# Beach communities



## jamesdunne (Jun 23, 2014)

I am married to a Thai woman and am considering retirement soon. I was thinking about Chiang Mai but am also interested in something near the water. I am not interested in Pattaya and not so much Phuket

Any advice would be well received. Thank you


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## Wayward Wind (Aug 28, 2011)

There are many places in Chon Buri province which are near enough to take advantage of the shopping, restaurants, etc., but far enough away to be able to avoid the bar scene with ease. We are retired, live in Naklua just north of Pattaya, right on the beach, and almost never stray near the seamy side of Pattaya. Bang Saray, Rayong, etc - that whole coast is in pretty much the same situation. 

I have been to Phuket many times, mostly on the east side, but the hassles of getting around are a real pain.

Haven't been to the Hua Hin side yet, but that is next up on our agenda.


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## johnny49r (Jul 23, 2014)

jamesdunne said:


> I am married to a Thai woman and am considering retirement soon. I was thinking about Chiang Mai but am also interested in something near the water. I am not interested in Pattaya and not so much Phuket
> 
> Any advice would be well received. Thank you


Hi, I'm John and I live in Cha-am which is about 2 hours south of Bangkok. Cha-am sports the longest beach in Thailand - 5 km. It caters mostly to thai tourists but has a somewhat sizeable farang expat community.
Housing is still relatively cheap here and the food is also generally cheap.
Medical care is inexpensive and I have found it to be quite good.
I have lived here a little over a year and would not change my decision. Good luck with yours.


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## gnazi71 (Jun 17, 2012)

I would suggest Hua Hin/Cha Am and Rayong.


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