Some advice/opinions please on moving to Hua Hin

[delgarcon]

I`ve been living in Koh Phangan for several years as a retiree, but the time has come for me to move to the mainland. I`m 80 years old and my gf is in her 50`s and we are looking after a young schoolgirl (a relative of my gf), who needs regular hospital treatment, which she can`t get in KP. I, myself will probably need dialysis soon, which, again I can`t get in KP.

The 3 of us are very happy together, but we need to be closer to  essential amenities.

I own a 2 bedroom house, which I can rent for around 60,000 tbh and from what I see, rentals seem to be much cheaper in Hua Hin.

I`m a Brit btw and still pretty active and don`t speak Thai.

I`d be grateful for opinions (pros and cons) on living in Hua Hin, which we will probably visit next month for the first time.

Many thanks

Tony

[Mike Teavee]

You don't mention anything about having your own transport, if you or your GF doesn't drive then I wouldn't recommend Hua Hin as from what I've seen on my 5-6 visits there, things are quite spaced out.... Pattaya may serve your needs better. 

 

Before people jump in about Pattaya being a "Cesspit", it is possible to live here without being exposed to the "Nightlife", I live at Wongamat beach which has nothing like "That" but does have Bangkok Pattaya Hospital (Private) & Bang Lamung (Government) Hospital approx. 10 mins away + a pretty decent government school 5 mins away.

 

 

 

 

 

[KhunLA]

You're going to get mixed reviews / advice on Hua Hin.  I'm not personally a fan, but can see the attraction at times.  

 

#1 plus for you ... Hua Hin Hosp (govt) is quite good, from experience (1), possibly life saving, or not.  Though not familiar with the dialysis dept.  Also a couple private hosp., which I have no experience with.

 

Others love that it caters to the western palate, though fails miserably IMHO.  Along with bland Thai food offerings.  Good shopping, 2 large malls, & Villa Markets.  Couple Makro s in the area (N & W).

 

My negatives are congestion, little to no parking, and crap beach, I wouldn't swim, or even wade in.   Does look nice though, from a distance.

 

There's a decent baht bus system, that will take within walking distance of most things, in case you don't drive, or simply don't want to.  Actually you can park at either mall, and that would put you in walking distance to most things.

 

Have a few night & weekend markets.

 

Immigrations is friendly and not too crowded.  Extension done within 1 hr +/-. (wait time + processed)

 

Strangely AQI (75-150) & PM2.5 #s (unhealthy), during smog season, as only 1.5 hrs. north of us.  Nothing like Krung Thep & north of, but higher than I'd expect, being a bit south.

 

Hua Hin is a decent choice, although you might take a peek at Chumphon (muang), is decent also.   Never warmed up to Surat Thani (muang).   NST also is worth a peek.

 

 

[delgarcon]

29 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

You don't mention anything about having your own transport, if you or your GF doesn't drive then I wouldn't recommend Hua Hin as from what I've seen on my 5-6 visits there, things are quite spaced out.... Pattaya may serve your needs better. 

 

Before people jump in about Pattaya being a "Cesspit", it is possible to live here without being exposed to the "Nightlife", I live at Wongamat beach which has nothing like "That" but does have Bangkok Pattaya Hospital (Private) & Bang Lamung (Government) Hospital approx. 10 mins away + a pretty decent government school 5 mins away.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for your reply Milke, We have motorbikes and a small car. so getting around no problem and the facilities are what I'm looking for. I'll pay a visit next month.

[delgarcon]

41 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You're going to get mixed reviews / advice on Hua Hin.  I'm not personally a fan, but can see the attraction at times.  

 

#1 plus for you ... Hua Hin Hosp (govt) is quite good, from experience (1), possibly life saving, or not.  Though not familiar with the dialysis dept.  Also a couple private hosp., which I have no experience with.

 

Others love that it caters to the western palate, though fails miserably IMHO.  Along with bland Thai food offerings.  Good shopping, 2 large malls, & Villa Markets.  Couple Makro s in the area (N & W).

 

My negatives are congestion, little to no parking, and crap beach, I wouldn't swim, or even wade in.   Does look nice though, from a distance.

 

There's a decent baht bus system, that will take within walking distance of most things, in case you don't drive, or simply don't want to.  Actually you can park at either mall, and that would put you in walking distance to most things.

 

Have a few night & weekend markets.

 

Immigrations is friendly and not too crowded.  Extension done within 1 hr +/-. (wait time + processed)

 

Strangely AQI (75-150) & PM2.5 #s (unhealthy), during smog season, as only 1.5 hrs. north of us.  Nothing like Krung Thep & north of, but higher than I'd expect, being a bit south.

 

Hua Hin is a decent choice, although you might take a peek at Chumphon (muang), is decent also.   Never warmed up to Surat Thani (muang).   NST also is worth a peek.

 

 

Thanks for your reply LA, I'll have a look at Chumphon as well.

 

[JimHuaHin]

20 hours ago, delgarcon said:

Thanks for your reply Milke, We have motorbikes and a small car. so getting around no problem and the facilities are what I'm looking for. I'll pay a visit next month.

 

 

Khun LA is spot on.

 

Good idea to come and check Hua Hin out.

 

As noted above, there are advantages and disadvantages, as with most places.

 

You have your own transportation, which I think is necessary.

 

Hua Hin Hospital, the government one, is great; but being the largest hospital between Muang Petchaburi and Muang Prachuap Khiri Khan, it is very very busy in the mornings (need to arrive before 8.00 am, or after 1.00 pm if you want a car park).

[delgarcon]

Thanks Jim, having experienced the crowds in Surat Thani gov hospital, I think it might be difficult to avoid in a decent hospital.  I'll bear in mind your advice if I choose Hua Hin.

[JimTripper]

.

[JimTripper]

On 10/22/2024 at 10:48 AM, KhunLA said:

There's a decent baht bus system, that will take within walking distance of most things, in case you don't drive, or simply don't want to.  Actually you can park at either mall, and that would put you in walking distance to most things.

 

https://www.snaphome.asia/blog/buy-house-in-hua-hin-well-served-by-public-transport

[Patong2021]

If you will need dialysis, you obviously have kidney issues and would be better off situated close to a hospital. There are 3 decent hospitals in Hua Hin with Bangkok and San Paulo being the easiest to get to.

 

The last thing you want to do is to have to travel all over the place for things. Hua Hin has all the supplies you need and there are enough restaurants that are used to people asking for low sodium dishes. One of the issues you will have as a dialysis patient is the diet you have to follow, and that means sometimes accessing the large retailers to access the low sodium and reduced potassium options. Something as basic as finding  canned salmon or tuna in water and not oil can be an annoyance outside the big city.

 

In respect to dialysis, before you go on the hospital format, which requires a visit 3X a week @ 4 hours or more each session and can leave you exhausted, please give some consideration to home dialysis. You do it yourself at home using a home machine. This can be done once a day, or at night. Another option depending on your disease state,  is peritoneal dialysis that you do daily, sometimes 1X or up to 4X a day. It requires a permanent catheter in your abdomen that is easily concealable under clothing.  You have options other than visiting the hospital which can be time consuming and expose you to multiple sick people.

 

[KhunLA]

2 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Khun LA is spot on. ...  Good idea to come and check Hua Hin out. ... As noted above, there are advantages and disadvantages, as with most places. ... You have your own transportation, which I think is necessary. ... Hua Hin Hospital, the government one, is great; but being the largest hospital between Muang Petchaburi and Muang Prachuap Khiri Khan, it is very very busy in the mornings (need to arrive before 8.00 am, or after 1.00 pm if you want a car park).

As good as PKK's govt hosp is, (no private hosp here / Muang), I had a semi emergency medical oops, and after a quick 'stabilization', they transported me to HH Hosp for a very quick procedure, which couldn't be done at PKK Hosp.

 

Apparently not immediately life threatening, since procedure done about 2 hrs after getting to PKK Hosp, (and  <12 hrs in ICU for observation), but without it being done at HH Hosp, could have been a bit debilitation, or at least, cramping my style ... or not   I self checked out next day, so all of 24 hrs of care 

 

Anyone considering Amphur Muang, Prachuap Khiri Khan for retirement, think again if having any major health issues, and get 'FULL' med check up, before deciding.  Make sure no issues lurking 

[StraightTalk]

On 10/22/2024 at 10:28 AM, delgarcon said:

I`ve been living in Koh Phangan for several years as a retiree

Off-topic.

Is there an immigration office on the island that handles your retirement extension? If so, have your interactions with the immigration officers been amicable?

On 10/22/2024 at 10:28 AM, delgarcon said:

I own a 2 bedroom house, which I can rent for around 60,000 tbh

Off-topic.

What’s the rental market like there, and is your house located near the water?

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

 

https://www.snaphome.asia/blog/buy-house-in-hua-hin-well-served-by-public-transport

Thanks Jim, have saved that for our next trip to Hua Hin (GF has family there). 
 

FWIW I found Grab to be excellent in Hua Hin though think Bolt is a better choice in Pattaya. 
 

[delgarcon]

1 hour ago, StraightTalk said:

Off-topic.

Is there an immigration office on the island that handles your retirement extension? If so, have your interactions with the immigration officers been amicable?

Off-topic.

What’s the rental market like there, and is your house located near the water?

For several years we had to do our extensions in Samui, until this year when KP Immigration became qualified.The main problem was that none of the staff could speak English and couldn’t understand their own paperwork, hopefully things will get better. Everything is more expensive here and property sales and rentals have probably doubled during the last 3 or 4 years, maybe because of the influx of Israelis and Russians, who have continued to push up the prices. My house is close to the main road between Thong Sala and Chaloklam, about 10 mins drive to the nearest beach and you could have rented it for 25000 thb 4 years ago. 91 gasoline is 40 baht plus and produce is  more expensive as most of it comes from the mainland. I’m hoping to make around 2m baht by buying a similar property on the mainland and selling mine,  but I wouldn’t advise anyone to invest here now.

[delgarcon]

2 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

If you will need dialysis, you obviously have kidney issues and would be better off situated close to a hospital. There are 3 decent hospitals in Hua Hin with Bangkok and San Paulo being the easiest to get to.

 

The last thing you want to do is to have to travel all over the place for things. Hua Hin has all the supplies you need and there are enough restaurants that are used to people asking for low sodium dishes. One of the issues you will have as a dialysis patient is the diet you have to follow, and that means sometimes accessing the large retailers to access the low sodium and reduced potassium options. Something as basic as finding  canned salmon or tuna in water and not oil can be an annoyance outside the big city.

 

In respect to dialysis, before you go on the hospital format, which requires a visit 3X a week @ 4 hours or more each session and can leave you exhausted, please give some consideration to home dialysis. You do it yourself at home using a home machine. This can be done once a day, or at night. Another option depending on your disease state,  is peritoneal dialysis that you do daily, sometimes 1X or up to 4X a day. It requires a permanent catheter in your abdomen that is easily concealable under clothing.  You have options other than visiting the hospital which can be time consuming and expose you to multiple sick people.

 

Thanks for your reply,

I will definitely look into home dialysis and the 2 private hospitals are a big plus for Hua Hin. I do most of my shopping and cooking myself and try to avoid food high in potassium etc and have managed to keep my GFR at around 20 or above for a couple of years now. It’s like walking a tightrope, I swim and exercise everyday, which has helped.

 

[jojothai]

Hua hin hospital govt is good. My wife goes there, can be very busy.

I have used bangkok hospital for some things. Ok, but a bit pricey.

They are currently building extension.

I trieds san paulo once, limited service at weekend. English can be an issue, as i noted in reports online.

There are some smaller clinics that are good and cheap for routine issues. 

Hua hin is IMHO a great place to stay. Its only a small place and easy to get around. There are a lot of retirees here.

we have a villa market as well as the few big local supermatkets like lotus.

The town gets very crowded on holidays.

Renting a house can be very cheap.

Condos expensive in comparison.

Look at where you would live for ease of access into town. I looked around for over a year before deciding to buy the house we now own.

Some housing areas not good. Others too far out over the hill west.

The housing village i am in is 3km from everything. Just a nice distance into town. Its extremely well run and peaceful. Far better than we expected.

They have villas for rent at good prices.

Horizon village on soi 88.

The manager has a list. Worth a look if you visit.

 

For transport, my wife uses car to go to our house in the sticks, and i do not use a motorbike. I mostly call the main motorbike taxi guy at market village to come out to me. He's been very good getting somebody to come at normal daytime hours.

50 to 60 baht to get to most places in town with the motorbike.

So there is no point in having a second car.

Taxi can be ordered for 150 baht into town.

Grab ok and normally cheaper than taxi.

 

[delgarcon]

1 hour ago, jojothai said:

Hua hin hospital govt is good. My wife goes there, can be very busy.

I have used bangkok hospital for some things. Ok, but a bit pricey.

They are currently building extension.

I trieds san paulo once, limited service at weekend. English can be an issue, as i noted in reports online.

There are some smaller clinics that are good and cheap for routine issues. 

Hua hin is IMHO a great place to stay. Its only a small place and easy to get around. There are a lot of retirees here.

we have a villa market as well as the few big local supermatkets like lotus.

The town gets very crowded on holidays.

Renting a house can be very cheap.

Condos expensive in comparison.

Look at where you would live for ease of access into town. I looked around for over a year before deciding to buy the house we now own.

Some housing areas not good. Others too far out over the hill west.

The housing village i am in is 3km from everything. Just a nice distance into town. Its extremely well run and peaceful. Far better than we expected.

They have villas for rent at good prices.

Horizon village on soi 88.

The manager has a list. Worth a look if you visit.

 

For transport, my wife uses car to go to our house in the sticks, and i do not use a motorbike. I mostly call the main motorbike taxi guy at market village to come out to me. He's been very good getting somebody to come at normal daytime hours.

50 to 60 baht to get to most places in town with the motorbike.

So there is no point in having a second car.

Taxi can be ordered for 150 baht into town.

Grab ok and normally cheaper than taxi.

 

Sounds pretty good jojo, thanks for the advice. I hope to visit Hua Hin by the middle of next month, my gf is the chef in a busy restaurant here and will be on holiday by then. I’ll put together a list of properties and in the meantime get the house painted before I look for another visitor with more money than sense.

[Captor]

Valuable stuff here in this topic. Thanks all. I am following since I and wife are planning to probably move to HH as well.

[Unify]

On 10/22/2024 at 10:48 AM, KhunLA said:

You're going to get mixed reviews / advice on Hua Hin.  I'm not personally a fan, but can see the attraction at times.  

 

#1 plus for you ... Hua Hin Hosp (govt) is quite good, from experience (1), possibly life saving, or not.  Though not familiar with the dialysis dept.  Also a couple private hosp., which I have no experience with.

 

Others love that it caters to the western palate, though fails miserably IMHO.  Along with bland Thai food offerings.  Good shopping, 2 large malls, & Villa Markets.  Couple Makro s in the area (N & W).

 

My negatives are congestion, little to no parking, and crap beach, I wouldn't swim, or even wade in.   Does look nice though, from a distance.

 

There's a decent baht bus system, that will take within walking distance of most things, in case you don't drive, or simply don't want to.  Actually you can park at either mall, and that would put you in walking distance to most things.

 

Have a few night & weekend markets.

 

Immigrations is friendly and not too crowded.  Extension done within 1 hr +/-. (wait time + processed)

 

Strangely AQI (75-150) & PM2.5 #s (unhealthy), during smog season, as only 1.5 hrs. north of us.  Nothing like Krung Thep & north of, but higher than I'd expect, being a bit south.

 

Hua Hin is a decent choice, although you might take a peek at Chumphon (muang), is decent also.   Never warmed up to Surat Thani (muang).   NST also is worth a peek.

 

 

How far south do you have to go to get out of the air pollution zone?

[spidermike007]

On 10/21/2024 at 9:29 PM, delgarcon said:

Thanks for your reply LA, I'll have a look at Chumphon as well.

 

I did. I consider Chumporn to be one of the ugliest and least appealing cities in all of Thailand. And there does not seem to be much soul to the place. Hua Hin offers alot of great food and shopping and is relatively close to Bangkok. It also has a good mix of older expats. Some nightlife, but not obnoxious like Pattaya. But it is drier and the air quality is not great for about 7 months of the average year. 

 

I lived on Samui for 9 years. Loved the weather, but the island got unbearable. 

[jojothai]

13 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 But it is drier and the air quality is not great for about 7 months of the average year. 

Hi mike

Air quality is not bad that long in my experience. Is the 7 months quoted online?

We get a bad spell peaking in march/early april just like most other places.

But not as bad as bangkok, and places like chiang mai.

This year has not been bad. I have not had to clean the solar panels like last year. In 2023 the pollution in march laid enough dust to reduce my power by nearly 50%.

I suppose the wind has a big influence. Fairly windy half the year, especially in the next month or two. We get enough wind where i live 3km west of centre, going partly up the hill.

It may be less windy in town / more built up areas.

 

[jojothai]

Something more to comment for hua hin.

We have a water supply problem in the dry season and after. At least a few months. Water supply hours restricted.

But not totally off.

There is not much big water storage, and appears to be no sharing from adjacent districts with bigger reservoirs.

It affects mostly the town and places near the coast who get water from hua hin district.

Over the hills to the west, people i know get water supply from the next district and have no problem.

Its not such a big problem. Water trucks can be found to pay for supply.

However something for people to know.

I fitted an extra 2000 litres of water tank in our house, so i have 3000 in total.

Only me and the wife, so we dont have any problem if supply is off for a few days or limited to restricted hours.

 

[newnative]

On 10/22/2024 at 10:41 AM, Mike Teavee said:

You don't mention anything about having your own transport, if you or your GF doesn't drive then I wouldn't recommend Hua Hin as from what I've seen on my 5-6 visits there, things are quite spaced out.... Pattaya may serve your needs better. 

 

Before people jump in about Pattaya being a "Cesspit", it is possible to live here without being exposed to the "Nightlife", I live at Wongamat beach which has nothing like "That" but does have Bangkok Pattaya Hospital (Private) & Bang Lamung (Government) Hospital approx. 10 mins away + a pretty decent government school 5 mins away.

 

 

 

 

 

       I was just going to post the same thing--give Pattaya a look first.  The nightlife areas make up just a small part of Pattaya.  My spouse and I have lived here 14 years and we live very nice lives here without the nightlife having any impact on our day to day activities.   We also lived in Wongamat at one point and that was a very nice area.  We are now on the Darkside and liking it, as well.  Pattaya has probably the widest selection of different types of housing anywhere in Thailand, at all price points.  Since housing is usually one of the biggest monthly expenses, that's important.  Also, as you said, good selection of hospitals and schools.  Plus, great shopping.

[nofarang]

Hua Hin Hospital has a dialysis section. It is called Hua Hin Hospital 3 and it is on soi 89 off the main road. see this link: https://www.google.com/maps/@12.5256133 ... 312!8i6656

Also in Pranburi a female kidney doctor working in Hua Hin Hospital has a small clinic for reasonable visits in the afternoon hours.

 

 

As for your other concerns: Hua Hin is build along the coast line and stretches 15 kilometers in width. Also a lot of houses and resorts have been build during the past years beyond the hills, so it is necessary that you need some means of transportation. Rent is tolerable for long time renters. Should be anything between 10.000 and 20.000, depending on your preferances. I am living here since more than 20 years and I still think it is decent place. What are the cons: poorly maintained roads, the terrible sidewalks are not a glorious chapter for a so-called “paradise city”, scattered rubbish dumps everywhere. As there are only two roads for entering Hua Hin from the north, traffic congestion is a big issue, especially during holidays.

 

Well, come and find out yourself

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, Unify said:

How far south do you have to go to get out of the air pollution zone?

We get 2-4 months of AQI 50-100 where we are, 1.5 hrs / 100 kms away from Hua Hin.   As stated, most would be bored here, especially if wanting, needing what @spidermike007 has mentioned (pluses of HH).  

 

Between here / Muang, PKK, and Chumphon, you have Bang Saphans (yai/noi), and I never warmed up to them.   Ban Krut is great, but even I'd be bored there ... nuff said.

 

I like Chumphon, though don't desire, need anything (expats & nightlife) that SpiderMike mentioned.  Just give me decent food and good views (not city views), which Chumphon has.   

 

Also has a bit more rain, as getting into the rainy South.  Chumphon,  Phang Nga & Surat Thani (not Samui) seem to be green all year long, so air just gets better, and probably 3 of the better province for that, clean air.   As coconut, rubber and palm farms are predominate vs rice, sugar & corn. 

 

Nakhon Si Thammarat, & Krabi (non touristy) are good choices also  I personally would go further south, on the Gulf coast, and I really have explored Phatthalung & Satun that much to have an opinion.

 

Definitely scratch Ranong if not a fan of rain.

[TheFishman1]

I would also think about Chiang Mai. They have good hospitals, many different restaurants. Everything‘s very easy  here in CM  

[KhunLA]

On the rains ... we're still getting rain here, like right now, and a bit of a downpour, which will be short.  Wish that was a daily thing.

 

Past couple years, seems 'Climate Change' has arrived 

 

Notice the rains seem to be starting later, late May, instead of late April.   Along with extending into late Oct, instead of end of Sept.  Nice now, but really makes late Feb, March, April and most of May, damn hot ... brutally hot.

 

So if not a hot & humid weather person,  think hard about living in PKK province, as one of the drier provinces = hot, damn hot, at times.  Longer than I'd prefer.  If big fan of AC, it will run you PEA bill up, if not having solar.

 

Common sense as always, rent for a year or 2 before buying in any where.

[Middle Aged Grouch]

Unless you need to have a hospital close for daily use, Hua Hin is not the best choice.

 

Things in Hua Hin are more pricey then elsewhere in Thailand. Worse sometimes then Phuket mainly in restaurants that openly overcharge and I found prices to be similar as those in some areas of Spain in good restaurants.

 

For living, stay aroung the main town area. Don't fall for those swanky developpments in Hin Lek Fai or arond Black Mountain area despite all the publicity that is all around. Mainly stay away form those farang run developpments with their houses often  full of badly built defective plumbing, walls or electricity or roofs. 

 

It won't show on the nice photo or when you see it but at the end of the day you won't be making a bargain on that wonderful "pool Villa" of some developpment having the name of a flower for exemple.

 

Above all when you leave town, are, you will have no public transport. So either you drive your own car, or will have to pay for a taxi each time.

 

You will be shelling out huge "common fees" monthly plus shelling out around 4000 THB per month electricity and water for the pool when you are not in the premises. As these villa developpements charge a bit extra for the water and electricity in Hua Hin.

Not sure how legal it is thoug .....

Not to forget the price of food in Hua Hin. The supermarkets like Villa Market and similar selling foreign packed food are just an open scam. Even dishwasher powder costs double of what you would pay for it at home. And 40 for a bar hooker in Hua HIn is considdered young...

 

Dont fall for what many say or who rush to HH just because others did it....many far better areas in Thailand, with more polite people who will not be cheating you from morning to night.... then boring Hua Hin, believe me. And if you can, avoid those falang run villa developpments that are just out there to drain out money from foreigners who cannot buy on freehold. But as they say...it's up to you...

[SingAPorn]

One just has to see the amont of foreigners selling away their houses bought in Hua Hin, to understand it's not the best.

 

It is overpriced for anything to everything  (real estate, food, restaurants,bars and the overaged ladies) Even prices in the few Malls of Hua Hin are sometimes higher compared to similar brands elsewhere.

 

The main town area around Hilton is plainly a tourist trap and the restaurats and small shops seen to have got spoilt with the guilable "ohh wow" type tourists who foolishly just pay because they got a good exchange rate for the cash.

 

The beach is filthy and full of jellyfish so if you come to check things, make sure you rent a place with a pool.

 

I would definately look at other places with cheaper housing and more friendly people. Hua HIn is becomming a ghetto for retired foreigners and soon you will only find costly fish and chips all over and less and less quality cheap price thai food.

[Hanaguma]

I quite liked the southern part of Hua Hin, Kao Takiab. South of the big hill on the coast that divides the city. Access to a great beach, nice walkable sand all the way south for about 5km.  Quiet area but some decent little resaurants on the beach.