Life In Hua Hin

[kje889]

I am considering move from the US to Hua Hin with my Thai wife and would like some get an expat's point of view of life in Hua Hin.

We plan to open a hotel, but while that is being built I want to work for about a year. What are most expats in Hua Hin doing for income?

How is the quality of life in Hua Hin? What do you enjoy? What do you wish were different? What do you do for entertainment? Is it easy to make friends with other expats and Thais? Are you aware of any jazz music teachers or musicans to play with in Hua Hin?

Any other information you can provide would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

[buksida]

I'll try and be brief:

Most expats here are either on pensions, sell property or run their own businesses,

Quality of life is good, enjoy the beach and the beautiful areas just outside of town, wish there was better parking and traffic control, less dogs and better shopping options.

For entertainment see this link: Hua Hin After Dark

Very easy to make friends here and there are a couple of musical people and bars here. You may want to read the forum on the website posted above, it deals solely with life in Hua Hin.

Good Luck.

[rbee]

Kje889,

I have lived in Hua Hin since Sept and find the expats AND the Thais here to be very friendly and easy to get to know. Since the King lives here, there is only a small girlie bar scene, and so a large majority of the foreigners living here must do something else besides get drunk and hang out in bars. They tend to be well read, well traveled, and generally very interesting, frinedly and helpful people. A majority are from Northern Europe. I love the people in this town. I have made friends with many of the local business people too, which makes me part of the "family" when I want to buy something, if you know what I mean!

As far as Jazz music and teachers, there is a new Music Society in H H trying to promote ALL types of live music. You can access the website at www.HuaHinMusicSociety.com We have just learned that THE only traditional Jazz Quartet in the area, which usually only plays at the Dusit Resort near Cha-Am, will begin playing on the 1st and last Monday nights of each month, starting at 9 pm, at the Oyster Bar Restaurant on Naresdamri Road near the Pier in H H. This is very exciting for many of us, as it will also be an open jam session each time, as well. There are a number of expats who play around town when they can, but many have just left for the season.

The Yamaha Music School is expanding as well, and they may be looking for teachers. It will also be a venue for bringing in new music to the area. I,m guessing that you already know about the annual H H Jazz Festival held in June here. Hope you get here before that happens. There are a couple of Universities in Bangkok that have Large Jazz studies classes. One of them sent 30 young people down to the Oyster Bar last week and blew us away with some major jazz riffs and scat singing! We hope to get some of them to come down regularly, soon.

As far as what I don't like about H H, the main highway goes right through to main shopping area of town, with all the attendent noise, congestion and pollution. People with big cars and trucks tend to block traffic everywhere you go. that's about it!

I hope this has been helpful for you. I would suggest that you try to find a house away from the center of town if you want peace and quiet.

Sincerely,

Robin B