We will be retiring to Thailand this year from San Diego, California. Have traveled extensively throughout Thailand and are having a difficult time deciding where to settle I am 49, my husband is 60, both had successful professional careers and want to take the rest of our time to relax, help out others, enjoy and really do something different than where we have lived and what we have done. My son/wife and new baby live in Pai (north Thailand) so being in Thailand has some great benefits. We are considering Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and perhaps Phuket. I know that we need to be near some infrastructure, familiarity and groups of people that we could rely on. Would appreciate any insights or experiences you have had in the various places. Many thanks.

Well, I live in one of those places mentioned - Hua Hin. I'm not exactly sure what you want to know though, what is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. For instance, at the moment, there is a little bit of an exodus of HH "old-timer" expats. The reason for that is all the "farang ghettos" (not my word!) going up all over the place, the new shopping complex and the fact that HH has far more foreigners living here than before. They feel that the charm of the place is being lost, but these things may be exactly what a newcomer is looking for.

As for infrastructure, there are no really good International/English programme schools, at the moment, there are hospitals, but none of them are excellent in terms of care or facilities (although they are rebuilding Hua Hin hospital & it is rumoured it will be first class - it's not, at the moment) Shopping, well we're not as good for imported goods as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket or Chiang Mai, but it's a lot better than it was 5 years ago when I arrived. Restaurants & nightlife are good and the nightlife isn't (for want of a better word) "seedy". I think we're OK for dentists & opticians. The beach is nice, but the sea is shallow & you can't snorkel or scuba here. It's fairly easy to travel to other places from here. Hope that helps, but as I said, I'm not sure which things are important to you.

Thank for your concise overview on Hua Hin. Sounds like it's quite low key, just what I am looking for. What are the sentiments about animals? I plan to bring our dogs (2) and one great enjoyment are long walks with them. I do get concerend about their safety in Thailand, although they are in the house, would imagine that a fenced garden would suffice when they do go out???? What have other peoples experiences been with their and other animals. From my numerous visits it appears that there are 2 classes, the street dogs and the fluffy indoor ones..... Thank u

Thank for your concise overview on Hua Hin. Sounds like it's quite low key, just what I am looking for. What are the sentiments about animals? I plan to bring our dogs (2) and one great enjoyment are long walks with them. I do get concerend about their safety in Thailand, although they are in the house, would imagine that a fenced garden would suffice when they do go out???? What have other peoples experiences been with their and other animals. From my numerous visits it appears that there are 2 classes, the street dogs and the fluffy indoor ones..... Thank u

For your dogs I would definitely make sure your garden is secure. As you stated, soi dogs are prevalent in many areas & you don't want any fights. Also, make sure that their vaccines are up to date. Rabies is required by law, and distemper & parvo virus are quite common, mainly because combined vaccines aren't administered by most Thai owners, and, of course, the soi dogs often have these sorts of illness. I would also recommend you neuter your dogs (if not already done) to avoid dogs congregating outside your gate, or male dog trying to escape after females on heat outside.

Of course you can walk your dogs. For their safety, I would keep them on a leash until you get to a quiet area, suitable for them to run. Many drivers will not slow for a dog. I would also carry a stick with you, to discourage any soi dogs that seem threatening to your dogs. Whenever I walk any of our dogs (I run the local dog rescue center), I always carry a stick. I've never needed to use it, just waving it at the offending dog has always been enough. If you have a car, there are many beaches or hill areas you can drive to that are deserted by man or canine & your dogs can run to their hearts' content.

If you don't have heartworm in California (not sure) be aware that you'll need to provide heartworm prevention for them & ticks can also be a problem, so probably a good idea to prevent both. Hope the info is of some use.