More or less foreigners moving to Udon Thani?

[rocket2]

I am doing some follow-up stats on my thesis from last year on foreigners retiring to Udon Thani.

I have been asked to find out what the trends are with foreigners moving to Udon Thani due to the whole world economic meltdown thingy. I believe that the numbers of tourists have fallen drammatically but what about the long-termers and retirees? How has this number changed and why do you think?

What about things like housing developments, how has this been impacted in the last year or so?

Any insight is appreciated.

I miss the town lots and hope to be back in the next few years.
John

[Laan Yaa Mo]

You might want to think about foreigners formerly living in places like Pattaya and moving to Udonthani as there seem to be a few of them doing that. I cannot recall all of the names but one of them is opening a library devoted to mystery and fiction books or something like that. A couple of others tried their hand at running bars in one of those resorts and will try the same in Udonthani.

[Fawn]

I am doing some follow-up stats on my thesis from last year on foreigners retiring to Udon Thani.

I have been asked to find out what the trends are with foreigners moving to Udon Thani due to the whole world economic meltdown thingy. I believe that the numbers of tourists have fallen drammatically but what about the long-termers and retirees? How has this number changed and why do you think?

This means that your results will be subjective won't they because you're basing them on ex-pat opinion.

[Texpat]

I'm less interested in raw numbers than I am in quality.

There's some absolute crap farangs about. I'd be more interested in the numbers of deportation and replacement quality farang.

[Texpat]

btw, should be "More or fewer" ... not less.

[Ter]

It might be correlated to more girls from Issan bringing back there catches than tourists or fortune seekers from down south. Cannot say for sure but I think more ladies from Issan travel to the fleshpots to work than others.
Could be wrong though, might just be the forums putting more expats in touch.

[Khun Paul]

Certainly there are moe moving here than previously, some from pattaya due to the downturn in pattaya itself, hoiwever many left due to the depreciation of their own currencies, many lost approximately a third in value.
Numbers I do not have a clue but there does seem to be an increase generally, but quality that is a personal interpretation.
I would be very interested in the reasons ( true reasons), not guesswork of the sudden attraction of udon over other places mlike pattaya and similar locations.
I do think in the main quality of life ids the main driving force, no pollution ( or very little), open places near to the country etc, no outward discrimination etc.

[thrilled]

Pattaya you can say what ya want,but it's A fricking Zoo.Udon is quite civilized.I wouldn't doubt it the next 5 or 10 tears it'll be one of the best places to retire to in asia.

[UdonExpat]

I think more tourists are visiting Udon, but the number staying here hasn't changed much in the past year. Former residents have moved out at about the same rate that new ones have arrived.

[Librarian]

i moved to Udon , after about 9 years in Pattaya for a quieter , more friendly place to raise our newborn son.

i could have chosen anywhere in Thailand .. i didnt want a tourist hotspot . Chang Mai was a thought but as a bookshop owner , there are too many Good bookshops / competition already .
i wanted somewhere near to a border to make visa requirements , easier .
i wanted a place with enough English speaking people so i personally wouldnt go mad with spending my days going goo goo gaa gaa at our 2 month old son .

my life partner Nok is from BKK and has no ties with Isaan at all . she also liked Udon .
the parks are great -

apart from no BK or Mc D,s ( for the occasional junk food whim .. ) i think i,m gonna stay for a while

The Librarian

[thrilled]

Librarian,you just wait awhile.you'll see the fast food restaurants start to move in.I definitely believe as
people get the word out about this nice,I say exciting town,People will be coming here to retire.

[parrot]

"you just wait awhile.you'll see the fast food restaurants start to move in."

There's been a steady rumor of a McD/BK/Starbucks coming to Udon for 10 years. It Will happen, just maybe not in our lifetime.

[Wisdom]

For a significant increase in expats living in Udon, there would have to be 100's more places to rent, and also to buy. I will probably be renting in the future in Udon, and including the classified here on Udonmap, FBI Estate Agent, and any other Estate Agent i've found, there can only be no more than 25 or so properties for rent. In Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, there are so many more to choose from, and Udon has to have a huge leap forward, to get anywhere near them.

Without the expansion in houses to rent or buy, Udon will remain a niche place, not saturated with new expats. I've been studying the housing market especially rental over the last few years in Udon, and it does not seem to have increased markedly at all. But i think it could become more popular soon, and hopefully it will, giving me more choices for when i finally retire to the Udon Thani area.

[LoveDaBlues]

Librarian,you just wait awhile.you'll see the fast food restaurants start to move in.I definitely believe as
people get the word out about this nice,I say exciting town,People will be coming here to retire.

uhhhhhhh...............NO

[trubrit]

"you just wait awhile.you'll see the fast food restaurants start to move in."

There's been a steady rumor of a McD/BK/Starbucks coming to Udon for 10 years. It Will happen, just maybe not in our lifetime.

Expecting to die soon Parrot then ?. BK are in the process of being one of the first names to open in the new UD center. Levi are already to open .

[Prenders88]

For a significant increase in expats living in Udon, there would have to be 100's more places to rent, and also to buy. I will probably be renting in the future in Udon, and including the classified here on Udonmap, FBI Estate Agent, and any other Estate Agent i've found, there can only be no more than 25 or so properties for rent. In Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, there are so many more to choose from, and Udon has to have a huge leap forward, to get anywhere near them.

Without the expansion in houses to rent or buy, Udon will remain a niche place, not saturated with new expats. I've been studying the housing market especially rental over the last few years in Udon, and it does not seem to have increased markedly at all. But i think it could become more popular soon, and hopefully it will, giving me more choices for when i finally retire to the Udon Thani area.

Phil,
When we bought our house we did not bother with estate agents. Just drove around the moobaans, to see with our own eyes, and to get a feel of the place, and to see how well the estate has been kept. What we did find were lots of signs for rent on the front gate, all private ads, none of which advertised with a estate agent.
That's how we found our place, a sign on the front gate.

[BobHelm]

I think that is still very much the case Prenders. Nearly all the houses for rent/sale in Robien are got rid of that way.
There does seem a great many houses available for sale (or rent if they cannot sell) at the moment. I think quite a large number of the houses this way have been bought as an investment - basically the rent easily paying the mortgage & providing a bit of income as well. I think the general economic squeeze has put the pressure on many of the owners. There do appear to be some quite good bargins about at the moment!!!

[Mainer]

"you just wait awhile.you'll see the fast food restaurants start to move in."

There's been a steady rumor of a McD/BK/Starbucks coming to Udon for 10 years. It Will happen, just maybe not in our lifetime.

Expecting to die soon Parrot then ?. BK are in the process of being one of the first names to open in the new UD center. Levi are already to open .

I didn't know that BK was coming here. I thought it was only McDonald's? Does anyone have a list of the current shops opening? ..... Especially in the food department.

[rjj04]

Oh no, more to come...
http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retireme ... dytoretire

Thailand #2 Best Retirement Haven according to Forbes

[Texpat]

I went to the Nong Khai (foreigners) intro to NK province in NK city center about a year ago.

The governor (I think) and several others repeatedly referred to this astute, high-level ranking accorded by some euphemistic, anonymous source as gospel.

I responded with a lightly-muffled chuckle each time. It was clearly evident the judges and any buyers-on have never been beyond Isaan.