Answered2 years ago
What are some budget-friendly travel destinations near Thailand with great food, beaches, and nature?
Thanks in advance for helpful advice. I want to spend < 180 days a year in Phuket and I’m looking for recommendations on interesting places to spend time outside Thailand that will not break the bank for the other 180 + days.
What specific places/locations would you personally recommend that I may not know or have thought about? So far I’ve focussed on Saigon and Philippines (Cebu, Palawan).
Any bargain places with good food, beaches, nature & bars that are reasonably priced, easily accessible? And yes I have googled and thought about this a lot and am now calling on our collective wisdom.
Thanks! KO
By the way the pic is Moalboal, Cebu Island, Philippines. Nice spot, a bit long to get there…..
What specific places/locations would you personally recommend that I may not know or have thought about? So far I’ve focussed on Saigon and Philippines (Cebu, Palawan).
Any bargain places with good food, beaches, nature & bars that are reasonably priced, easily accessible? And yes I have googled and thought about this a lot and am now calling on our collective wisdom.
Thanks! KO
By the way the pic is Moalboal, Cebu Island, Philippines. Nice spot, a bit long to get there…..
Answer summary
A user seeks affordable recommendations for places to stay outside Thailand while spending less than 180 days a year in Phuket. The conversation includes suggestions for budget-friendly destinations like Siem Reap, Danang, Penang, and Bali, focusing on good food, beaches, and accessibility. Comments also touch upon living conditions, safety, and expat communities in these regions.
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Peter **********
Both Laos and Vietnam are wonderfull
Håvard **********
Da Nang / Hoi An
Da Lat
Bali / Lombok
Penang
Luang Prabang
Da Lat
Bali / Lombok
Penang
Luang Prabang
Tobben ********
Bodde på Phuket 3 mnd hver vinter I 5 år og opplevde høye priser tuk-tuk mafia og katoygjenger .Flyttet deretter til Pattaya som har bath busser,er mye billigere,har alt og slår Phuket langt ned i støvlene hva mat,pris bosted og alt " attåt". Så til deg som planlegger 180 dager på Phuket,har du vært i Pattaya har du opplevd Pattaya ?
KO ********
OP@Tobben *******
thanks but irrelevant to what I asked. I’ll be in Thailand < 180 days this year, like I was last year. Enjoy your time in Pattaya though😂
Terary **********
Bali would be my first answer. In the tourist districts it kinda sucks but if you find the AirBnB's just outside of the tourist districts it's quite reasonably priced. Once you get familiar with the place you'll find other places (Lombok, Gili, etc).
David ********
Sri Lanka, and Da Nang south to Hoi An
Rene ********
I will become a tax resident after 180 days
Michael **********
I'd suggest Taiwan, it's probably the best place in the world for living, it's a bit pricer than thailand but really safe and clean. Taipei is much more livable than bangkok and you could probably get 3 months of visa exemption that could turn into 6 with a quick border bounce
Gordon ********
India is a fascinating country to visit and
Experience.
West coast beaches. North/East for mountains
And of course Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi and Bhodgaya.
Side trips to Nepal are a treat.
Great medical care if that concerns you.
PM me if you need more info I’m a frequent traveler.
🙏
Experience.
West coast beaches. North/East for mountains
And of course Agra, Jaipur, Varanasi and Bhodgaya.
Side trips to Nepal are a treat.
Great medical care if that concerns you.
PM me if you need more info I’m a frequent traveler.
🙏
KO ********
OP@Gordon *******
thanks Gordon, I will reach out . Cheers. DM’d you
Tommi ********
Sihanoukville was (?), but I've heard Chinese mafia have made an impact. I've heard Phu Quoc (Vietnam island) is nice, but haven't been there. Check the west coast of Malaysia and Batam and Bintan (Indonesia too).
KO ********
OP@Tommi *******
Phu Quoc is beautiful was there early this year. It’s one place in Vn can visit without a visa too.
Ben ******
Saigon is a dreadful, overcrowded city with no redeeming virtues whatsoever.
Adam ********
Siem Reap, Cambodia. Relatively small city with great cost of living and lots of Expats. Less desirable than other options since it’s far from any beach. Kampot in Cambodia is also a cool town, pretty small and near the water but not on it. Sihanouk is on the water but I don’t know anything about it other than there must be an appeal because a lot Expats live there.
Gary ******
I love Phuket but I have only ever stayed in Kata beach
Which I love
Which I love
Gary ******
I've been there over 20 times , it's accurate and my wife is from Saigon ... Now I'm trying find the best place for retire
Von ******
@Gary *****
kata is nice, but unfortunately it is getting very crowded, as per my last trip end of march, Rawai is also enjoyable when you stay away from the main thoroughfares.Nai Harn is now an Influencers go to.
Gary ******
@Von *****
I wonder what Phuket will be like in 5 years timeGary ******
@Von *****
in Vietnam they have been buying all of houses in a small street . And then erect a manual boom gate at each end of the street . And then they only allow Chinese people down that street . At the same time around middle of civid period chinese entering Vietnam has slowed right up . They are not travelling as much
Von ******
@Gary *****
agreed sir.Gary ******
@Von *****
well I've seen what chinese did to Cambodia .they also bring their very bad social manners with them .
Von ******
@Gary *****
well from sources who live there, the ex-govt finance minister has family interests there and a Casino hub is in the works with upgrades to the international airport which I saw in progress and casino to be targeted towards Chinese and other high roller gamblersGary ******
No one really answered your question re to good places and accom in the island of Phuket
KO ********
OP@Gary *****
actually my question is outside Thailand, fixed post so that’s clearer. We have a place in Chalong. Cheers. ThanksGary ******
@KO *******
my error sorry .A few really good small city to large sea side towns in Vietnam. vung tau, Nha Trang, Quy Nhong, and Danang
Penang as well although quite busy but being an island sea breeze and many mixed cultures.
Bell ******
Malaysia is a beautiful diverse country with a comparable cost of living.
Bob **********
You looking for places with good value so I’m guessing you will not be considered in this tax scream
KO ********
OP@Bob *********
yes, I have a pretty complex income situation this year not taking any chances…..or at least taking less risk, hopefully 😜
KO ********
OP@Don ********
thanks Don. Siem Reap is great and seems safe but is there much to do? Maybe I’ll do like a month in Cambodia and split between SR & PP. How safe is PP?
Don *********
@KO *******
a month between SR and PP would be great - plenty to see and do to keep you occupied. Maybe not a month every year, but might depend on the friendships you make while you are there. In PP I suggest the Embassy Place Apartments - used to be Accor, maybe still is - lots of long stay residents who work in the embassies and are lovely people
Darren *******
@KO *******
safe enough, just need to watch out for pick pockets. Only issue is PP is a bit of a dive. I would look into Da Nang more as someone else pointed out on here.
Jeff *********
I have the same idea😊
Jo **********
Luang Prabang, is UNESCO world heritage site is the best place. Beautiful and wild very inexpensive. I am surprised no one mentioned this in comments. I guess they don’t travel much.
Hugh **********
@Jo *********
everybody, let’s all go to Luang Prabang. 😫😵😂Richard **************
@Jo *********
The less we mention this city on social media, the longer it will stay livable. Please stop recommending places that are special. Thailand was ruined in less than one generation. Let's stop there.
Dave **********
@Richard *************
so Thailand is only for you? No one else can enjoy it?Dave **********
@Richard *************
are you for real? You post something and people can not reply. Enjoy your dayRichard **************
@Dave *********
#1-Luang Prabang is not in Thailand. #2-if you need to argue with someone, please do it elsewhere.Dave **********
@Richard *************
haha. Stop mentioning this city so it stays livable. Not ruined. Seems clear to me what you meant.Richard **************
@Dave *********
Interesting how you got that out of what I wrote. social media is a very strange beast.Don *********
Siem Reap is very charming, and the food scene in Phnom Penh is wonderful
Rafael *******
@Don ********
But avoid the hot season, it's the hottest place in Cambodia, after Preah Vireah.
Stéfan ********
Danang is very appreciated. Since you mentioned Saigon (huge city, far from beaches) I can suggest Siem Reap (small town that shoots way above its weight in terms of restaurants and nightlife + the spectacular Angkor Park) and Hanoi (also huge but more charming than Saigon). Penang is great… Foodie heaven and ok beaches. I enjoyed La Union, which located about 200kms north of Manila.
KO ********
OP@Stéfan *******
thanks for your thoughtful responseStéfan ********
@KO *******
My pleasure. If you're willing to escape SEA and feel more adventurous, I highly recommend India and Nepal. Taiwan as well, but it's first world prices.Activity
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