# Moving to Thailand from Perth



## sheebaduke5 (Oct 14, 2010)

Myself and my husband are looking at moving to Thailand either Chang Mai or Pattaya. Not sure on where would be best. He would be still working in Australia as he would be FIFO. Are there any other couples/people that do this and can you advise on how you got on moving there, visas, best places to live, what not to do etc and rental properties. Everyone would love to live in a resort but reality is we need to be near airport so there are not so many connecting flights. I like the idea of communities or houses in safe areas.


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## Dave O'Dottu (Jul 15, 2009)

sheebaduke5 said:


> Myself and my husband are looking at moving to Thailand either Chang Mai or Pattaya. Not sure on where would be best. He would be still working in Australia as he would be FIFO. Are there any other couples/people that do this and can you advise on how you got on moving there, visas, best places to live, what not to do etc and rental properties. Everyone would love to live in a resort but reality is we need to be near airport so there are not so many connecting flights. I like the idea of communities or houses in safe areas.


I like chiang mai and I find beaches boring, so I would have no attachment to pattaya, which I have heard is a nest of wild sex that I do not need to live on top of. 

In the news, one always hears that some other place is a cesspool of crime, so you may hear of this in the cases of both cm and pattayal. I have no experience of pattaya but my experience of Chiang Mai is that it is quite safe. I walk the major streets up through mid-evening. I have never once been accosted or pickpocketed in　ＣＭ You can find good shops, good restaurants, interesting walks all within walking distance or with a short cheap bus (song tieuw) ride. There is a major airport here that will give you connecting flights. Once there were short haul flights from there to Singapore etc, but I think now most connecting flights will take you to bkk for the long haul plane. 

Chiang Mai specializes in residence and retirement living, but it is not my specialty. I would suggest renting an apartment in the Thapae Gate area when you first come, unless one of you wants to come ahead to do reconnaissance. From there, you can examine options for more elaborate living. In the lobby of Central Department Store and on large billboards, you can see condominions and housing estates advertised, so the area is geared to that. But Thai laws about property ownership can be tricky. 

The roads are good around chiang mai. You have a great range of shopping, of course the variety of goods is not as great as in Bkk or Hk. The range and quality of food, however, is among the best in the world within an easily accessible area. 

feel free to pm, if you need assistance on the ground there.


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