Beach Front Condo

[bbahngdori]

I am looking for a beach front condo but I don't know where to look.

Which is better community to kick back and enjoy the sun?

Convenience to bangkok is must.

Any input will be appreciated.

[johnnyk]

They are very different towns.

HH is much more laid-back, more family oriented, classier, more Thai.

Pattaya is largely a falang ghetto geared to extreme forms of sanuk and the extraction of money from drunks.

Pattaya is chaotic and HH is much more agreeable on a daily basis. Pattaya has plenty of louts, much rarer in HH.

Remember HM The King lives in HH, the locals ae very proud of that and I doubt very much they would allow HH to descend to Pattaya's position on the respectability ladder.

Takes a bit longer between BKK and HH, it is about 210km while Pats is about 130km.

HH is a gateway to the south and the islands with beaches extending for many miles down the gulf coast.

[Chaimai]

They are very different towns.

HH is much more laid-back, more family oriented, classier, more Thai.

Pattaya is largely a falang ghetto geared to extreme forms of sanuk and the extraction of money from drunks.

Pattaya is chaotic and HH is much more agreeable on a daily basis. Pattaya has plenty of louts, much rarer in HH.

Remember HM The King lives in HH, the locals ae very proud of that and I doubt very much they would allow HH to descend to Pattaya's position on the respectability ladder.

Takes a bit longer between BKK and HH, it is about 210km while Pats is about 130km.

HH is a gateway to the south and the islands with beaches extending for many miles down the gulf coast.

To be fair, HH is not short of Falangs.

In my limited time there it also looked to be over-priced - in terms of property and eateries.

I think I saw a french restaurant, 2 fast food shops and 2 Italians before I came across the first Thai restaurant. I would also be the first to admit that they therefore appear to cater very well for the slighty more discerning Falang - and many Falang couples.

The beach wins hands down (apart from the risk of being trampled by horses).

It is also within striking distance of Bangkok and places like Ao Manao and Waghor? aquarium

[johnnyk]

Chaimai,

You didn't look past the Hilton-area tourist ghetto for places to eat - thousands of them at all prices/qualities. You have to go west of Phetchkasem Road and further west over the train tracks (sounds far, in reality its 5 minutes and much closer than the other side of Suk Rd. in Pty).

Beach in town beats Pty by miles, true. And 5kms away there's a beach that beats the town beach by light years.

Edited August 2, 2008 by johnnyk

[bbahngdori]

Thank you, gentlemen.

It sounds like Huahin fits what I am looking for except for the distance from Bangkok.

Although I would like to hear from someone about Pattaya.....

[Chaimai]

Thank you, gentlemen.

It sounds like Huahin fits what I am looking for except for the distance from Bangkok.

Although I would like to hear from someone about Pattaya.....

Perhaps you could elaborate on some of the things you are looking for - lifestyle, family, hobbies, quietness, liveliness, quality of life, quality of residents, quality of tourists, quality of bars, quality of police/policing..

As johnyk said, they are two very different places and may be worth you spending sometime researching the Pattaya forum for a balanced (?) view of the place. Pattaya offers many things for many people - but is not to everyones tastes.

[bbahngdori]

Well, Chaimai, I am a single male with TGF and really looking to kick back and relax after working over twenty years.

I am not retired but trying to take couple of years off before starting again.

I am not looking to party anymore and from what I hear Pattaya is very active party town.

Fact that Pattaya is close to Bangkok is plus but I want peace and quite. Beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunset is must.

[taxexile]

breathtaking sunset is must.

then hua hin isnt for you.....the range of hills to the west behind the town blocks the sunset. spectacular sunrises though.

[think_too_mut]

Pattaya has nothing "beachfront".

Hua Hin has 5-6km long stretch of houses and condos right on the beach (no road between the beach and houses/condo blocks).

[dsfbrit]

I would be interested in what is your budget??? The beachfront locations are not cheap.

Then if I were you I would rent a place in each location for 6 months similar to the type of place you would eventually buy and see how you feel after that. You might not like either and then would at least only have wasted some rent money.

I live in Pattaya and the beachfront here is nothing like as pretty and relaxing as the beachfront in HuaHin. As least not in Pattaya Beach, Naklua nor Jomtien. However, if you go right out as far as Nong Nooch Gardens, its very nice out there. Mind you that was about 6 months ago - it may have all changed by now!!!

Edited August 4, 2008 by dsfbrit

[bkkjames]

I am looking for a beach front condo but I don't know where to look.

Which is better community to kick back and enjoy the sun?

Convenience to bangkok is must.

Any input will be appreciated.

It really depends if you like garbage with your jellyfish or just jellyfish alone. As far as convenience to BKK goes, Phuket, Krabi, Samui are around an hour away by flight.

[Chaimai]

Well, Chaimai, I am a single male with TGF and really looking to kick back and relax after working over twenty years.

I am not retired but trying to take couple of years off before starting again.

I am not looking to party anymore and from what I hear Pattaya is very active party town.

Fact that Pattaya is close to Bangkok is plus but I want peace and quite. Beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunset is must.

Hi,

I don't see Pattaya fitting the bill.

The islands, as somebody else said, are only a short flight away and are perhaps worth looking at.

Good luck.

[steveromagnino]

Well, Chaimai, I am a single male with TGF and really looking to kick back and relax after working over twenty years.

I am not retired but trying to take couple of years off before starting again.

I am not looking to party anymore and from what I hear Pattaya is very active party town.

Fact that Pattaya is close to Bangkok is plus but I want peace and quite. Beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunset is must.

Except Hua Hin doesn't get a sunset, wrong coast.

YOu could consider around south Jomtien; go out to areas around say Bang Saray, Bahn Amphur, Jomtien right at the end, and also in the area around Wong Amart and perhaps around the Royal Cliff area also. ocean marina is nice.

These will all get the sunset view; and Pattaya town itself is a dung hole, however you need never go into that part of the city.

If there are enough farangs in Hua Hin, no doubt it will be ruined to some degree as well, but probably not much worse than say Jomtien or Bang Saray are now.

As for beaches, as a windsurfer, I prefer Jomtien because Hua Hin 1/2 the year during the day the tide is too high so a bunch of places don't have a beach, just a wall with waves crashing into it. Also...Jomtien has islands and places to sail to, Hua Hin does not.

If town is an issue, then Hua Hin is definitely the nicer town.

Would not bother with anything north of Hua Hin; south of Hua Hin there are some much nicer bays and beaches; starting to get a bit rural but worth it if you want to escape the town :-) Much nicer beaches south.

Other option is around the corner where again beaches are far better than the relatively unclean water in Pattaya area; Sattahip and beyond! but getting further away too.

[bbahngdori]

Then if I were you I would rent a place in each location for 6 months similar to the type of place you would eventually buy and see how you feel after that. You might not like either and then would at least only have wasted some rent money.

I think that is really good idea.

Thanks dsfbrit.

[bbahngdori]

Thanks, steveromagnino.

Great info.

[grtaylor]

Weird how one has strange perceptions about places. I was born at the seaside, Blackpool, to be precise, and I have a real problem with seaside places which face East, such as Hua Hin. The sun sets in the wrong place!! I just expect to see the sun set over the sea, not the mountains!

Strange, yes, but I could never get used to it . . . . .

[steveromagnino]

Weird how one has strange perceptions about places. I was born at the seaside, Blackpool, to be precise, and I have a real problem with seaside places which face East, such as Hua Hin. The sun sets in the wrong place!! I just expect to see the sun set over the sea, not the mountains!

Strange, yes, but I could never get used to it . . . . .

ACtually, we have done research when we were buying land in Phuket; for many people the ideal is to watch the sunset across the sea, hence the coast that faces the sunset commands a significant view premium even though the east coast of Phuket for instance has worse beaches but in many ways a more interesting view.

Additionally, the sunset actually is a total pain in some respects, as it shines right into your house and heats everything up.

Nevertheless that is what people imagine they want to see or prefer to see.

Which is indeed an issue of Hua Hin, so you are not unique (except that you come from Blackpool, which is kind of special ;-)

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Well, Chaimai, I am a single male with TGF and really looking to kick back and relax after working over twenty years.

I am not retired but trying to take couple of years off before starting again.

I am not looking to party anymore and from what I hear Pattaya is very active party town.

Fact that Pattaya is close to Bangkok is plus but I want peace and quite. Beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunset is must.

Carefull with taking a couple of years off and then going back. I took a couple of years off in 1984 (on my 50th birthday) and never did make it back to work. Found out it is way to much fun being retired.

Let me confuse the issue a little more, my wife and I live in Cha Am about 15-20 minutes north of HH

Since you not into the party scene it might suit you.

It is quieter than HH

No night life

IMHO better beaches than HH

Less expensive than HH

Closer to BKK

Not as close to mall shopping

Great fresh food market

Not yet discovered by farangs much

A nice place to live.

But suggest you come to LOS rent for 6-12 months and look around. I think it is a nice place to live.

[pkrv]

We have yet to experience Hua Hin - however it is now part of our next planned trip in October. We have already noted it appears to be much closer to what we would wish from a beach resort and plan to travel down by train.

We did spend about a week in Pattaya (at The Rabbit resort which was actually great) mostly because we had a delay in our plans in Bangkok and fancied a beach holiday, and it seemed like an easy option, just get a limo from the airport.

Well you don't actually get a beach you get a sea of umbrellas and deck chairs (as far as the eye can see). Whilst we are far from naive it was difficult to keep 'the night life' at bay - it was intrusive - and got in the way of simply enjoying the place. Everyone both Thais and Farangs appeared to be operating under the same assumptions.

Each to his own, but IMO not a place for couples.

Out of interest are there any good condominium developments in Hua Hin that are worth looking at as a home away from your Bangkok pad, and what are the prices like?

Any links?

I will confess I would go potty just living by a beach (I am a mega city type person) but it does have its pull and attraction for short periods (in the future perhaps 1 month at a time )

Oh we will probably be staying at the Sofitel in Hua Hin, mostly because I have a gold card for the chain and get a free room upgrade - is it any good as a location to explore from?

Edited August 11, 2008 by pkrv

[think_too_mut]

Out of interest are there any good condominium developments in Hua Hin that are worth looking at as a home away from your Bangkok pad, and what are the prices like?

Plenty.

Rich Thais use them as "home away from Bangkok" + more.

Robustly built, maintained and priced, right on the beach, no umbrellas, just plain sand.

3 condo buildings that I saw had small rooms in the carpark, lined up, about 2x2.5m. Maybe 20, 30 rooms, dormitories.

I could not figure out what those quarters were for. Maids? Building staff?

Finally, one security guard told me (my wife translated): "This is where your driver rests while you are trashing your mia noi upstairs!".

That is to tell who has the money to spend on those condos. The condos would never be cheap, were 6-12 mil baht 5 years ago.

No way you can get a bargain there unless some owner is in a big trouble. Even then, they may reduce the price from 12 to 10 mil baht.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

We have yet to experience Hua Hin - however it is now part of our next planned trip in October. We have already noted it appears to be much closer to what we would wish from a beach resort and plan to travel down by train.

We did spend about a week in Pattaya (at The Rabbit resort which was actually great) mostly because we had a delay in our plans in Bangkok and fancied a beach holiday, and it seemed like an easy option, just get a limo from the airport.

Well you don't actually get a beach you get a sea of umbrellas and deck chairs (as far as the eye can see). Whilst we are far from naive it was difficult to keep 'the night life' at bay - it was intrusive - and got in the way of simply enjoying the place. Everyone both Thais and Farangs appeared to be operating under the same assumptions.

Each to his own, but IMO not a place for couples.

Out of interest are there any good condominium developments in Hua Hin that are worth looking at as a home away from your Bangkok pad, and what are the prices like?

Any links?

I will confess I would go potty just living by a beach (I am a mega city type person) but it does have its pull and attraction for short periods (in the future perhaps 1 month at a time )

Oh we will probably be staying at the Sofitel in Hua Hin, mostly because I have a gold card for the chain and get a free room upgrade - is it any good as a location to explore from?

pkrv

Sofitel is a very good place to explore HH from. It is walking distance to many restaurants and about anything you might want to do in HH. It is right on the main beach in HH, but I think you can find better beaches a bit further out of town.

You should take a look at the beaches in Cha Am. It is only 20 minutes from HH (which makes it 20 min closer to BKK). I'm not talking about Cha Am's main beach, which isn't all that great, but the beach near Regent HolidayInn and Verandah resort is nice and you can walk forever from it. Many restaurants and 4&5 star resorts near by.

Depending on traffic about 2 1/2 hrs from BKK. Enjoy your holiday.

BT

[bbahngdori]

Well, Chaimai, I am a single male with TGF and really looking to kick back and relax after working over twenty years.

I am not retired but trying to take couple of years off before starting again.

I am not looking to party anymore and from what I hear Pattaya is very active party town.

Fact that Pattaya is close to Bangkok is plus but I want peace and quite. Beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunset is must.

Carefull with taking a couple of years off and then going back. I took a couple of years off in 1984 (on my 50th birthday) and never did make it back to work. Found out it is way to much fun being retired.

Let me confuse the issue a little more, my wife and I live in Cha Am about 15-20 minutes north of HH

Since you not into the party scene it might suit you.

It is quieter than HH

No night life

IMHO better beaches than HH

Less expensive than HH

Closer to BKK

Not as close to mall shopping

Great fresh food market

Not yet discovered by farangs much

A nice place to live.

But suggest you come to LOS rent for 6-12 months and look around. I think it is a nice place to live.

I can't retire yet, I don't have enough nest egg.

I was looking at couple of condos in Cha Am, and you are right, they are cheaper than HH.

How far is it from the shopping malls?

I don't need to go into town everyday but I don't want to drive 2 hours to shop.

[pkrv]

A really interesting thread - Thanks for all the thoughts (and the PM) - I will look around when I get there.

Key for me is public transport, in this instance trains - I am not keen to drive in Bangkok - I guess there isn't a train station at Cha Am? I also hope the drive from the station to the Sofitel hotel isn't too short to interest taxi drivers (though baggage should be minimal).

[Journalist]

Are beachfront high rises built properly - i.e foundations.

[johnnyk]

A really interesting thread - Thanks for all the thoughts (and the PM) - I will look around when I get there.

Key for me is public transport, in this instance trains - I am not keen to drive in Bangkok - I guess there isn't a train station at Cha Am? I also hope the drive from the station to the Sofitel hotel isn't too short to interest taxi drivers (though baggage should be minimal).

Hua Hin station is almost straight down the road to Sofitel, not more than 1km.

There is a map on the web page I told you about, btw.

[steveromagnino]

Are beachfront high rises built properly - i.e foundations.

er..... yes.

Modern buildings are subject to a lot of controls and regulations.

[livinbeach]

Bang Saray is a 15 minute drive south of Pattaya and has got some beachfront condos, some under construction, some just finished and many rather old cond buildings. It has got a much cleaner beach than Pattaya and Jomtien and nice sunset views with some fishing boats complementing the panorama. Baan Amphur beach and Bang Saray beach are both worth visiting and cosidering.

Bang Saen is another area with some beachfront condos. It's just 10 minutes south of Chonburi city so it's not a long drive from Bangkok.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Well, Chaimai, I am a single male with TGF and really looking to kick back and relax after working over twenty years.

I am not retired but trying to take couple of years off before starting again.

I am not looking to party anymore and from what I hear Pattaya is very active party town.

Fact that Pattaya is close to Bangkok is plus but I want peace and quite. Beautiful beaches and breathtaking sunset is must.

Carefull with taking a couple of years off and then going back. I took a couple of years off in 1984 (on my 50th birthday) and never did make it back to work. Found out it is way to much fun being retired.

Let me confuse the issue a little more, my wife and I live in Cha Am about 15-20 minutes north of HH

Since you not into the party scene it might suit you.

It is quieter than HH

No night life

IMHO better beaches than HH

Less expensive than HH

Closer to BKK

Not as close to mall shopping

Great fresh food market

Not yet discovered by farangs much

A nice place to live.

But suggest you come to LOS rent for 6-12 months and look around. I think it is a nice place to live.

I can't retire yet, I don't have enough nest egg.

I was looking at couple of condos in Cha Am, and you are right, they are cheaper than HH.

How far is it from the shopping malls?

I don't need to go into town everyday but I don't want to drive 2 hours to shop.

The HH mall is about a 15-20 minute drive depending on traffic. There is a Big C mall about 30 minutes away towards BKK. Cha Am has a small supermarket and a truly great outdoor (covered) market for all your fresh food needs, I think nicer than HH and cheaper. There are a lot of good restaurants nearby and you are close to Golf courses.

We go to HH or Big C about once a week and the rest of the time we get everything we need in Cha Am. What Cha Am needs is a good bakery. All the fast food places i.e McDonalds, KFC, Burger King etc. are in HH haven't caught on in Cha Am yet.

Once every 2 or 3 months we spend a few nights in BKK and do our serious shopping. You can get a mini van to BKK for 200Baht or a taxi for about 2200Baht. It takes 2 to 3 hours depending on traffic. I would not try driving to BKK myself as all the signs are in Thai so it is difficult (for me) to find my way around. You can also take the train, haven't tried that yet.

Best advice is to spend a bit of time in both and see which one is the lifestyle you would enjoy most.

[jojothai]

"Best advice is to spend a bit of time in both and see which one is the lifestyle you would enjoy most."

This has been said earlier and is the best advice. Go and rent in both areas first and find out which you prefer. If you have the money to live in more expensive places like Pukhet, Samui etc, then go stay there too. In any event you definitely should go for a short trip at least to see how they compare.

Try near to Pattaya - probably Jomtien, and check out of town south - Na Jomtien to Bangsaray.

Go to HH and also check out Cha-am. They are all very different types of places. Look at what you want for location, beach, sunset, transport, eating, shopping, expat community, proximity to night life for the odd excursion, etc, etc. AND SECURITY.

Some places around Pattaya are not secure, especially some housing estates. Condos do not generally have as bad a problem, but there are some so look at how good the security is and whether you feel you are happy with it.

Bear this in mind.

Also then you can properly research prices if you want to buy.

Why do you want to get the train?

It is not like the systems in the western world.

The bus / minibuses are good and easy to get.

Dont forget taxis are cheap by western standards. bangkok to Pattaya can be as low as 1500 baht plus tolls approx 100 baht. HH well over 2000 , say 2200 as stated before. Not that you would take taxis every time but be aware that it is an option particularly if you have a few people travelling.

jojothai

[Sessachief]

"Best advice is to spend a bit of time in both and see which one is the lifestyle you would enjoy most."

This has been said earlier and is the best advice. Go and rent in both areas first and find out which you prefer. If you have the money to live in more expensive places like Pukhet, Samui etc, then go stay there too. In any event you definitely should go for a short trip at least to see how they compare.

Try near to Pattaya - probably Jomtien, and check out of town south - Na Jomtien to Bangsaray.

Go to HH and also check out Cha-am. They are all very different types of places. Look at what you want for location, beach, sunset, transport, eating, shopping, expat community, proximity to night life for the odd excursion, etc, etc. AND SECURITY.

Some places around Pattaya are not secure, especially some housing estates. Condos do not generally have as bad a problem, but there are some so look at how good the security is and whether you feel you are happy with it.

Bear this in mind.

Also then you can properly research prices if you want to buy.

Why do you want to get the train?

It is not like the systems in the western world.

The bus / minibuses are good and easy to get.

Dont forget taxis are cheap by western standards. bangkok to Pattaya can be as low as 1500 baht plus tolls approx 100 baht. HH well over 2000 , say 2200 as stated before. Not that you would take taxis every time but be aware that it is an option particularly if you have a few people travelling.

jojothai