Where is the best place to live in Thailand for rent, safety ect?

Some of the descriptions of Bangkok in this thread leave me a bit mystified. There are a few 'facts' and 'truths' being spouted that are just opinions!

Expensive? Compared to where exactly? Ok, a large Latte and a chicken pie in Starbucks might set you back £4 (it would set you back a lot more in many other cities) but I've found places selling food in shopping malls for 20 baht (40 pence). Groceries probably cost more than in other Thai towns, but we're still looking at half the price of the UK (but since eating out is so cheap...).

Flesh pot and all that? Well, it is for those who want it and it isn't for those who don't. If you want a quiet night in in front of the laptop then it's not a den of vice. But it's there if you do.

Open spaces? Tend to agree, although there a few large parks. I used to live in Moscow which had loads of parks...all of them run down, full of empty beer bottles, dead trees and pathetically threadbare grass. The park off Sukhomvit in the centre of Bangkok has its own outdoor gym equipment. Quality over quantity?

Air pollution? Try Moscow! Not saying it's good but far from being the worst city in the world.

Schooling? 48 international schools in Bangkok is a pretty good choice. The fees will vary a lot, but even the most expensive don't compare with one school I worked at in Moscow.

PROS

Bangkok is one of the best cities I've ever been in. It's easy to get around if where you are going is on public transport, and the public transport (the BRT, the BTS, the airport express) is immaculate: fast, cool and clean. Not cheap if you're expecting to pay a few cents to ride across town, but, again, much cheaper than many places I've been to. If you like shopping malls the city is heaven. If you like drinking Starbucks coffee at half the price of the UK and a quarter of the price of Moscow, it's great. The hospitals are fantastic and you can find lots of clinics along the main roads and in shopping malls offering all sorts of treatments. It has some great bookshops. There is, and still is, major investment in infrastructure. People smile, they don't push and it seems an incredibly relaxed place for a big city. It's a city that, in large areas, seems to have been designed to be a convenient place to live.

CONS

The sewers stink. If you need to use a car or taxi, you'll be stuck in traffic. I could do without the stray dogs shitting everywhere too.

If you like big city life, you'll like Bangkok. And if you want to get away to the beaches, hop on the airport train and grab a flight (or jump on the Pattaya bus).

Thank you charlie2012.

Hua Hin is really nice town. It's small and cozy. There are lot of farangs spending their retirement, it is quite safe. If coming with family there may be not too much attraction for children, but there are a number of good schools and kindergartens, lot of hospitals and clinics. Univercity campus. Nice beaches. A lot of bars and restaurants in the central district, and very quite in the other parts. Can't say it is expencive, spending some time, you may find quite convinient accomodation by yourself, and it will be much cheaper, then applying to agencies.

EddieM wrote:

Ummm...

Reality check time for some people here, I think.

I just registered on expat-blog because I had to comment on some of the things being passed as facts here.

To those here asking about where to live in Thailand, some home truths....  I lived and worked and married in Thaland for 10 years and I look back with some fond memories but be warned!

The good news - it is a nice place overall compared to man countries in the west.

The bad news -

1. Chiang Mai - Whoever said Chiang Mai was safe, was being pretty scant with the truth.  Check the facts.  It is a very dangerous drug-fuelled city that does not play by the rules.  As an analogy, it is like being British but living in Northern Ireland.  You only need to google it to see for yourself that the gun crime is huge there. And to the lady who quotes that silly report about CM being a great place or retire... Well, look at the other places there.   I am in one of them, Puerto Vallarta, temporarily and I disagree totally with the comments on it.  I visited Medellin last year and it is a polluted, very expensive city.  And as for France being retirement on a budget... Well, go figure for yourself.  Chasing Mai is not at all nice in my personal opinion.

2. Pattaya - my favourite but then I am a male.  I lived and worked there for 5 years and loved it in most senses but it is basically just a gold rush town full of bars and good time girls.  Anything else is built around this.  You can live cheaply and you can do most of the stuff you need, but the strain it will put on any western relationship is huge.  I have a Thai wife so I can live there but for a western woman, it is purgatory, believe me.

3. Bangkok is fantastic but be aware, it is very, very expensive, more so than many other cities.  Schooling is the most expensive I have ever seen in the world so far bar none and terrible quality and even grocery shopping twice the UK and 3x the US.  Where to live....  I lived on Sukhumvit Soi 11.  Nice stree with all the bes clubs and restaurants, if you can dodge the hookers and drug addicts, but like all of central Bangkok, after 3 years max you will get respiratory problems such is the extreme pollution.  Live further out... nightmare traffic - I am talking red lights that stay red for 30 minutes!

4. Koh Samui and Phuket - you will be robbed or shot within a year, believe me.  Read Andrew Drummond for the details....

5. Hua Hin - nice enough but very sleepy and quiet and no schools at all. Again, can be very dangerous.  Read AD I just mentioned to see how many expats are shot there...

So you want to live in Thailand? Me too...  I have a Thai wife, a Thai child and I speak Thai.  I love how beautiful Thai women are, I love the food and well, that is about it as there is precious little culture in Thaland these days.  Think theatre, cinema, music, arts and crafts... No..  And in my case looking at the women is enough as I have a lovely wife already but be aware the single biggest draw to Thailand is the beautiful women but this can also be a major downfall for many people, single and married alike - they look, they touch, they fall...... 

My problem is I don't know anywhere decent to live in Thailand to raise a family as you can see from my points 1 - 5 above.  Thailand is a great country on paper but in reality, not an easy place to live unless you are single, male, and very self-disciplined!

Any questions, let me know....  Any suggestions let me know but please not Korat!!!

Edward Moulton.

Very negative post Eddie and I'm a realist. I've also lived all over Thailand for 16+ years and have two children with my Thai wife, who is from Suratthani.

1) Chiang Mai - not my cup of tea simply because I don't particular like the vibe there. But, to say it's unsafe is overstating the issue. It's unsafe and full of drugs if that's the circle you want to run with. Otherwise, the worst things I can say about it is that it's polluted and there are too many tourists for my taste. Chiang Mai is considered to have a bad pollution problem but go to Moscow and nearly all of the automobiles are filthy to the point where windshields are caked with dirt. This comes directly from the pollution.

2) Pattaya - a city built on prostitution. Plenty of people live there without ever getting in the middle of the whoring scene, but again, this is not the sort of place I would want to raise my two kids — ever. There are better places to live.

3) Bangkok - again, you're exaggerating, BIG TIME.

First, I wouldn't live in lower Sukhumvit now. It's one of the worst places for foreigners with children to live IMO. As a single man, it's okay, but with a family? Please - who wants to live around Nana Plaza raising a family? Why would you choose to live in the Sukhumvit area with children when you know there's a high rate of prostitution and drugs there?

Second - prices in groceries 2-3X that of the US and UK? Rubbish. My family of four eats well for 12,000-15,000 baht a month. Extremely well and this is with groceries, toiletries, and dining out.

Third - schooling is too expensive but is hardly the most expensive in the world. My kids go to a bilingual school and it runs about 300,000 a year for the two of them, including the bus to and from school.

Finally, traffic is everywhere in Bangkok. I live in Bangkapi and it's hardly expensive. Traffic can be bad at times but other times there is none. It's probably the biggest negative in Thailand but it shouldn't deter people from living in outer Bangkok. Not only this, if you're smart, you learn to work around the traffic whenever possible or use alternate methods of transport.

4) Koh Samui and Phuket - Jeez you're negative. I lived in Phuket for a year and NEVER had a problem. You will have a problem if you go looking for it or if you have a big mouth. That said, any tourist area, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Phuket, Chiang Mai, is going to have it's share of crime because some Thais would rather commit crimes than work. This happens everywhere in the world and everywhere in tourist destinations.

5) Huahin - the lack of schools in  Hua Hin is what deterred us from living there. But your fear of being shot is over the top. Most decent people with families don't go looking for trouble and thus, they don't find it. Obviously there is the occasional crime committed against foreigners, but how many crimes are committed against Thais? How many of the foreigners went asking for trouble? At least some.

That said, my wife is from Surat and while there's not alot to do, if you want to take a day trip or a long weekend, it's a great place. My wife's land in Surat is deep  in the jungle and a person has to go across 11 creeks before reaching the home — so it's isolated, just like I like it. When I am ready, I'll retire there.

Thailand is what you make of it and the glass is either half empty or half full depending on how you look at it. There is alot more culture and great things to do than you seem to think Eddie. 

BTW - I've been to Medellin and found the city and the people charming. Although it wasn't cheap, neither was it prohibitively expensive. I stayed at a decent hotel, walked everywhere, and had no problems. I would go there again in a minute.

If you've got $2000 a month, even with a family you can live decently may places in the world. Depending on where you are this will either just be enough or give you more than enough to live comfortably. But again, it's all in how you look at things and what you make of your experiences.

www.scottmallon.net

So, were would you move to in s.e.asia if you were a single guy looking to retire?

First, I think it depends on your budget, what you plan on doing where ever you decide to live, and where you think you would fit in best.

As far as living in Asia. You can't go wrong with Thailand. 

Indonesia is a good place - it's nowhere near as bad as what the press and others might make it out to be. Vietnam is okay but not as easy to move there as with Thailand. China is another place that might be good if you have the funds to pay your way in and you have patience.

But two places that interest me, and in the future I might consider staying there for at least a few months at a time are Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. The cost of living is quite reasonable and from what I've seen and heard, they are interesting places to live.

Places I probably will never live: Singapore, Laos, Malaysia...the Philippines, although I would need to think about this one.

An American in Thailand

I like you post!!

charlie2012 wrote:

Some of the descriptions of Bangkok in this thread leave me a bit mystified. There are a few 'facts' and 'truths' being spouted that are just opinions!

Expensive? Compared to where exactly? Ok, a large Latte and a chicken pie in Starbucks might set you back £4 (it would set you back a lot more in many other cities) but I've found places selling food in shopping malls for 20 baht (40 pence). Groceries probably cost more than in other Thai towns, but we're still looking at half the price of the UK (but since eating out is so cheap...).

Flesh pot and all that? Well, it is for those who want it and it isn't for those who don't. If you want a quiet night in in front of the laptop then it's not a den of vice. But it's there if you do.

Open spaces? Tend to agree, although there a few large parks. I used to live in Moscow which had loads of parks...all of them run down, full of empty beer bottles, dead trees and pathetically threadbare grass. The park off Sukhomvit in the centre of Bangkok has its own outdoor gym equipment. Quality over quantity?

Air pollution? Try Moscow! Not saying it's good but far from being the worst city in the world.

Schooling? 48 international schools in Bangkok is a pretty good choice. The fees will vary a lot, but even the most expensive don't compare with one school I worked at in Moscow.

PROS

Bangkok is one of the best cities I've ever been in. It's easy to get around if where you are going is on public transport, and the public transport (the BRT, the BTS, the airport express) is immaculate: fast, cool and clean. Not cheap if you're expecting to pay a few cents to ride across town, but, again, much cheaper than many places I've been to. If you like shopping malls the city is heaven. If you like drinking Starbucks coffee at half the price of the UK and a quarter of the price of Moscow, it's great. The hospitals are fantastic and you can find lots of clinics along the main roads and in shopping malls offering all sorts of treatments. It has some great bookshops. There is, and still is, major investment in infrastructure. People smile, they don't push and it seems an incredibly relaxed place for a big city. It's a city that, in large areas, seems to have been designed to be a convenient place to live.

CONS

The sewers stink. If you need to use a car or taxi, you'll be stuck in traffic. I could do without the stray dogs shitting everywhere too.

If you like big city life, you'll like Bangkok. And if you want to get away to the beaches, hop on the airport train and grab a flight (or jump on the Pattaya bus).

Scottmallon.

Why not Laos ??

Poor infrastructure, the medical facilities leave something to be desired, and I just think there are better places to raise my sons than Laos. I know I'm speaking generally but if I want western food, most of the restaurants I've been to also left a lot to be desired. Nice people, very laid back but honestly I prefer Thailand and the other places I mentioned. Not a slam on Laos, I like it there but I don't want to live there. I'm not sure if I'd live in Cambodia either, I considered it when I was single but I find it a bit boring there. I've been in Cambodia for weeks at a time approximately 50 times and I'm a bit burnt on Cambodia.

scottmallon wrote:

First, I think it depends on your budget, what you plan on doing where ever you decide to live, and where you think you would fit in best.

As far as living in Asia. You can't go wrong with Thailand. 

Indonesia is a good place - it's nowhere near as bad as what the press and others might make it out to be. Vietnam is okay but not as easy to move there as with Thailand. China is another place that might be good if you have the funds to pay your way in and you have patience.

But two places that interest me, and in the future I might consider staying there for at least a few months at a time are Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan. The cost of living is quite reasonable and from what I've seen and heard, they are interesting places to live.

Places I probably will never live: Singapore, Laos, Malaysia...the Philippines, although I would need to think about this one.

An American in Thailand

Hi Scottmallon, I am from Kazakhstan, if you have any questions about it, or Kyrgyzstan, feel free to ask me

Thank you...

I just wanted to pick up on something that has only ben mentioned a little about Bangkok: the air pollution, do not underestimate it (don't underestimate the water pollution, either, but that's not my focus, here.)

If I had children I would never, ever expose their little, developing lungs to this city. 

I had mild asthma when I arrived and it is now severe. They have excellent lung specialists, here, but it's because they need them!
Mostly, I stay inside the house or inside a car, or I need to use my ventolin within 50 metres of leaving a building. It is  particularly bad during the dry season (December ot March) when everything that has flooded the country flies up into the air - you can see the layer of pollution if you're in a highrise!  When I do go out, I take a mask buteven the ones with the valves(which I cannot find here and have to have sent from Australia) are terribly uncomfortable because of the heat of the weather, and I can't imagine young children being happy to wear them.

Of course, even inside you are at risk because the dust here is crazy! We have air filters in each room and it keeps it fairly clean, but still we have to vaccuum every second day to avoid visible flows of dust - not the spun sugar kind of dust we get in Australia but actual waves of fine sand-like dust like tiny sand dunes floating across the floorboards - after two days!

Whatever your reasons for considering Bangkok, just try to consider your lungs - especially your children's lungs!

rynndu wrote:

Tq so much for the reply.

Think phuket is also another place you can consider. Communication should not be a problem as most of the thail able to speak english. Security not bad, good for you and your kids.

@Eddie: I have to say I laughed quite a bit reading your posts. But if your main thing is chasing prostitutes in Thailand (or anywhere in the world) then you'll certainly end up bittered like you tend to come over. I lived in Bangkok for nearly 3 years and I loved it, and still do, pollution is a problem but it's better than what it was before (mass transit/change of busses etc).

I have a friend living in Krabi town, very quiet and beautiful surroundings, limestone cliffs, the best beaches, forests etc. Cheap flights from BKK too and I think you can find enough cheap places for rent.

Chiang Mai? You must be joking! A very high lung cancer rate and respiratory diseases there from awful air pollution during the "burning season". Very poor public transport and infrastructure.
There are some good international schools there but most require considerable driving or risky drives in passenger vans.
Definitely better off further south until the authorities fix these drawbacks!

joes.winn wrote:

Chiang Mai Is a best place to live

Chiang Mai is not for everyone, myself included. I much prefer the beaches and like the south as opposed to the north.

Scott, in your opinion why is it HARD to move to Vietnam?

bta87 wrote:

Scott, in your opinion why is it HARD to move to Vietnam?

I believe what I wrote was "Vietnam is okay but not as easy to move there as with Thailand."

I could be wrong but from what I know (only been there twice) and what I've been told, the expat community is more developed than in Vietnam. Also, the country is more westernized than Vietnam which also is easier for foreigners. I'm sure once you're there and learn the ropes its just like Thailand but initially at least, I think it's going to be more difficult.

Would I live there though? Hell yes, if I found a job there making decent money I'd be there in a heartbeat. I really think there are more hidden gems and unspoiled people in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia than in Thailand nowadays. Over the past 20 years, even the last ten years, Thailand has lost some of it's innocence and is a bit more hardcore. Cambodia has lost a little also but it's still much less developed and westernized than Thailand.

How do you like it there and how long have you been there?

Thanks Scott I was just curious as I live in VN. In fact I stopped here on my way to planting tomato plants, so to speak in Thailand. I found it so nice I stayed. On the surface perhaps it appears that the
"staying" visa-vie the visa situation is harder than Thailand. But corruption in many ways works very well here. The gov't really wants us here and bend all to make it happen. You are spot on w/"The expat community is not as well developed here. At least were I live (Nha Trang) this is quite true. Now I maybe wrong, but I believe HCMC or Hanoi has a very large expat presence . Now if it is prostitute you are looking for Vietnam does not look kindly at them. To be certain you can grab one in a minute from the pimps on the street. But as far as occupying a hotel room w/ someone you are not married to will get a whole lot of people in a wreck. But housing is dirt cheap, food the same. The tropical heat is mitigated very well here on the beach in Nha Trang. Guns are against the law here, and it seems crime of that sort is very low. However, petty crimes of opportunity are rather high I'm told. But I've never experienced any, but I don't run the streets at night. No matter your age you can marry a very cute girl of any age. However, all this is predicated on just what it is that blows your own skirt up. I must say I was pleasantly shocked by VN. Thanks for your inout and clarification.

bta87 wrote:

Thanks Scott I was just curious as I live in VN. In fact I stopped here on my way to planting tomato plants, so to speak in Thailand. I found it so nice I stayed. On the surface perhaps it appears that the
"staying" visa-vie the visa situation is harder than Thailand. But corruption in many ways works very well here. The gov't really wants us here and bend all to make it happen. You are spot on w/"The expat community is not as well developed here. At least were I live (Nha Trang) this is quite true. Now I maybe wrong, but I believe HCMC or Hanoi has a very large expat presence . Now if it is prostitute you are looking for Vietnam does not look kindly at them. To be certain you can grab one in a minute from the pimps on the street. But as far as occupying a hotel room w/ someone you are not married to will get a whole lot of people in a wreck. But housing is dirt cheap, food the same. The tropical heat is mitigated very well here on the beach in Nha Trang. Guns are against the law here, and it seems crime of that sort is very low. However, petty crimes of opportunity are rather high I'm told. But I've never experienced any, but I don't run the streets at night. No matter your age you can marry a very cute girl of any age. However, all this is predicated on just what it is that blows your own skirt up. I must say I was pleasantly shocked by VN. Thanks for your inout and clarification.

You make me want to move there now!

I like being in a place where I am not one of many foreigners, especially tourists, so Ho Chi Min and Hanoi are probably not for me. Although...like I said, if I were to get work paying a decent wage there I might be tempted. I'm always game...I'm not into the whoring scene nowadays, I'm married with kids and not looking so wouldn't run the streets either. I'm 50 now and my mission for the next 10 years is to make as much money as possible, even if it means being away from the family. So far nothing has struck me as worthwhile.

Well they sure want English teaching folks here, don't know if that is your cup of tea, and they certainly encourage you to go into business. But not every place id for everyone. And if your wife is Thai I doubt she would be keen on moving either. The point is I just wanted to get your opinion and perhaps others can see VN and Thailand in a way that is useful to them, good or bad. This is my 60th country and I find good and bad in them all. Including my mother country!!

bta87 wrote:

Well they sure want English teaching folks here, don't know if that is your cup of tea, and they certainly encourage you to go into business. But not every place id for everyone. And if your wife is Thai I doubt she would be keen on moving either. The point is I just wanted to get your opinion and perhaps others can see VN and Thailand in a way that is useful to them, good or bad. This is my 60th country and I find good and bad in them all. Including my mother country!!

Teaching English isn't really something I want to do.

Vietnam sounds like a place to consider for a two or three month holiday when my kids are out of school.

HI. I am Sufiah from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have been working and living in Phuket for the last 5 years. I have been to most part of Thailand since I was a teenager. I find Hua Hin a very peaceful and affordable place to live in.  Its more peaceful then any other Thai state because its where all the rich Thais go for their holiday and the Kings castle is situated there. Nice pristine beaches too and affordable houses you can buy.
Its also 3 hours from Bangkok international airport .

Phuket is also a nice place however Phuket is becoming more and more crowded and expensive. Developments are coming up like mushrooms and low end tourist come to Phuket all year round. Therefore crimes have increased tremendously.  Schools , please bare in mind you have 3 children and all schools are privately owned therefore you need to fork out 80,000 thb a month at least. There are more expensive school if you are looking for quality and good teachers.

Please apply for Thai driving license using your international driving license . YOur international driving license is not valid in Thailand. Should you meet with an accident, the insurance will not cover unless you have thai driving license. Renew every year for 5 years .

HOusing is easy. you can get starting from 10,000 thb for a 3 bed room to whatever amount you please. I am currently living in a modern town home near a MArina. I am happy at this place and has no problem. All my other 6 properties Ive rented before had so much problem and we were paying 120, 000 thai baht a month hoping that it is safe, water is sufficient, electric is supported by government etc..... Not necessarily the property wins awards with Bloomberg means it is exceptional ok.
Helath Insurance... please buy Tokio Marine. This company is from Japan. Don't buy AIA.
Bank, you can put your money in Bangkok Bank or CIMB or Standard Chartered or UOB. 

Always have a lawyer to peruse whatever documents you have. Never sign anything in Taai. Even in english you must have a lawyer to peruse it. we purchased a house contract was in english and later found out that the land have no road excess. Our deposit was not refundable because we were fooled by the developer.

OK lastly, please open a savings account in Luxemboug and do not put all your money in Thailand. Its easy to bring in money but very very very very difficult to withdraw. Transfer your money via internet when you need the cash otherwise there is no need.


I hope all this info helps. 

Sophie

sufiahnoor wrote:

HI. I am Sufiah from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I have been working and living in Phuket for the last 5 years. I have been to most part of Thailand since I was a teenager. I find Hua Hin a very peaceful and affordable place to live in.  Its more peaceful then any other Thai state because its where all the rich Thais go for their holiday and the Kings castle is situated there. Nice pristine beaches too and affordable houses you can buy.
Its also 3 hours from Bangkok international airport .

Phuket is also a nice place however Phuket is becoming more and more crowded and expensive. Developments are coming up like mushrooms and low end tourist come to Phuket all year round. Therefore crimes have increased tremendously.  Schools , please bare in mind you have 3 children and all schools are privately owned therefore you need to fork out 80,000 thb a month at least. There are more expensive school if you are looking for quality and good teachers.

Please apply for Thai driving license using your international driving license . YOur international driving license is not valid in Thailand. Should you meet with an accident, the insurance will not cover unless you have thai driving license. Renew every year for 5 years .

HOusing is easy. you can get starting from 10,000 thb for a 3 bed room to whatever amount you please. I am currently living in a modern town home near a MArina. I am happy at this place and has no problem. All my other 6 properties Ive rented before had so much problem and we were paying 120, 000 thai baht a month hoping that it is safe, water is sufficient, electric is supported by government etc..... Not necessarily the property wins awards with Bloomberg means it is exceptional ok.
Helath Insurance... please buy Tokio Marine. This company is from Japan. Don't buy AIA.
Bank, you can put your money in Bangkok Bank or CIMB or Standard Chartered or UOB. 

Always have a lawyer to peruse whatever documents you have. Never sign anything in Taai. Even in english you must have a lawyer to peruse it. we purchased a house contract was in english and later found out that the land have no road excess. Our deposit was not refundable because we were fooled by the developer.

OK lastly, please open a savings account in Luxemboug and do not put all your money in Thailand. Its easy to bring in money but very very very very difficult to withdraw. Transfer your money via internet when you need the cash otherwise there is no need.


I hope all this info helps. 

Sophie

There are certainly other options besides AIA and Tokio Marine. BUPA and William Russell insurance are just two of a dozen or so.

Do you mean 12,000 baht or 120,000? If you mean 120K then by all means it should be safe and you should have no problems.

IMO Hua Hin is a good place to visit but not one of the better places to live. First, it's costlier than many other suitable locations. Second, it's a tourist destination. At least for me, I don't want to live in a tourist area. I wouldn't want to live in Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin or Koh Samui. Prices are higher and I didn't move to Thailand to live among foreigners. It's a matter of personal preference though, obviously. Bangkok has tourists but I don't live among them or in an area where tourists flock.

There are also numerous excellent banks in Thailand besides Bangkok Bank, which I use. I have Kasikorn, Siam Commercial (SCB) and Thai Military Bank, all are very good. Siam Commercial makes it extremely easy to bank online, which I like since I abhor going into a bank for trivial matters.

The schools - 80,000 baht a month? For three kids, that sounds about right - 350-400K a year per kid. That's in an international school though. Not everyone has this sort of money, and I'm one of these people. I have two children who go to a bilingual school and it costs us 20,000 a month.

Finally, bank in Luxembourg? When I worked in boxing here I regularly withdrew hundreds of thousands of baht, even millions in a couple of instances, as well as sent these sums abroad. The only problem I had was withdrawing over a million baht and the bank didn't have it all in Thai baht. It was late in the afternoon and they asked me to come back in the morning. I did and there were no further issues. I do not doubt banking in Luxembourg. However, Thailand's banks are more than sufficient for the needs of most people.

Yes, 120,000 Thai baht a month and it was awarded by Bloomberg as Property of the year.
Problems every weekend . It was crap. :-(
I don't know much about Hua hin but from my experience
We are moving back to Europe in 2 years time .
Phuket is filled with foreigners n lots of money laundering
Here. Maybe this is why the banks are more strict . Having said that
If you hv invoice , they will not question if we are nice and
Familiar with the bank officer .

Nevertheless , it's all about preference . If you want to cut cost
And live cheap , yes you can . I am Asian but I love cheese good milk
breads, Italian cuisine , Australian  beef, salads. all these imported items
are extremely expensive . Not to mention , all imported cars
Are far more expensive then Malaysia . It doesn't make sense .

sufiahnoor wrote:

Yes, 120,000 Thai baht a month and it was awarded by Bloomberg as Property of the year.
Problems every weekend . It was crap. :-(
I don't know much about Hua hin but from my experience
We are moving back to Europe in 2 years time .
Phuket is filled with foreigners n lots of money laundering
Here. Maybe this is why the banks are more strict . Having said that
If you hv invoice , they will not question if we are nice and
Familiar with the bank officer .

Nevertheless , it's all about preference . If you want to cut cost
And live cheap , yes you can . I am Asian but I love cheese good milk
breads, Italian cuisine , Australian  beef, salads. all these imported items
are extremely expensive . Not to mention , all imported cars
Are far more expensive then Malaysia . It doesn't make sense .

I personally don't want to live on the cheap but I do live within my means. For me it's about what my family and I need, not so much what I want. I want a Ferrari and a 20,000 square foot home but do I really need it? Of course, not.

Yes, Phuket is full of people living and doing illegal activities. So are Bangkok and Pattaya...not so sure about Chiang Mai. If you don't like it there though, why are you there? Work? 

The banks can be difficult but with an invoice I've never had a problem, even if the invoice is a printed page from a website and an email.

I also like the things you do and yes they are expensive. But I tend to be happy with having what I need as opposed to what I want. There are many things I want that I know for certain are bad for me, lol, so I can do without.

Oh and contrary to what many, many people believe, Thailand is not cheap. It's cheaper in some areas but as you've noted, many things are more expensive or the same price as places that you would think far more expensive.

Please dont go to live in Pattaya it is dangerous and seedy and really not for children. There are many places on the outskirts of Bangkok that are nice. North Thailand as a cooler climate and many farang are starting to settle there,Southern is hot and there is the unsettled muslim areas. Outer Pattaya might be nice somewhere you can get to the beach when you need to for the children but starting to get pricey now for property.More imfo from you might have developed a more clearer picture

Thaiporkpie wrote:

Please dont go to live in Pattaya it is dangerous and seedy and really not for children. There are many places on the outskirts of Bangkok that are nice. North Thailand as a cooler climate and many farang are starting to settle there,Southern is hot and there is the unsettled muslim areas. Outer Pattaya might be nice somewhere you can get to the beach when you need to for the children but starting to get pricey now for property.More imfo from you might have developed a more clearer picture

The South is hot but then just about everywhere that isn't North is hot as well.

The "unsettled Muslim areas" are only in three provinces. The South is a huge area and places like Surat, Phuket, Nakor Si Thammarat, Krabi are perfectly fine places to live.

i am thinking of going over there long term. where is a good place to start. economy is a consideration

chris corollo wrote:

i am thinking of going over there long term. where is a good place to start. economy is a consideration

Bangkok, Pattaya, or Chiang Mai.

thank you for your reply. can you tell me if i would need a special visa or something from Thai government? I would be coming from California

chris corollo wrote:

thank you for your reply. can you tell me if i would need a special visa or something from Thai government? I would be coming from California

Visa Questions Answered
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nqAArIC22s

All the expenses together....you need more money to live.
uncivilized society ....what more you want.
Thailand is a nice place if you don't live there.

Ooo better not come...

Rosebergen wrote:

All the expenses together....you need more money to live.
uncivilized society ....what more you want.
Thailand is a nice place if you don't live there.

wow.......it seems that you are quite irritated with Thailand

Rosebergen wrote:

All the expenses together....you need more money to live.
uncivilized society ....what more you want.
Thailand is a nice place if you don't live there.

I don't agree with the expenses part of your posts or that it is a stupid idea for a family to move here. Perhaps you are in the minority who feels this way or perhaps you have issues others may not have.

I can't live anywhere near as well in the US for the same money here in Thailand.

ATM machine? Really, as a Chinese woman? Are you unable to say no?
I'm an American man and I don't feel the same. You know why? Because I and only I am the one who can give the pin code to my ATM. Nobody pries my wallet out of my hands and takes money from my wallet.

As far as buying women, I've been to China and there are women for sale in many areas, at least in Beijing. There are women for sale all over the world...what does this matter to you?

scottmallon wrote:

Rosebergen wrote:

All the expenses together....you need more money to live.
uncivilized society ....what more you want.
Thailand is a nice place if you don't live there.

I don't agree with the expenses part of your posts or that it is a stupid idea for a family to move here. Perhaps you are in the minority who feels this way or perhaps you have issues others may not have.

I can't live anywhere near as well in the US for the same money here in Thailand.

ATM machine? Really, as a Chinese woman? Are you unable to say no?
I'm an American man and I don't feel the same. You know why? Because I and only I am the one who can give the pin code to my ATM. Nobody pries my wallet out of my hands and takes money from my wallet.

As far as buying women, I've been to China and there are women for sale in many areas, at least in Beijing. There are women for sale all over the world...what does this matter to you?

uncivilized society????? she and her british husband are the only 2 civilized persons in the land of smiles.

Thailand is good country for holiday.
For a foreigner to move here you need be careful.
China is different, China has strong law to protect foreigners, you have legal rights
In China.
Anyway truth sounds not happy,I shut up.

with 120000 bath in thailand you have not any problem be sure

Pretty much any Major city because you will never encounter the safety and security threat that you would get in the US or European major cities. There are two types of communities in Thailand Upper class and Poor. I'm sure you are not going to the slums so where you go you will be in good shape.