Where to retire in rural Thailand ??

Hi guys anyone got any ideas on where to retire in Thailand. Gay areas not essential but maybe required occasionally. We are a couple of 31+ years and still enjoy each other. We are hoping to live in Thailand not too close to the commercial areas like Pattaya, Phuket Bangkok etc. Somewhere rural but within a reasonable distance of amenities eg hospital, transport etc. Between Chang Mai and Chang Rai has been suggested. Prefer electricity and internet access.
Any ideas our income is limited but not too meager so rent of 8-15000 Bht per month would be fine. Would prefer not to deal with agents so possibly an owner who wants someone responsible to look after and pay some rent.
Any and all ideas and suggestions welcome,
Thanks Doug & Terry

Hmm this is a good post Im interested to see some of the responses, assuming anyone lives like this.

There are so many places it's quite difficult knowing what to suggest. I suppose what ever takes your fancy. Drive around and see. Im constantly surprised at how nice some "small" places are just an hour or two outside of Bangkok. How rural do you want to be? Rice fields, village, town? Often an area looks built up but take a small road off the main one and it's instant village or farm land.

If i were you I would spend up to a year traveling around before I set down roots. Best to be near a reasonable size town and airport.

[Khor tose]

I agree with the Chiang Mai recommendation, not just because it meets your needs as described above, but because it is the main backpackers destination in Thailand and you will find a lot of young backpacking tourist your age. I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the WNW of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.

[puckered_penguin]

I agree with the Chiang Mai recommendation, not just because it meets your needs as described above, but because it is the main backpackers destination in Thailand and you will find a lot of young backpacking tourist your age. I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the ENE of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.
Are the backpackers unusually older than the average in this area? Have the Pattaya retirees got backpacks and ventured north.
I assume the original posters are at least 50 years old!!
I know of 4 people who have tried to live in the country and none have survived the experience. Within 6 months to a year they have all returned to the more farang populated towns. They were different to the original poster in that they were living with Thai partners.
In a ll 4 cases they were bored and felt isolated due mainly to their lack of Thai language skills and the difficulties in making genuine friends.

[Khor tose]

The poster said he and his partner where 31+, I did not know that meant 50!! :scratch: Have you been to Pai? I think you will find it very different then most rural Thai areas.

[Marsilius]

"31+" is pretty meaningless and just as likely to mean 72 as 32... Without greater precision as to the original posters' ages, interests and objectives, it's pretty difficult to offer constructive advice on what sort of place might suit their requirements best.

[Irish1972]

We are a couple of 31+ years and still enjoy each other.


I think you will find they are together 31 years

[francois]

We are a couple of 31+ years and still enjoy each other.
I think you will find they are together 31 years

As you say, Irish, people post info that is misleading or ambiguous which makes an answer not possible.
I am not sure if they are trying to mislead or just cannot write proper English?
Why cannot people ask a simple question without the guessing games?

We are a couple of 31+ years and still enjoy each other.


I think you will find they are together 31 years

Well done it took an Irishman to sus that one out and the Brits call you thick. LOL

We are a couple of 31+ years and still enjoy each other.
I think you will find they are together 31 years

As you say, Irish, people post info that is misleading or ambiguous which makes an answer not possible.
I am not sure if they are trying to mislead or just cannot write proper English?
Why cannot people ask a simple question without the guessing games?


1.impossible

2.English properly.

3. can't

OOPS

If i were you I would spend up to a year traveling around before I set down roots. Best to be near a reasonable size town and airport.

Yep you should definitely travel and get to know Thailand better before you decide where to stay.

Don't make the mistake of thinking Bangkok = Silom Rd or that Phuket = Patong Beach.

Some Thai friends were telling me about their visit to London, they had a great time but they wouldn't want to live there.

Well I wouldn't want to live in their Park Lane / Mayfair hotel, I wouldn't even think of going to a bar or a restaurant in that area (even if I could afford it!)! It's an easy mistake for tourists to think that their short-term experience in a city/country is the same as being a resident there.

Basically there's no need to dismiss all of Bangkok or Phuket, though I wouldn't want to live on Silom / Sukhumvit Rd or the West Coast of Phuket! However, staying around Rawai or Chalong (Phuket East Coast) could be perfect for you, and you can get a nice 2 bed condo / bungalow within budget.

In addition to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Kanchanaburi and Trat are good options for retirees.

Kanchanaburi has a little expat community already. Land prices and property are still low, and it's a nice rural area. There are buses, trains and boats to Bangkok which is about 3 hours away.

Trat has quite a few foreigners too. It's on the Eastern Seaboard near the Cambodian Border and near to Koh Chang. I think it's a good choice as you can fly to Bangkok, get the bus to Pattaya, and go over to Cambodia whenever you like (there are some great national parks across the border, and the beach resort at Sihanoukville is very cheap and only 4 hours away now).

Good luck on your travels : )

I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the ENE of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.

To the ENE of Chiang Mai? Are you having another senior moment?

Pai is in Mae Hong Son.

[cdnmatt]

Hope you find a nice place to settle down in!

[fedssocr]

I would imagine that unless you speak pretty fluent Thai living in a rural area will be quite a challenge.

Why not live right in Chiang Mai or the environs if you want to avoid BKK? It might also be wise to get familiar with the weather wherever you decide to go. Is the area prone to flooding? How cold does it get in winter?

[Bob]

I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the ENE of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.

To the ENE of Chiang Mai? Are you having another senior moment? What the heck is 'ENE'?

Pai is in Mae Hong Son.

Pai is on the highway going from Chiangmai to Mae Hong Son. Pai is in Mae Hong Son province (although Mae Hong Son city is farther to the northwest of Pai).

As to ENE, that's east northeast. Chiangrai, for example, is northeast of Chiangmai and maybe some people refer to it as east northeast.

[Khor tose]

I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the ENE of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.
To the ENE of Chiang Mai? Are you having another senior moment? What the heck is 'ENE'?
Pai is in Mae Hong Son.

ENE is standard for East North East, however I did have a senior momement as it is WNW or West North West. Thank you for pointing that out. I will go back and edit my original post

You can live perfectly happily in rural Thailand without fluent Thai. There are good hospitals in all regional capitals, and good transport (coaches) and electricity and internet everywhere. The cost of living in the towns in Isaan is much, much lower than tourist areas like pattaya, phuket or in bangkok. 8,000 baht per month will get you a nice house.

To advise you where to choose, you would need to be more specific about what you want. Farang company? A scenic location? The company of boys? Easy access to border crossings? etc, etc.

[Smiles]

You might try looking at the Gulf of Thailand coast area between Hua Hin and Surat Thani. A very beautiful, green, agricultural part of Thailand, very quiet and only slightly touristy right on the gulf beaches.

[Khor tose]

I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the ENE of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.
To the ENE of Chiang Mai? Are you having another senior moment? What the heck is 'ENE'?
Pai is in Mae Hong Son.
Pai is on the highway going from Chiangmai to Mae Hong Son. Pai is in Mae Hong Son province (although Mae Hong Son city is farther to the northwest of Pai).
As to ENE, that's east northeast. Chiangrai, for example, is northeast of Chiangmai and maybe some people refer to it as east northeast.

Sorry Bob, boy have I thrown this thread off. You are correct about it not being in Mai Hong Song as that is almost a four hour drive away from Pai, but just like the Taipae gate directions I once gave you I keep getting my directions backwards for Chiang Mai. I have to quit doing that.

Smiles, if you were a 31+ year old couple like I thought the questioner was, you might like Pai. Not all hippies are young either and a lot of the "laidback" crowd that I have seen on my two trips to Pai seemed to be well educated, environmental aware people, with a penchant for----------------"an alternate life style".

[Bob]

Sorry Bob, boy have I thrown this thread off. You are correct about it not being in Mai Hong Song as that is almost a four hour drive away from Pai, but just like the Taipae gate directions I once gave you I keep getting my directions backwards for Chiang Mai. I have to quit doing that.

No problem.....but I'm not following you into the woods! Do you get lost in Kad Suan Kaew? (we'll discuss that over a beer.....)


Smiles, if you were a 31+ year old couple like I thought the questioner was, you might like Pai. Not all hippies are young either and a lot of the "laidback" crowd that I have seen on my two trips to Pai seemed to be well educated, environmental aware people, with a penchant for----------------"an alternate life style".

Nah, he wouldn't like Pai. No beach. But he is sorta an old hippie.....

[thrillbill]

...What ever area you choose to live in, rent a place for 6 months or so before you purchase anything. Being a tourist to a place is certainly different than living in the same area.

I agree with the Chiang Mai recommendation, not just because it meets your needs as described above, but because it is the main backpackers destination in Thailand and you will find a lot of young backpacking tourist your age. I might also suggest a mountain town called Pai to the WNW of Chiang Mai, very cheap and a young laid back, mellow crowd.

I second Pai Im completely in love with the area and have had some great times there especially in the river on Songkran. I think even if you are 60 and you must be given that you've been together +30 years (congratulations by the way that's absolutely tremendous, let the rest of the world languish in silly grief) you would still love it. The atmosphere is very relaxing and it's begging for more gay options accommodation wise, perfect to set up that little hotel of your dreams.

Negatives and their solutions.

It's a slog driving from or to Chiang Mai but you pass through some of the most wonderful beautiful isolated worlds of tropical semi deciduous high altitude montane forest you will ever experience, that quite honestly if it weren't for seasonal hill fire beckon more enticingly than even Pai itself which is way down on the hot plain bellow. The road is good mostly and I assume tarred all the way by now.

Emergency services like hospitals are a good solid days drive away though you might prefer to sleep over on the way as its not wise driving straight through the night. If you are well insured a helicopter can be easily arranged.

International banks and services are none existent but you can change money and there is snail mail plus shaky land line internet possibly more now.

It's a very transient place as back packers tend to arrive and move on, more or less constantly. Quite a few stay a good long time as its so very nice but very few actually settle. Young people tend not to be as ageist as you would think and will look to you for guidance and wisdom, being young is fraught with difficulties. You will definitely have the cool factor on your side if you lived in Pai as the older fallang daddies.

Those are the petty inconveniences of the place but as you can see they are not insurmountable. What I suggest is renting a car or 4x4 for a little more fun and doing the trip Chiang Mai - Pai route yourself in a nice leisurely manner exploring as you go. You will find there are some lovely lush cool places on the route as you start climbing not very far from Chiang Mai itself which has all the conveniences you might think you need that Pai just might not, that's very much up you and how you see the world.

I reckon as you've been together so long you are a pretty much self reliant, mature and open as a couple so living outside the well established expat ghettos will not be difficult. You might like to though make sure you have regular contact with how the other half live as none of us live forever and eventually you might find that one of you might want to move closer to "town".

Ps: Not for a long long time touch wood.

[puckered_penguin]

The poster said he and his partner where 31+, I did not know that meant 50!! :scratch: Have you been to Pai? I think you will find it very different then most rural Thai areas.

I guess you get the point now. Yes I have been to Pai. I also know where it is!

Hi guys anyone got any ideas on where to retire in Thailand. Gay areas not essential but maybe required occasionally. We are a couple of 31+ years and still enjoy each other. We are hoping to live in Thailand not too close to the commercial areas like Pattaya, Phuket Bangkok etc. Somewhere rural but within a reasonable distance of amenities eg hospital, transport etc. Between Chang Mai and Chang Rai has been suggested. Prefer electricity and internet access.
Any ideas our income is limited but not too meager so rent of 8-15000 Bht per month would be fine. Would prefer not to deal with agents so possibly an owner who wants someone responsible to look after and pay some rent.
Any and all ideas and suggestions welcome,
Thanks Doug & Terry

Stay somewhere comfortable in one of the larger cities, like Khon Kaen or Khorat.

Of convenience is Saraburi too unless you are in need of regular scheduled medical assistance.

If you like the sun and sea, consider for Chumpoon.

After short while daily life in Thailand can get rather boring unless you can keep yourself busy with some work.

Staying rural is neither romantic nor funny if you are not willing to get up at 6 am and to bed around 8 pm. And it is pretty expensive too.

Or have also a close look at Penang, Malaysia. The living standard is lot higher, costтАЩs are on pair with Thailand or even less.

"Rural" to me does not mean staying in a large city like Khon Kaen or Khorat.

You might try looking at the Gulf of Thailand coast area between Hua Hin and Surat Thani. A very beautiful, green, agricultural part of Thailand, very quiet and only slightly touristy right on the gulf beaches.

Yes it's a lovely part of the country. It may become a lot more developed in a few years but I don't think you will be priced out of the market for a while! Do a Google search for Bang Saphan : )

How cold does it get in winter?

Um...you really think this should be a major concern? I mean, unless you're living on the peak of Doi Inthanon, it is pretty much shorts and t-shirts weather in Thailand year-round.

How cold does it get in winter?

Um...you really think this should be a major concern? I mean, unless you're living on the peak of Doi Inthanon, it is pretty much shorts and t-shirts weather in Thailand year-round.

The northern part of Thailand and northern Issan region can get pretty cold with almost freezing temperatures and higher places. Do not expect much of heating.

http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/weat ... iland.html (http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/weather_in_north_thailand.html)

...After short while daily life in Thailand can get rather boring unless you can keep yourself busy with some work.

Staying rural is neither romantic nor funny if you are not willing to get up at 6 am and to bed around 8 pm. .....

There's nothing to do, there's no one to talk to, and there's nothing to see. Unless of course you're really really into chickens, rice farms and carabao.
I can deal with about 3 days in the country. Enough to get there, see the family, have a party and get sober the next day.

As an alternative I would suggest looking at the outskirts of cities like Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Heck, if you go across the river in Bangkok to the Thonburi side it gets "rural" pretty quick, once you get off the main roads. I've traveled to the end of the skytrain line at On Nut (to see the Mae Nak temple) and you can easily see old canals with old houses a few blocks away.

The advantage of being near a big city is you can still find something to do and people to talk to if you get bored.

Why don't you play around with Google Earth and take a look at how things look in Thailand once you get off the main roads.

...After short while daily life in Thailand can get rather boring unless you can keep yourself busy with some work.

Staying rural is neither romantic nor funny if you are not willing to get up at 6 am and to bed around 8 pm. .....

There's nothing to do, there's no one to talk to, and there's nothing to see. Unless of course you're really really into chickens, rice farms and carabao.
I can deal with about 3 days in the country. Enough to get there, see the family, have a party and get sober the next day.

As an alternative I would suggest looking at the outskirts of cities like Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Heck, if you go across the river in Bangkok to the Thonburi side it gets "rural" pretty quick, once you get off the main roads. I've traveled to the end of the skytrain line at On Nut (to see the Mae Nak temple) and you can easily see old canals with old houses a few blocks away.

The advantage of being near a big city is you can still find something to do and people to talk to if you get bored.

I do fully agree.

But please, where can you get close to Bangkok any halfway safe and decent accommodation for two foreigners who are only willing to pay 8 тАУ 15 k monthly?

Even in sleepy U-Thai Thani one should be lucky to get an old shop house with 3 floors for 10 - 12 k monthly.

Best is, just travelling around by bus and discover Thailand. And if there is any place which seams to be OK, stay there during the wet season for a month or two and find out more. Knowing in advance which areas are becoming flooded or inaccessible quickly and how well public services are functioning if situations are getting tricky is not really a bad thing.




Why don't you play around with Google Earth and take a look at how things look in Thailand once you get off the main roads.

Whether there's enough to do anywhere in the world depends on what you want to do. I find very little to do in either Bangkok or Pattaya during the day, and get bored of the night life pretty quickly too. Seen one go-go bar, seen the lot so far as I can see. But that's jus me. There are people who are totally happy to sit on the beach all day, every day then do the bars every night. Residents, not just tourists.

For most people, some company besides their own is important. This can be hard to find in villages, but most rural towns will have a number of farang living there. Aside from that, you just have to be realistic about what is important to you. How do you spend your time now? If you write, or paint, or garden, you can do that anywhere. If you go to the theatre, opera, concerts, you won't find much of that even in Bangkok. Think just as carefully about that you need to keep your 'soul' alive as you do about keeping your body in one piece, then chose your location accordingly.

...After short while daily life in Thailand can get rather boring unless you can keep yourself busy with some work.



Hmm I think this must be key to living anywhere in Thailand quite honestly.

I love the more out of the way places though as the people are genuinely friendly and life is charmingly rustic. Kick boxing in the open air might be it for the month as far as entertainment is concerned but they do make for incredible holidays especial the wilder areas near the Vietnam border. I suppose you could get into eco tourism, even your own little movie house and dinner set up would be fun fun fun.

So lets get this gay village in the jungle rocking.

ENE is standard for East North East, however I did have a senior momement as it is WNW or West North West. Thank you for pointing that out. I will go back and edit my original post

That's alright. Keep taking geography lessons from Miramar Bob and you'll get there somehow.

...After short while daily life in Thailand can get rather boring unless you can keep yourself busy with some work.



Hmm I think this must be key to living anywhere in Thailand quite honestly.

I love the more out of the way places though as the people are genuinely friendly and life is charmingly rustic. Kick boxing in the open air might be it for the month as far as entertainment is concerned but they do make for incredible holidays especial the wilder areas near the Vietnam border. I suppose you could get into eco tourism, even your own little movie house and dinner set up would be fun fun fun.

So lets get this gay village in the jungle rocking.

Which country are you talking about Ceders, Loas, China or Cambodia as Thailand doesn't have a border with Vietnam? PLONKER

I love the more out of the way places though ...... especial the wilder areas near the Vietnam border.

Which country are you talking about Ceders, Loas, China or Cambodia as Thailand doesn't have a border with Vietnam? PLONKER

The same one he usually talks about, Andy - the one which has "tropical semi deciduous high altitude montane forest" (not Thailand!) and where "If you are well insured a helicopter can be easily arranged" - I think its called dreamland!


You can live perfectly happily in rural Thailand without fluent Thai. ..... electricity and internet everywhere. The cost of living in the towns in Isaan is much, much lower than tourist areas like pattaya, phuket or in bangkok. 8,000 baht per month will get you a nice house.

You can "live perfectly happily" anywhere depending on your wants and needs; if one of those is conversation with more than one person (each other) then it is unlikely without a reasonable level of Thai. Internet is not available "everywhere" in Thailand, rural or urban. Slow GPRS/Edge coverage is available in most (but by no means all) areas and even slower land line coverage is available in most towns; broadband is limited to the major cities only.

Comparing like for like living costs are similar throughout Thailand; some things, such as local food, are cheaper in Issan than in the city but the idea that the same things are generally cheaper is a fallacy. While 8,000 baht per month may not get you "a nice house" in Bangkok it will get you something reasonable within, for example, 10 - 15 minutes drive of central Pattaya. In genuinely "rural" Thailand there are few "nice" houses (with "nice" bathrooms!) available.

Google Nong Khai, an hour's drive north of Udonthani, on the Mekong, (almost) opposite Vientiane, Laos. Rents are reasonable. Has a Tesco Lotus, fair hospital (go to Udon for more serious concerns), good weather, quiet lifestyle. Enough resident or transient foreigners so that you don't feel cut off from civilization. Only one boy bar (host bar), though one can simply look around the shopping centers for company. And Udon has a few places. I rented a house on the banks of the Mekong for a year. Loved it.

[francois]

As you say, Irish, people post info that is misleading or ambiguous which makes an answer not possible.
I am not sure if they are trying to mislead or just cannot write proper English?
Why cannot people ask a simple question without the guessing games?

1.impossible
2.English properly.
3. can't
OOPS

Mon dieu! English lessons from an Ozzie!

Can't for Cannot?

If a free society CANNOT help the many who are poor, it CANNOT save the few who are rich. John F. Kennedy (President USA)

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you CANNOT fool all the people all the time. Abraham Lincoln (President of the USA)

Painting's NOT IMPORTANT. The important thing is keeping busy. Grandma Moses

If it is good enough for JFK, ABE, and Grandma, it is good enough for me.

Sorry for sidetracking the thread, but the originators, "dougterry", have not posted anything since their first inquiry. Just sit back and watch the fun?

Mon dieu! English lessons from an Ozzie!



Then why quote Americans who can't even spell :pukeright: :pukeright: :pukeright:

Gone Fishing spends half his waking hours trawling for 'facts' from the internet, and the other half posting the results on message boards like this one. Sadly, the internet is no substitute for life (a real one) - however hard the porn sites try to persude him otherwise.

If you live in Isaan rather than reading about it on the net, you will find that the cost of accommodation in small towns is about a quarter that in Bangkok and Pattaya (comparing like with like), while meals in restaurants are about half the price in Pattaya and Bangkok. Local produce is about 25% cheaper. Stuff in 7-11's etc is the same price, as is petrol, electricity etc. Regarding the Thai language, knowing some basic Thai is polite and, occasionally, of practical value. But very few farang know enough Thai to do more than discuss banalities. Those Thais who can discuss art, philosophy, literature, politics etc - and are interested in talking to farangs about such things - will speak good english anyway. As I said in the part of my post Gone Fishing omitted, there are farang living in most Isaan towns. In cities, such as Nong Khai, there are loads of them. No need to talk to yourself - unless, like Gone Fishing, you spend all day cooped up in a bedsit with only a computer for friend.

Gone Fishing spends half his waking hours trawling for 'facts' from the internet, and the other half posting the results on message boards like this one. Sadly, the internet is no substitute for life (a real one)

Unlike you I spend all my hours (waking and otherwise) in Thailand, have done for a number of years, and anything I post about Thailand is based entirely on personal experience. I do not post on or read other "message boards like this one" (are there any???).


If you live in Isaan rather than reading about it on the net, you will find that the cost of accommodation in small towns is about a quarter that in Bangkok and Pattaya (comparing like with like)

As I said, "While 8,000 baht per month may not get you "a nice house" in Bangkok it will get you something reasonable within, for example, 10 - 15 minutes drive of central Pattaya". What part of that can't you understand?


.....while meals in restaurants are about half the price in Pattaya and Bangkok.

Rubbish. Restaurant meals where I live, not too far from Pattaya, are "about half the price in Pattaya"!! They are consideraby less in "rural" Thailand, but there the menus (or at least what is served!) are definitely not the same as most farangs would expect in restaurants in Pattaya or Bangkok.


Local produce is about 25% cheaper.

Rubbish again - have you ever ventured into a local market on your own (where "some basic Thai" is usually required as no-one speaks English)?? Those only 10 minutes outside Pattaya are often "about 25% cheaper" than those inside Pattaya for "local" produce such as seafood and fruit, but the further you get into "rural" Thailand the more "local" produce becomes local. Anyone who has spent anytime in "rural" Thailand will understand what I mean, even if you do not. The key phrase throughout is "like for like".


Stuff in 7-11's etc is the same price, as is petrol, electricity etc.

"7-11's"!! - so we are not talking about "rural" Thailand at all?? If we were you would certainly know that petrol/diesel is usually a baht or more extra per litre once you get into the countryside.


Those Thais who can discuss art, philosophy, literature, politics etc - and are interested in talking to farangs about such things - will speak good english anyway.

Only in your limited and clearly arrogant and racist experience. While those who have not had the benefit of a full education are unlikely to be too well versed in the arts or Western literature there is no reason why they should not be able to philosophise and discuss politics (national and international) with the vast majority of arrogant Western low-life such as yourself, who consider anyone who does not speak fluent English beneath them. If you want to converse exclusively with farangs why, apart from the cost and the boys, bother coming here at all?


.....like Gone Fishing, you spend all day cooped up in a bedsit with only a computer for friend.

"A bedsit"? Land prices in my area, around 15 minutes outside Pattaya, are approximately one twentieth of that in Pattaya at around 400,000 baht per rai (if purchased from Thais rather than your farang friends!) so I suppose a rather large and isolated "bedsit" could be one description!

Muffin and the Plonker, stand by - there's another expert coming to dreamland!

Comparing like for like living costs are similar throughout Thailand; some things, such as local food, are cheaper in Issan than in the city but the idea that the same things are generally cheaper is a fallacy.

The trouble with living inThailand but never venturing away from your computer screen is that you forget what 'facts' you quoted last. By the way, Gone Fishing, if you ever did venture to Isaan you would discover restaurants any farang with a taste for good Thai food would love, and 7-11's in almost every small town. (And running water, electricity, internet etc). It's only the Pattaya-bound who think Isaan is in the Third World. Why it's racist to think that educated Thai's speak far better english than educated farang speak Thai is a little obscure. As it happens, I speak basic Thai reasonably well and can read thai words. My point was that I hardly ever need to as so many people in Isaan like to speak english. Again, those who never venture beyond Pattaya assume that Isaan is full of ignorant country yokels. It is not.

Which country are you talking about Ceders, Loas, China or Cambodia as Thailand doesn't have a border with Vietnam?

Ya I meant Laos got Vietnam on the brain meant to be going there in a few weeks time for a holiday with a friend, driving around... not quite sure which bits yet.

I was just looking at the map I must study it properly before we set off this time. That's the problem with having assorted co-pilots to do the navigating you never know quite how you got there. Nice and relaxing though lets you as the driver fully enjoy the drive too.

We, myself and assorted friends and often my god child have been all over the border towns (as far as possible) with Burma, Laos and Cambodia. I love rural Thailand though it must be said accommodation and food are a bit tricky. Mostly the minute you leave any city for some odd reason people just have no clue how to cook anymore, suddenly things get bland and iffy and hotel standard plummet. Ok good food is always possible to find but it's not as easy perhaps. However even if you stick to the well trodden tourist routes the better hotels are the large emporium style ones or "resorts" catering for bus loads, not exactly wonderful.

Hoping Vietnam is better on that score but it's not looking on the face of it much different at this stage but I wont look properly until next weekend when I have more time.

Think "beenfisted" (for a hefty fee) never leaves his hourly rental never mind his computer. You can always tell the ones with more time on their hands than brains they usually respond to posts with really nothing to offer at all.

The trouble with living inThailand but never venturing away from your computer screen is that you forget .....etc, etc

The trouble with not living in Thailand but visiting for a couple of months at a time and setting yourself up as some sort of expert based on your experience in two places (Nong Khai and Pattaya) plus occasional visits to Bangkok is apparently that you forget what you have already written, both recently and in the past.

Your post clearly has nothing to do with "rural" Thailand at all, but concerns towns. You appear to have no knowledge or experience of "rural" Thailand whatsoever.

It is far from racist "to think that educated Thai's speak far better english than educated farang speak Thai" but you never made that point (and neither did I) . What you said was that "Those Thais who can discuss art, philosophy, literature, politics etc - and are interested in talking to farangs about such things - will speak good english anyway", which can have no other interpretation than that if Thais cannot "speak good English" they will be unable to "discuss art, philosophy, literature, politics etc " and are, to use your expression "ignorant country yokels". Rather than forgetting your "facts" you have forgotten your views.

To suggest that there is regular and reasonable internet access throughout Issan or even in "every small town" is totally untrue (http://www.thailandguru.com/internet-thailand-adsl-broadband-high-speed.html) and displays not only your lack of personal experience of the situation but also your hypocrisy. You previously gave gay-thailand/nong-khai-versus-pattaya-t8663.html#p84538 (
poor internet access as one of the things you disliked about Nong Khai and there is still no broadband access and the ADSL speed is unchanged even in the town.

You also previously described Nong Khai as "boring", adding that "if I couldn't escape to Europe, Australia, singapore, Bangkok every now and then it would probably drive me bonkers. Also, I like spending a few days in Pattaya every now and then". LIttle has changed in either location.

Bash Pattaya as much as you want, but why make up things that are totally untrue just so that you can do so? Unlikely though it is, someone may take you seriously.

Similarly, "bash" me as much as you want but at least try to find some better reason than your peculiar idea that I spend my day glued to a computer just because I sometimes like to check what I write - 20 hours of mediocre Edge @ 100 baht a month usually suffices!

Have you ever been to Thailand Ceders or do you just surf the net about it?

Thanks to Gone Fishing for the link to my previous post. So nostalgic - and nice to see that what I said 3 years ago is so consistent with what I'm saying now. Actually, I got fed up with the dogs, ants, and mossies and moved out to the country shortly after writing it. Three years on, broadband is still slow by Western standards, but to be slow it has to exist - does it not?

And do try to get out more, Gone Fishing. Thailand is a wonderful country that offers so much more than an internet connection and visits to the tired old Go-Go bars of Pattaya. Yes, I do still return to the old country every now and then. I have friends in both places, and friendship requires actual human contact. You see, as I told you before Gone Fishing, the internet is still no substitute for life.

Have you ever been to Thailand Ceders or do you just surf the net about it?

Good grief don't be insane. I can only imagine if I hadn't been to Thailand before what heavenly bliss to have that to look forward to. Sadly I've been all to often. That's unfair I still love it of course.

I've never been to Vietnam though so hoping it's going to be as wonderous as it was when I first went to Thailand.
I have my doubts that anything can compare but you never know, some trips to India have come seriously close.

Andyinoz I just noticed you've only posted 105 posts maybe you should do some background reading it might help you place posters in context. For starters I live in Hong Kong so Thailand is to me what Benidorm is probably to you sweetie. :web:

I've never been to Vietnam though so hoping it's going to be as wonderous as it was when I first went to Thailand.



Don't get your hopes up. Vietnam has an entirely different vibe...and it is not laid back like Thailand is. They tend to have more in common culturally with their neighbors to the north, in my opinion (which is not a good thing).

I usually manage to avoid too many dealings with authority where possible, or is this everyone you are talking about?

I usually manage to avoid too many dealings with authority where possible, or is this everyone you are talking about?

Everyone.

Possibly I will rethink going there then. Hmmm. Laos? Don't think there are even direct flights.

Possibly I will rethink going there then. Hmmm. Laos? Don't think there are even direct flights.

Laos is fantastic, like Thailand 30 years ago...on quaaludes. Highly, highly recommended.

Come stop being so cryptic, explain? Have you been there and why wasn't it relaxing? :laughing6:

.... While 8,000 baht per month may not get you "a nice house" in Bangkok it will get you something reasonable within, for example, 10 - 15 minutes drive of central Pattaya. ...

I'm not sure what the prices are like but I've seen some pretty rural places right around the City. I've seen some nice "rural" areas along the Bangkok Yai khlong (on the Thonburi side of the river). There's Phra Padaeng, to the south of the city where the river makes a big oxbow. Also Nonthaburi and Ko Kret in the north....
Sometimes from the highways it looks like endless sprawl, but a lot of times that's just one row of building and behind is all the quiet farmland you could want.

I'm not sure what the prices are like but I've seen some pretty rural places right around the City. I've seen some nice "rural" areas..... Also Nonthaburi and Ko Kret in the north....
Sometimes from the highways it looks like endless sprawl, but a lot of times that's just one row of building and behind is all the quiet farmland you could want.

Yep absolutely and Nonthaburi has surprisingly many activities for men who love men. You can also avoid the traffic by using the river just hop on a public boat "taxi". As well as being cooled by the breeze you will be in time for high T at the Peninsula in a relaxing half hour.

Rural at its most convenient. Im there often as this is where some of the most beautiful of all Thai waterlily plants can be had, it's also the home of the only blue hardy waterlily on the planet, Nymphaea "Siam Blue" created by the world respected Thai amateur biologist and my personal good friend Pairat.

Highly recommended.

Thailand is a wonderful country that offers so much more than an internet connection and visits to the tired old Go-Go bars of Pattaya.I only come to Thailand to fuck the boys so I'm interested to find out what others think what Thailand offers that they can't get "at home".

...I only come to Thailand to fuck the boys so I'm interested to find out what others think what Thailand offers that they can't get "at home".

Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way early.

Another numb-nutz newbie I can put on ignore......

[Impulse]

...I only come to Thailand to fuck the boys so I'm interested to find out what others think what Thailand offers that they can't get "at home".

Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way early.

Another numb-nutz newbie I can put on ignore......Yep.first time Ive ever put anyone on ignore.

...I only come to Thailand to fuck the boys so I'm interested to find out what others think what Thailand offers that they can't get "at home".

Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way early.

Another numb-nutz newbie I can put on ignore......

Im glad it's the boys you fuck unlike kenc who need them to have TITS......fookin wierdo

Im glad it's the boys you fuck unlike kenc who need them to have TITS......fookin wierdoYes, it's amazing isn't it that people find it easier to ignore difficult questions by attacking the questioner. I've been reading some of kenc's posts to get a handle on him. You're right, he is strange, but then I think from what he writes that he's a bit of a left-winger from San Francisco, which probably says quite a lot.

Another numb-nutz newbie I can put on ignore......

Trolls seem like Australian cane toads here there's always ten more lurking so don't hesitate to flatten them all.

Have you been lurking on the Thai Vietnam border lately CEDERS

Have you been lurking on the Thai Vietnam border lately CEDERS

you can only get there using the border crossing from Chiangmai to Mirramar

Trolls seem like Australian cane toads here there's always ten more lurking so don't hesitate to flatten them all.You're a bit of an expert on Australia are you cobber?

cobber?

cobber? how old are you?

[quote="Copper Pheel":2hqb7uaz]cobber?cobber? how old are you?[/quote:2hqb7uaz]Is the lingo of Barry Mackenzie no longer operative Down Under?

[quote="dave_syd":yza9rr11][quote="Copper Pheel":yza9rr11]cobber?cobber? how old are you?[/quote:yza9rr11]Is the lingo of Barry Mackenzie no longer operative Down Under?[/quote:yza9rr11]

it wasnt even alive when the movie was made. that was the point of the movie - barry humphries ridiculing ockers. 'cobber' would have been in common use back in WW2, certainly not now.

it wasnt even alive when the movie was made. that was the point of the movie - barry humphries ridiculing ockers. 'cobber' would have been in common use back in WW2, certainly not now.Crikey!

Well, there is one thing rural Thailand is famous for.

At any party there's usually a few bottles of Singha, at least one bottle of Johnny Walker...

and one bottle with no label and clear liquid inside.

I'm not sure why the Thais never entered the Space Race. They certainly produce enough Rocket Fuel.

[youtube:3s4b93tp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7WF6hdDLXU[/youtube:3s4b93tp]

(I wanted a clip with Ethel Merman doing this but alas, it just isn't available)

I'm not sure why the Thais never entered the Space Race. They certainly produce enough Rocket Fuel.



Chortle. I find the idea of the Thai's going to the moon very funny.

Chortle. I find the idea of the Thai's going to the moon very funny.It is the country where a leading scientist recently announced that Thailand was in no risk of flooding as global warming melts the ice caps as Thailand is too far away.

Chortle. I find the idea of the Thai's going to the moon very funny.It is the country where a leading scientist recently announced that Thailand was in no risk of flooding as global warming melts the ice caps as Thailand is too far away.
well, the USA made it, and the USA has no shortage of loony scientists