What is village life like?

[kevin gilmour]

I'm trying to get a feel for what village life is like in Buriram. The girl I've been with for sometime now lives in a village about half an hour from Buriram centre by bus, and she wants me to go and stay with her there, and I have no idea if it will be idyllic and lovely, or whether I will be bored shitless. Her family don't speak English, and I don't speak Thai, apart from the very basics. I could stay in Buriram centre, where I presume there's plenty to do, but anything I've seen on tv, or pictures on here, suggest that apart from basic housing, there is sod all else in the villages. 

 

Anyone got any thoughts, also is it easy for a farang to hire a car, I've never considered doing this in Thailand before, but I will if it's the best option.

 

Any views or thoughts greatly appreciated.   

[jerry]

The first 2 days it's doable after that it would drive me totally insane ... 

[Helloblackshirt]

I visited my girlfriends village for the first time at songkran and loved it. Might be different at other times of the year but I had a ball. Suddenly realised how little thai I spoke tho, not that it would have helped that much,they spoke more Laos than thai (only 45 kms from Laos border) it's definitely a change of pace from pattaya but I can't wait to go back. Couldn't live there but for a break it's great, only thing that bothered me was being dependent on her to translate, felt a bit useless.

I would suggest that unless you are pretty happy and confident with your relationship, give it a miss, because it will make or break it. I had heard stories of people being fleeced when they visited the village so was a little guarded but it was great, the people I met in isaan are far nicer than the people I meet in pattaya

[Rocco69]

Dust, dirt, no bars, no malls, no cinema, everyones in bed and a sleep at 9pm and up with the cock at 9 0 clock

[SimplySam]

Dust, dirt, no bars, no malls, no cinema, everyones in bed and a sleep at 9pm and up with the cock at 9 0 clock

 

Must be some lazy chickens where you live.

 

The sun starts peeking above the horizon in Buriram about 05:30am and most roosters herald its arrival a bit before then.

 

If you go Op; stay in a "resort" nearby the Gik's village. They are almost all a/c, and these days many have TrueVisions cable which can get you a couple of English language channels. The resorts go for around 500 Baht per night which will be the best money you will spend in Buriram. Many Thais use them as short time places to poke the Mia Noi. If you are doing any poking you'll also want to do it there rather than at Ma and Pa's.

[udontony]

Unless her parents are quite rich ( Thai style ), expect quite hard living conditions, nothing like in the west.  Stay in a resort nearby, there will be some for sure and check out the situation.  Never write the place off without a good look around.  People tend to be brilliant with you as long as you try to join in with them.  Language is a problem but a good girlfriend should be able to help a lot as she will be trying to impress.  Demands for cash etc are not usually a problem but keep tight hold of the wallet just in case.  Be generous with trying to help with food and beer etc, its not a lot of western money to be reasonably generous and create a good impression but do not go crazy, it might be expected if you return.  Set some ground rules before you go with girlfriend as to what is acceptable to you, could save many problems later.  Enjoy yourself. 

[Garzan]

I'd say go for it, but opt for a resort stay. One thing that helped me was a data plan on my phone. I can put up with a lot if I have okay internet. No internet, no way. :-)

[Edge]

Mind numbingly zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Iluvpattaya]

I went to Buriram in February for 4 nights and enjoyed it.

As stated above stay in a hotel, I stayed at the Amari Buriram, very nice for 1300b a night. There homes really are very basic.

On arrival we went shopping for food and drink, beer and whiskey 2000b, food about 300b this was all I was asked to buy. I did buy more beer later but It's only what you would do if you were invited to family or friends house at home.

Once the whiskey is opened the whole village will pop in for a glass or 2 and for a look at the farang. Every single person was very very friendly although unless you can speak Thai you won't have a clue what there on about but you girlfriend Will love playing translator in front of the family.

The only other expense was getting around in the day to and from the village from the hotel and shopping trips around Buriram, my girlfriends uncle drove us everywhere, on arrival he filled up with LPG 1000b which I paid for and then when we left I gave him 3000b.

Not sure how you are getting up there but I really didn't fancy the 9 hour coach trip so we flew up with Nok from Don Meuang, if you book early enough you can get a ticket for 850b.

Go and do it mate I really enjoyed seeing the real Thailand as I'd not left pattaya on my previous 10 visits, book a hotel,supply alcohol and food and you'll have a decent time

[enterprise]

Remember the saying every village has its idiot.

 

Well if you live in the village that is how the Thais see you, but a rich one. They will smile at you and you may think wow its great here, people are so friendly,  Really they are calling you a buffalo

 

Even if you speak Thai its still no good, they will probably speak, Issan, Lao or Khymer or just jargon with a lot of urr's

 

One of my friends lives up in a small village near Ubon, he is happy and thinks they all like him, but have heard his family and other village folk calling him a buffalo. The girl i was with said they were taking the piss out of him because he was a falang, wasted his money and liked to work when he could just pay someone else to do the jobs. ( He likes to do a little work, gives him something to do, Thais don't understand this)

[jojo90]

If she lives an hour out of Buriram then I'd probably advise against getting a hotel in Buriram city. The roads in and out aren't that great and it will be a pain in the ass travelling an hour each way every day. Depending on where she lives there is some cool stuff to see especially around Prakhon Chai. There are two Khymer temples there that remind me a lot of Angkor Wat. Great to be there for sunrise and sunset. Rarely see another farang there when I go. Find a hotel closer to her home, she should know where one is.

 

You'll probably enjoy it for a 2-4 days but after that you'll just be sitting there like a lemon wondering what to do while they potter around doing whatever around the house.

[The Sly Fox]

The first 2 days it's doable after that it would drive me totally insane ... 

+1

 

I generally go to the gal's village with her just to make an appearance, then after 1 or 2 nights I piss off to the provincial capital and stay in a hotel, tell GF to come join me a few days later when she's finished her family business.

[McFly]

It's like Camping in America. But harder. And dirtier. And boring-er. And no smores. And a lot of insects you may have never seen before that do what they do and don't give a fuck about anybody. 48 hours is a good enough time. Any more than this and you might not want to return. Ever. Even if it's just you and her and you bring books or movies it's probably going to be really hot and you're probably going to be interrupted a lot for things that don't matter. Also for some reason a girl spends a lot of money when she's there. On what? I don't know. Take a shower village style and if the toilet isn't in the house and you wear sandals you will probably kick dust on yourself as you walk back inside. w00t! w00t!

 

I have encountered a huntsman spider the size of a baseball in the water-bucket-shower-thing. And I have encountered 2 scorpions that decided to jump into my bag on separate days which makes me think the scorpion king is out to get me. Also a snake just checking things out. And a lot of flying termites that land in your beer when it rains. And countless other things. 

[The Sly Fox]

The only times I ever enjoyed going back to GFs homes with them was in the South, often was were some nice beaches near their villages where I could sit in a shack restaurant and have a few beers and some seafood. Or else there were mountains and waterfalls nearby to explore. But Isan, forget it.

[moon71]

Be prepared to hire a truck, that will help get you about. Driving in buriram is chilled out in comparison to pattaya.

 

Theres very little to do in the city an mossies an stray dogs will get you if your not carefull.

 

A taxi from pattaya will cost 4k baht. Maybe a quicker choice than the hassle of going by plane. Door to door it may even be quicker. My taxi took 5 hours but he was quick.

 

There is some tourism, ancient temples, bird sanctuary but chances are you will be sitting shit bored in mummas house. Take a book.

 

Been to buriram 4 times. Theres something special driving on the back of a scooter around dusty roads watching the sunset over the paddies.

[LRanger]

My friend Stu's wife has family similarly situated outside buriram.  He was bored maggot mindless after a few hours.

 

1. There is a reasonable hotel in Buriram, with a good pool. Stay there. He said it was a lifesaver.

2. Hire a car.so you can arrive have lunch, and get the fuck outta there

 

You are there as the trophy husabund/boyfriend.  Generally after the first hour they will ignore you and talk away in Issan...

 

Staying in village - fuck that.

 

There are those that love the rustic issan thai rural life..... are you one of those.   Yes I did stay 5 days once but we did day trips out of our village, which makes Buriram look like New York City.......lol

[THE DOCTOR]

just read all these replies,

haha there's some soft sad fluckers replying to this topic.. whats wronge with flying ants in your warm beer, or getting up at 5am, having a shower with a plastic dish, sleeping on the floor with scorpions, its going to be too hot for you ,,hahaha   too dusty .. nothing to do all day ,, ffs, get a life you sad lot. get off the bar stool, turn of the air, go outside and get sunburnt,

burriram's not the far end of the world, im about an hour from there in a village ,, no farang fortress here ill tell you,

oh forgot to tell you mobil phone cover is shite, and your girlfriend will probably have a boyfriend or two living close by, if her phone rings and she walks away to answer

its him, asking her to get money from you  

welcome to the real Essan

[SimplySam]

There is some dude on the Secrets website that has an almost 3 years running account of his life in Thailand, mostly Isaan. It is like the couple that are here but far more pictures. It's like a photoblog.

[The Sly Fox]

Here's a prime example of how I feel about GF's village in Isan.

 

Before going to Australia in January this year I parked my car at GF's home in village in Korat. Now we're back from Oz so yesterday we took a bus from Pattaya to Pak Thong Chai in Korat, then got a lift from her brother to the village. I went straight to my car, connected the battery and started it up. Told GF to stay a few days with her family and relax, enjoy herself, get the bus back to Patts when she's finished telling everybody her Aussie adventures and given away all her toy kangaroos and made-in-China plastic boomerangs. I then jumped in my car and headed for Patts.

 

Total time spent in GF's village in Isan = 42 minutes.

[marko1961]

I'm trying to get a feel for what village life is like in Buriram. The girl I've been with for sometime now lives in a village about half an hour from Buriram centre by bus, and she wants me to go and stay with her there, and I have no idea if it will be idyllic and lovely, or whether I will be bored shitless. Her family don't speak English, and I don't speak Thai, apart from the very basics. I could stay in Buriram centre, where I presume there's plenty to do, but anything I've seen on tv, or pictures on here, suggest that apart from basic housing, there is sod all else in the villages. 

 

Anyone got any thoughts, also is it easy for a farang to hire a car, I've never considered doing this in Thailand before, but I will if it's the best option.

 

Any views or thoughts greatly appreciated.

 

don't listen to all the sad sacks about up north life go see for your self and make up your own mind I did and I love it do what I want when I want ok I have my own house own car and bike when bored just go back to pattaya

[stillakid]

It all really depends on YOU.  I have several friends that absolutely love being in the very rural village areas and they are in no way considered "buffalos" by local Thais.  There are definitely fewer man-made high-tech things to consume your time, but maybe you will like it that way.  Definitely stay in a comfortable resort or hotel with A/C and hopefully a few English TV channels.  Good idea to rent a car or truck so you can come and go as you please.

 

But perhaps you like the glitz and "glamour" of Pattaya.  That is OK.  For me, 2 or 3 days in Pattaya or BKK are enough and I want a much smaller city.  To make a decision on anything permanent, you need to spend several weeks or more there.

 

Go with a smile on your face and an open mind.  You will probably learn a lot about yourself and Thais.

 

Hope you have a great experience.

 

Stillakid

[The Sly Fox]

Prime reason I chose not to spend 1 night in gf's village is every evening everybody in the village rakes up all their day's fallen leaves and plastic bags/bottles and general trash and burn it off. The entire area gets blanketed in smoke, I can't fucken breath in that place. Hate it for that reason. Won't stay there for the night ever again.

[Bek]

What life is like, depends on what kind of person you are.

 

Some people can sit for hours and just look at whatever passes by. Some people can sit like this for 15 minutes, and will be bored out of their mind.

 

If you are one of those guys who can sit and do absolutely nothing, village life will suit you.

 

My advice is to rent a car, the first time you go there. It can be done for 1000 baht a day... And make sure you rent where you get a English contract, and it's fully insured!

Secondly, as someone else mentioned - have a data plan ready on your phone. There will be extended period of times where nobody will talk to you, most likely just talk about you. Some Internet connection comes in handy there, so you can occupy your self a bit.

Thirdly, if you are an hour or less away from a decent hotel, book a room there. You terak will tell you that her village have resort close by, but as other have said, it's not really a resort, but small independent 20 sqm. Love huts/ST rooms.

Finally, just go with the flow! If somebody offer you food, try it. If somebody offer you drink, try it. If somebody want you to do something that seems meaningless for you, just do it. Relax and take it as am adventure. Keep an open mind - not everybody is out to fleece you all the time. They don't talk bad about you every time you hear somebody say "farang". Give them, and your girl, the benefit of the doubt... But still be aware of what goes on around you. Talk with your girl before you go, what is acceptable for you. How much money do you want to spend, can she leave you alone with a bunch of strangers... Small things like that.

 

But basically go with the flow and try to have fun!

 

 

 

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[udontony]

What life is like, depends on what kind of person you are. Some people can sit for hours and just look at whatever passes by. Some people can sit like this for 15 minutes, and will be bored out of their mind. If you are one of those guys who can sit and do absolutely nothing, village life will suit you. My advice is to rent a car, the first time you go there. It can be done for 1000 baht a day... And make sure you rent where you get a English contract, and it's fully insured! Secondly, as someone else mentioned - have a data plan ready on your phone. There will be extended period of times where nobody will talk to you, most likely just talk about you. Some Internet connection comes in handy there, so you can occupy your self a bit. Thirdly, if you are an hour or less away from a decent hotel, book a room there. You terak will tell you that her village have resort close by, but as other have said, it's not really a resort, but small independent 20 sqm. Love huts/ST rooms. Finally, just go with the flow! If somebody offer you food, try it. If somebody offer you drink, try it. If somebody want you to do something that seems meaningless for you, just do it. Relax and take it as am adventure. Keep an open mind - not everybody is out to fleece you all the time. They don't talk bad about you every time you hear somebody say "farang". Give them, and your girl, the benefit of the doubt... But still be aware of what goes on around you. Talk with your girl before you go, what is acceptable for you. How much money do you want to spend, can she leave you alone with a bunch of strangers... Small things like that. But basically go with the flow and try to have fun! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have to agree with what you have posted about village life for falang but you also have to remember that all villages and all Thai families are different.  If you are lucky as I was, you will find a reasonable environment in the village and a brilliant Thai family.  I have been looked after by the family as one of them for many years now and feel privilged to know them.  My own personal living space cost me money but it has meant that I can live in a village in a very rural area and enjoy life to the full.  I have a week in Pattaya for a holiday every 6 or 7 weeks but I do love coming back home again after the week away.  

 

If you are unlucky you may end up with a nightmare family in a rough village.  I have seen this many times since I moved here and just thank my lucky stars that I didn`t end up in a family like this.

[Bek]

Have to agree with what you have posted about village life for falang but you also have to remember that all villages and all Thai families are different. If you are lucky as I was, you will find a reasonable environment in the village and a brilliant Thai family. I have been looked after by the family as one of them for many years now and feel privilged to know them. My own personal living space cost me money but it has meant that I can live in a village in a very rural area and enjoy life to the full. I have a week in Pattaya for a holiday every 6 or 7 weeks but I do love coming back home again after the week away.

 

If you are unlucky you may end up with a nightmare family in a rough village. I have seen this many times since I moved here and just thank my lucky stars that I didn`t end up in a family like this.

 

I only have experience with one girls family, and they have also been nice to me. There has been nothing like the horror stories sometimes posted on the board.

 

I have gone several times during the past 1,5 years, and most people seem to know me now. No more shouting "farang farang" when I'm at the back of the motorbike, with my girlfriend. I have also tried to blend in, in the sense that if someone ask me to try something, I mostly do it.

I have eaten all kind of foods, played football/soccer with the kids, helped changing piston and cylinder on a motorbike, fixed some of their dodgy electrical installations, and even been on stage and dancing at the village festival. I never back down trying something new, and that goes a long way with thai people... It goes a long way with people everywhere, actually!

The only thing I have declined when asked, is going to the temple and have a chat with Buddha. They have come to fully respect this, after I had the girlfriend explain them why I don't want.

 

As said before - keep an open mind, but be observant of what is going on around you.

 

 

 

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