davofromoz

Out of Hua Hin, and Chiengmai, sure Cha-am will be a much cheaper place to live, and also a very nice place.

For business, no idea what kind of business you want to start, as a farang tot start a business in Thailand is difficult enough, never mind where in Thaiand

I am setting up another accounting branch from Australia doing Australian Taxes, so should be easy as not selling or doing any trade in Thailand, just need some reliable hard working Thai accountants (is there any?)

Good luck in meeting your staff requirements in Hua Hin. Perhaps you should consider setting up the business in Bangkok where you will have a much better chance of finding some "reliable hard working Thai accountants".

An office in Bangkok and with Hua Hin only a couple of hours away by car you could spend your weekends there. It will take you about the same time to get to Chiang Mai which is only an hours flight away.

I would also suggest that you rent accomodation where ever you decide on. Buying property is easy but selling is an entirely different matter.

Thanks for the advice I am well aware of reselling property, it's bad all around the world, renting is my only option. If hua hin is not great to attract professionals then I would rather live in chiang Mai than Bangkok for lots of reasons, surely there must be qualified accountants that would move to chiang Mai which is best place to live apparently if they had a good safe secure job paying fair wages?

Many expats live in Cha-am, most are retirees but a few are working (it's my case). I go out about once a week, mostly in Cha-am but sometimes in Hua Hin too. You should really come down and visit the area by yourself, spend a few days in Hua Hin and a few days in Cha-am, then you will know which place you like better.

Yes I'm booked to be there end November so hope no monsoons or cyclones that week. Can't wait!

Someone told me cha am is really for Thais to holiday rather than for an expat to live, there's nothing there to do. I'm not sure that really bothers me but would still like to go out occasionally.

We enjoy visiting Chang Mai, but the two to three months of the burn off each spring (horrible air quality) would put me off living there. I think Hua Hin will be more expensive for most things but has some of the best air quality in the country... also some of the best weather if you don't like rain. It is one of the driest places in Thailand. As for the beach, Hua Hin's is no gem, especially if you like to go into the water as there are rocks with razor sharp barnacles on them, bad water quality most of the time, seasonal stinging jellyfish, and the beach can nearly disappear at high tide. However, just south of Hua Hin the beaches are better and the beach is better in Cha-Am (just north). Any flooding is usually only a few sois in low areas and usually drains off quickly. Other than a couple of very minor (actually with the epicenters in Myanmar) earthquakes there have been no natural disasters in the years we've been here. The only evnironmental issue that I can think of is the water quality off the beach as I think raw sewage is still dumped into the ocean.

Hua Hin is smaller but has been a boom town for about six years and is growing fast so has some traffic and parking issues but with Makro, Tesco, Villa Market, Market Village and several other malls or shopping outlets either already here or being constructed I think you can get anything here that you can in CM. As for the bar district, other that the growth on Soi 80 just out of the center of town, it is the same as it was nine years ago when we came here, pretty much limited to two Sois and a cross Soi with only beer bars. Still pretty quiet on that front compared to Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, or Bangkok. Not even go-go bars that even CM has a couple of.

As for real estate, anything on or near the beach will cost you a fortune so if that's what you want Cha-Am may be a better option, although it is growing and prices are rising there as well, just not as fast as Hua Hin.

Thanks for everyone that gave advice, sounds like Cha Am is the place to go and its closer to Bangkok (so may be easier to do business), I have to fly reguarly to Chiang Mai as I am helping a charity in the mountains and flights are cheap from Bangkok so it would cut my travel down from the airport too.

Buses go direct from HH/Cha am-CM...I believe about 10 hours, its another option and a lot cheaper, of course is longer but not too much and you can sleep on the bus.

Great idea, what is the cost difference? Is the view good on the trip?

We enjoy visiting Chang Mai, but the two to three months of the burn off each spring (horrible air quality) would put me off living there. I think Hua Hin will be more expensive for most things but has some of the best air quality in the country... also some of the best weather if you don't like rain. It is one of the driest places in Thailand. As for the beach, Hua Hin's is no gem, especially if you like to go into the water as there are rocks with razor sharp barnacles on them, bad water quality most of the time, seasonal stinging jellyfish, and the beach can nearly disappear at high tide. However, just south of Hua Hin the beaches are better and the beach is better in Cha-Am (just north). Any flooding is usually only a few sois in low areas and usually drains off quickly. Other than a couple of very minor (actually with the epicenters in Myanmar) earthquakes there have been no natural disasters in the years we've been here. The only evnironmental issue that I can think of is the water quality off the beach as I think raw sewage is still dumped into the ocean.

Hua Hin is smaller but has been a boom town for about six years and is growing fast so has some traffic and parking issues but with Makro, Tesco, Villa Market, Market Village and several other malls or shopping outlets either already here or being constructed I think you can get anything here that you can in CM. As for the bar district, other that the growth on Soi 80 just out of the center of town, it is the same as it was nine years ago when we came here, pretty much limited to two Sois and a cross Soi with only beer bars. Still pretty quiet on that front compared to Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, or Bangkok. Not even go-go bars that even CM has a couple of.

As for real estate, anything on or near the beach will cost you a fortune so if that's what you want Cha-Am may be a better option, although it is growing and prices are rising there as well, just not as fast as Hua Hin.

Thanks for everyone that gave advice, sounds like Cha Am is the place to go and its closer to Bangkok (so may be easier to do business), I have to fly reguarly to Chiang Mai as I am helping a charity in the mountains and flights are cheap from Bangkok so it would cut my travel down from the airport too.

Out of Hua Hin, and Chiengmai, sure Cha-am will be a much cheaper place to live, and also a very nice place.

For business, no idea what kind of business you want to start, as a farang tot start a business in Thailand is difficult enough, never mind where in Thaiand

I am setting up another accounting branch from Australia doing Australian Taxes, so should be easy as not selling or doing any trade in Thailand, just need some reliable hard working Thai accountants (is there any?)

We are coming to visit both next month with a view to pick a place to settle in and run our business and live.

I gather chiang Mai is cheaper , both places appear safe and far ang friendly, but we love the beach.

Which place is easier to attract Thai accountants to work for me? Will wages and business costs be the same at both places?

I know march and april is bad in chiang Mai with air pollution and some floods, does hua hin have any environmental issues?

If we choose the beach life, which town near Hh should we look for to get close to beach , modern but good rent rates or should we rent at the Hh beach?

Sorry about so many Qun's but we don't have a lot of time next month and want to look at rentals along the areas tat would be best value.

Thanks to everyone who posted pics. It's opened my eyes and thinking of where I should rent for a year, and it's going to be at a moo baan that is deffinately in a flood free area with good drains . I might just run my business from there to start with too.

Are snakes poisonous ?

Serious question?

This is South East Asia.

Why not? In aust we have 8 of the worlds deadliest 10 snakes. I haven't been to chiang Mai before and thought you may just have pythons etc, haven't heard of any deadly snake victims from there before. If so I certainly wouldn't be living in a house with one swimming around.

Thanks elektrified, as long as snakes were dead, we're they cobras? Pythons? Would still make me shit myself. Are snakes poisonous ?

Here are some pics of some Chiang Mai areas flooded, posted on TV Sep 29,2011.

Thanks to whoever posted them then.

Thanks for sharing,......I think

Here are some pics of some Chiang Mai areas flooded, posted on TV Sep 29,2011.

Thanks to whoever posted them then.

Thanks for sharing,......I think

Here's another illustration, from Chang Klan Road in 2011:

/ Priceless

PS My apologies to whoever I stole the pic from.

Holy crap, what am I getting myself into

Dosent this type of flooding mess with your business and life? Do you just sit by for a month until the water disappears or fly somewhere else or just boat it like they do in Venice?

I see dave2 reading the topic, I'm sure he'll post some flood photos soon.

2005 was an epic flood year- pretty much all of the area around Chang Klan Rd. (Night Bazaar) had underground parking garages, etc. completely innundated.

To answer the OP's question, yeah sure it floods in CM.

Even in my relatively flood-free zone (Huay Kaew Rd. near CMU) if it rains torrentially for a long time...streets are flooded.

Hate to sound smug- but living on the 11th floor of an apt bldg makes me somewhat indifferent to the issue.

I looked but couldn't find the flood plain map for CM that I know I saved somewhere on my computer...maybe some kind soul can post it here.

Found this old flood map, don't know how reliable it is.

Not sure if it's in Thai but I assume the brown areas are safe?

Guy I knew in Nimmenhieman area thought his place didn't flood, it didn't from the river, but the rain that couldn't drain away fast enough got him.

Guess that cat be helped , will need to make sure construction and water drainage on property is up to scratch, maybe buy something in the wet season to test if any leaks

Depends on the type of business, surely.

Why would it matter what type of business unless I'm selling fish, live ones?

I have a lot of expensive computers etc and don't want any issues of damage. Also keen to live in a moobaan area that is food free.

I am looking at seting up business there soon . one concern is all the media reports about flooding lately.

I guess I want to make sure this town is fairly safe or if there are any parts of the town to avoid setting up shop that are prone to floods.

Are there any qualified accountants that would be interested in working in chiang mai , mainly doing work for australian businesses, need to speak and write english. i am setting up a practice very soon. prefer some experience in an accountants office , even if doing Thai taxes. the right people will be rewarded.

are there any qualified accountants that would be interested in working in chiang mai , mainly doing work for australian businesses, need to speak and write english. i am setting up a practice very soon.

Don't know why people go to lawyers to set up companies, we used an accountant, never had a problem. If I get arrested I would see a lawyer. jim

Do you have any recommendations for accountnts?

Please do not pronounce the name of this city wrong when talking to a thai person.

it's crucial.

How should I pronounce it??

Thanks cmbe, thats a great help. I think I might pay for Van or 4wd as it will be quicker.

Thanks so much, thats a great help. I hope its not an 8 hr trip as its only 275 km but I guess its slow driving there.

many thanks, thats what i thought you might say. haha

sounds like an 8 hour or all day trip.

hope its clear of flooding. will be in november when i have to go.

i am helping with a charity in sop khong in omkai province about 275 km south of chiang mai.

i dont know if there is any air or train services down there or if only car transport is only option.

does anyone know the area and is it safe to drive there?

is the roads affected by floods?

thanks

david