Is Rural Thailand / Isaan LIVABLE for Westerners in 2024?

Today we discuss why we think Isaan is becoming more and more livable for Westerners while tucking into probably the best pizza we've had in Thailand so far!
Google map link to the pizza restaurant:
ร้านพิซซ่าเตาฟืน
maps.app.goo.gl/id75jiRkszq7ixyN9
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See you on the next one 🙏
#thailand #thailandtravel #rurallife #vlog #isaan

[@danny_and_diggy]

That pizza looked yummy guys 😊 cannot remember when I had pizza last time 😋

[@NativeFarang]

It was so good!

[@FollowingtheJourneyLifeStyle]

I just retired to Udon Thani in April. I been coming to Thailand on vacation since 2013 and I love it. It's a better atmosphere than what I have grown up with in the United States. I can't explain the freedom that my soul feels living here, thanks Thailand.

[@NativeFarang]

Couldn't agree more!

[@MaryAustin-cx7dm]

I worked in a pizza shop for many years. We had one customer who ordered a thin crust anchovy pizza every week. When my adopted daughter was born, the anesthesiologist came in to give the birth mom an epidural. He was the thin crust anchovy customer. We both had a good laugh.

[@NativeFarang]

Brilliant 🤣

[@RealistThailand1943]

By far the best video you have ever made. This is excellent and you and camilla were so natural and it was a pleasure to watch You will in due course find th rural areas including Isaan so much better than Bkk and the concrete jungle.I agree on you on Anchovies and pineapple depends on the pizza I know you are going to make a great success of your "new life" Isaan is very liveable and you are not going to regret it.

[@masters9559]

Wish you and your family a happy trip to Thailand.

[@JanetEdwards-m9y]

Its what you make it❤

[@Basilrose503]

Awesome❤❤pizza looks delicious 😋😋

[@graemeaylward8313]

Having lived in Isaan for 13 years I can wholeheartedly agree with you Nat and Camila, it is certainly livable here. There is no shortage of friendly little wayside shops, cafes and restaurants, and the food is usually excellent and so cheap. If you need a Western fix, go to the nearest big town! Personally any sort of Pizza is good for me Pineapple or not but my favourite is 4 cheeses! God bless you all 😀❤🙏

[@NativeFarang]

Spot on!

[@Swimfit998]

Nat what do you use to make your videos ? really good with the movement and quality of the picture. Totally agree pineapple on pizza 👍

[@NativeFarang]

The camera I use is Dji Action 3 and I just edit on my phone 😅

[@RikkieBkk]

Nice to see you are all doing well we're still looking for some land in Surin when that's finished we sure come to visit you Regards from Boom to.

[@NativeFarang]

Ahh thank you! Sounds good 🙏

[@JanetEdwards-m9y]

Don't know if I said I live in around 60kilos from nong kai right in rural land. How can relate to you and your Family . I was 70yrs old yesterday live on my UK pension which is around 45.000 per mnth. Been living on and off for 12yrs.. Now on pension visa. Am living quite comfortable. Near all the shops you mentioned. I eat issan food and western food, one will never starve here. Living with part of my thai family. I totally agree in all what your saying. Hope to cross you all at some point. Life is good ❤❤❤

[@NativeFarang]

Sounds like you have settled in well! Happy birthday for yesterday 😀🙏

[@JanetEdwards-m9y]

Worst part is the issan loa language, but your doing a great with the girls integrating with the people doing a great job and pace, just the perfect age. Good on both of you. Very brave of you . Both your parents must be so proud you.

[@NativeFarang]

​@@JanetEdwards-m9y I'm hoping the language will be easier to grasp once the kids start school 😅 Ahhh thank you so much 🙏

[@thailandtimmah]

Cool vlog✌ I love Isaan! But pineapple on pizza is just wrong, wrong, wrong. It's like putting gummy bears on pad thai😂 Keep up the cool videos✌💛☺

[@NativeFarang]

Hahaha we love it! Thanks for watching 🙏

[@Philip_Thornton]

@@thailandtimmah having come back from KL roti with banana sugar and sweet milk is wrong wrong wrong! Where can you get good affordable Indian food in Thailand. Next time I come I'll make sure to bring lentils and curry powder.

[@Peter_Farang]

Completely agree with you, except for the pineapple part, you lost me there hehe 🤣 Enjoy your beautiful family and life.

[@chayapatchaya8782]

Kaya& Mallory really seem a big fan of pizza.😂😂😂

[@lutach]

There is one thing missing on those pizza and it is the secret sauce and the secret sauce is.......add a little bit of ketchup on it and let James know how good it is. Ketchup is the best thing ever on pizza specially if you make your own pizza sauce. If you do make it, make another batch and let it cook down a bit more and add a bit of vinegar and there you go, home made ketchup as well. That place sure is great to enjoy a nice pizza, thank you once again for another great video and as always hugs to the family.

[@NativeFarang]

Oooh interesting!

[@brucewayne2773]

If I want peace and quiet, Isaan would be great as a retiree. I would not want to try and make money from farming the land, leave it to those who know what they are doing and have been doing it for a long long time and are good at it. Pretty sure most have inherited the land from their families. Those pizzas🍕🍕🍕 looked pretty dang good too 😋

[@NativeFarang]

It's definitely peaceful, but it has everything you need, everything is only a short distance away 😊 Pizza was amazing!

[@francinedowling8514]

Pizzas look good. Its very big. ❤❤❤

[@williamhartz8707]

If you live within a 30 -40 minute drive to a province capital city you have access to everything thing now days such as: BigC, Lotus’s, Makro, Global House, Home Pro, “boutique” cafes, a couple restaurants serving Western food, even a shopping mall with the typical franchises. You’re not in the Boonies anymore . The smaller cities/ towns have the 7-Elevens and other small convenient stores. Even the Mr DIY franchise shops are popping up in these smaller towns. During the past 20 years the major highways have been upgraded to international standards and those PTT plazas make driving through the rural areas more pleasant with access to decent restrooms. You can have both worlds ( modern conveniences and the sounds of nature) when living in rural Thailand.

[@Philip_Thornton]

As in my post great for the weekly or fortnightly grocery shopping. Not so great for day to day eating.

[@JAD3N]

The necklace is nice bro, I wanna get one of those. That exact size and everything.

[@anansupalert5124]

FC ครับ

[@petersmith6520]

100% livable and desirable both rural and cities. Everything you need is available. Even have fiber optic internet in many rural locations

[@Philip_Thornton]

@@petersmith6520 internet in the village is faster than in Australia. Providers only up to 100/20 Mbps. Village up to 1 Gbps both directions and I think 400baht/month unlimited

[@Victoria-ov3ge]

Many Thais are married and have worked and lived in Australia for years and still do. I’ve had small chats with some and quite a few are from Issan too. Anchovies on pizza is an Italian way, obviously not pineapple, I’m not a huge fan of it, yet do in small amounts, also don’t mind a couple chopped up anchovies is ok with me too, so I’ll go chop my head off😮😳🤣😂 That pizza looked great and that oven is an original style way to cook them, even cooking meats, lasagne etc in them too😊 So No to lots of pineapple, anchovies or tomato(ketchup) sauce. I mostly prefer vegetarian pizzas too Camila 😊

[@woodyexplorer]

Thailand is changing fast.

[@marglewis7652]

I can take or leave the pineapple but love the anchovies even though I need a gallon of water for a few hours after. The anchovies would highlight the sweetness of the pineapple, as long as it's fresh pineapple and not the tasteless tinned variety. My mouth was watering watching you all eat 🤣💗💞💞

[@NativeFarang]

It was definitely fresh pineapple, very delicious! 😁

[@nige536]

Pizza looked amazing .... I'm super fussy when it comes to Pizza Thanks 😎

[@dylanflynn1]

That's wood fire grilled pizza..The best kind you can get and my fav! I like pizza with pineapple sometimes. But I also love shrimp on pizza which is hard to find.

[@NativeFarang]

Absolutely!

[@Paul_Debs]

Pineapple on pizza definitely a yes, anchovy a big hell noooooooo. Those pizza's looked really good, hungry now haha

[@NativeFarang]

Totally agree! They were really good pizzas, would definitely go there again 😁

[@Dana-ie2bh]

Lord Acton the British historian once wrote, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." He was criticizing the Holy Roman Catholic Church, who he was working for at the time. However, he was making a very valid point about "Civilization" in general. Nobody likes to dwell on negativity, especially not to the point of analysis paralysis, on the flip side, to sweep it under the table is to be delusional. Many a fine person has been crushed by being overly optimistic. Ramblings from an ancient mariner,

[@janeyuk8167]

🍍 💯 🍕 Veggie special 🍕🤩 That pizza looks unreal 😍

[@ไพบูลย์อรุณคิงค์]

😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤

[@truesouth4784]

Pineapple. Yucky. Pineapple on your pizza is like pepperoni in your fruit salad. In saying that, your pizza looked yum.

[@AndyPat239]

looks nice laid back area.

[@Dana-ie2bh]

BTW Natt, Thai Fish Sauce is made from Anchovies, so is British Worcestershire Sauce. The original world marketed and traded Fish sauce made from Anchovies came from Rome Italy back during the Roman Empire. It was called "Garum".

[@NativeFarang]

Interesting!

[@nokchilton1562]

Pizza looks yummy! 😋

[@NativeFarang]

It was amazing!

[@KimWright-wq8cu]

NAT NAT NAT 🤣🥴 PIZZA WITHOUT ANCHOVIES IS LIKE PIZZA. WITHOUT CHEESE 🤣🤣😜 HEHEHE SOUNDZ LIKE ISAAN IS ON THE UP🎉 GREAT VIDEO

[@NativeFarang]

We'll take your word for it Kim 😝

[@KimWright-wq8cu]

@@NativeFarang WHY THANKU MAAM 😜👏👌👍🥳

[@KillerkoUK]

Anchovies on pizza je the best thing ever... I always have a few cans in my pantry and when it's pizza time, there goes my anchovies :D ..now pineapple is a different story haha

[@NativeFarang]

Each to their own 😅

[@jonhobson3592]

Nice pizza 🍕 but not pineapple 🍍 sorry 😔 it’s a no from me 😅 anchovies & olives no way agreed 👍

[@jonhobson3592]

I’m considering a move to Ubon R next year .. I love bkk a lot , but the traffic is getting a bit too much now & it’s cheaper too .. can rent a house 170-200sqm for 10,000b.. 😊

[@NativeFarang]

Definitely a lot cheaper to rent out of the touristy areas 😊 Our rent is going to be even less than that, can't wait!

[@Philip_Thornton]

If you can resist living without air con then you won't have one of those horrendous power bills I keep hearing about. Fan only here and May and June was hot!!

[@jonhobson3592]

@@Philip_Thornton I have air on for about half the night. Never a horrendous bill , typically 1100-1300b. Compared to the uk 🇬🇧 this is mere peanuts ££ 😅

[@Philip_Thornton]

@@jonhobson3592 cooling just the sleeping area is ideal. Large enough can double as a living area. I think some are cooling the whole house 24 7.

[@jonhobson3592]

@@Philip_Thornton indeed yes , some do 😆

[@lynda2023]

Love pineapple on pizza 🍕 😅the best chicken and pineapple from uk xxx

[@stephenfogg7327]

Hi natt where about are you in surin we moved to sangkha from Warrington two years ago I have been coming to surin for over 25 years now it would be good to have a catch-up

[@NativeFarang]

We move to Surin in August, we're currently doing a farmstay in Buriram. But we'll be living just on the outskirts of Surin city centre 😊

[@alanevans1858]

They love 🎉 cream Mallory & Kaya. So cute and very polite. Pizza 🍕🤎. Western way of life spreads into non tourist areas eventually as weaterners spread out to local villages and not just the big cities and towns. Natt its finding the right niche and how you want to live and earn in small towns. Intergration is the key.🍍on pizza bang on.in uk they use to do a seafood pizza with anchovies yuk🤮. Pizza looks yummy. Pizza guys needs marketing and good P.R. Great vlog guys as usual..😀🍍🍕👍🥰

[@supatracross5172]

Hi NativeFarang and family ❤❤❤❤

[@เหงียนเกาด๊าก]

Hi 😭👈😅😅😅😅

[@peterward9755]

Ice cream in a bread roll has never really appealed to me enjoy isann life

[@NativeFarang]

Camila was the same when she first came to Thailand, now she loves it!

[@Dana-ie2bh]

Kaya looks so fashionable in her Thai farm animal ensemble.

[@linda_and_tony]

So curious to find out what kind of business you guys are doing. 😮

[@NativeFarang]

Time will tell😀

[@maryziggy8802]

Snap! I had hawian pizza for lunch today. The more I eapple the better 😀

[@NativeFarang]

Definitely, we love the pineapple!

[@denisdonovan2033]

When and what business you guys opening .or you not sldisclosing oy yet lol But whatever you do wish you great success

[@NativeFarang]

All will be revealed soon, just working through some things, but we're feeling optimistic 😀

[@Philip_Thornton]

Our village is over 20k to chumphae or over 60 to Khon Kaen. The food stalls here only the noodle soup and narm ban. Unless you want to spend an hour every day to drive just for breakfast, you need to develop some culinary skills. Correct me please if I'm wrong but isn't that what you were doing when on the farm. Fortunately i have a wife that can cook me a nice narmtock pork. I cook the pork!! She made a peanut sauce the other day with bbq chicken We both enjoy cooking so that does help.

[@NativeFarang]

@@Philip_Thornton Yes, correct, and we'll be cooking a lot more once we move into our new home. But we're currently still on a farmstay with limited equipment and utensils and it just isn't practical. We do have culinary skills, I enjoy cooking 😊

[@Philip_Thornton]

@@NativeFarang my apologies from a previous video was given the impression you didn't :). I was going to try Grab to order something but just can't do it. I used them in KL to get to the airport. We are in the Khon Kaen city this trip. Plenty of street food but we still prefer to cook. And yes it probably is cheaper just to buy already made. Every trip to lotus or big C and the missus somehow fills the trolley up. But we eat well.

[@NativeFarang]

@@Philip_Thornton In Bangkok we rarely cooked because street food, grab etc was too convenient, but we did miss the meals we used to cook on the farm so we'll definitely be cooking again once we move 😊

[@wendy-0101]

❤👍🏼is it far from Bangkok? Are you born in Isan Natt? My fav pitza. Yummy! 💞💞💞💞 Ps anchovies popular in Sweden.

[@NativeFarang]

Yes pretty far from Bangkok unfortunately, around 6 hours! Yes I was born in Isaan, grew up in Surin 😊

[@wendy-0101]

@@NativeFarang Thats wonderful. Its good you are both”Going with the flow just now” (Teachings of the Tao)& just chilling. You are going to succeed whatever you do, because you are both very smart & intelligent humans. Also your outlook on life is positive. Win win win! Take care & looking forward to next vlog. You really make my day. Because whatever the weather there is always sunshine around you all! 💞💞💞💞

[@NativeFarang]

​@@wendy-0101Ahh that's such a lovely comment, thank you so much, really does mean a lot 😊🙏

[@paulinegiles5757]

Yes, pineapple loves pizza 🍕 😊😊😊😊

[@fionahamilton2060]

No pineapple but love anchovy’s

[@Dana-ie2bh]

Pardon the pun, but small-scale farming in rural Thailand is a tough row to hoe. Possibly what is called a "Gentlemans Farm" or "Hobby Farm" would be palatable and self-sustaining but usually requires a pretty good-sized amount of startup capital. Financiers look at small businesses as being pretty risky in terms of being able to actually turn a profit. Government stats in the US show that while small business comprises more than 60% of GDP, they also have a high failure rate in the first 5 years, hence lenient bankruptcy laws. Don't give up your online day job until the 5 cents per egg profit before taxes actually adds up to $2,000 a month.

[@NativeFarang]

Don't worry, that isn't the route we're going down 😊🙏

[@Dana-ie2bh]

@@NativeFarang I look forward to following your adventure chronicles. Einstein once said that IQ is not nearly as important as creativity.

[@jimmylal5848]

❤Blessings❤

[@Dana-ie2bh]

Well Natt, there is a reason it's called a developing nation. The old maxim in business is "Find a need and fill it". 20 years ago, I doubt that rural Isan had very good internet coverage. That's how Shinawatra got so rich, same with Carlos Slim in Mexico. When are you going to make that Mexican food, you were craving a while back?

[@williamhartz8707]

There were places in rural USA that did not have access to internet because the private communication companies didn’t make any profit in isolated areas.

[@Dana-ie2bh]

@@williamhartz8707 Thailand has a much higher population density in many of its rural areas compared to the US.

[@NativeFarang]

We'll start cooking again once we've moved into our new home in Surin 😄

[@MaryAustin-cx7dm]

Pineapple and ham on pizza is the best!

[@NativeFarang]

Absolutely!

[@carlboardman8301]

Where exactly in Isaan is this ?

[@NativeFarang]

maps.app.goo.gl/id75jiRkszq7ixyN9

[@thomasmckenney3518]

Honestly I don’t want to many farang where I live. I like living in rural Thailand as it is. If I want western stuff I can go to Ubon Ratchathani. A lot that I’ve met don’t and won’t learn Thai/Isaan picky about food. I live just like my in-laws. Eat like a local. A lot of Farang give us that love it there a bad name. The locals look so shocked when I speak Thai/Isaan and eat what and how they eat. After leaving the states whatever country I’m in I try to assimilate the best I can.

[@NativeFarang]

Very true, that's how it should be done! Moved to Thailand for a reason, if you want to live how you lived back in your home country then there isn't much point in moving in the first place haha.

[@phil-v3n]

Love pineapple myself but it should never be allowed on a pizza

[@keithhowell4138]

First time I had pizza with anchovies I hated it ,but now it’s yum.

[@NativeFarang]

Ahh we'll take your word for it 😅🤣

[@beau_de_jour]

an 100% born and breed in italy, that pizza does look very nice, i’ve seen so much worse pizzas around australia to be fair. big up from italy, i like your videos and i enjoyed your video. Im farm and quiet area boy so Isaan has a special place in heart. I love morlum folk songs. cheers from an italian in australian 💪🏼❤️ where about are you in isaan by the way? which province ? ps as an italian i have to say the pineapple will never belong to pizza mate 🤣

[@beau_de_jour]

by the way i can tell the pizza is wood oven pizza, which makes it pure to italian tradition. I can’t tell the skills and the taste, but the look is quite on point. Average price of a pizza in Italy: Margherita 4€ meanwhile with flavours on top goes up to 6 to 7,50€, hardly more than that, unless you are in a gourmet kind of pizza shops. 180 baht which is roughly 5 euro isn’t bad at all, similar price like in italy. Some pizza restaurants around the world charge crazy prices on pizza when in italy it’s a popular dish, nothing fancy in it, priced well just to feed yourself with reasonable price. Great work Isaan and Thailand!

[@NativeFarang]

Hahaha apologies for the pineapple but we love it 😂😂 We're currently doing a farmstay in Buriram but will be moving to Surin in August 😊 Thank you for watching 🙏

[@davidhumphrey2593]

Certainly not. Back when I first arrived, Rama IX was still in power 11 years back (albeit I was only 23!) 😁😂

[@pb4707]

Pinapple pizza?!! REPORTED!

[@NativeFarang]

The best!

[@rolandgarza2395]

I think I live near you in prakon chai interested in pizza place location please

[@NativeFarang]

Here's the map link 😊 maps.app.goo.gl/id75jiRkszq7ixyN9

[@rolandgarza2395]

@@NativeFarang thank you so much

[@michaeltakayama8415]

Hawaiian pizza has been an atrocity since it was first invented, and I dare anyone to ask an Italian chef, to his face, to make one. But, I can't blame you two for your terrible taste in pizza. The absolutely worst pizza I have ever eaten was in the UK, so even a picture of a pizza, glued to a piece of cardboard, is bound to taste great to a Brit. Just joking, so don't get upset,m please... lol. :) Glad you two (plus two) appear to be doing/living better now that you are out of Bangkok. Best of luck with everything!

[@NativeFarang]

🤣🤣🤣

[@henriverbeek6877]

That’s my guilty pleasure Hawaiian pizza 😂😂😂😂😂

[@radleysmith7528]

Need to start the kids on som tam, sticky rice & occasional chicken/frog local fruit, integrate with the pineapple and dried fish....eat real cheap Ditch the western junk stay healthy

[@NativeFarang]

Yeah we usually do eat all of that, but we've been having a western fix since coming down with food poisoning 😅 We're all good now so back on the Thai food 😝

[@johnning08]

สวัสดืครับ Pineapple belongs on pizza but with jalapenos. You need the spice with the sweet.

[@NativeFarang]

Definitely! Can't wait for the kids to be able to handle spice 😅

[@DaisyD163]

Sorry.NO pineapple or anchovies on pizza.I cant stand the smell or taste of pineapple.Each to there own.❤

[@NativeFarang]

Hahaha definitely divides opinions, each to their own indeed 😅

[@internationalfranchisealli5547]

Isaan is not something everyone can handle because it's just bloody boring

[@NativeFarang]

Depends what you want to do for entertainment, we've found everything we need within short distances 😊