Not many foreigners moving to Thailand never give rural Isaan a thought.
Rural Isaan, not including the big cities of Khon Kaen, Udon Thani or Chaiyaphum.
The local villages out in nowhere land.
HERE ARE THE CONS TO LIVING IN RURAL ISAAN
No other foreigners to talk to.
No one speaks English.
No stores or fancy restaurants. No worthy resorts or hotels.
Life is based around farming rice and sugar cane.
Drivers are wreck less.
Village water supply can be on only an hour a day twice a week and the water is dirty.
Electricity can go off with no warning.
No international schools or schools in English. Need to home school.
Isaan language dialect is hard to learn.
People burning trash in their yards and also burning sugarcane stubble.
Food sourced from the local markets is unhygienic.
US Food and western food extremely rare. Have to go to a bigger city with a Makro store.
HERE ARE THE PROS
Cheapest cost of living in all of Thailand.
Abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Local tradesman work extremely cheap: electricians, AC, masons, builders.
Local villagers are very friendly and helpful towards foreigners.
Very low stress lifestyle.
Can grow your own vegetables and fruit trees quite easy.
Lack of traffic, also during harvesting season, large transport trucks are everywhere.
Low crime.
Lots of local music festivals.
Close, within an hour to cities with malls.
Easy and cheap to live off-grid with cheap solar power.
Rural Isaan is like living in a farm belt anywhere else in the world.
It is how the majority of the population make their living.
Quiet and peaceful bunch of hard workers.
Khon Kaen airport nearby means you can always fly cheaply to any Thailand holiday destinations.