - swimming in the sea is my primary relaxation.

 

However since I arrived 4 years ago Phuket has become much more crowded and dirty. The traffic all year round is much worse and the environment quite dirty -I notice the pollution much more, particularly in the sea and on the beaches.  Also, while I knew before I came here that the seas in the low season were less than ideal for safe swimming, I have now decided that I would prefer to be able to swim all year round.

 

So I am looking to move.

 

The areas I am looking at are Chumpon and north thereof as far Hua Hin (but not Hua Hin nor anywhere between there and Bangkok) and the coast east of (and away from) Pattaya all the way to the Cambodian border.

I have been to both of the excluded areas and don't want to live there.

 

I would appreciate any information regarding living in the areas I am looking at from Forum members who can assist with  first hand knowledge of the following:

• rental houses and best ways to find them (in addition to the obvious of simply driving around, looking and asking)
• beaches and sea quality - pollution, pests - nasties in the water, and on land (sand flies and mosquitoes) and any other pests
• availability and quality of medical and shopping amenities
• availability and quality of internet and TV services
• any other information that might be helpful.

 

While I appreciate  and enjoy a qld from time to time I am long past the stage of wanting to spend lots of time in bars.

 

I am planning  a road trip next month to check things out, but any information that Members can provide in advance to help me would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

BTW - I don't speak Thai. I started to learn when I first arrived but gave up - languages have never been my forte.

 

 

[RBOP]

I like visiting Hat Mae Rumphueng beach just south of Rayong. A bit further south the beach area around Rayong Mariot Resort and Spa is good and also the area of Laem Mae Phim. You need a vehicle for all these places. Go and have a look on Google Maps.

Edited July 10, 2017 by RBOP

[sandrabbit]

40 minutes ago, RBOP said:

I like visiting Hat Mae Rumphueng beach just south of Rayong. A bit further south the beach area around Rayong Mariot Resort and Spa is good and also the area of Laem Mae Phim. You need a vehicle for all these places. Go and have a look on Google Maps.

The beaches east of Ban Phe after Suan Son and on to Laem Mae Phim are the best in the area especially where the Marriot & Novotel are although it's quiet as a graveyard out of season and even in season Laem Mae Phim is still quiet but it is nice. The good thing about  Mae Rumphueng is the ability to get a baht bus to Rayong city for 25 baht although they don't run at night and also the area has some life although during the week in off season it's quiet as well but there is a good selection of restaurants both western & Thai along the beach. I have to tell you though that the beach is covered in rubbish from debris washed ashore & Thai's inability to use rubbish bins. 

[Senechal]

1 hour ago, sandrabbit said:

The beaches east of Ban Phe after Suan Son and on to Laem Mae Phim are the best in the area especially where the Marriot & Novotel are although it's quiet as a graveyard out of season and even in season Laem Mae Phim is still quiet but it is nice. The good thing about  Mae Rumphueng is the ability to get a baht bus to Rayong city for 25 baht although they don't run at night and also the area has some life although during the week in off season it's quiet as well but there is a good selection of restaurants both western & Thai along the beach. I have to tell you though that the beach is covered in rubbish from debris washed ashore & Thai's inability to use rubbish bins. 

 

Can confirm: Beaches were very dirty on my last visit. And not much control of sewage going into the water either.

[dennism53]

I live in Sam Roi Yod , South of Hua Hin, been here for 1 1/2 years retired, I'm on Dolphin Bay and love it! 20 minutes to Tesco in Pranburi, 45 minutes to Hua Hin and 3 1/2 hours to Swampy. The beaches are clean, occasionally we get jelly fish but not to the point where you can't enjoy the gulf. It's not the same as the private hospitals in Hua Hin but Fort Thanarat hospital is 20 mins away and I've never heard any horror stories coming from treatment there. I've used their services twice and my wife once and I have no reservations about using them, hell it's the same medical staff the army uses for their boys! We're smack in the middle of Sam Roi National Park and there are a million outdoor hiking, walking and viewing activities all around you.

 

PM me if your in the area I'd enjoy a coffee on the beach with you.

[Mansell]

I understand your concerns about traffic on Phuket.....but it sounds like you are living on the west side of the island, especially as you mentioned the waves etc. I would suggest checking out some areas on the east coast of Phuket. I live on a clean quiet beach with no waves, and swim twice a day usually for twenty minutes. I don't want to announce on here as it could end up with masses of people moving here. But if you message me privately I will tell you where I am. Otherwise good luck.

[Peterw42]

OP, you may want to look at Bang Saray about 30 klms south of Pattaya, still a bit of an old fishing village but with a couple of western bars /resturants, the beach is clean and half hour drive to medical and shopping in pattaya.

[sandrabbit]

4 hours ago, Senechal said:

 

Can confirm: Beaches were very dirty on my last visit. And not much control of sewage going into the water either.

there is no sewerage system here so it's not sewage going into the sea, it's probably run off from the klongs which again deposit rubbish in the sea when it rains heavily.

[joecoolfrog]

I suggest you concentrate on the Western Gulf from Prachuap , through Sam Roi Yod to Paknampran ( Pranburi ).

[whaleboneman]

9 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

The beaches east of Ban Phe after Suan Son and on to Laem Mae Phim are the best in the area especially where the Marriot & Novotel are although it's quiet as a graveyard out of season and even in season Laem Mae Phim is still quiet but it is nice. The good thing about  Mae Rumphueng is the ability to get a baht bus to Rayong city for 25 baht although they don't run at night and also the area has some life although during the week in off season it's quiet as well but there is a good selection of restaurants both western & Thai along the beach. I have to tell you though that the beach is covered in rubbish from debris washed ashore & Thai's inability to use rubbish bins. 

I'm confused. Beaches covered in rubbish never make my "best list".

[whaleboneman]

3 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

there is no sewerage system here so it's not sewage going into the sea, it's probably run off from the klongs which again deposit rubbish in the sea when it rains heavily.

I don't mean to pick on you but the lack of a proper sewage system in a seaside town usually means that raw sewage is going into the sea - via many different paths.

[Wim1954]

18 hours ago, Senechal said:

 

Can confirm: Beaches were very dirty on my last visit. And not much control of sewage going into the water either.

I live at Mae Ramphung beach everything is clean Rayong city has big shopping malls as Central, bigc, Tesco and Laem Thong there are many big hotels also in the city and a good hospital as well.

Edited July 11, 2017 by Wim1954

[Rancid]

Mae Rhumpeung gets rubbish in certain storms, last was there a few weeks ago pretty clean. If you want quiet and lack of traffic then look no further, except weekends gets a bit busier. Some complain about car speakers but haven't noticed it as a problem.

 

Usually you can cross the beach road without even checking the traffic, try that somewhere else. Other beaches east are nice, depends if you want to be closer to facilities in Rayong. One caveat, don't bother if expecting night life. Can buy a condo with front ocean view 1.5M 45-50 sqm in the better (still rough) condos or about 600K for a side view style (roughest). Also plenty ocean view available to rent.

[sandrabbit]

15 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

I don't mean to pick on you but the lack of a proper sewage system in a seaside town usually means that raw sewage is going into the sea - via many different paths.

Have you heard of septic tanks, you do realise that most places in Thailand don't have sewerage in the western sense ?. The only thing close to sewage is going to be waste water from the fish tanks etc from the beach front restaurants. 

5 hours ago, Wim1954 said:

I live at Mae Ramphung beach everything is clean Rayong city has big shopping malls as Central, bigc, Tesco and Laem Thong there are many big hotels also in the city

I live 600m from the beach and walk the dogs on the beach and it hasn't been clean for months, some of the beach restaurants clean their patch and set fire to the rubbish at night plus sometimes IRPC will get some 'volunteers' to make a token gesture but it's normally full of rubbish from Thai visitors and the debris from the squid fishing fleets in the form of rice sacks and disused lamps. I'll post some pictures later, just have a look at the dirty water and rubbish coming from the Klong by the Taphong police box especially after the thunderstorm this morning.

[Senechal]

1 hour ago, sandrabbit said:

Have you heard of septic tanks, you do realise that most places in Thailand don't have sewerage in the western sense ?.

 

Yes, that's true. But at the beach you often have high water tables. Septic tanks and high water tables don't mix very well.  Not that it's impossible to have a septic system with a high water table, but you'll need constant maintenance... and well: Thailand.

 

Even wealthy countries have issues with septic systems by the beach. Famously in Malibu, for example... where you have some of the wealthiest people in the world swimming in their own shit and getting staph infections. So if you think they can't handle it but somehow Thailand can, well... I have news for you.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Senechal

[sandrabbit]

3 hours ago, Senechal said:

 

Yes, that's true. But at the beach you often have high water tables. Septic tanks and high water tables don't mix very well.  Not that it's impossible to have a septic system with a high water table, but you'll need constant maintenance... and well: Thailand.

 

Even wealthy countries have issues with septic systems by the beach. Famously in Malibu, for example... where you have some of the wealthiest people in the world swimming in their own shit and getting staph infections. So if you think they can't handle it but somehow Thailand can, well... I have news for you.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with everything you say but I'm yet to see what I think you are calling sewerage. ie fecal matter etc. I've lived here for 6 years and yet to see anything like that, (I'm not a micro biologist and checking bacteria levels etc but I have a friend in the UK who is so maybe when I go back I will give him a water sample to check). Something which I consider more important is what the likes of IRPC etc are dumping into the gulf and I was living in a condo on the beach front when the oil slick hit Koh Samet and you could smell it going past. Generally the sea flows east from here so any pollution from Map ta Phut or Rayong will find it's way here but I haven't been in the sea for a long time because of jellyfish. 

[Senechal]

2 hours ago, sandrabbit said:

...Generally the sea flows east from here so any pollution from Map ta Phut or Rayong will find it's way here but I haven't been in the sea for a long time because of jellyfish. 

 

Well... on that footnote...

 

When you see a rise in the number of jellyfish, it's almost always because of algae blooms. Smaller jellyfish mostly eat algae. 

 

Algae blooms are caused by either rising temperatures, or when you see algae blooms near the shore, it's a red flag for farming run-off / fertilizer ... or sewage.

 

Not 100% of the time of course, but it's certainly a major warning sign.

 

Something to consider...

 

 

Edited July 11, 2017 by Senechal

[sandrabbit]

 

7 minutes ago, Senechal said:

 

Well... on that footnote...

 

When you see a rise in the number of jellyfish, it's almost always because of algae blooms. Smaller jellyfish mostly eat algae. 

 

Algae blooms are caused by either rising temperatures, or when you see algae blooms near the shore, it's a red flag for farming run-off / fertilizer ... or sewage.

 

Not 100% of the time of course, but it's certainly a major warning sign.

 

Something to consider...

 

 

you have seasonal as well, they move closer to shore during rainy season. an Australian friend thinks he saw box jellyfish off our beach a couple of months ago while he was in his boat. I've seen kids with scars from jellyfish burns and it doesn't appeal to me and it looks like they're putting vinegar stations out again (not seen myself a friend told me over the weekend and when they did it before it was the bottom (eastern) part of the beach not everywhere). 

[Moochie]

Thank you to all respondents - very much appreciated.

 

After I have done my road trip and made a decision - planned for next month - I will post a follow up for those interested.

 

In the meantime I will contact those members who kindly invited me to do so