May Be Moving To Ban Chang, Rayong

[meya]

Hello I may be moving to Ban Chang, Rayong. I'm an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast. I am wondering what the roads are like there, are there lots of places to bike, is commuting around the city centers easily done? What is the area of Ban Chang like? Is there work available in outdoor education or bike touring? I am also interested in studying massage therapy and natural medicine, are there any places in Rayong or Pattaya to look into? Any advice is much appreciated, thanks!

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Hello I may be moving to Ban Chang, Rayong. I'm an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast. I am wondering what the roads are like there, are there lots of places to bike, is commuting around the city centers easily done? What is the area of Ban Chang like? Is there work available in outdoor education or bike touring? I am also interested in studying massage therapy and natural medicine, are there any places in Rayong or Pattaya to look into? Any advice is much appreciated, thanks!

I'm not a cyclist, but Ban Chang has some good places for cycling. There is a road that goes down to the beaches (Phala, Purimas, Namrin), where lots of cyclists ride. The roads in Rayong are older and not good for cycling. Also, cycling between Rayong and Ban Chang is not that great, because you would be riding through heavily-industrialized Mataput, which has poorly maintained roads. There are some nice places to ride, north of Ban Chang, and you might find an upcountry road that will get you to Rayong, and avoid Mataput.

Ban Chang is a small, quiet town, inhabited by many ex-pats, because of its proximity to the Mataput Industrial Estate. After the 1997 financial crisis, it became quite rundown, with many companies pulling out of Mataput. More recently, it is coming back to life. There is a newly opened Tesco shopping center. This is a smaller Tesco, but it has three levels of shops. There is a large Tesco in Rayong. There's no night life in Ban Chang, but it has a few coffee shops and restaurants. It's possible to ride around the city itself, but not particularly pleasant, because you have to deal with Sukhumvit.

As far as work, you would probably do better in Rayong. Rayong has many medical clinics near the Rayong Hospital, and physical rehab/massage therapy is a good business. I'm not sure whether you could study in those fields, or would have to do that in Bangkok. You might also be able to get a job as a physical education teacher. There's lots of schools in Rayong. Housing is cheaper in Rayong, and you might find cycling easier on some of the bypass roads, which avoid Sukhumvit.

[bangkokeddy]

There is a cheap (but effective) massage school run by the government in Ban Chang, contact me for more details by PM when you arrive.

Cycling - roads are fairly quiet, on and off road.