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There are some companies that make the trip easy for them - Insurance, all medical requirements, vaccination, travel cages etc etc - do not do it yourself let a company to ensure is all ok because Thailand is unpredictable with rules they change or are accommodated to individuals and all this will be $$$ under the table but with a company that ensure all paper work is Ok will be a lot safer.

Some info 4U ...

Good Luck - I will be in Jomtien after mid September (my Home) let me know how u go and maybe we could have a beer he he he he (***)

Thank you for your reply. It's exciting but we need to ensure that the dogs are fine or it's not worth it.

We will definitely use a company to cover all the legal stuff

I just hope they settle!

A cold beer sounds ideal!

I too will be moving to Thailand snd would love to hear if you gind a doggie travel company that provides all those services. please keep me informed, appreciate it.

    So husband and I are starting the process of moving to Thailand.

Any suggestions of areas would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Jules
   

    -@Jules2702

First question that comes to mind is on which visa you want to live here, work or retirement or in the case the spouse is Thai, marriage

as you probably need to prepare for the entry visa, in Scotland. at a Thai embassy....

There are a lot of places that come to mind that you describe, so could you narrow the search down to on close the beach, close to foreign communities, in a mountainous area, East, South, North? Or the middle of nowhere but still close to malls etc., where I live, 20 minutes away from the Mall, beach etc. but without many neighbours or people that speak Thai??

regards

Martin

@martinoo2002

My vote goes to Chiang Mai.  I came from Florida, USA and first went to the Beaches,  Of course it was beautiful and like home. I thought this is it.  Then I made a friend, also from the USA.  He lived in Chiang  Mai and invited me for a visit. I went and there was something about Chiang Mai that got in me,  I did try two different beach areas and they were great, but something about Chiang Mai kept stirring in me every time I visited.  I spent more and more time in Chiang Mai until in the early 90's I moved to Chiang Mai and I am still here.  Its my home till the end I guess.

@jmitchell56

Hi Jim no need to advise.me..

It thought that 3 months per year chang mai was the most polluted city in the world, closing in on Bombay/Calcutta

The pollution in Chiang Mai is the reason why it is off my list of places to retire. Everything else about the place looks great.

Where you wish to live would depend on certain criteria.

The biggest one being, what can you afford??

Moving somewhere is not the same as holidaying somewhere. 

Depending on your cash flow, will depend on where you would be able to afford to live.

The more touristy you go, the more expensive it will be.

If you were to move to Isaan for example, then it would be a lot cheaper.

Just decide the kind of lifestyle you prefer, then that will be a lot of the decision already made.

I think just like most countries-regions in the world... Every place has it plus and minus depending on personal tastes.

I'm not a big Beach guy, so many of the beach areas down South don't interest me (also the relatively recent tourist invasion from a couple questionable countries). The big city experience of Bangkok, is good for a visit, but I'll pass on the Concrete jungle as a place to live. Small town life of the Central part of the country might be the cheapest place to live, but I think I might be a bit bored.

Chiang-Mai up North checks a lot of the boxes I was looking for. A "medium" size city that is surrounded by green mountain jungle, with Temperatures a good 5' (c) degrees cooler, with less humidity than down south.

Yes the Smoke in the Dry season is a problem (especially if you have respiratory problems). Hopefully, the Smoke isn't as bad as last season, or maybe I'll plan on taking a holiday down south, or out of the country for a few weeks-months of clean air.

here are many bigger cities in the center and other regions of Thailand that have a lot or maybe everything to offer that the OP requests

Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani. Sukothai, and more nature directed Kanchanaburi, Chantaburi

And the many coastal places with larger foreign communities...

I live rural, after a pretty hectic career with jobs over three continents and extended regional in Asia I am very happy with the rest and quiet..... mountain view, waterfalls, cow herds, farming in general and  the malls and beach in 20 minutes, Cha am beach , again very Thai focused... no large foreign/tourist crowds....

Oh yeah, AQI today 11....... breathe man, breathe deep

some experience about Koh Chang - Trat ? thanks

Been there twice, years ago and found it to be a construction pit. But a buddy of mine who went there recently said it looked great, beautiful...

Just one pointer from my side. This is a tourist island, do not expect pricing of anything to be near local levels...