Living the dream in Isaan

[Aussie]

Farangs living in Isaan. Feel free to share your experience like daily life in a village, marriage etc.

[gummy]

And where do you live as a matter of interest ? Issan is almost 1/3 of Thailand so it covers quite a variety of places and people. You asked the question so why don't you kick your subject off by explaining what your experiences are so that we may get a flavour of what you are hoping for in future replies ?

[Aussie]

Sorry, but where do I start.

I have been coming to Thailand on and off since 1991, I used to live in Suwannaphum where I went to retire 3 years ago to live in the house I built, but my wife ex wife decided to leave me and went back to Australia to live…

There is more to come to my story as I could write a book about my past and current experience in this country…

[AussieBob]

Welcome Aussie - looking forward to more details and seeing more pictures.

[Chaimai]

39 minutes ago, Aussie said:

Sorry, but where do I start.

I have been coming to Thailand on and off since 1991, I used to live in Suwannaphum where I went to retire 3 years ago to live in the house I built, but my wife ex wife decided to leave me and went back to Australia to live…

There is more to come to my story as I could write a book about my past and current experience in this country…

 

 

Welcome.....looking forward to chapter 2.

[thai3]

Is that the house you built? anyway not surprised she left for civilization! Isan is OK for a couple of weeks or if you live near a big city, but remote village life is more like a nightmare than a dream

[colinneil]

Living the dream in Issan ha, ha. Can be a dream, can be a nightmare.

I have had both, married before to a crazy knife wielding Physco.

Now married to a fantastic loving caring woman, no sick comments please Chaimai.

Yes a dream, wake in the morning, coffee toast served in bed by my adoring wife.

Around 8 wife gets me off my bed, outside sit in my chair and watch the world go by.

If i am lucky somebody will help me on my bed around lunchtime, get a sleep, back in my chair.

Organize dinner menu, wife comes home, cook dinner, 7 pm back on my bed, yes exciting living in Issan.

[gummy]

2 minutes ago, thai3 said:

Is that the house you built? anyway not surprised she left for civilization! Isan is OK for a couple of weeks or if you live near a big city, but remote village life is more like a nightmare than a dream

That depends solely on what ones requirements and personal choices are as to their own opinion of what quality of life is.  What may seem like a nightmare to you may be a peaceful and fulfilling way of life for others. People living in the country may well consider it a nightmare to live in the cities where environmental pollution is ever constant. In other words it is "horses for courses". And to state that "anyway not surprised she left for civilization!" is somewhat opinionated and actually quite rude to the poster as you do not know any of the facts as to why they separated. Now be a man and apologise to the poster or else it will seem you post was purely to provide snide comments rather than a positive contribution.

[Aussie]

Don’t worry.

I am now on my third marriage to a Thai. I have no secrets about my past life or what I am doing now. Everyone makes their own bed they sleep in. Both of my previous wifes live happily in Australia because the choose to for what ever reason, maybe only to work and make money to send home to their parents and family here in Thailand.

Don’t worry I have been thinking many times to get back my house or part of it as I worked hard to build the place for a few years back in Australia, but why should I?

My Ex gave me the choice to go back together to Australia with her, but I choose not to. Getting bored and always being watched by the in-laws I decided to move on and moved to another place in Isaan. Maybe I made a mistake, but I can not turn back time.
I am happy with what I have got now or at least I am trying to be happy.

As I mentioned earlier I have been coming and living here for many years and be assured that I can tell you a few stories. Funny or sad.

I miss the 90s when Pattaya was still Pattaya and often talk with old friends about “The Good Old Days”.

No internet , no mobile phones, no Social Media…

Please forgive me if I am getting carried away and away from the actual topic.

[Bluesofa]

43 minutes ago, thai3 said:

Is that the house you built? anyway not surprised she left for civilization! Isan is OK for a couple of weeks or if you live near a big city, but remote village life is more like a nightmare than a dream

Pretty harsh comment about his wife leaving him.

There could be good aircon in that hut, you never know.

Having said that, I'm a city kid born and bred with a technology background. While it's nice to see the countryside, it holds no interest for me to live there.
We live in a large village not far from the ring road, but I wouldn't want to live any further out.
My wife's family live less than five km further out, where it is out in the sticks. They only had a concrete road replace the red soi dirt track about five years ago.

Aussie, it was obviously Suwannaphum in Roi Et, and not the airport?  (if was the airport, you shouldn't leave the landing light on in your hut)
I'm waiting with baited breathe for the first instalment of your story.

[Bluesofa]

 

@Aussie when are we going to hear the next part of your story? It's been two weeks now, I thought there was some more coming?

 

[AussieBob]

16 hours ago, Bluesofa said:

@Aussie when are we going to hear the next part of your story? It's been two weeks now, I thought there was some more coming?

Hi @BluesofaI have been offline a lot lately - got a few things happening. Hope to get back into it all this weekend. Cheers.

[cacadordemim]

I lived the Pattaya dream through the 1980's while working in the region. Got married and divorced within that spell and then left for about 12 years, making the US, Brazil and Cuba my temporary homes. Work in the far east brought me back to Thailand (and Pattaya) around 2004. Didn't take me long to see that it had changed as much as I had and growing old and lonely on a bar stool wasn't going to work. So I allowed myself to be acquired by one of Pattaya's finest demimondaines of that era, got married and moved to her home town of Udon. We did return to the 'dark side' for a 5 year spell to get our boy started in school but as things steadily improved, or became available and were generally cheaper in Udon, we moved back there.

We've got the two boys now and I have a small circle of farang friends, all +15 year VTW (Veterans of Thai Wars), all married who prefer to avoid the likes of Soi Sampan and socialize once or twice a week at the more sedate and eclectic social and dining hangouts on the ring road. Everyone's got their own 'been there, done that' t-shirt without the need to try and tell others what they're doing wrong (or right) but every so often, and depending on the beer intake, we do try and get a clue of what's inside each others cupboards.

I used to take a trip to Pattaya every couple of months for a 'reality check' and stock up on UK comestibles but I found those trips becoming shorter due to lack of interest in the bar hopping madness, dwindling numbers of the old 'Pattaya gang' to hang out with and also because I could get most if the stuff I was shopping for locally in Udon.

Very happy with the 4-bedroom villa we built about 15 years ago but would probably sell that and get a bit of land and build a smaller place further out where the air is cleaner and the Mrs can grow her fruit 'n' veggies. We did have a small farm on the north side of town for about three years but that was wiped out by floods after an inconsiderate neighboring land owner chose to dam the creek. No big loss as the Mrs sold it to someone who was looking for a fish farm anyway!

Isaan Dream? It's what you make it really. I wasn't born in the country but my youth was growing up in the countryside so I much prefer the Udon 'burbs; 10 minutes one way and you have airconditioning and shopping, ten minutes the other way and it's rice paddy and fishing holes. Having a good wife of 14 years and our family to keep me focused on our own needs and life plans makes it easier to deal with the unique cultural peculiarities and demands of the black hole that the Isaan family unit can be.

Edited August 4, 2021 by cacadordemim

[gummy]

6 minutes ago, cacadordemim said:

I lived the Pattaya dream through the 1980's while working in the region. Got married and divorced within that spell and then left for about 12 years, making the US, Brazil and Cuba my temporary homes. Work in the far east brought me back to Thailand (and Pattaya) around 2004. Didn't take me long to see that it had changed as much as I had and growing old and lonely on a bar stool wasn't going to work. So I allowed myself to be acquired by one of Pattaya's finest demimondaines of that era, got married and moved to her home town of Udon. We did return to the 'dark side' for a 5 year spell to get our boy started in school but as things steadily improved, or became available and were generally cheaper in Udon, we moved back there.

We've got the two boys now and I have a small circle of farang friends, all +15 year VTW (Veterans of Thai Wars), all married who prefer to avoid the likes of Soi Sampan and socialize once or twice a week at the more sedate and eclectic social and dining hangouts on the ring road. Everyone's got their own 'been there, done that' t-shirt without the need to try and tell others what they're doing wrong (or right) but every so often, and depending on the beer intake, we do try and get a clue of what's inside each others cupboards.

I used to take a trip to Pattaya every couple of months for a 'reality check' and stock up on UK comestibles but I found those trips becoming shorter due to lack of interest in the bar hopping madness, dwindling numbers of the old 'Pattaya gang' to hang out with and also because I could get most if the stuff I was shopping for locally in Udon.

Very happy with the 4-bedroom villa we built about 15 years ago but would probably sell that and get a bit of land and build a smaller place further out where the air is cleaner and the Mrs can grow her fruit 'n' veggies. We did have a small farm on the north side of town for about three years but that was wiped out by floods after an inconsiderate neighboring land owner chose to dam the creek. No big loss as the Mrs sold it to someone who was looking for a fish farm anyway!

Isaan Dream? It's what you make it really. I wasn't born in the country but my youth was growing up in the countryside so I much prefer the Udon 'burbs; 10 minutes one way and you have airconditioning and shopping, ten minutes the other way and it's rice paddy and fishing holes. Having a good wife of 14 years and our family to keep me focused on our own needs and life plans makes it easier to deal with the unique cultural peculiarities of the black hole that is the Isaan family unit.

What an excellent post. Just like many of us you find out going through life there are twists and turns, some roundabouts and a few times you end up in a cul-de-sac so the only way out is to go back. 

[nobusinessofurs]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I intend to post my story soon. At the moment I'm watching pork being grilled and sipping a Leo, 50km west of Khon Kaen.

[KaptainRob]

14 hours ago, nobusinessofurs said:

I know this thread is a bit old, but I intend to post my story soon. At the moment I'm watching pork being grilled and sipping a Leo, 50km west of Khon Kaen.

Somewhere near Chumpae?   Stayed a night in a nice resort there last week, only 600 bt, > Leelawalai Rest Hotel.

[nobusinessofurs]

57 minutes ago, KaptainRob said:

Somewhere near Chumpae?   Stayed a night in a nice resort there last week, only 600 bt, > Leelawalai Rest Hotel.

Nongrua 

[KaptainRob]

59 minutes ago, nobusinessofurs said:

Nongrua 

The bonsai-ornamental tree growing area.

[nobusinessofurs]

4 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

The bonsai-ornamental tree growing area.

Really, hell I thought I knew everything here.

[Haggi]

On 7/14/2021 at 10:47 AM, Aussie said:

Don’t worry.

I am now on my third marriage to a Thai. I have no secrets about my past life or what I am doing now. Everyone makes their own bed they sleep in. Both of my previous wifes live happily in Australia because the choose to for what ever reason, maybe only to work and make money to send home to their parents and family here in Thailand.

Don’t worry I have been thinking many times to get back my house or part of it as I worked hard to build the place for a few years back in Australia, but why should I?

My Ex gave me the choice to go back together to Australia with her, but I choose not to. Getting bored and always being watched by the in-laws I decided to move on and moved to another place in Isaan. Maybe I made a mistake, but I can not turn back time.
I am happy with what I have got now or at least I am trying to be happy.

As I mentioned earlier I have been coming and living here for many years and be assured that I can tell you a few stories. Funny or sad.

I miss the 90s when Pattaya was still Pattaya and often talk with old friends about “The Good Old Days”.

No internet , no mobile phones, no Social Media…

Please forgive me if I am getting carried away and away from the actual topic.

I came to Thailand in 1997, just after my 40th, to take a 'year out' after splitting with my Dutch Wife, now ex. I had friends in Pattaya and started off living there, then moved to Jomtiem when the place was still being developed.

I had to leave for work in the UK, and was still married so couldn't take my Thai girlfriend with me ... too many complications .... she's now happily married and living in Belgium, so happy for her.

And now I'm back ... with my Issan partner whom I met overseas ... some might think I'm crazy 'Coals to Newcastle' ... but I'm lucky to have found an Issan girl by all accounts. We visit her family in Bueng Kan quite a bit (I can work from home) and they come visit us during the school holidays ... so it's a Win Win ....

We've not got married ..  so far ... and we're both happy with that arrangement.

I've read the intro, but still not been able to find a hard copy of 'Love, Money and Obligation', I know some of the expectations (there are no rules) and I play by them.

My partner recently had emergency surgery for a bust appendicitis ... so we flew her mum and sister down from Bueng Kan ... they've been looking after her these last two weeks while I've been away on a business trip ... 

To Australia funnily enough .. Perth, WA ... I first worked there in 1995 when it too was a small country town ... small world.