# Slow travel to Thailand? Any suggestions please?



## siani (Mar 10, 2010)

Hi I am planning to retire to Thailand. I will be bring with me my husband aged 65 and my mother aged 91. There is so much to think about and arrange. I am wondering if anyone know a slower route of travelling apart from the long haul flight please? I just feel the long journey may be a little too much for my mother. Are there any ships or stop off flights that would break the journey without breaking the bank, so to speak. Many thanks Regards Siani


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

A couple of students did the journey (in reverse) by tuk-tuk for charity, but somehow I don't think that's quite what you had in mind! 

Commercial freighters often have a few cabins for passengers, but I've never tried it. Hardly luxurious travel facilities of course - a good selection of books needed. But a lengthy journey by ship, possible poor weather - is that really going to be less stressful than a twelve hour flight? It's possible to break the flight in two, say stopping overnight somewhere in the Gulf. That might be better for a lady of such advanced years.

However, although I don't know how fit she is, I would be more worried about her emerging into the heat, pollution and humidity of Bangkok - that's a fair shock to the system for a normal adult, forget a nonagenarian!


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## siani (Mar 10, 2010)

Thank you for your reply. Yes I had thought about the climate and heat on arrival. I am planning to find good air conditioned hotels to begin with..then a house to rent for a short while with a pool and air conditioning. She is not very active, reads all the time, and enjoys her food! I will also hopefully be able, once settled, to employ home help to cope at home with her. I think that maybe to pay for medical help which is not too expensive over in Thailand. The national health has really had it here in the UK. She is only old..I could not bear the thought of leaving her alone in the UK. in some care home. I "Googled" Banana boats...not such a good idea!! Your idea of stop over sounds favourite option at the moment. Best wishes and thanks Siani


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

Understand how you feel - before going to Thailand I was in France for twenty years, and as an only child I wasn't about to leave my parents - who had virtually no other family left in the UK - to their fate. They spent ten very happy years chez moi in Provence, being looked after by the excellent French health service, eventually dying within weeks of each other. Never regretted bringing them over for a moment.


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## siani (Mar 10, 2010)

That is just how I feel. I have also lived and worked in France for many years. France is also great, but I feel my money will not go quite so far there once retired. I have thought about the hot climate in Thailand but my mother bakes herself in my conservatory daily...today it is 28 degrees in there! (We have had some rare sunshine!) Wales is such a wet damp climate, everyone over 60 is on sticks, crippled with arthritis! I just want a healthy peaceful, interesting life, and try to get some swimming in before I get passed it! I have been reading a lot of posts on your forum and they have been most helpful. I realise that there all some pitfalls, some things much be approached with caution. I am a little streetwise as I have been in business all my life and met many a rogue in my travels. ( I am an antiques dealer) I also lived in Australia for 10 years, yes that was also hot..but you get to know the shady places. I do not think Thailand is anymore dangerous than some places in the UK. In fact I would go as far as to say that the UK is getting quite an unsafe place to live, not only the crime, there are loads of other things as well, too numerous to mention. Sometimes, we all have to take a little risk in life, if not we would go anywhere. Thanks again for being so kind and helpful. Kind regards Siani


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

That's certainly true, I'm back in France temporarily, and compared to Thailand, despite the strong baht, my euros go nowhere here in Provence. Property taxes, plumbers and electricians that cost a fortune, it all adds up to something around three or four times the living costs in LOS, I reckon.

Good luck with your plans


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## siani (Mar 10, 2010)

Lovely time of the year to be in Provence. I go to Paris for my last trip at the end of the month. I never tire of it, always a joy. Thanks for your good luck wishes, help and advice. If I can tie all the loose ends up soon, I hope to be away at the end of May/June. Many thanks Regards Siani


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

Hi Siani (lovely name that), any idea where you will be staying in Thailand?

My wife works in the UK (she's Thai) as a care worker whilst studying her higher level NVQ's in care (Elderly), which she has now completed. She has been adopted by one old gentleman whim she has been doing in-house care with (she lives there with him) and working during the day. She is returning to Thailand in the next few months and is trying to bring the old man with her as he wants to come and is so dependant on her (and has had many bad experiences before that he has lost trust in other care workers).

He is a bit younger than your mum, but is not in great health. He has been Okayed by the doctor, and it is suggested to do exactly as FB said above: Break the flight into two or more stops and try to leave at least a day between legs to rest.

Remember the north is much less extreme in its weather - cooler dry season, dryer wet season etc. However, in Chiang Mai (where there is a high density of retirees I might add) there is a burning season in mid March to early APril where farmers burn the old rice stalks in their fields. This causes quite bad smock/smog for a couple of weeks. Many expats take this opportunity for a quick break to the seaside. There is more and more pressure on farmers (including from His Royal Highness) to move over to crop rotation rather than burning and its is starting to improve. However, you may want to take this in to consideration in your choice of location. 

Bangkok, suffers from pretty bad pollution all year around and get incredibly humid and hot from April on. Pattay and Phuket will probably be far too busy, touristy and modern for your mum (and possibly you too). Quite high crime rates in these places too. 

You also want to consider being in a place that has good hospitals (see eye hospital thread) and locals who have a grasp of English.

The weather, hospitals, not in-your-face but easy to find if wanted local attractions and friendly locals (and very low crime rate) is why there are so many retirees in Chiang Mai, but bear in mind the possible need for a spring holiday. There are also lots of clubs up here too to help make friends.

Good luck.


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

siani said:


> Lovely time of the year to be in Provence. I go to Paris for my last trip at the end of the month. I never tire of it, always a joy. Thanks for your good luck wishes, help and advice. If I can tie all the loose ends up soon, I hope to be away at the end of May/June. Many thanks Regards Siani


Just a quick note - May/June is when Thailand is at its most humid, so beware - especially in Bangkok.


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

Second everything above about Chiang Mai, but city pollution is bad there all year round too - not just during the burning season. For that reason alone, despite my love for CM, I'm seriously considering a coastal region for the sea breezes, within reach of a sizeable city, but far enough away for comfort. Pattaya is a dump for sure, the crime there is pretty bad, but if you live 20-30 minutes drive east of the city, it's quite different.

Of course the same applies to CM - out of town there are some great spots to live.


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

The difference being that Bangkok there is no where to go to get away from the pollution - its a huge spreading metropolis. Chiang Mai has pretty good pollution figres for most of the rest of the year (given that it is a city) well below Bangkok and Pattaya - and both of those are coastal too. I saw last years graphs and during March and April CM was way high, but the rest of the year it was sitting below the European guideline. They can be found on-line somewhere, I'm sure.

Chiang Mai is nice because it is a small city (town really) surrounded by fields and mountains (the fields are the reason its smoggy in CM during March but not so much in other cities - they burn everywhere, but CM is surrounded!). This allows us to live out of the centre of town in the countryside. You only have to go 5KM out and its fields, lakes and mountains. Cheaper moo bahn too. Song Taews run in to town all day at 15 to 20 baht - Hang Dong road for example has several inexpensive moo mahns and a yellow Song Taew to town in 15 to 20 Baht (depending where you get on and off). Free green Song Taews run between the Empress Hotel (round the corner from the Night Bazaar and Loi Kroh/bar land) and Airport Plaza (bottom end of Hang Dong road).

To avoid pollution really one would have to head for the sticks - Chiang Rai perhaps - nice weather and some expats there and country - bit quiet for me though.


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

I'm trying to find some up to date info on this. As someone who suffers from asthma, I've found Chiang Mai, living in the city, pretty unbearable at times. l was above the city in October in the Bhuping Palace Gardens, looking down at the smog over Chiang Mai and surrounds. It was so bad you couldn't take a decent photo.


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## siani (Mar 10, 2010)

Thanks so much for the information to all of you. I have just Googled Chaing Mai smog 
High smog prompts mask handouts in North 
It does look pretty bad. I did quite like the idea of a coastal town, initially. I am not interested in Pattaya as it does not have the "family appeal" about it. I did consider Hua Hin and went on Mapjack around the town. Mapjack did not cover a great deal of the area. I am open to any suggestions of any other good towns. Although I do not speak Thai I would make a great effort to learn it. I have decided also to take 2 weeks to get to Thailand. When I get there I will then have another 2 weeks in a hotel. Hopefully that will be a better way to travel. Many thanks again Siani


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

Rayong, Pattaya, the Chon Buri province have quite high pollution too, having done a little research this morning. Came across some worrying water pollution data for Thailand too.

Hua Hin is a relatively expensive place to live - properties certainly cost more there than in Chon Buri.

2 weeks? What route does that involve?


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## KhwaamLap (Feb 29, 2008)

How about further down like Karbi or up a bit from Hua hin in Phetchaburi? Not sure about hospital availability in these areas though????

Maybe down the far end of Sukumvit Soi in Trat - Actually the provinces East of Rayon have a lot of coast line that I know little about, maybe worth looking into.


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## siani (Mar 10, 2010)

Phetchaburi looks lovely Cha-am, only had a breif look, but really lovely. Chon Buri seems to be where city people go for the weekend? I am going to look into all these places. Look for hospitals, houses etc. I think even if it cost a little more, it looks to be worth it, just to be near the coast. Thanks so much for pointing these places out to me.
Well, I thought I would look for a flight and maybe have one or 2 stopovers, I have not gone into it really, just thought that maybe it was possible. Even if we stopped in the airport hotels it would break the journey up. I will have to do some research on flights. It is this part of moving that I am dreading most. If it were just me, no problem, but my mother is a little worrying. Still leaving her behind would be more of a worry for me. Hopefully it will work out ok. Thanks again Siani


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