I first came to Thailand on a consulting job back in 1989. Fell in love with the country and vacationed here many times over the next 10 years.  In 1999, one month before all the computers in the world were supposed to shut down, I moved here on a full time basis. 

I’ve lived or vacationed in most of the usual spots; Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Hua Hin, and of course Bangkok.  These are great places for a vacation, long weekend or a “meet and greet” adventure.  However, for someone contemplating semi-retirement, these areas leave a lot to be desired.  Mostly they have too many tourists!  Great for the economy, tourist related activities, bars and the girls, but not what I have in mind for a reasonable, unstressed and generally laid back life style. 

A lovely little town Ranong, but with no serious infrastructure nor airline service.  Phuket Air went out of business over a year ago and left Ranong stranded.  A 3 hour drive to the nearest airport in Surat Thani is really stretching my patience. Being the rainiest province in Thailand is also depressing during the Monsoon season.

We now find ourselves looking for a high standard, cost effective and friendly area with an infrastructure that offers us an easy and stress free life.  Hard to find, in my opinion, in the well established tourist areas. 

I admit, for the more active, socially adventurous, bar enthusiast and single men, the known tourist areas would be more suitable.  This “newbe” romance seems to wear off after a year or two and many find themselves looking to relocate. 

I had read for years in the Lonely Planet about the NE, but never considered it until I met my wife, who is from Sakon Nakhon a small city about a two hour drive east of Udon Thani, and seriously Northeast of Bangkok. 

Having made two previous trips by air to visit her family, I have become a convert.  Not that I would make the “rookie” mistake of moving to my wife’s family village, but the general area would be a reasonable compromise. 

The old saying in mind, “When Mom’s happy, everyone’s happy” I could see the advantage of this concept. 

Having done my homework with a few road maps, discussions with friends and upgrading the truck with new tires, an oil change and new CD player, I was set.  The wife and I set out to explore the potential of moving to the NE or at the very least, rule it out.

A note about Thailand highways:  They are better than you’d expect and comparable to many western highways.  Even the signs have some English, but typically Thai style, placed in odd spots and distances from exits or turns. 

If you are contemplating driving thru Thailand without a Thai speaking person with you, who can read a map, you may want to consider hiring a car in Bangkok with GPS.  Even we did a couple loops around the outskirts of Bangkok before we were heading in the right direction. 

If you’re starting from downtown Bangkok, here’s a good tip:  Hire a taxi to show the way out of town.  Follow him to the nearest highway so he can point you in the right direction.  It will be the best 200 baht you’ll ever spend!

We would follow this thru the cities of Chumporn, Phetchburi, Hui Hin, Cha am, and into Ratchburi home of  the famous “floating market.”  The morning of our second day was spent taking a boat tour of the canals and viewing the many boats selling the basic tourist gifts, fruit, baked goods and candy.  By noon we had stocked up and headed north. 

Due to flooding in the northern areas of Nakorn Sawan we changed our plans a bit and headed in a more northeasterly route.  This turned out to be a very good idea as the north got hit pretty hard with lots of flooding.  Although we experienced some rain during our trip, we were able in most cases to avoid it by watching the very good coverage on Thai television each evening.

Although I had heard from friends that Nakhon Ratchasima, commonly known as Korat, was a great city and worthy of a look, we decided to pass it up and get further up to the NE where we had more of a serious interest in the real estate possibilities.

Our first destination for possible consideration was Khon Kaen.  It’s considered the gateway to Issan.  On first impression driving in from the South on Highway #2, you are immediately impressed with the wide 8 lane highway thru the middle of town.  Khon Kaen is very well laid out in a “grid” pattern with streets easily negotiated and directions from locals easy to follow.

Our first night was spent in a standard downtown 3 star hotel for 700 baht per night.  This included breakfast.  (For reference at the time of this writing, the baht exchange rate is approximately 37.5 baht to the US dollar or about $18.50 per night.)  The second night we moved over to a smaller hotel right on Kaen Nakorn Lake.  Surrounded by a jogging path, fishing areas, restaurants, many trees and well kept landscaping, we made this our base of operations. 

At only 450 baht per night, without breakfast, we happily stocked our refrigerator with yogurt, fruit and snacks.  We always travel with a hot water maker, so coffee and tea in morning were standard fare.

OK, Khon Kaen for possible long term retirement?  Absolutely!  The city boasts several international hospitals including Thailand’s NE Heart Hospital and several Universities that are rated very high with Thai Nationals. The province is considered the origin of the Issan civilization dating back over 2,500 years.  Streets seem to be cleaner than in most other Thai cites I’ve visited.  Two large malls offer shopping for the Saturday outings, and the superstores such as Tesco/Lotus, Makro and Big C are all here.  Bowling alleys, movie theaters and parks offer many distractions.

Now to the real estate:  We found several new and not so new “villages”.  The newest is Piman Chol 2, only a stones throw from the Lake.  (Visit www.khonkaenhomes.com)

This turned out to be our preferred village, offering the newest homes, largest lots and clubhouse with swimming pool, weight room, sauna, etc.  There are also tennis courts and small lakes within the village for ‘green’ areas.  I found the homes to be of typical “tract” style, offering several models to choose from with prices starting about 1.6 million baht (42,600 dollars) for a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath with small fenced yard.  4 million baht will purchase a 4 bedroom, 4 bath, large fenced, two story oversized home.  At a little over 100,000 US dollars your money surely goes a long way. 

There are MANY villages throughout Khon Kaen and we personally counted over 17, plus a newly constructed high rise condominium overlooking Nakorn Lake. These go for 2.6 to 3.5 million baht.  Nice, but not our style.  Fairly small rooms, but great for the views and overall convenience and nicely furnished.  Overall, we give Khon Kaen an 8.5 (out of 10) compared to the other areas we’ve visited in Thailand.  We found the locals typical of NE people; very nice, helpful and friendly.  There are many western style restaurants and a growing population of Expats finding this great city.

About 120 kilometers north on a very good highway, is the next big city of Udon Thani.  Having just won the right to expand its airport to International status, gives this City a slight edge for anyone needing international travel.  Although Khon Kaen has a good domestic airport and you can get to Bangkok quite easily, having an International Airport is appealing.  The ring road around Udon was created years ago by the American Military while still involved in the Viet Nam War. The airport was one of the largest in SE Asia during this era and remains today a staging airport for many countries training flights. 

Attractions:  This province is renowned for being the location of Ban Chiang World Heritage Site.  Phu Phrabat Historical Park offers a unique and beautiful landscape.  There are also caves and cliffs with traces of prehistoric paintings.  Ban Chiang National Museum is the region’s most important historical site designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Udon Sunshine Orchid Garden grows the new Thai orchid species “Udorn Sunshine”.  It is the first scented orchid in the world to be used in perfume making.

The ring road is very helpful in getting around this City once you figure it out.  Lots of construction going on at this time, adding to the confusion, but letting you know that Udon Thani is growing.  Many Expats are currently living here with several restaurants, bars and other western owned businesses established and thriving. 

The real estate:  Our first stop was to our friend Preben, owner of FBI Udon Real Estate.  (No, he’s not a spook.   FBI stands for “First & Best In” Udon Thani.)  Preben specializes in the resale market and has many properties, land and businesses for sale.  He’s been in Udon for 5 years now and runs a very professional office.  As in Khon Kaen there are many newer “villages” being established.  Once again, prices are similar to Khon Kaen.  One village that we really like was Baan Chonrada.  Offering 77 units over 25 rai of property including a clubhouse with a very large swimming pool.  They currently offer 3 house types and will work with you to “customize” your home if purchased prior to construction.  Model homes are available to view.  Not much English spoken so bring someone to translate.  Homes run in the 3 to 5 million baht range. (Approx. 75,000 to 125,000 US dollars) Their website is www.baanchonrada.com

Overall, we like Udon Thani and give it a solid “8” on our scale.  Khon Kaen edged it out slightly due its overall appearance, layout and amenities.

Fifty six kilometers north on a very good highway is Nong Khai.  Our drive took 45 minutes only because I was driving slow to take in the scenery.  It could be made in 30 minutes, easy.  This is a very important qualification on my rating scale for Nong Khai.

Nong Khai is probably the fastest growing area for Expats to retire.  Located directly on the Mekong River, across from Lao PDR (Laos), I would consider this a “town” not a City.  Only 24km from Vientiane the Capitol of Lao PDR for exploration, French food and a laid back atmosphere. 

Attractions:  Wat Pho Chai is renowned for enshrining the province’s most sacred Buddha image, Luang Pho Phra Sai.  Phu Wua Wildlife Reserve features dry and lush to evergreen forest, and is known for its several beautiful waterfalls.  The Sadat Market occupying an area on the bank of the Mekong River is a bustling market in the center of town featuring Indochinese and Eastern European products.  The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge spans the Mekong River from Nong Khai to the Duea City of Lao PDR.

This medium sized “town” has several advantages from our perspective.  It has the small town feel with none of the busy streets we’d endured in Udon and Khon Kaen.  Many western businessmen are setting up restaurants, bars and other enterprises.  It also boasts a large Tesco/Lotus supermarket which offers the highest of standards and products found in Thailand.  It is comparable to most supermarkets we are accustomed to in the States.  AND it’s only a 30 to 40 minute drive on a good highway to Udon Thani, for big city shopping and entertainment, as well as the International Airport.

The real estate:  FBI in Udon handles this area also and has many properties, both land and homes, for sale. (See Preben’s website above) On our second day we discovered a small housing development just on the outskirts of town.  Patchahouse 2 is the second development a local Thai family is building in Nong Khai. The real pleasure was talking to Jay, the son in charge of this project.  Educated in the United States, he speaks perfect English and understands details from a “western perspective.”  The homes reflect this training and style.  Starting at only 1.6 million baht, these by far, offer the best value for the dollar.  Jay will also work with you on any custom designs, even putting your design on one of his lots.  You must of course meet certain criteria, but for the most part can build your dream home.  His big 3 bedroom 3 bathroom with huge living room and decent sized lot go for about 2.4 million baht.  Customize with a western kitchen, maids room double sized lot and swimming pool and you can have this dream home for under 4 million baht. Jay’s website is www.patchahouse.com 

We give Nong Khai our number one rating of a solid 9.0!

On our return trip we stopped off at the wife’s home town of Sakon Nakhon for a two day visit with her Mother, sisters and brothers.  A nice City and worth a mention or look if your wife’s family lives somewhere else!  Sakon Nakhon has the infrastructure needed for a very comfortable lifestyle.  Cheap housing, Tesco/Lotus, Big C, Makro and even a new Home Pro to supply your wildest shopping urges.  Prices here are comparable to slightly less than  Nong Khai and Udon Thani. A small airport with an average of one flight daily to Bangkok.

We also stopped off again in Khon Kaen to take a second look at prospective villages.  Bad idea as we are now split on Khon Kaen vs. Nong Khai.  The wife liking the bigger City living of Khon Kaen and me liking the smaller town feel of Nong Khai.  The “negotiations” continue! 

To help in judging a self drive vacation for prospective real estate exploration, I kept a journal and record of our expenses.  The total trip of 12 days and 11 nights, including gas, lodging, food and even the “tip” I had to pay to the highway patrol for driving too long in the right hand lane, came to just under 25,000 baht. (665 US dollars).  Fuel was about 40% of this amount and our average hotel was 709 baht per night. (18.90 US dollars)  We ate good meals and didn’t skip on quality or quantity. Of course I own our truck, so you might need to figure in a rental car.  In Bangkok you can get a nice Toyota or Honda 4 door sedan for approximately 30 to 40 dollars per day, unlimited miles, including insurance.  Offset the better gas mileage than my truck (about 14 miles per gallon) and the trip still remains a very reasonable adventure.

There are many websites and much has already been written on how to buy or lease real estate in Thailand.  Foreign buyers can not own the land, however there are many ways to secure a property.  Consulting a good and respected lawyer is the only way you will be secure in your purchase, just as you would do in your home country.  Don’t make the mistake many Expats do and rely on a “friend of a cousin who knows a guy” to do your legal work.  Spend the money and get it done right!  You can then sleep at night.  The beauty of Thailand is that anything is possible.  If you chose to purchase (long term lease; marry a Thai or set up a corporation) and build your own home there are many companies to help.  One website to view is: www.coolthaihouse.com. 

The Military Coup in Thailand seems to be a “non event.”  On Sept. 19th, 2006 the Military staged a bloodless Coup and took control of the Government.  The King and 94% of Thai people supported the Coup.  The previous Prime Minister had some questionable ethics that finally brought him down. As residents, we have experienced no changes whatsoever.  Traveling during this time was not difficult and little evidence of any change.  We expect this to strengthen Thailand and make it even more appealing.  Thailand continues to be the “land of smiles” and the place I now choose to call home.

Conclusion:  We were NOT able to rule out the NE area of Thailand, favoring it to anything else we’ve seen.  We have a few more areas to explore and will keep you posted.  However, I have a good feeling we’ll be migrating north very soon!