# Best Spot to retire in Thailand



## Bandido

Hi fellow members,

I am a newbie so please excuse any initial forum inexperience on my part. I am looking for your opinions about the best place for me to retire in Thailand.

I want a nice beach location - but not more than 1 hour flying from Bankok. They tell me the beaches north and south of Patong in Phuket are worth checking out. I don't want to live in Patong - but a nice quiet place close to the may be good. Any ideas?

Also any other ideas for a beach place that may meet the criteria?

Thank you.


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## LisaFogarty

*Hi there*



Bandido said:


> Hi fellow members,
> 
> I am a newbie so please excuse any initial forum inexperience on my part. I am looking for your opinions about the best place for me to retire in Thailand.
> 
> I want a nice beach location - but not more than 1 hour flying from Bankok. They tell me the beaches north and south of Patong in Phuket are worth checking out. I don't want to live in Patong - but a nice quiet place close to the may be good. Any ideas?
> 
> Also any other ideas for a beach place that may meet the criteria?
> 
> Thank you.


I too am a newbie and thinking of moving to Thailand in the same spot. If you have any info yet I'd be very interested.
Many thanks


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## Bandido

*Hi Lisa*



LisaFogarty said:


> I too am a newbie and thinking of moving to Thailand in the same spot. If you have any info yet I'd be very interested.
> Many thanks


Hi lisa,

No information as yet - but I will share any information I get. Thank you for your reply.


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## Thai Bigfoot

*Retirement*

I'm a 61 year old U.S. male that retired to Kamala in November, 2009.

I love it. 

Though there are no major stores here, there's more than enough to get by. Patong is 15 minutes away, so, shopping, and, all the other trappings of a "city" are just over the hill.

It's quite here. Friendly. To walk the main street and beach roads is a two mile loop. Great for people watching and exercise. 

Housing is pretty cheap if you do it now, during low season. You can get a furnished, 2 bedroom house for $11k-15K baht plus utilities per month.

Hope this helps.


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## EMIGRANT

Bandido said:


> Hi fellow members,
> 
> I am a newbie so please excuse any initial forum inexperience on my part. I am looking for your opinions about the best place for me to retire in Thailand.
> 
> I want a nice beach location - but not more than 1 hour flying from Bankok. They tell me the beaches north and south of Patong in Phuket are worth checking out. I don't want to live in Patong - but a nice quiet place close to the may be good. Any ideas?
> 
> Also any other ideas for a beach place that may meet the criteria?
> 
> Thank you.


Jomtien


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## somtamboo

EMIGRANT said:


> Jomtien


Good question, I think it depends on what kind of lifestyle you want and what kind of budget you have.
If money is not a problem then I guess Phuket
If you want a city with some culture and plenty of expats it'd be Chiang Mai
And if you want to spend your days with a smile on your face it's probably Pattaya!


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## EMIGRANT

No I suggested Jomtien.
He wanted the Beach an hour from Bangkok


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## somtamboo

EMIGRANT said:


> No I suggested Jomtien.
> He wanted the Beach an hour from Bangkok


Ahh, ok fair point. In that case I'd say Bangsaen. It's less than an hour from Bkk, has a pleasant beach that's deserted apart from at weekends, and a good-sized expat community (mainly Scandinavian). A few good bars and restaurants too down by the waterfront.


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## Bandido

*Thank you*

Thank you.

That is very interesting - i will investigate further.



JMalefyt said:


> I'm a 61 year old U.S. male that retired to Kamala in November, 2009.
> 
> I love it.
> 
> Though there are no major stores here, there's more than enough to get by. Patong is 15 minutes away, so, shopping, and, all the other trappings of a "city" are just over the hill.
> 
> It's quite here. Friendly. To walk the main street and beach roads is a two mile loop. Great for people watching and exercise.
> 
> Housing is pretty cheap if you do it now, during low season. You can get a furnished, 2 bedroom house for $11k-15K baht plus utilities per month.
> 
> Hope this helps.


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## acht72

Koh Samui is fantastic, a proper tropical island nothing like Phuket only negative are the cost of flights to Bangkok.


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## wazza

Hi Bandido
I have just spent 1 month cruseing arround the Phuket area looking for the ideal spot to move to ,I found that many places that fitted my dream it almost bambooseled me , its just a choise depending on your needs and wants.from a bit native to a full euro lifestyle if you want.I sujest if you have not been throught the area just go book a hotel and hire a scooter and look arround,and speak to as many expats as you can and dont be afraid to ask any questians, most are forthcomming with there knowlage if they feel you are genuien, good luck with it all ,i am thinking off the same dream,i would like to know how your surch goes keep in touch and LIVE THE DREAM.


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## Song_Si

For Phuket - we've spent a year at Karon/Kata (south of Patong) then Chalong (south-east side of island). Currently 'out east' near Cambodia, but when we return to Phuket our preference will be north of Patong, Kamala perhaps, one area we've spent time is Nai Yang (see pics, thought I'd brighten the thread up!) which is adjacent to the airport . . . but depends what you want there's no big shopping centres or Starbucks etc! 

I have only ever stopped in Patong twice, daytime, not a place I would personally recommend, prefer the quiet life.


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## Guest

Nice pics Song Si, thanks.

If you have any others you would like to share, there's a Thailand photo thread in another part of the forum...


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## wazza

Song_Si said:


> For Phuket - we've spent a year at Karon/Kata (south of Patong) then Chalong (south-east side of island). Currently 'out east' near Cambodia, but when we return to Phuket our preference will be north of Patong, Kamala perhaps, one area we've spent time is Nai Yang (see pics, thought I'd brighten the thread up!) which is adjacent to the airport . . . but depends what you want there's no big shopping centres or Starbucks etc!
> 
> I have only ever stopped in Patong twice, daytime, not a place I would personally recommend, prefer the quiet life.


I must agree the north area seems to be the prefered area of choice by most of the expats i spoke to,also the further north of surin you go the cheaper it gets,


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## 4thRight

I was thinking that the person who posted the original query was a pilot and desired to fly no more than an hour assuming SEL. That gives me to become interested in private piloting in the land of smiles. An hour of launch, climb-out, en route, decent and taxi can be a fair distance. I was also wondering if he had floats.


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## freedomfighter

Another place to retire, like I did, is Hua Hin. Beaches are nice, great food, mountains close by. There are lots of local attractions like "Monkey Mountain" and other beaches in close proximity. The Kings palace is here as well,and also an immigration office. It is somewhat more expensive than other places, due to the rich Thais who frequent here from Bangkok. It is worth checking out Hua hin in any event, and you can make up your own mind if it suits you.


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## Thai Bigfoot

Been here 4 years now.
No regrets.
Still lovin' it!


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## Wayward Wind

My wife and I retired to Naklua two years ago, after many visits to Thailand over three decades.

Naklua, just north of Pattaya on the coast, is a quiet area with very little evidence of the crazy nightlife. One hour by taxi from BKK airport for 900 baht, and 90 minutes to downtown Bangkok. Plenty of supermarkets and other shopping, multiple cinemas, and a wide range of restaurants, etc. available. Cheap transportation - 10 baht on a baht bus will get us from Naklua to the southern reaches of Pattaya, and 10 baht more gets us to Jomtien.

We have a very nice 1 bedroom condo in a high rise right on the water, with spectacular views, for 30K baht per month. 

We visited Phuket many times, preferred the quiet east side to the party west side, but transport from Panwa, etc., to the airport and other destinations on the west side was both expensive and tiring.


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## frankb

Hua Hin. Everything available in a small town near the sea


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## Newforestcat

Hua Hin or Cha Am and the surrounding areas...They are way better , quieter and more Thai. Pattaya and Rayong areas are too near to the huge polluted industrial area! Often when I eat out in Rayong I get bad food poisoning from seafood. My stomach is usually quite tough! I have no problems elsewhere!


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## stargeezer

One hour from Bangkok or 2 and a bit by mini bus, would get you to Hua Hin, or Cha Am.
Swimming is not as good as the beaches of Phuket ,though. more waves, like at Ko Samui.
I have always enjoyed my time at Kata and Karon Beaches, and the swimming was great, even with some coral not to far away. Not sure if there are many apartments close to the beach now, but there was one just behind the Kata Beach resort where a friend of mine from Switzerland lives.
As for Phuket, it has an international airport with flights coming into it from all over the world.
Stargeezer


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## Jowels

For me it had to be Chiang Mai. Good climate, reasonably cheap and caters for expats.


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## John Flood

*Hua Hin*

Hello all, new to the forum. we are thinking of retiring to Thailand, after looking around thought maybe the Hua Hin area, any feedback or thoughts would be appreiciated.


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## dhream

Following this thread with interest. I have not been to Chiang Mai, but I like what I've found out.

It has a lot going on.

An airport that can get me directly outside the country if need be, and not just to BKK.

It's still reasonably affordable to live well there, whereas BKK has become more and more expensive, and rather quickly at that! 

It has a sizeable expat population so that means many different possibilities, not just the 'bar' set to hang out with or conversely the 'family' set, and less chance one hopes of petty feuds splitting the entire community. I currently live in a community in the EU with a tiny expat set, and one half won't talk to the other, so petty and sad for them all, really.

It has winter relief from year round heat! I lived in Singapore for six months (in a non-aircon condo as my mother in law at the time was 'allergic' to it) and I've never been so glad to see the UK in November after that experience!

the only major negativity I've heard about is the smog from the burn off in march/April. And the Monsoon (but that's warm rain!)

Also, no beach, but I lived in Australia for most of my adult life so I'm kind of beached-out, also I have had skin cancer, so while the warmth is nice, the sun in general is best avoided.

I'm going to give it six months and see if CM likes me... take advice, but the only way in the end is to try it for oneself.


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## stargeezer

*Hua Hin Lots to do*



John Flood said:


> Hello all, new to the forum. we are thinking of retiring to Thailand, after looking around thought maybe the Hua Hin area, any feedback or thoughts would be appreiciated.


Here are some pictures of Hua Hin, Nice beaches and lots to see and do.
Lots of expats live here and in the area. Lots of markets and shopping,
Many places to rent or buy, if you have a Thai partner, or condos if you don't.

I show the beach in front of the Hilton Hotel in Hua Hin at High ocean levels and lower levels. One of the big Monk statues to visit, and some scenery of the area. Stargeezer


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