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What are some budget-friendly travel destinations near Thailand with great food, beaches, and nature?

Travel TipsBudget TravelDestinationsSoutheast AsiaPhuketVietnamCambodiaPhilippinesMalaysiaSri LankaTaiwanBaliLuang PrabangTravel Advice
Jun 14, 2024
6 months ago
KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
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…..
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TLDR : 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.
Peter **********
Both Laos and Vietnam are wonderfull
6 months ago
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Håvard **********
Da Nang / Hoi An

Da Lat

Bali / Lombok

Penang

Luang Prabang
6 months ago
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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 ?
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@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😂
6 months ago
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KO ********
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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).
6 months ago
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David ********
Sri Lanka, and Da Nang south to Hoi An
6 months ago
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Rene ********
I will become a tax resident after 180 days
6 months ago
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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
6 months ago
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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.

🙏
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Gordon *******
 thanks Gordon, I will reach out . Cheers. DM’d you
6 months ago
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KO ********
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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).
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tommi *******
 Phu Quoc is beautiful was there early this year. It’s one place in Vn can visit without a visa too.
6 months ago
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KO ********
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Ben ******
Saigon is a dreadful, overcrowded city with no redeeming virtues whatsoever.
6 months ago
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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.
6 months ago
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Gary ******
I love Phuket but I have only ever stayed in Kata beach

Which I love
6 months ago
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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
6 months ago
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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.
6 months ago
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Gary ******
@Von *****
 I wonder what Phuket will be like in 5 years time
6 months ago
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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 gamblers
6 months ago
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Gary ******
@Von *****
 well I've seen what chinese did to Cambodia

.they also bring their very bad social manners with them .
6 months ago
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Von ******
@Gary *****
 agreed sir.
6 months ago
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Gary ******
@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
6 months ago
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Gary ******
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Gary ******
No one really answered your question re to good places and accom in the island of Phuket
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Gary *****
 actually my question is outside Thailand, fixed post so that’s clearer. We have a place in Chalong. Cheers. Thanks
6 months ago
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Gary ******
@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.
6 months ago
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Gary ******
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Bell ******
Malaysia is a beautiful diverse country with a comparable cost of living.
6 months ago
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Bob **********
You looking for places with good value so I’m guessing you will not be considered in this tax scream
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Bob *********
 yes, I have a pretty complex income situation this year not taking any chances…..or at least taking less risk, hopefully 😜
6 months ago
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KO ********
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Tony ***********
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@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?
6 months ago
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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
6 months ago
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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.
6 months ago
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Darren *******
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Jeff *********
I have the same idea😊
6 months ago
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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.
6 months ago
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Hugh **********
@Jo *********
 everybody, let’s all go to Luang Prabang. 😫😵😂
6 months ago
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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.
6 months ago
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Dave **********
@Richard *************
 so Thailand is only for you? No one else can enjoy it?
6 months ago
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Richard **************
@Dave *********
 Interesting how you got that out of what I wrote. social media is a very strange beast.
6 months ago
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Dave **********
@Richard *************
 haha. Stop mentioning this city so it stays livable. Not ruined. Seems clear to me what you meant.
6 months ago
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Richard **************
@Dave *********
 #1-Luang Prabang is not in Thailand. #2-if you need to argue with someone, please do it elsewhere.
6 months ago
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Dave **********
@Richard *************
 are you for real? You post something and people can not reply. Enjoy your day
6 months ago
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Dave **********
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Don *********
Siem Reap is very charming, and the food scene in Phnom Penh is wonderful
6 months ago
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Rafael *******
@Don ********
 But avoid the hot season, it's the hottest place in Cambodia, after Preah Vireah.
6 months ago
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Rafael *******
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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.
6 months ago
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KO ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stéfan *******
 thanks for your thoughtful response
6 months ago
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Stéfan ********
@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.
6 months ago
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Stéfan ********
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