Out in the boonies for sure. Rent somewhere closer to downtown and scooter to work.
1 Like
He may think thatās a positive for a foreigner who might want easy access to other larger cities, check on where exactly it is knowing that the actual station is quite far.
2 Likes
Tainan is overpriced to buy, like everywhere it has experianced a boom in prices, there are still places to rent at resonable prices, but for nicer places near the HSR they get expensive.
Scooter everyday out there is dangerous.
Really not a great place to live. Find out the exact address / road and look closely at the mapā¦ Local trains from kaohsiung or highway driving can be around 30mins as well.
And your weekends and evenings will be 10 times more interesting.
If you are used to good transport, bars, social circles, then Tainan will wear thin after 6 months.
2 Likes
I visited Tainan this summer. Yes, it was hot, but it was dry hot, unlike the humid hot of Taipei. So it was actually more bearable, especially when you get the ocean breeze on top of that. Itās almost like southern California in the summer whereas Taipei is mostly muggy. Another thing I was impressed with was the historic buildings. Just walking around town and the Anping area will give you a strong sense of history. Youāll come across remnants of Japanese, Qing, even Dutch presence. For transport, definitely get a scooter. Itās the most convenient mode of transport for a city that size. Public transport is nowhere near the convenience of Taipei.
3 Likes
Thanks everyone for your input 
Scooters are probably not my cup of tea.
If I take the job Iāll look at commuting options via the highways or HSR itself. Anything under 30 mins is tolerable. I see that the HSR takes 17 mins from Chiayi to Tainan, or 15 mins from Tainan to Kaoshiung.
How are the areas around the Chiayi & Kaoshiung HSR stations?
Beigang. Not good
The Kaohsiung HSR area is fine. Itās called Zuoying, a residential area with big city vibes. The Chiayi HSR station is in the middle of nowhere though.
Iāve never heard of anyone commuting via HSR, but I donāt see why you couldnāt do it. Itās quite pricy though. Around $150 one way. Thatās what it costs for me to Uber to town on a night out, and I certainly wouldnāt do that every day.
You also have to consider how close your workplace is to the HSR station. Is it walkable under the scorching sun? If not, you might have to take an Uber, and the starting fare is around $80, even if your ride is only 2 minutes.
You sound like my friend. He liked living in Zhonghe because he said the maze of narrow alleys reminded him of when he lived in Paris for a few years. Iāve never been to Paris so I took his word for it.
2 Likes
Not exactly, both stations are outside of town 20 to 30 minutes from anything.
Where is Zhonghe?
The best place in all of Taiwan. Beautiful scenery. Wide sidewalks. Considerate drivers. Heaven.
2 Likes
Sounds like paradise. I shall like to visit this āZhongheā one day.
Iāve never lived there but youād like it!
2 Likes
It must have a good reputation thenš
Oh the best. As for air quality, yeah, they have air quality!
Indeed ā it makes Sanchong look like Neuilly sur Seine
1 Like
I would be skeptical about everybody speaking English at this company. They probably speak English, but when you are not around, or even when you are around, they will speak plenty of Chinese all the time. Emails may have plenty of Chinese too, as well as documentation, I suspect.
As to salary, if you get an expat salary it will probably be decent. Local hire salaries maybe not so great.
Guy
I did the commute for a year. It got old fast, the one hour train ride was a pain each way daily.
Even with the hsr you still need at least a half hour, and that will get old fast, plus expensive.
Personally, Iād live where I work, and commute to Kaohsiung on weekends for travel and what not but thatās just me
