# Thai coastline - few expat locations?



## ZTraveler

I was wondering, as I peruse through the many forum posts, why there are so few locations actually mentioned as destinations for farang? I hear about Bangkok, of course, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, and some others, but, for the most part, not much else.

So, may I ask questions without being offensive? Hope so...


With the hundreds of miles of coastline, why are there not more locations a expat will settle?
Is the infrastructure not available (Internet, electricity, running water)?
Do most people end up where others already are?

Just trying to get a sense of this, since I would like to live near the coast (wife requires it), but not sure if I should consider other options outside the norm?

You can be as candid as you like, but please add a smile with it.

Thanks! :juggle:


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## Song_Si

Hi

many westerners seek the company of people from their home country - the food and the comforts too, so going to the places you mentioned is 'easy', speak to people in English eg buy a western-style house, eat the same foods as 'home - shopping at Tesco-Lotus, perhaps a pint of Guinness to wash it down, watch BBC news on tv. 

Their choice of course, and we made friends in Phuket who live exactly like this - there'll never be a grain of rice on their plate! But they are happy to live like that and prepared to pay the extra for this lifestyle.

We live near the Chanthaburi coast, on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand - 12km to the nearest beach, 10km the other direction to a small city of about 70,000 people. Leased a brand-new 2 storey 2 bedroom house - 3,500 baht per month. Yes it has running water; cable internet, cable tv (though just 4 of the 63 channels offer English - 1 movie, 2 sport, 1 USA news). Utilities - electricity, water, internet, tv add to about 1500 per month, less lately as twice in a row we've been under the low usage rate of 90 units of electricity (no aircon) which means it is free, an incentive to conserve electricity.

There are downsides for some - just one other English speaker in our town of 5,000, and I've seen him twice at the exercise park in four months. The nearest bookshop for eg a novel in English would be 150km away; there is a 5-screen cinema in the city, shows the latest movies, but Thai-language only, no subtitles. There are no bars in our town; no nightclubs. No liquor store, it is generally a 'dry' area, but 7-11 and one other shop have a small selection. 

The positives, for us: the beaches, wonderful cycling country - there's more than 50km of road with dedicated cycle lanes along the coast, and very little traffic; the food - much of Thailand's fruit is grown in this province and it is so cheap at the markets, as is locally caught fish. We've found the people to be very welcoming - just my observation but more friendly than other places I've been here. It is 'different' - Chanthaburi has a mix of ethnicities with a high % of people Vietnamese and Chinese, also the highest % Christian population in the country. 

If I did not have a Thai partner it would be difficult at times living here - eg finding a house, lease agreements, our landlords speak no English apart from 'hello'. There are two universities within 10km some of the students like to have a little conversation, but very limited in that respect. 

Not for everyone it could get extremely lonely etc for many people.

well . . . that's my story!

Pics from a cycle ride last Monday July 4; I had the 5.5km stretch of Chao Lao beach all to myself. Fell asleep in the sun.


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## ZTraveler

Song_Si, Your insight never ceases to amaze me. I was thinking those same reasons applied, and you have confirmed, at least in part, what I was thinking. I hope others will also reply and further validate this to be true.

I love riding my bike as well, my wife longs for the beach, but I have no desire to move thousands of miles just to end up wanting the same things I have here. Of course, if I have a longing, I can make a trip, which I will no doubt have to do for the time being, until I can get the proper visa. I have english speaking friends in Laos whom I will visit when necessary.

My needs are simple. I have had the extravagant lifestyle, and found that, not only were most of the people posers, but I began to be also. I am my most happy when around people whom have proven themselves to be true friends. I know, I am saying what everyone else says, but I intend to do something about it, eg my participation here in this forum.

Thanks again for your invaluable, and non-judgmental replies.


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## Rustyo

I'm heading back to BK for now as it suits my needs for the next few months, Yes it is more expensive to live but not if you find the correct places. 

I find the city life fine and still walk or cycle most places. I eat Thai food, i never look or have been interested in pizza's maccy d's etc. 

My girlfriend is an amazing cook, when we get time to sit and eat that is. I love the food from street vendors, but be careful which ones as i have had food poisoning once and it wasn't very nice.

Nightlife in BK is great but i rarely venture out for this unless its a special occasion.

When we get a break and time off we head off to Khao Sok National Park or Thaleh Ban national Park. This is the time to enjoy the open air and long walks. 

So i would say each to thier own, and what suits you.


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## ZTraveler

RustyO, I agree that whatever suits a person is acceptable. I don't even eat the fast food here in the States. I prefer fresh, inexpensive, which here means Vietnamese, which is similar to the dishes mentioned in another thread on this forum (I think that was you as well).

As far as living location, though, I was just wondering if there were other places, off the beaten track (outside the expat norm) where one can enjoy beautiful beaches, clean living, and really mix with the locals (barring their wanting to mix with me <smirk>).

So much coastline, and so few places mentioned by the expats in this forum (except Song Si, who as you saw seems to be enjoying life as I would like it).

So, any more advice is more than welcome. I am always looking to find out about more places (especially since I have access to Google Earth app which lets me see photos and video of most places on earth).

Thanks for your reply!



Rustyo said:


> I'm heading back to BK for now as it suits my needs for the next few months, Yes it is more expensive to live but not if you find the correct places.
> 
> I find the city life fine and still walk or cycle most places. I eat Thai food, i never look or have been interested in pizza's maccy d's etc.
> 
> ...
> 
> So i would say each to thier own, and what suits you.


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## Song_Si

*Takua Pa, or Takuapa*










about an hour north of Phuket on the Andman Sea coast; have friends in Phuket whose family were from Thung Maphrao, south of Khao Lak and Takua Pa area and spent some time up there with them and their family. Later, met an Australian at a sports coaching session who had spent a year teaching there and loved the place - said being a teacher in a place like that is very different to eg Bangkok, you're far more welcomed as part of the local community.

Beautiful place, not far from Khao Lak and its resorts and beaches so not altogether isolated in that respect. Huge national parks, waterfalls, perfect beaches, and easy access to the Similan Islands offshore. This would be _Plan D_ (we're on _Plan C_ now) if we wanted to move to a new location.


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## californiabeachboy

Good discussion here. I just returned from my third visit to Thailand as I am looking for a place to live part of the year.

What I have discovered as a result of my past visits, much to my disappointment, is that I like my creature comforts a lot more than I thought I did. I love music and have satellite radio here at home with tons of music channels. I also have HD TV with wonderful nature programs to watch on HD, an amazing variety of foods can be purchased nearby, and good weather (the idea of not having air conditioning in Thailand makes me sweat just thinking about it). I know I don't "need" all that stuff, but I must admit that when I was in Thailand for extended periods, I missed it.

I think the other consideration is whether you are single or in a committed relationship. I would never live in one of those small beach towns as a single person, simply from a companionship standpoint. I just don't want to end up at a pub at noon having a beer because I am looking for someone to talk to.

I am moving to plan B, which is to spend the majority of my time in Thailand in a city (my next trip is up to Chiang Mai), with frequent visits to the beaches (the area North of Khao Lak looks beautiful).

I would only live in one of those small beach towns if I had a wife, and if she would let me spend three weeks in July watching the Tour de France on my HD TV

Cheers.


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## Mweiga

ZTraveler said:


> I was wondering, as I peruse through the many forum posts, why there are so few locations actually mentioned as destinations for farang? I hear about Bangkok, of course, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, and some others, but, for the most part, not much else.
> 
> So, may I ask questions without being offensive? Hope so...
> 
> 
> With the hundreds of miles of coastline, why are there not more locations a expat will settle?
> Is the infrastructure not available (Internet, electricity, running water)?
> Do most people end up where others already are?
> 
> Just trying to get a sense of this, since I would like to live near the coast (wife requires it), but not sure if I should consider other options outside the norm?
> 
> You can be as candid as you like, but please add a smile with it.
> 
> Thanks! :juggle:


You pretty much got it right with your questions 2 and 3. 

From the safe distance of a first world developed country it might seem strange most farangs congregate in the same few areas of Thaialnd , but after spending time here the reasons will become clear.

We all choose our areas for settling based on a variety of personal priorities but unless you're a latterday Robinson Crusoe you'll need modern conveniences and communication infrastructure available.

For myself I don't necessarily need nor seek the company of other farangs , although welcome it when serendipity prevails albeit on a fairly selective basis. What I did seek however is convenient access to modern social infrastructure but in a rural environment close to the sea , which is why I ended up where I am.


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## ZTraveler

Okay, so what are some out-of-the-way, infrastructure rich, no-expat crowded, areas that are on the coast? SongSi, you seem to have a great little secret. <smirk>

If you don't want to answer here, send me a direct message...


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## SiamWallaby

I guess I'll chime in and share what was for me, a process.

When I first came here, I already had a plan in mind. I'd done the touristy things already in my younger years, and honestly thought I'd do fine with the Robinson Crusoe lifestyle. That lasted about a year.

I missed food and companionship mostly, and also at the time I wasnt in a committed relationship. I ended up spending a lot more time with friendly male Thai's drinking whiskey. I probably drank more that year than any time in my life.

So I moved to Bangers and that was fine until I got married and had my daughter. So I moved a bit further out, more like suburbia in Ayutthaya. I'm there now and I guess its a compromise. I dont see many farangs about except at the Tesco now and again, but at least if I want some more variety in my diet its available, have good internet and lots of places to visit here.

But it is far from the beach, which I do miss more than I expected. So now we own a condo in Jomtien that we can use for weekend trips. 

So for me its worked out alright. I have the things that I need on a daily basis, and if I'm hangin for something else I just go south for the weekend. Suits me fine 

)


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## baldilocks

OK so I am nowhere near Thailand, but a similar situation applies here in Spain. 

True there are a number of location specific threads here which are located on the coasts which is where a lot of expats (Brit and German + others) live but there are a large number of us who just don't want to be in Little Britain or Kleine Deutschland and want to live in Spain with the Spanish, away from the bars, pickpockets, time-share touts (they're still here but trying to sell you a fabulous property that they are developing in conjunction with the local mayor - usually an illegal build and likely to be demolished at some point in the future after the developer has gone off with all the profits and left the local mayor to carry the can), drunks (do you really want to dance your way along the street avoiding the 'pavement pizzas' in the morning?). It is on the coasts that you tend to find the worst of the expat world. Inland you DO get some but the expats are far fewer and easier to avoid and your reputation does get tarred with the same brush.

As for your No 3 "Do most people end up where others already are?" The answer is: for some - Yes for others a very big NO! Those who do, frequently do so because they can't speak any more of the language than is necessary to ask in the bar for a couple of beers.


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## wildfk

Below is a summary of what the coastline looks like for about 160 km from Bangkok in both directions. and the who where or why of living there..........

Where people end up living is often dictated by their circumstances.
If you are retired and married then the chances are you’ll have a place in Issan. and another in Pattaya or somewhere.

Single middle aged men tend to drift towards the places where sex is on sale - notably Pattaya or Bangkok.....maybe Hua Hin and Phuket too. Many of these people would be like a fish out of water if they had to live in a place where no-one spoke their language or sold western food

A large number of people like myself have to be within commuting distance of work....therein lies the rub - work means industry and industry means pollution, encroachment on natural resources and despoliation of local beaches,seawater etc. South east of Bangkok, the coastlines of Rayong and Chonburi - the Eastern Seaboard - are developed just about continuously either with resorts or vast industrial sites - petro-chemical plants etc. all the way to Chantaburi. Rayong - next to Chantaburi is the changwat with the highest income in Thailand.
South-west of Bkk the coast is fist taken over by industry, salt farms and then shrimp farms dominate virtually to Ch’am and Hua Hin.
south of their Bang Saphan which has some beautiful beaches has a massive steel mill.......the last I heard plans for further industrial development have bee put on hold.

There are still some great places that are relatively unknown to foreigners at least - they tend to fill up when Thai people are on holiday and are continuously under pressure from developers.

THe other thing about Thailand is that their is a lot of coast but not a lot of truly “tropical paradise” standard. ...... and a lot of what was is no longer. Much of the coast line has already been surveyed (badly) into blocks ready for development.
the philosophy seems to be build now and think why later.......


The truth is their isn’t actually a lot of great “undiscovered” beaches and the topography of those that are, makes them unsuitable for western style “seaside activities”

Most people have to make a trade-off involving......

location
facilities
utilities 
convenience
accessibility
costs
comforts of home
communications
isolation
loneliness
wildlife
and often the wife’s family.

You are unlikely to find a cheap classic house and land that is in walking distance of a bar full of foreigners.

Many settle for life in a “village” - a concrete cluster of poorly designed hastily built houses set around some basic facilities - a pool and some tennis courts - and surrounded by a brick wall. These places are not just “exclusive” quite literally, but also isolationist.

THey do however enable the expat to concentrate on their main hobbies - criticising Thai people and drinking themselves to death. - a place in the country requires that you drink alone


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## Mweiga

... yes , spot on wildfk. Compulsory reading for prospective first timers to Thailand with a view to settling.

The achievement of that elusive "tropical paradise" increasingly comes down to a financial means test - you get what you are able to pay for , and the ante is continually being upped.

Your last couple of paragraphs covers a lifestyle choice I tried actively to avoid - and succeeded , I would have to say.


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## XxSMIL3xX

very nice thread.thank you for all the informations.


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## Song_Si

we've been here for 20 months now, so here is my update on life in Chanthaburi province - updates on my previous post



Song_Si said:


> We live near the Chanthaburi coast, on the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand - 12km to the nearest beach, 10km the other direction to a small city of about 70,000 people. Leased a brand-new 2 storey 2 bedroom house - 3,500 baht per month. Yes it has running water; cable internet, cable tv (though just 4 of the 63 channels offer English - 1 movie, 2 sport, 1 USA news). Utilities - electricity, water, internet, tv add to about 1500 per month, less lately as twice in a row we've been under the low usage rate of 90 units of electricity (no aircon) which means it is free, an incentive to conserve electricity.


Still here in the same house. 
Encountered a few problems with the house but all fixed without problem by the owners. 
All water-related - poor drainage from the shower they had to drill through tiles/concrete and install a new outlet pipe as the original - which runs through the concrete floor, was not at sufficient angle for water to drain away. A roof leak into the kitchen area - no overhanging eaves on that side of the house and a mix of rain/wind drove water up under the flashing.
Rent remains 3500 per month - half expected it to increase on the one-year anniversary but no mention made.
Cable tv channels have changed, in the 'better than nothing' category recently they added Universal Asia which is mainly police/crime dramas, and the crime network that i haven't bothered with. 
Internet - with TOT. Two times have lost service, once all it required was the modem to be re-set after a lightning storm - but I didn't know that and the serviceman visited, no charge. Second time I knew what to do. And their fee reduced - after 12 months a 10% drop in the monthly charge
Electricity has risen per unit and we've been over the free threshold, last monthly account for 375 baht. 




> There are downsides for some - just one other English speaker in our town of 5,000, and I've seen him twice at the exercise park in four months. The nearest bookshop for eg a novel in English would be 150km away; there is a 5-screen cinema in the city, shows the latest movies, but Thai-language only, no subtitles. There are no bars in our town; no nightclubs. No liquor store, it is generally a 'dry' area, but 7-11 and one other shop have a small selection.


Now five English speakers in town. But we don't mix. Two young school teachers here through an agency on 6mth contract, and a retired chap who seems to dislike just about everything. 

A Big C complex opening last December in Chanthaburi city 12km away, if that is progress. Appears to be struggling and is a ghost town apart from the cinema (another 5-screen complex, but showing the same movies as across town as the one at Robinsons. Nothing gained there)

A bookshop hold the Bangkok Post for me each Sunday (crosswords!) they get two copies each day which tend to be bought by high school kids they use it in English class.

A second 7/11 opened about 300m from the first - can't understand that one, now have half the customers each. Depends which one has a car park space outside I think.




> The positives, for us: the beaches, wonderful cycling country - there's more than 50km of road with dedicated cycle lanes along the coast, and very little traffic; the food - much of Thailand's fruit is grown in this province and it is so cheap at the markets, as is locally caught fish. We've found the people to be very welcoming - just my observation but more friendly than other places I've been here. It is 'different' - Chanthaburi has a mix of ethnicities with a high % of people Vietnamese and Chinese, also the highest % Christian population in the country.


Still love the beaches and have our favourite spots for swimming or snorkeling. Despite the length of coastline the good swimming beaches are limited to Chao Lao and Khung Wiman a little further north. The beaches south of that at Paknam Khaem Nu and Laem Sing look attractive in tourist brochures but suffer from the outflows of large rivers - silt - and remain murky about 10 months of the year. 

Lots of festivals with the mix of people; we've been to two wonderful Christmas parades followed by events (karaoke!) in the church grounds, numerous events on the Chinese calendar - and a 9-day Vegetarian Festival starts on 14th this month, plus the more standard Buddhist celebrations. 

I have never eaten so much fruit; as one variety's season ends there will be something else on the market, we also have access to an old commercial orchard property that's being redeveloped for housing, meantime it's pick all we can carry when trees in fruit. 



> If I did not have a Thai partner it would be difficult at times living here - eg finding a house, lease agreements, our landlords speak no English apart from 'hello'. There are two universities within 10km some of the students like to have a little conversation, but very limited in that respect.


This won't change in my lifetime. Don't deal with bureaucrats often but earlier this year drivers licence renewal, change of ownership on a motor vehicle, and changing provincial registration . . . couldn't have managed without help.

Never seen it advertised or mentioned on any forum, but Sunday out cycling I saw a new office for 'Chanthaburi Immigration Service Centre' about 1km from city centre, with signs saying it was for 90 day reporting, extensions, re-entry permits etc. This is welcome - till now it's been a 110km round trip to the Immigration office in Pong Nam Ron. 



> Not for everyone it could get extremely lonely etc for many people.


Absolutely. Had one foreigner arrive to settle here who left before the month was up. One might say 'poorly researched' - not the best place to move to straight from one's home country with just a vague idea of Thailand. We had visited/stayed in the area for four holidays before deciding on whether we wanted to move here at all, and whether we wanted beach/town/city - we chose town, best of both worlds.

(not quite) the end!!


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## caveatemptor

I stumbled across this site whilst looking for some answers on France. We have a holiday house in Hua Hin which suits us fine, (British retired couple) We have the advantages of choice, local/western food, local/western shops, local/western restaurants. I would think that the dream of living the simple life living just like the locals would soon wear thin, it sounds great as a notion, maybe for a month or so..


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