Welcome Back!!
Hello and welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter, (I’m still working on a name for it). We are giving you our honest views on retiring early in our 50’s, living on a budget and slow traveling in South East Asia.
This week many people are celebrating Thanksgiving. Everyone celebrates in their own way. In this part of the world it isn’t recognized but we still have plenty to be thankful for as we continue our slow travels.
After our first full month in Thailand, I wanted to give you our honest views on it. You can see in depth videos on it as well on our channel below, click to subscribe!
Jomtien Beach at Sunset
Jomtien, Thailand
After a rough ending in Bali we were looking forward to a new country. We decluttered some more and packed our bags. We took a direct flight from Denpasar into Bangkok and then grabbed a bus to Jomtien. It was a long journey but well worth it.
Why did we pick Jomtien?
Location: It’s a beach town of course! We are constantly searching for the next best beach. Jomtien offers long, sandy beaches with a quieter atmosphere.
Walkable: We learned from our mistakes in Bali, lol. This area is completely walkable!
Vibe: It’s a laid back vibe for sure! Located just south of the more bustling Pattaya. You won’t find the crazy clubs or nightlife that are sometimes associated with Thailand. But, it’s a quick bus/cab ride to that if you want.
Amenities: There are hotels, restaurants and shops that line the main street. They even have two night markets! Great places for good food and people watching.
Cost: One of the most important things in budget traveling. You can find reasonable if not cheap accommodations and if you eat local you are saving tons!!
Air BNB
Accommodations are always the biggest and hardest part of the planning. When you are not familiar with an area, you go largely based on reviews, at least we do. The place we picked had 5 reviews and they were all great! It fit in our price point so we went for it. Here is our honest review.
View from our Building, Nice
Location
Couldn’t ask for better. A quick 5 minute walk to the beach. There were restaurants, shops and of course 7-11’s all within arms reach. Definitely 5 stars for location!
View from infinity pool, Nice
The Complex
They maintain the property beautifully! Everyday they are sweeping & mopping. Our building had a small gym, a nice infinity pool, laundry room and workspace. Great facility!
Our Room
I am by no means bougie, if I was I wouldn’t be living this life, lol! That being said, I do expect a place to meet the listing. The room was small, we knew that, all you need is a bed, bathroom and small kitchen space. The “cleaning” of the room prior to our arrival was subpar. The kitchen was not supplied as stated in the listing. There were no supplies, soap, toilet paper,etc. There was long black hairs all over and small debris on the floor. I swept it up and let my host know. The response I got was that stuff isn’t included(states it in the listing) and as far as the cleaning, we need to do better next time. OMG! Now, for us, this wasn’t a deal breaker just an annoyance. The location was great so we made due. A quick stop at 7-11 and I had our home for the next month looking better! The craziest part was the bathroom. The toilet seat looked like it was original with the building, OLD, but the shower door was broken. I took a shower our first night and got trapped inside. Luckily, Mark was home and helped shimmy it open. I can laugh at it now but I was not happy then. When we let them know, they said the mechanic can’t figure it out, what??? It literally just needed a new part. But, these are things that will happen on the road. No harm, no foul. You definitely need to be able to go with the flow.
Our eating utensils for the month, LOL!!!
How was the area?
The location couldn’t have been better. A quieter side of town. There are hotels along the strip but it is more geared toward families and retirees. There are no crazy bars in this part of town, life is just a little slower.
Since they are a more touristy area, most things were in English. I know, being in a foreign country you expect things to be in the local language. There were a few things that we needed Google translate for, but it was manageable.
Thai people are very friendly. Even if there was a language barrier, you can point and smile and usually figure it out. They are welcoming of the ex-pats!
Weather
I am not going to sugar coat it, the humidity was rough, at least for me. It was the start of the “cool” season but felt like a swamp to us. You have to remember, we have been living in Arizona for the last 8 years so humidity to us is kind of foreign. Everyday, we were drenched with sweat, especially because we walk everywhere. The only saving grace for me was the pool! I was there everyday. We did have a few rain storms but they were usually at night. The last 2 days we had significant rains throughout the day but we didn’t mind it, kind of cooled it down.
Jomtien’s climate is tropical, with the seasons primarily defined by changes in temperature(but not significant) and rainfall.
Cool Season: November-February (84-88 degrees F highs, mid 70’s lows)
Hot Season: March-May (highs can reach the high 90’s, lows in the low 80’s)
Rainy Season: June-October (86-90 highs, lows 81-82)
In Case You Missed It
Check out our latest YouTube videos on Jomtien Beach, Still Budget Friendly https://youtu.be/BXk1oRfVPrw
Get inspired by our Instagram page featuring fun things we find: instagram.com/the_inked_nomads
Like what we’re doing? Buy us a coffee!! So easy to do, click the link and find out! buymeacoffee.com/InkedNomadsWorldwide
Could We Retire Here???
Khao Chi Chan, laser engraved Buddha
I would say the Jomtien area could be a place to settle down one day. Of course, that is a long ways off, but to be explored at a later date. For now, it offers a great location that is very walkable, affordable accommodations and food options and great transportation available. There are hospitals in the area, thankfully, I cannot comment on how they are since we did not have to use them. Bangkok is only a 2.5 hour drive away as well.
Jomtien checked off a lot of boxes for us. But, there is so much more to see and explore. We will continue our slow travel and see what the world has in store for us. 2026 is only a few weeks away!!!!
Are you thinking of retiring overseas? Perhaps breaking the mold and doing it early? Do you have any questions? We are an open book, so reach out and we will be more than happy to answer any questions.
Until next time 🙂 Kenda & Mark
