Where is the most comfortable place for westerners to live in Thailand?

[tonray]

9 hours ago, Promula said:

- has fresh air year-round

????????

[Old Croc]

Really the only places that fit your criteria would be Phuket or perhaps Pattaya. Both have International hospitals and direct international flights from the airport (Pattaya reasonably close to Bangkok). They have large modern shopping centers, beaches and many things to do. 

IMO, Phuket is ahead of Pattaya in air quality and beaches. (Indian Ocean water is always better than anywhere in the gulf)

Some espouse HH's relatively low rainfall as a plus, I personally love the rain in Phuket and look forward to the start of the wet season each year. Not so good for short term tourists who want to laze on the beach, but great for residents who enjoy the greenery in gardens and on the hills.

You don't have to settle in the beach tourist towns unless that's your thing. Try the expat areas in the south. It's an Island, beaches are never far away wherever you live.

[Promula]

6 minutes ago, tonray said:

????????

Phuket is as remote as you can get from large land masses, heavy industry and crop stubble burning without being on a remote island. 

[owl sees all]

Nong Khai.

 

Look across the river to Laos. Clean air. Superior girls. Friendly people. And most importantly; cheap.

[Old Croc]

10 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

Going against the current here...have lived in or visited for lengthy periods Pattaya, Korat, Chaiyaphum, Phuket, Koh Chang, Cha am, Hua Hin, Chang Mai.......but Bangkok does it for me......!!!!

I can never understand why anyone would want to live in a huge metropolis, but accept that's what some prefer. However it fails the OP's criteria on most points.

[Promula]

1 minute ago, Old Croc said:

Some espouse HH's relatively low rainfall as a plus, I personally love the rain in Phuket and look forward to the start of the wet season each year. Not so good for short term tourists who want to laze on the beach, but great for residents who enjoy the greenery in gardens and on the hills.

You don't have to settle in the beach tourist towns unless that's your thing. Try the expat areas in the south. It's an Island, beaches are never far away wherever you live.

I second that. Some love Chiang Mai's cool season, but with it comes months of cloudless skies and dry dust, tinder dry forests which love to burn, & air pollution everywhere. Give me a place with wind & clouds straight off of an ocean and almost guaranteed weekly rain throughout the year to keep things clean and green anytime.

[Surelynot]

Just now, Old Croc said:

I can never understand why anyone would want to live in a huge metropolis, but accept that's what some prefer. However it fails the OP's criteria on most points.

I agree...hence "going against the current".....but Bangkok is not like any (western) metropolis I think you would have to agree.....it is hopping.

[tonray]

4 minutes ago, Promula said:

Phuket is as remote as you can get from large land masses, heavy industry and crop stubble burning without being on a remote island. 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-health-chief-issues-advisory-over-haze-air-quality-74431.php

[Old Croc]

1 minute ago, Promula said:

I second that. Some love Chiang Mai's cool season, but with it comes months of cloudless skies and dry dust, tinder dry forests which love to burn, & air pollution everywhere. Give me a place with wind & clouds straight off of an ocean and almost guaranteed weekly rain throughout the year to keep things clean and green anytime.

To be fair, Phuket does have a long dry season that borders on drought at times.

[Old Croc]

1 minute ago, Surelynot said:

I agree...hence "going against the current".....but Bangkok is not like any (western) metropolis I think you would have to agree.....it is hopping.

Sadly, this Old Croc's hopping days are all in the past.

I did live my life in a city until (early) retirement, I now wonder why I didn't leave earlier.

[Promula]

1 minute ago, Old Croc said:

To be fair, Phuket does have a long dry season that borders on drought at times.

I looked into that before choosing, having only been here in December before and seeing blue cloudless skies every day for a week. The stats show that even in January and February, the driest two months, there should be on average eight rainy days in total, which is pretty much once per week https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phuket_Province#Climate

[Old Croc]

1 minute ago, Promula said:

I looked into that before choosing, having only been here in December before and seeing blue cloudless skies every day for a week. The stats show that even in January and February, the driest two months, there should be on average eight rainy days in total, which is pretty much once per week https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phuket_Province#Climate

Wiki's just trumped my 10 years of local living experience. I could have sworn there have been times where it hasn't rained for many weeks. 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, Promula said:

I will, thanks. Any advantages to them over Phuket?

My first thought is - they are in Thailand and Phuket is a tourist area that could be anywhere... 

 

But, I dislike Phuket, so, that should be stated... Rather than advantages over, I would first say they don't have the disadvantages of Phuket... but are still touristy enough that if that makes you comfortable, it might work for you. Certainly worth taking a look... I would check as far south as Dolphin Bay.... good luck.

[cheshiremusicman]

9 hours ago, Mops59 said:

Hua Hin fits top.

I would say take a look at Hua-Hin, particularly just south of HH. HH has probably one of the best climates in Thailand taken overall, lower humidity than Phuket, Krabi, Samui. Very good clean air all the year round with no crop burning smog like the north and no heavy industries, minimum temp about 20c max about 36c with a much longer tourist season than the south. If you are a golfer then it has some great golf courses. Hospital services are very good both Government and private hospitals. The HH general hospital is extremely well equipped as it served as the medical centre for the late King and Queen when they stayed here in HH both having summer residencies here. There is also a very good Military hospital some 12 km south of HH that provides excellent service and I am speaking from personal experience having used both the general and the military hospitals. A lovely 7km pine clad beach south of HH some minutes from my villa and lots and lots of very good restaurants of all kinds and all price ranges. Hotels from 5* to local pensions abound in and around HH with major shopping complexes plus Makro's etc.  Excellent service centres for nearly all makes of vehicles etc plus an airport that is being extended over the next few years. HH is also one of the largest areas of pineapple growing in Thailand. Property prices are very reasonable with a very wide choice of options. I'm some 10km from HH and 10km from Pranburi and the local water and electrical supplies are excellent. A lot of money is being spent on the roads particularly south of HH with a major project just about to be completed near where I Iive which will turn a dangerous single carriageway into a dual carriageway. HH to Bangkok by road is about 3+ hours depending on the traffic. It is anticipated that a high speed rail link will run from HH to Bangkok in the future and the infrastructure is already being put in place for this 'overhead' link, but when it will become operational is anybody's guess. If you need anymore info just PM me. 

[ChipButty]

30 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

To be fair, Phuket does have a long dry season that borders on drought at times.

I dont think we had hardly any rain for 4 or 5 months last high season in the south of Phuket the wells were running dry I had to install a water tank during lock down

[Keyser Soze666]

I stopped reading after 'fresh air'

 

None of that here, except for maybe a few weeks a year up Norf.

[Promula]

1 hour ago, Old Croc said:

Wiki's just trumped my 10 years of local living experience. I could have sworn there have been times where it hasn't rained for many weeks. 

I'm sure there is. They're averages. Some Jan & Feb periods will be wetter, and some bone dry.

[Promula]

1 hour ago, tonray said:

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-health-chief-issues-advisory-over-haze-air-quality-74431.php

Yes, nearly everywhere on the planet has the occasional day or two of smog. What's interesting in that article is that they had no idea where it came from, which shows it's fairly unusual in Phuket.

 

Where I don't want to be is somewhere that's almost guaranteed to have it non-stop for several months every year.

[phetphet]

11 hours ago, Promula said:

That's interesting, thanks. the reasons I discounted Samui for now are:

 

- It's a fairly remote island, hence a bit of a chore to leave and I don't think it has any international flights when one fancies a long weekend in a different regional country

- I don't think Samui has a major conurbation with a large hospital or any non-touristy nightlife. I like to mingle with locals rather than tourists and Samui seems to be tourism and nothing else. I believe it has a Central mall though, which is good. 

- I don't think it has any history. Phuket has quite a bit of Malacca Straits history and lots of lovely colonial buildings

- I don't know if Samui has any decent condo buildings with an infinity pool, gym etc. 

 

Apart from that, Samui was second on my list. 

It's not that remote.  

 

Pre-COVID: International flights to Singapore and Hong Kong. Used to also fly to Penang with FireFly but no longer.

Direct flights to Chiangmai and Phuket.

 

Hourly ferries to the mainland, Donsak. Also I think a high speed cat to Chumpon. Ferries to Koh Tao and Koh Phangan.

 

Five hospital that I know of on the island: Bangkok, Thai International, Bandon, Samui International, and the government one in Nathon. 

Suermarkets: Tops, Big C, and Tesco Lotus (been bought out I believe, so name will change).

 

A couple of cinemas.

 

Lots of Thais exercising, walking, jogging, cycling around Chaweng Lake in the evening if you want to try and meet them, Several night markets that are predominantly Thai now that there are no tourists.

 

Not much history in the way of old buildings as pre-1990 it was mainly a coconut and fishing island with Nathon being the only settlement of any size.

 

HTH

[baansgr]

21 minutes ago, phetphet said:

It's not that remote.  

 

Pre-COVID: International flights to Singapore and Hong Kong. Used to also fly to Penang with FireFly but no longer.

Direct flights to Chiangmai and Phuket.

 

Hourly ferries to the mainland, Donsak. Also I think a high speed cat to Chumpon. Ferries to Koh Tao and Koh Phangan.

 

Five hospital that I know of on the island: Bangkok, Thai International, Bandon, Samui International, and the government one in Nathon. 

Suermarkets: Tops, Big C, and Tesco Lotus (been bought out I believe, so name will change).

 

A couple of cinemas.

 

Lots of Thais exercising, walking, jogging, cycling around Chaweng Lake in the evening if you want to try and meet them, Several night markets that are predominantly Thai now that there are no tourists.

 

Not much history in the way of old buildings as pre-1990 it was mainly a coconut and fishing island with Nathon being the only settlement of any size.

 

HTH

Without turning this into a Bangkok Air thread...although there are flights a return ticket to Pattaya or BKK cost almost twice as much as a return from BKK to Jakarta or Manilla...

[lockyv7]

The Departure Lounge 

[Pedrogaz]

5 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Going against the current here...have lived in or visited for lengthy periods Pattaya, Korat, Chaiyaphum, Phuket, Koh Chang, Cha am, Hua Hin, Chang Mai.......but Bangkok does it for me......!!!!

Ahhh yes, Bangkok. The stench of sewage, the flooding whenever it rains, the awful humidity, the filthy air, the traffic.....does it for me too ????

[Promula]

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

Ahhh yes, Bangkok. The stench of sewage, the flooding whenever it rains, the awful humidity, the filthy air, the traffic.....does it for me too ????

Bangkok is the exact opposite of what I want. I left KL because although I love most things about it such as the greenery, regular rain, infrastructure, and many hills and forests within the city, it was a bit too big, busy and far from a decent beach. Bangkok has nothing that I like about KL and is even bigger, busier, and further from a decent beach.

Edited September 29, 2020 by Promula

[Taco]

Koh Phangan 

[Ireland32]

Pattaya had everything Jomtien Prantamak, Phuket ridiculous pricing Example “Coffee World” at Mall in Phuket 550 b for two iced coffee and one cookie , Crazy Ridiculous 

[Kurtf]

In my humble opinion as high in the mountains as you can get. One of my biggest complaints is the high temps and the high humidity most of the year. But high in the mountains that problem is mitigated a great degree.

[unblocktheplanet]

11 hours ago, baansgr said:

Although the South beats anywhere else hands down for scenery and beaches...Having lived in Samui, Ao Nang and Phuket...the one problem is the rain...Samui 2005 we were flooded in a metre of water for almost 3 months, Krabi rains almost everyday from May to October and Phuket isn't much better.

Sorry, boys, we love the rains in BKK.

[from the home of CC]

if you believed half the whiners on this site it lies in Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines lol... 

[wolf81]

I kinda wonder why Pattaya isn't recommended more in this post. I believe the air should be relatively clean all year round right? As long as not driving in city center, staying close to the beach (e.g. Jomtien area). Of course, in the city center will all traffic it can be pretty bad.

 

Another advantage of Hua Hin and Pattaya compared to Phuket, would be less risk of tidal waves. I've been once to Hua Hin and I liked it there (though I guess it's not really a party town, so if you're into that, not a good place to be). Hua Hin to me seemed cleaner, better organised. I did remember seeing more wide pavements like in European style which certainly is nice for walking around town. The city just seemed cleaner overal compared to Pattaya. And from my experience it's also really small still, so pretty easy to get around.

 

What I don't like about Hua Hin is it's distance to the airport compared to Pattaya. 

 

In the future I plan to buy a condo here and there's one project in Pattaya that I really like, that I believe has good build quality and fits my other requirements.

 

Are there any decent options of condos to buy in Hua Hin, any recommendations? What I'll be looking for is a condo that can fit a small family of 3 people. 2 bedrooms, maybe 100 m2 and not a crazy high price. Also I want a big swimming pool. Preferably a "boring" style swimming pool for daily exercise.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by wolf81

[Promula]

1 hour ago, Kurtf said:

In my humble opinion as high in the mountains as you can get. One of my biggest complaints is the high temps and the high humidity most of the year. But high in the mountains that problem is mitigated a great degree.

Better off in the Cameron Highlands Malaysia, Dalat Vietnam, Bandung Indonesia, or Baguio Philippines for that. Thailand has nowhere to match them.