Cheap places still available in Thailand?

[Sloeber]

Hi all,

I'm preparing for back surgery at the first of the year and was hoping to do my "rehab" in Thailand by sitting on the beach for a few months. Obviously no diving for awhile, so that isn't of the utmost importance at the start. Basically I'm in search of that perfect oceanfront bungalow that costs next to nothing. I know, I know... but if I'm eleminating the scuba aspect at first I should be able to locate something "off the beaten path" at least a little easier. Anyone have any recommendations I should look into and an idea of the cost I'm looking at? No travel dates set but likely leaving sometime in Feb-Apr, which I beleive is on the downhill slide of the busy season if I'm correct? A/C isn't required, nor is a hot shower (especially if I don't have A/C LOL), but both would be appreciated every now and then. Mostly just looking for a quiet relaxing place to chill out for a few months, explore as much as my back allows, and find a good party every once awhile. I'm not opposed to moving to several different places either over the course of months.

 

[Nikki McAllen]

Try Koh Tarutao, on the southwest coast. The first island group north of Malaysia. Definitely chill, you can visit Penang and do visa runs quite easily.

Good you won't be diving, the climate has screwed the corals with the worst bleaching ever witnessed by science. But that's happening everywhere this season, Thailand is not alone.

Be sure your season is right, can't remember but the whole island group shuts down for monsoon. It's worth seeing....

 

[Quero]

Henry, You'll want to be within reasonable distance of good medical care if you're going to be recovering from major surgery. While I love the Tarutao island group, it may be just a bit too isolated, possibly requiring back-wrenching speedboat ferry trips as well. There are some very sweet islands where things are still pretty cheap, such as Koh Kradan, but again, you're looking at longtail transfers between the island and the mainland. I'd say that Koh Lanta is probably a good option in that it's large enough to still have cheap bamboo bunglalows right on the beach and also easy access to the mainland by way of car ferries. It's also close enough to Krabi town that you could get to a medical facility without too much trouble.

 

[watboy]

If you want next to nothing, you gotta hit places at low season i mean green season (may/june to sept/oct on the Andaman side). I was at Koh Lanta two summers ago from May to Sept. Nice clean rooms with AC right on the beach that normally go for $150 now I got for less than $20 bucks a night. And if you can drop more amenities like, AC you can get them in the single digit/day range. I however, did pay in cash and paid 3 months upfront. Unfortunately, the way to bargain hunt is to show up to the island and bike around and negotiate.

Hi all,

I'm preparing for back surgery at the first of the year and was hoping to do my "rehab" in Thailand by sitting on the beach for a few months. Obviously no diving for awhile, so that isn't of the utmost importance at the start. Basically I'm in search of that perfect oceanfront bungalow that costs next to nothing. I know, I know... but if I'm eleminating the scuba aspect at first I should be able to locate something "off the beaten path" at least a little easier. Anyone have any recommendations I should look into and an idea of the cost I'm looking at? No travel dates set but likely leaving sometime in Feb-Apr, which I beleive is on the downhill slide of the busy season if I'm correct? A/C isn't required, nor is a hot shower (especially if I don't have A/C LOL), but both would be appreciated every now and then. Mostly just looking for a quiet relaxing place to chill out for a few months, explore as much as my back allows, and find a good party every once awhile. I'm not opposed to moving to several different places either over the course of months.

 

[Quinch]

First post on the board hope you don't mind the long ramble.
If you don't need to be somewhere that you have easy access to med facilities, then you have more choice especially as a lot of the smaller islands it will mean a boat ride at the very least to get somewheere decent.
I stayed a fair while on Kho Phang Ngan, but that makes the nearest decent hospital on the next island.

If you're going to be there for a space of time I'd have a look less at the resort accomodations and sniff around instead for a proper little bungalow with a small kitchen, you can rent these out by the month and it should work out cheaper than a resort bungalow.
I was paying about 6500 baht a month for a place about 5-10 min walk from a quiet but busy enough beach a couple of years ago. As accomodation quality went it was actually very good quality big balcony, decent furniture, nicely made place. ok views, fridge etc. Offhand from memory A/C would have put about another 1-2K baht on the price for accomodation at other places I looked.
Best way to find it as someone said before was to go somewhere find some temp accomodation then bike round a bit, ask around, and negotiate.

Mine was fan and cold shower, however if we could have been bothered (and worth seeing if this works, known others who have done it) for about £70-100 we could have arranged to buy and have fitted a hot shower, no rent going up for you, but obviously l/l get a hot shower for free.
You usually have to pay your own elec, and gas for cooker if you are cooking but they're minimal, you can also arrange to have larger watercooler sized bottles delivered. All of this can be sorted by your l/l so is not as much hassle as it sounds.

Wether you need a/c or a hot shower is up to you, April gets really hot its the peak of summer out there, a/c also nice for lay ins, even after being out there and adapting over the space of a lot of months, houses on islands roast in the morn. Hot shower can be nice we used to use a friends otherwise I would have, (cold showers when your hot brrr ), always felt cleaner after a hot shower as well.

 

[Sloeber]

Good info.

I'm not too concerned about medical facilities. I'm being told I will be cleared to work at the 6-8 week mark, which has to mean I'll be moderately along my way of recovery and at the very lease mobile. I don't think I'll leave until 1 month after the procedure, just to make sure everything is going ok. At the most I could see needing pain medication, but that doesn't seem like an obstacle.

Travel too/from the island groups could be of serious concern, and was something I was already considering. If boats are sized/structured so I could lay flat this is less of a concern, otherwise, I think I will be stuck using the larger ferries. The operation will be on my L4-L5 disc, so it's lower back that I'm dealing with. The pounding of a boat hull isn't an option for awhile. I'm not opposed to sticking to mainland, either, if suitable arrangements are possible.

Yes, A/C would be great, but isn't a requirement. It is a decision that'll ultimately be made on a case by case basis solely dependant upon cost and availability. I am more likely to visit several areas than I am to stay put in one area for 3 months, but I'm not ruling that out either. Finding a killer place for a steal price makes it easy to plant roots for several months. I'm not on a time schedule.

 

[Quinch]

Well theres slow ferries between the islands that are large enough for that, can't remeber offhand what its like for ferries on the krabis side but would assume theres similair. I would figure you can always island hop if you fancy moving about.
Mainland coastline wise erm think you'd probably be better of over Krabi way, trying to think of places worth staying but giving you some places to wander on the other side near Surat Thani, and can't think of much but usually only pass through that way, have some friends live in Hau Hin further up thats ok, not my bag personally though, I would have thought there again anyway you go to from there like the nearby national park, cheaply is going to be by bus or similair and probably worse for your back than a boat.

 

[JTinSD]

Why beaches and islands if you can't dive? See another side of Thailand.

Northern Thailand, east and west, has plenty of cheap options. When you are healed and ready to dive, go back down south.

Just my two satang.

 

[mgmonk]

Koh Phra Thong | Tropical Beach | Thailand Paradise Island

I'm here now. It doesn't get more relaxed than this. Been here 4 years and never seen anything like it.

but don't expect bar girls or..... bars
just beaches and sunsets

good luck with the surgery!!!!

 

[red_barbarian]

Try Sihanoukville Cambodia, should be a lot cheaper than Thailand. Come back to Thailand when you feel better. Take the bus from the airport to Pattaya, (~150 Baht), then go to a place that doesa vis runs and they can usually extend your trip to Sihanoukville. Check out Tales of Asia, and the Khmer440 web sites for forum/FAQ/local knowledge.