Hua Hin Area Vs Jomtien

[Lopburi99]

Since the first of the year my wife and I have been staying in various cities trying to decide where to settle (Lopburi is NOT on the list!).

Pattaya/Jomtien is appealing, but perhaps beyond our budget. We like bungalow style homes near the sea, and plan to rent one somewhere for a year before buying one. We stayed also in Chao Lao Beach near Chanthaburi and I thought maybe it was perfect but after staying there two months I found it not suitable because there aren't enough english-speaking people, food, businesses or entertainment all of which are plentiful near Pattaya.

I assume Hua Hin is worth checking out so I think after Songkran we will head off for that part of Thailand for a while.

Any experience or recommendations about living near Hua Hin vs on the other side of the Gulf?

[pothai]

Since the first of the year my wife and I have been staying in various cities trying to decide where to settle (Lopburi is NOT on the list!).

Pattaya/Jomtien is appealing, but perhaps beyond our budget. We like bungalow style homes near the sea, and plan to rent one somewhere for a year before buying one. We stayed also in Chao Lao Beach near Chanthaburi and I thought maybe it was perfect but after staying there two months I found it not suitable because there aren't enough english-speaking people, food, businesses or entertainment all of which are plentiful near Pattaya.

I assume Hua Hin is worth checking out so I think after Songkran we will head off for that part of Thailand for a while.

Any experience or recommendations about living near Hua Hin vs on the other side of the Gulf?

Hua Hin is a very good choice for a couple. Bungalow style houses are the main and Hua Hin has many for sale/rent. Hua Hin has all the facilities you need, major shops...Tesco etc in the shopping mall and plenty of good cheap restaurants, especially for fish. Only 2 hours from Bangkok, you can drive, bus, fly or get a train, all reasonable priced. Hua Hin has many nationalities, English, Swedish, Norwegian are just a few so you will not be lonely. If you need help with accomodation PM me.

[dsfbrit]

I live just outside Pattaya and have recently been to visit Hua Hin. I would say that if you like the hustle and bustle of a large city then Pattaya/Jomtien would be a good choice. If you like a more conservative and smaller environment then Hua Hin.

Hua Hin is a lovely place to visit, but I could not live there. After only a short while I find it too restrictive.

I like walking and on the last visit to Hua Hin I walked around most of the main areas in just 2 days - from the North to the South and around the Centre. I would find that just too 'claustrophobic' after a short time.

Mind you Hua Hin beach is much nicer than anything in Pattaya or Jomtien and the 'feel of the place' is much more pleasant. Certainly the bars have a much less 'aggressive' feel to them, the bar girls only seem to confront you in a subtle manner - well compared to Pattaya it was subtle anyway.

I find it nice walking along Hua Hin beach (avoiding the dead jellyfish that are everywhere) without being bothered with deckchair renters, the noise of Jet Skis nor people trying to sell me food or plastic elephants.

So Hua Hin if you like small and conservative or Pattaya/Jomtien if you want it - what is the adjective I am looking for here??? - some would say 'buzzing' others refer to it as 'mental'.

I hope you Enjoy it in LOS whatever destination you choose...

[pdavids]

Since the first of the year my wife and I have been staying in various cities trying to decide where to settle (Lopburi is NOT on the list!).

Pattaya/Jomtien is appealing, but perhaps beyond our budget. We like bungalow style homes near the sea, and plan to rent one somewhere for a year before buying one. We stayed also in Chao Lao Beach near Chanthaburi and I thought maybe it was perfect but after staying there two months I found it not suitable because there aren't enough english-speaking people, food, businesses or entertainment all of which are plentiful near Pattaya.

I assume Hua Hin is worth checking out so I think after Songkran we will head off for that part of Thailand for a while.

Any experience or recommendations about living near Hua Hin vs on the other side of the Gulf?

I have some Australian friends who researched this fairly extensively early last year and opted for Cha-Am, slightly cheaper than Hua Hin, but still with the facilities they wanted. And not so far from Hua Hin itself. The beach is certainly better there than Pattaya/Jomtien. They ended up with a two bedroom condo right on the beach for only 3.4 million baht or so. They found Pattaya/Jomtien a touch too sleazy to actually live there.

[jackr]

Yep, Hua Hin and environs much more laidback than the Pattaya area. Nice beach, compact, friendlier people, cheaper prices and good golf (apparently). HH also has a small airport and is only a couple/three hours drive from Bangkok. Prices for digs have apparently gone sky-high anywhere near the beach within a few miles, however; yet cheaper than Patters I would have thought. I could live there for six months of the year.

[Lopburi99]

I live just outside Pattaya and have recently been to visit Hua Hin. I would say that if you like the hustle and bustle of a large city then Pattaya/Jomtien would be a good choice. If you like a more conservative and smaller environment then Hua Hin.

Hua Hin is a lovely place to visit, but I could not live there. After only a short while I find it too restrictive.

I like walking and on the last visit to Hua Hin I walked around most of the main areas in just 2 days - from the North to the South and around the Centre. I would find that just too 'claustrophobic' after a short time.

Mind you Hua Hin beach is much nicer than anything in Pattaya or Jomtien and the 'feel of the place' is much more pleasant. Certainly the bars have a much less 'aggressive' feel to them, the bar girls only seem to confront you in a subtle manner - well compared to Pattaya it was subtle anyway.

I find it nice walking along Hua Hin beach (avoiding the dead jellyfish that are everywhere) without being bothered with deckchair renters, the noise of Jet Skis nor people trying to sell me food or plastic elephants.

So Hua Hin if you like small and conservative or Pattaya/Jomtien if you want it - what is the adjective I am looking for here??? - some would say 'buzzing' others refer to it as 'mental'.

I hope you Enjoy it in LOS whatever destination you choose...

From the above replies it appears the HH area may be about right for us, and I am looking forward more to visiting there now. A smaller, more conservative Pattaya. I'll check out Cha-Am also per the other post. It may be even better, since affordability is an issue also.

The biggest thing is that I do not feel like I have dropped onto another planet, as I felt in Chao Lao Beach, with almost no non-Thai people or businesses. I just felt too out of place. Just hearing some western music being played in a Pattaya restaurant sounded great, and I felt much more comfortable.

The plan would be, assuming we liked it there upon first arriving, to rent a bungalow for a month or two to get more familiar with everything there. Then, if all goes well, start to look for a house to buy or for land to purchase with the intent of building.

Thank you all for your input. It helps a lot.

[Freddie_fly]

I live just outside Pattaya and have recently been to visit Hua Hin. I would say that if you like the hustle and bustle of a large city then Pattaya/Jomtien would be a good choice. If you like a more conservative and smaller environment then Hua Hin.

I hope you Enjoy it in LOS whatever destination you choose...

From the above replies it appears the HH area may be about right for us, and I am looking forward more to visiting there now. A smaller, more conservative Pattaya. I'll check out Cha-Am also per the other post. It may be even better, since affordability is an issue also.

The biggest thing is that I do not feel like I have dropped onto another planet, as I felt in Chao Lao Beach, with almost no non-Thai people or businesses. I just felt too out of place. Just hearing some western music being played in a Pattaya restaurant sounded great, and I felt much more comfortable.

The plan would be, assuming we liked it there upon first arriving, to rent a bungalow for a month or two to get more familiar with everything there. Then, if all goes well, start to look for a house to buy or for land to purchase with the intent of building.

Thank you all for your input. It helps a lot.

Calling Hua Hin a smaller more conservative pattaya is kinda like calling a church smaller and more conservative than a london pole dancing bar. Pattaya is total sleaze, with a fine veneer of Expat clubs for professionals who want to salve their conscience by giving to a few (admittedly) good charities. Hau Hin has desperately tried to remain a sleepy laid back place to go to relax from the hustle (and is starting to fail). The basic problem is that when expats congregate the thais smell the money and respond with what they think you want so as to support the stupid prices they ask for poorly built homes.

You dont really give us too many hints, but I would guess from your post you are happily married and not into the swinging thing, just looking for a decent level of English from the people around you and to make some friends from fellow retirees. Well you can do this in Pattaya but I would suggest that you look around in Hua-Hin or Chaam and just drive to pattaya/jomthien for a few days every now and then if you want to get 'racey'

regards

Freddie

[expatgaz]

I found HH rather boring but its horses for courses I suppose.

Golf better in Pattaya than HH.

EPG.

[jellymeister]

3 random observations

-maybe the worst jellyfish problem I have seen anywhere in the wrold so you have to be careful or brave to swim

-there are no decent places for breakfast, and the overall selection of restos is way worse than pattaya

-the drive from bangkok is horrendous

[jackr]

3 random observations

-maybe the worst jellyfish problem I have seen anywhere in the wrold so you have to be careful or brave to swim

-there are no decent places for breakfast, and the overall selection of restos is way worse than pattaya

-the drive from bangkok is horrendous

About the only thing correct in your post is the word 'random'.

It's good that the Pattaya crowd don't find the place appealing, though.

[Martian]

I've lived in the Phetchaburi - Cha-am - Hua Hin area for years and wouldn't live anywhere else. It has all the recreational activities one would want and the vices are far less in your face. There are many golf courses, beaches, trekking and shopping venues. Don't forget about Phetchaburi with it's lower cost of living which is full of old temples and has the secluded beaches of Hod Chao Samran and Puk-tien a mere 15 Kilometers away. As with any place, the longer you stay, the smaller it gets. The good thing about "our side" of the bay is that it has everything the other side has AND many other destinations to explore and enjoy are just a train or bus ride away if you don't own a vehicle. As well, when necessary, Bangkok is within a 90 minute drive/ride away. Of course, the Koh Samui and Phuket ares are more accessible also. I wouldn't live anywhere else, if given the choice.

Regards

[Lopburi99]

I've lived in the Phetchaburi - Cha-am - Hua Hin area for years and wouldn't live anywhere else. It has all the recreational activities one would want and the vices are far less in your face. There are many golf courses, beaches, trekking and shopping venues. Don't forget about Phetchaburi with it's lower cost of living which is full of old temples and has the secluded beaches of Hod Chao Samran and Puk-tien a mere 15 Kilometers away. As with any place, the longer you stay, the smaller it gets. The good thing about "our side" of the bay is that it has everything the other side has AND many other destinations to explore and enjoy are just a train or bus ride away if you don't own a vehicle. As well, when necessary, Bangkok is within a 90 minute drive/ride away. Of course, the Koh Samui and Phuket ares are more accessible also. I wouldn't live anywhere else, if given the choice.

Regards

Thanks for your comments Martian. Jellymeister's post concerned me, and I was reconsidering about visiting there. But of course there is no substitute for staying there awhile and experiencing for myself. Do you have a favorite resort in Cha-am to recommend? For a decision as major as where to live, I need to be sure we have visited that side of the Gulf.

Interesting about the comment re jellyfish. I had never seen one before prior to coming to Thailand. A few weeks ago the wife's family visited us in Jomtien, and the one-yr-old grandbaby was stung (?) by one. Had to go to the hospital for two nights for treatment, then a full month before back to normal. Poor little thing.

[jellymeister]

3 random observations

-maybe the worst jellyfish problem I have seen anywhere in the wrold so you have to be careful or brave to swim

-there are no decent places for breakfast, and the overall selection of restos is way worse than pattaya

-the drive from bangkok is horrendous

About the only thing correct in your post is the word 'random'.

It's good that the Pattaya crowd don't find the place appealing, though.

hey I am open minded....please name 10 good breakfast joints(and please don't include burger king)

re the jellyfish problem, go verify for yourself with the local watersports enthusiasts, it's a well known fact...the Hua Hin hospital gets regualr visits from stung people and a good indication of how many are in the water is how many are on the beach....the red ones are the worst ones....and the sting can also result in a very nasty permanent scar

re drive from Bangkok sorry but that highway is congested and it is also dangerous.......

the HH beach itself is nice and wide for 6 months of the year but for the other 6 months it becomes a very narrow strip

[wileycoyote]

Hua Hin gets my vote but depends on whether you wish a quieter pace.

[indieke]

I do have to warn you about some negative points of Hua hin...

Hua hin is fine for a ...few days! Yes it quiter then Pattaya, yes it is very clean compared to it too. Yes people are more friendly and we did find nice eateries...

But...it is also ...Boring! And I don't need the go-go bars, the noise of Pattaya around me all the time! Want to see a movie? Hope your Thai is good! Every single movie is dubbed in Thai. Pattaya with all his flaws, make me feel alive, Hua Hin, how nice it is, makes me feel dead!

Beaches are not that much better then Pattaya, if you know some spots there. Yellyfish is a problem and the sea is rather wild. It is nice to end the holiday there, in our favourite restaurant, but to live there in winter, no thank you.

I did not understand, how long you would actually live there. If it would be with my wife, I would think about Phuket. There are quiet are's if you want to find them and the beaches are lovely, and there are so many to choose from. It is more exotic, and you can visit many islands more to the south, if you get bored.

Pattaya, is not a great city for a couple. But it has the convenience, that you8 can find everything you need, and visit the places you like for yourself. Around Pattaya, there are places, where everythingis not so much in your face, and it has the advantage to be less then two hours from Bkk.

I never stay all winter, or buy a house there, but I rent a place on Buddah hill, and it is 5 minutes from the center with a bike, but it has a better and quiter athmosphere then Jomtien and pattaya! It is alos much cleaner, as it seems that Pattaya always seems under construction!

Here some pictures, for the guys who would like to rent, I am NOT the owner, does NOT get a commision, but I can inquire for you.

Income

Clubhouse

Main alley

Income of the houses

The house with small pool

Beach at 10 minutes

Beach behind the villas, direct acess

10 minutes from Pattaya

[torrenova]

Don't bother with Jomtien or Hua Hin. Go east of Sukhumvit and get the best of all worlds. Decent places at decent prices but with Pattaya only a short drive away. Pay only for things you need, so if you go to the beach once a month yuo don't pay a premium to have a nice beach there every day.

[Jingthing]

I like living near the beach. It would not be the same if I had to make a trip out of it. Also note many expats live in Jomtien and even Pattaya and do not participate in the sleaze, though of course we are constantly exposed to it, just the same as all those "family" tourists.

[torrenova]

I like living near the beach. It would not be the same if I had to make a trip out of it. Also note many expats live in Jomtien and even Pattaya and do not participate in the sleaze, though of course we are constantly exposed to it, just the same as all those "family" tourists.

I also like living near the beach, even Jomtien beach but as the OP stated budgetary constraints and I felt the desire for a house, not a condo, I thought the Dark Side was the best option.

Not much value in quality houses near the beach in Jomtien.