Thinking of moving to Isaan

[Acemaker]

[emoji106]

[Squeegee]

30 minutes ago, bwpage3 said:

Isaan dialogue is not the same and you won't understand one word of anything anyone says. Isaan women are devoted to their families and will always side with them. Many homes will Not Even have The Basics, Like Air Con, you Will Need To Survive. Isaan Is Super Boring And an Educated Person Would Go Out Of His Mind. The Best Advice In the World Is To Have An Iron Clad Backup Plan. Teachers Income Does Not Afford A Quality Life Only Survival. The fact She is Talking To You ABout Investing In Her Business is Gigantic Red Flag. 

 

This guy seems pretty clueless, quite frankly.

 

"You won't understand one word..."

 

Spoken like a typical foreigner who never worked hard to learn the language: if he had done so he may have had something useful and worthwhile to say rather than misinformation.

Reality is, the Isaan dialect has many similarities with central Thai, particularly the number system. If you can speak some Thaiyou will already have a start on Isaan dialect. A little of both can really open doors and result in unique and amazing experiences beyond thes cope of people like the fellow in the quote.

 

What that guy calls 'an educated person' is, by his own description, someone with no inner resources or interests in life to inspire himself.

 

 

If you are like him, stay in Pattaya or on Sukhumvit, but if you are interested in languages like you say you have the potential to experience some of the best things Thailand has to offer.

 

 

 

Don't invest what you can't afford to lose and don't burn your bridges with back home.

 

[Pinot]

The relationship with the Thai girl will probably go sour. You're a very desireable young man from Thai girl's point of view. You'll soon find an incredibly hot girl and maybe someone who actually has a great life going. You might check out Udon Thani. I think I'd live there if I didn't live in Phuket. More opportunities there and smoking hot women. 

 

I would go back to the UK and maximize your earnings and save save save. You're in the prime of your career. Here in Thailand you'll be lucky to find a job you can scrape by with. Then there is the issue of how do I stay in the country? It's very hard to make a living here. It can be done but not out of there. 

[Acharn]

You shouldn't have to worry about the language, if you have a fair grasp of spoken central Thai. All the people seem to speak central Thai when they need to, although when I lived in Nakhon Ratchasima I met one guy who apparently only spoke Khorat dialect. I have no idea who he talked to, since everybody I knew said they didn't speak it (I was living about 65 km. away from Khorat). A lot of Isaan dialect is comprehensible to a Thai speaker and you'll pick up more as you go.

[melvinmelvin]

5 hours ago, pr9spk said:

I'm bored in the UK, my career bores the hell out of me and most of my good friends have moved away anyway.

 

If I keep my house in the UK and rent it, I will not be penniless in the future.

 

If I just go to Isaan with liquid assets, around £30,000, would you consider that to be viable?

 

I would be considering marriage and a work permit.

30 000 quid should keep you going, for a while.....

 

would be a mistake to burn the bridges, keep a home in the UK, maybe sell what you have today and get something

cheaper in order to free up capital, but do keep an OK home in the UK

 

invest in someones business you know zilch about, very bad idea

 

one thing that doesn't sound good to me with your plane,

I would consider marriage???

sounds outright weird to me, Go to Thailand with a view to consider marriage?

use the big head, not the small one

 

Kong Chiam is a nice place, I enjoy that place very much. For years? Probably I could, but not sure.

 

Ubon is one of the few Isaan provinces I could consider staying in, that is because of my interests and hobbies,

I can satisfy them in Ubon.

But mind you, do as people say here, take a 6 month trip, try to get a feel for how it is to build a life in Isaan countryside.

Korat, KonKaen and Udon Thani is different from rural Isaan, don't forget that.

 

Think 10 years forward. What do you do then or want to do?

Continue teaching English to Isaan kids? Want to go back to UK and get a job.

 

Right, so what have you been doing while away from the UK, the interviewer asks.

Been teaching some English to Isaan minors mostly, and helping my neighbour with his fishpond.

Right, would that land you an attractive job in UK?

 

 

 

 

 

[Dene16]

8 minutes ago, VBF said:

Not entirely true - it depends where in UK you live.

Of course, i knew when i wrote the comment that i was leaving myself open for a comment such as yours

But the rent is lower, flats are constantly changing tenants, undesirable tenants. Its all about the tenants.

I have 2 properties still but getting rid of  my flat was the best thing i did.

I also have friends that have many properties and they say the same.

Having said that it can work but only if you manage them yourself.

He  needs something that is he can practically forget about and if he so decides can come back and move straight back into. i don,t think he will want to move back into a grubby 1 bed in Durham 

Not always true but nice house = nice tenants that will look after it

 

[Humpy]

You are too young........ see the World first and then decide !!

[VBF]

17 minutes ago, Dene16 said:

Of course, i knew when i wrote the comment that i was leaving myself open for a comment such as yours

But the rent is lower, flats are constantly changing tenants, undesirable tenants. Its all about the tenants.

I have 2 properties still but getting rid of  my flat was the best thing i did.

I also have friends that have many properties and they say the same.

Having said that it can work but only if you manage them yourself.

He  needs something that is he can practically forget about and if he so decides can come back and move straight back into. i don,t think he will want to move back into a grubby 1 bed in Durham 

Not always true but nice house = nice tenants that will look after it

 

@Dene16  Well i actually responded to your implication that it's impossible to get 2 properties in UK for £150K where you said "2 properties for 150K?".  That is patently not true nor do the "new rules" about ownership prevent it.

However, you are of course correct in the red comments. And being candid, it's not something i would do myself (I did it in the past) for many of the reasons you state.

 

But, if the OP is desperate to live in Thailand and not burn his bridges, (as I said, he's a young man) then my comments do hold - he would need a reliable agent or trustworthy friend to manage/monitor the properties and it would not be easy - see my comment about cost-effectiveness too!

In summary, it's not for me or you but it might provide a solution for the OP. Oh, and being a younger man, he has the time to return, make the properties good, were any damage to be done, and still show a profit if/when he sells - in other words, stay in the UK market which i understand to be the whole point.

[nycjoe]

I live in Sakon Nakhon, a small town called Kham ta kla. It is peaceful and quiet. No traffic, no rush hours.
I am retired so have a fixed income.
Every several weeks I go to a city either by the sea or chiang mai or udon Thani. I am enjoying my life.
My advise to you would be to not make a major decision for 1 year. Because you are unhappy in the west, doesn't mean you will be happy here. Happiness is a state of mind and has less to do with your location as it does with your inner feelings.
You have a good education and so you have tools that you can use anywhere.
Have fun and keep a good sense of being. Good luck to you.

[SteveK]

Changing to an interest only mortgage is a good option I hadn't considered. And yes that would give me £800 a month of top of any Thai salary plus a house to go back to.

 

My friend owns a few acres of land, her own house, a brand new Toyota pick up truck and 2 motorbikes. She wants to open another shop, but I doubt I will contribute.

 

[VBF]

2 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

Changing to an interest only mortgage is a good option I hadn't considered. And yes that would give me £800 a month of top of any Thai salary plus a house to go back to.

 

My friend owns a few acres of land, her own house, a brand new Toyota pick up truck and 2 motorbikes. She wants to open another shop, but I doubt I will contribute.

 

None of my business, but consider whether your friend owns or has borrowed to buy the land/house/vehicles. Just saying.......

[SteveK]

10 minutes ago, VBF said:

None of my business, but consider whether your friend owns or has borrowed to buy the land/house/vehicles. Just saying.......

 

Already have done that. A small loan on the truck but nothing else. Under £2500 I believe.

 

There seems to be a huge amount of negativity and people advising to stay in the UK.

 

I find the UK to be very miserable and depressing, which I why I am considering this. Just trying to get a gist of the financials to see if it is even a viable option at the moment. I have spent a lot of time in Thailand so have quite a good understanding of the culture etc and can understand a (very) little bit of Isaan.

[MadMuhammad]

Just now, pr9spk said:

 

Already have done that. A small loan on the truck but nothing else. Under £2500 I believe.

 

There seems to be a huge amount of negativity and people advising to stay in the UK.

 

I find the UK to be very miserable and depressing, which I why I am considering this. Just trying to get a gist of the financials to see if it is even a viable option at the moment. I have spent a lot of time in Thailand so have quite a good understanding of the culture etc and can understand a little bit of Isaan.

You'll always get a deluge of negativity on TV mate. But there are a few good nuggets among the burnt, pessimistic comments. Just take the good bits that pop up and take note of what can go wrong from the rest. Remember life is what you make it, just stay on your toes and remember only you care as much about your life as you do and there's no real safety net in Thailand for foreigners.

[catman20]

1 hour ago, maxtwo said:

You can still buy terraced house for £80.000 in Sheffield I have ten.

wow another millionaire 

[VBF]

11 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

 

There seems to be a huge amount of negativity and people advising to stay in the UK.

Well, you asked for advice / questions and people are merely giving their thoughts, some based on personal experience!

I for one would not care for it BUT we all have different views of life so if you have your heart set on it  -  GO FOR IT and honestly, I wish you the best of luck and happiness. 

[The Deerhunter]

3 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

In the short term I would strongly recommend not burning your bridges.  If you get off the property ladder back home,  (yes and it is a ladder, only going up.......) you may never get back on if you have a change of heart.  I was lucky to rent my home to an ex employee who I trusted and we still have a tiny crash pad (basement granny-flat) with down sized possessions list to stay in on visits home.  You never know how well these things can turn out.  I'm 4 years in now but still not selling up at home.  It is appreciating faster than I could spend the money here anyway so as I have other income it is the best for me.  As another poster suggested, consider selling and buying something more rentable if your current home is not an easy renter (difficult to maintain), but burning bridges is what ruins the entire life of a lot of expats. They decide they have no life here and cannot afford to go home and start again. A fate worse than the only option!!!!   Totally agree with Goanna and the other 3-4 posts directly above!!!   But 3 or 4 weeks is NOT NOT NOT enough!!!!!!!!  You need 6 months at least to get a real feel for it.   Everyone says living here is different from a holiday and it is so true.   

Oh, and I agree about the paperwork for a marriage extension, as described by Toscano.  The paperwork seems to vary from province to province (it shouldn't but it does) and we tried two years in a row and gave up.  Too difficult.  In some provinces it seems they just don't want you to.  And make no bones about telling you exactly that; and then, obviously making it outright difficult.  The financial incentive is great: 400,00 baht against 800,000 baht in the bank or 40,000 against 60,000 baht a month proven income.  But the phrase "The devil is in the detail" was created for this situation.

[Jeffrey346]

Your financial / net worth is your business and should not be posted on an open forum.

If you want to relocate to NE Thailand, consider Khon Kaen. 

[todlad]

You are already telling all and sundry about your assets. Bad move: you have probably already been spotted by someone and if they can get at you maybe they will.

6k baht net income from a house worth over a third of a million GBP. Your master's wasn't in accounting or maths or any other numerate subject was it! I don't know your mortgage payments either but my net income from my house is north of 25k baht a month for a much smaller house than yours ...

Do not sell your house yet, if ever: your mental welfare is not settled at all let alone your employment and visa status. 

If you are pissed off now, what makes you think you are heading for changri la here? You have no idea yet. I have been through the same process, as have many old lags here; and I took several years of research here before I took the plunge. Years and Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Rai, Khon Khaen and Isaan. I chose Isaan in the end and it is going well, five years in.

If you take on a Thai girl you may well find that Thailand is a very cheap place to live, until you leave the house!!

Also remember, many of the girls you meet/take up with are paupers. They know they want money ... who doesn't? ... but appreciating value does not come so easily and when you bandy around gbp369000 their eyes are out on stalks!

I met a Brit in Dubai last month and offered him some contacts/advice since we work in the same business. Then we had a meeting that he was 30 minutes late for, he told me he'd  taken a female colleague out for dinner (no no for us). He said he wanted to get away from his wife and the UK ... sound familiar? I told him I would put some stuff together for him and did so but after meeting him, I kept my promise but regretted having made the offer.

You need to slow down lad. Others have given you some good tips.

 

[SteveK]

Thanks. I will mull it over for a few months.

 

By the way I saw a few farangs in Big C at Trakan Phuet Phon last week. That wasn't any of you was it?

[InMyShadow]

Why do farang jump from a first world town to a 3rd world place where zip happens.

The novelty will wear off in just a few days.

Guys under 50 have no business being in Thailand unless of course they are wealthy.. Clearly the OP is not

OP is in his prime earning years and wants to throw it away because "pissed off" with the real world. Coming to Thailand and blowing what little saving he has and boarding a plane home in a few years will be a depressing situation.. And it will happen

 

 

 

 

 

 

[puchooay]

2 hours ago, Squeegee said:

 

This guy seems pretty clueless, quite frankly.

 

"You won't understand one word..."

 

Spoken like a typical foreigner who never worked hard to learn the language: if he had done so he may have had something useful and worthwhile to say rather than misinformation.

Reality is, the Isaan dialect has many similarities with central Thai, particularly the number system. If you can speak some Thaiyou will already have a start on Isaan dialect. A little of both can really open doors and result in unique and amazing experiences beyond thes cope of people like the fellow in the quote.

 

What that guy calls 'an educated person' is, by his own description, someone with no inner resources or interests in life to inspire himself.

 

 

If you are like him, stay in Pattaya or on Sukhumvit, but if you are interested in languages like you say you have the potential to experience some of the best things Thailand has to offer.

 

 

 

Don't invest what you can't afford to lose and don't burn your bridges with back home.

 

Agreed in part but you need to add and "s" to the word "dialect".

[zyphodb]

If I were you I'd go for it, I left the UK six years ago for much the same reasons as you, yes, don't burn your bridges, ie use the rent of your house, don't sell it, I would be reluctant to put the 90k in your friends business, relationships are the same the world over, there are good and bad ones, what you end up with is very much up to you...  I am happy here with my wife & 3 1/2 year old daughter with a house in an Isaan village, I came out with a lot less than you and did burn my bridges, only way I could make it here, And yes, I'm teaching English at a Junior school,  my life has purpose again which it was completely lacking in  back "home" , If fact I wish I'd done it when I was younger... 

  Yes there are many possible problems but that's life, if you really want something just go for it.....

[SteveK]

28 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

Why do farang jump from a first world town to a 3rd world place where zip happens.

The novelty will wear off in just a few days.

Guys under 50 have no business being in Thailand unless of course they are wealthy.. Clearly the OP is not

OP is in his prime earning years and wants to throw it away because "pissed off" with the real world. Coming to Thailand and blowing what little saving he has and boarding a plane home in a few years will be a depressing situation.. And it will happen

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what scares me. Having to go home with nothing. Thanks for everyone's advice.

[mogandave]

I couldn't disagree more. If this becomes the case for you or anyone else you haven't chosen wisely and/or it's a relationship of convenience.
The problem I consistently see is that most guys just hook up with the first girl that they sleep ad plays the role they want. It's a western trait to hang on to 'their' girl whether they've got a serious connection or not. 
Add to that the cultural differences and misunderstandings of language and upbringing and it's commonly a recipe for disaster.
In my opinion most non thai guys need to 1. Meet the right girl in the first place, not just the one who plays the role and 2. Take their time to get to know her and learn about what makes her tick. Not just go all in in the first week. And 3. Don't date/marry a girl you first met over a financial transaction.

I married the woman that I leased my first Bangkok office from. Does that count as a financial transaction?

[donmuang37]

I think you should take a step back and think a little bit.  I retired from my first job at age 42 (U.S. Navy) and fortunately had the good sense to start a second career.  Retired again at 65.  My Thai wife and I move to Thailand because the cost of living is lower, and so my wife could get an education (she's 61 now and holds a BA, MA and Ph.D.)  Paid cash for a nice house in northern Bangkok when we first arrived.  She was already Westernized when we met through friends in Berlin, Germany where she was living and working.   If I had married a woman in Thailand, I don't think I'd still be married.

 

Since we retired, the cost of living has gone up quite a bit. Diesel fuel was 13 baht/liter then, went up to 38 baht for a while and is now around 25 baht. Groceries are much more expensive now and the electric bill has gone up.  Etc. etc.

Meanwhile, I'm getting 33 baht/dollar now, but I good 44 baht/dollar when I arrive.  

 

Fortunately, my retirement income is high enough that the cost of living increases and exchange rates  worsening haven't forced us to change our lifestyle.  It helps that we have no house or car payment (2014 Ford Ranger 4x4 & 2016 Ford Focus, both purchased cash).  And I pay my credit cards off every month.

 

Think about what I just said.  And understand that most Westerners can't make enough teaching to have a decent retirement.

 

You aren't the only one who has been bored with a job.  Me too, but I sucked it up and kept on trucking until I had earned a good retirement. THEN I moved to Thailand.  If you have a master's degree from a good university, then my recommendation is get a job.  Don't like the UK? Move to  Canada or Australia, not Thailand.  Come to Thailand when you are financially set.  And that you aren't!  If I had retired at your age (36) without an adequate income, I would now have been retired for 44 years now, impoverished and living under a bridge somewhere!  Is that the future you want?

 

And by the way, 3 years after I retired here, I got so bored that I started to teach English to keep busy and socialize with English speaking teachers.  I don't have to financially, but I'm still working so I don't sit around and go crazy.  But then I'm not a bar fly.

 

I don't mean to be harsh or pessimistic.  Just realistic.  Good luck, I hope you make the right decisions.

[puchooay]

The Pattaya forum must be quiet tonight.

 

Seems they are all on here.

[SteveK]

6 minutes ago, donmuang37 said:

I think you should take a step back and think a little bit.  I retired from my first job at age 42 (U.S. Navy) and fortunately had the good sense to start a second career.  Retired again at 65.  My Thai wife and I move to Thailand because the cost of living is lower, and so my wife could get an education (she's 61 now and holds a BA, MA and Ph.D.)  Paid cash for a nice house in northern Bangkok when we first arrived.  She was already Westernized when we met through friends in Berlin, Germany where she was living and working.   If I had married a woman in Thailand, I don't think I'd still be married.

 

Since we retired, the cost of living has gone up quite a bit. Diesel fuel was 13 baht/liter then, went up to 38 baht for a while and is now around 25 baht. Groceries are much more expensive now and the electric bill has gone up.  Etc. etc.

Meanwhile, I'm getting 33 baht/dollar now, but I good 44 baht/dollar when I arrive.  

 

Fortunately, my retirement income is high enough that the cost of living increases and exchange rates  worsening haven't forced us to change our lifestyle.  It helps that we have no house or car payment (2014 Ford Ranger 4x4 & 2016 Ford Focus, both purchased cash).  And I pay my credit cards off every month.

 

Think about what I just said.  And understand that most Westerners can't make enough teaching to have a decent retirement.

 

You aren't the only one who has been bored with a job.  Me too, but I sucked it up and kept on trucking until I had earned a good retirement. THEN I moved to Thailand.  If you have a master's degree from a good university, then my recommendation is get a job.  Don't like the UK? Move to  Canada or Australia, not Thailand.  Come to Thailand when you are financially set.  And that you aren't!  If I had retired at your age (36) without an adequate income, I would now have been retired for 44 years now, impoverished and living under a bridge somewhere!  Is that the future you want?

 

And by the way, 3 years after I retired here, I got so bored that I started to teach English to keep busy and socialize with English speaking teachers.  I don't have to financially, but I'm still working so I don't sit around and go crazy.  But then I'm not a bar fly.

 

I don't mean to be harsh or pessimistic.  Just realistic.  Good luck, I hope you make the right decisions.

Thank you very much.

 

This makes very good sense.

 

I have everything here in the UK that I could ever need, but have been visiting Thailand for over 10 years.

 

Factoring everything in, I know that staying here is the more "sensible" option.

 

I like to live quite a simple life, however, getting burned in Thailand and losing everything I have worked for,  and then having to return home to the UK (with nowhere to go outside the doors at Heathrow) is too scary an option.

 

I may visit again for fun for a few months, but I think everything that has been said has forced my hand.

 

Thanks for all the advice.

[tryasimight]

4 hours ago, MadMuhammad said:

Absolutely! There's some great girls out there (you & I have obviously chosen wisely.)

And I whole heartedly agree in not wasting your time. If your unhappy do something about it. 

My personal experience at 39 is to sell up, relocate and just make it work. If you got the want and the guts to make the move you'll make it work. 

Changing jobs, breaking up, moving cities, whatever, always seems extremely difficult to impossible until we're thrust right into the middle of it. Ever lost your job, been broke, had something horrible happen? We always make it work, it's what we as humans do.

And some join the Pattaya balcony divers club.

[Andrew Dwyer]

You've had a mixed bag of replies, some happy endings and also some warning you to stay away.
I came here a year and a half ago to stay after visiting a girl for 6 months on and off. After hearing all the horror stories I decided I would rent a small apartment and buy a small car and give myself a year to decide whether it's for me or not.
I spent that year traveling round Thailand, obviously taking in the sights but also deciding where, and if, I would settle.

Happily for me it's working out and I moved into a house 2 weeks ago.
I'm not in Isaan but I'm not in the large tourist areas either.

My advice would be:
Take it slow, coming here on holiday, is one thing but working here is another ( I'm retired by the way).
Don't burn your bridges, rent your house out, you can always sell later.

But mainly, don't rush into any spur of the moment decisions .

I wish you luck and hope you find the happiness you seek.

[AliasJohn]

18 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

This is what scares me. Having to go home with nothing. Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

18 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

This is what scares me. Having to go home with nothing. Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

18 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

This is what scares me. Having to go home with nothing. Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

18 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

This is what scares me. Having to go home with nothing. Thanks for everyone's advice.

 

18 minutes ago, pr9spk said:

This is what scares me. Having to go home with nothing. Thanks for everyone's advice.

PR9SK..Go with your heart. I have been here in Thailand  for 10 years and 7 in Issan. Its what you make of it. I live in Ubon Ratchathani and Ubon is a wonderful place to live. If you like the bars etc then you can get on a plane and go almost direct there. After you get your rocks off then head back to the real Thailand.  I am 60 years old and I really wish I came here 20 years ago. I live a normal life with my wife and could not ask for more. I have a nice house which in Australia would cost a bomb  and live a very happy life and in Ubon. There are many terrific activities as the local Hash Group, cinemas, pubs, a ton of restaurants,  great friends and the list goes on. I see a recommendation by Michael about a good position at the biggest university is on offer so there are job prospects for you. My personal feeling is... if you don't give it a go, then at some later date maybe you will regret  it.

Go with your heart. All the best.