Comparison Of Living In Hua Hin To Pattaya For A Foreigner

[thaijasmine]

I would appreciate anyone’s feedback regarding lifestyle in Hua Hin and particularly cycling.

I wondered also if there is anyone else like me who has thought or even made the move from Pattaya to live in Hua Hin because I cant think of any other place that could offer convenient coastal living apart from phuket and Koh Samui. I enjoy living near the sea and shopping for food in Pattaya is obviously very convenient but Pattaya has become so polluted ( the air quality last week was atrocious ) and I have had enough of playing Russian roulette every time I just want cross the road. The place has become too big for me and I am not into bars so I can well live without that element.

[ESB7]

The landscape is flat so great for cycling, plenty of cyclists around....not sure if any groups exist...graet beaches, restaurants and people..

[londonthai]

from what I read, pattaya is full of crime (and criminals) - I would stay away from the place.

hua hin is a family orientated resort, so much nicer to live in.

as an alternative to hua hin you can think of cha am (just 20km before hua hin, when travelling from bangkok), it's a thai holiday resort, with a reasonable prices. I bet there is a road or at least a wide path along the beach from cha am to hua hin.

[hhfarang]

First of all, nothing against Pattaya... If I was single I would either live there, Bangkok, or Phuket. I am, however, very married for many years and Hua Hin is much more suited to family living. It used to be (along with Cha-Am) the most popular destination for Bangkok Thai families for weekend or holiday outings. Cha-Am is still pretty quiet and mostly visited by Thias on weekends but Hua Hin has seen a mini population explosion and a building boom in the last five years with an influx of European tourists as well as holiday home buyers (but the current world economy has left it quiet too at the moment).

It all depends on who you are and what you are looking for. If you're single and into the roaring night life, there are no go-go bars in Hua Hin and only a few sois with beer bars (or bar beers as the locals call them), but there is enough of that to enjoy yourself if that's what you're looking for. If you are looking for a place like Pattaya was 30 years ago or Jomtien 10 years ago, the Hua Hin may be right for you.

We do have a Tesco, HomePro, Index, Villa Market, Makro (20 minutes south in Pranburi) and a plethora of international restaurants as well as probably the seven or eight best golf courses in the country (and close to the most expensive to play on).

I suggest you come here and spend a couple of weeks looking at the town and make up your own mind as everyone has a different view of paradise.

[Chaam local]

I don't ride a bicycle, but Cha-am looks better to me for cycling, as there are nice countryside roads, a very long beachfront road and much less traffic than in Hua Hin. However, there are plenty of soi dogs in Cha-am, so this may be a problem. I'm not very familiar with Hua Hin, but I don't see that many soi dogs when I go there. Maybe Hua Hin municipality is doing something about the problem, in that case I hope Cha-am will follow their example.

I like Pattaya myself for a bit of fun or even for family holidays, but I couldn't imagine living there. I'm sure you will like Hua Hin better, or even Cha-am. I think the main difference between HH and CA is that HH is more of an expat town, with more facilities, restaurants etc, but also with a traffic/parking problem and high prices. Cha-am is cheaper, more laid back, but you have to feel comfortable with the Thai way of life.

[stgrhe]

People here in Hua Hin are generally very friendly and it is a good place to live whether you seek an active social live or a more tranquil one. The most beautiful scenery and the best beaches are south of Hua Hin and I suggest you have a look at Pranburi too when coming here if you enjoy beautiful surroundings.

Edited: spelling error corrected

Edited December 20, 2009 by stgrhe

[jaapfries]

Having lived in (near) Pattaya for nigh-on 18 years, I fully concur that Down-Town Pattaya is a genuine "circus". Having visited all the "other" places to live in Thailand, my Thai wife 17 yrs. married), we have concluded that we don't want to live in this circus, but we also recognized the superior infrastructure Pattaya-City has to offer: fabulous shopping; fabulous restaurants; fabulous entertainment; most excellent sailing (from the RVYC) and the place even sports 4 very good used book shops.

So; the answer is not to "avoid" Pattaya; but rather to find a nice place to live within say a 15 minute drive.

We found a new development, for example, aptly named The Winery Villas Estate, which is just around the corner from the stunning Silverlake Vineyard (just past the Big Golden Buddha Rock: Kao-Chee-Chan; adjacent to Nong-Nooch Gardens). Situated on a slightly undulating hillside, with the majestic National Park at the rear, this location offers sweeping views over an enormously beautiful valley.

This ultra-secure location is very suitable for families with kids and we already look forward to regular long walks (or bicycle rides) though our neighbour: the National Park.

If anyone would like more info. just PM me and I'll be happy to pass-on the information.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Having lived in both Hua Hin and Cha Am there is a considerable difference in the two places. Haven't been to Pattaya for 15 to 20 years so will in fairness not comment on it.Hua Hin is a much busier place to live but one of the main problems with HH is the traffic really bog down and it is frustrating getting around there. Also at high tide the beaches tend to disappear so you have to plan your beach walks. If You want night life then HH is probably the place for you , Cha Am is a very quiet laid back place and driving through it from Bangkok to Hua Hin you will wonder why anyone would want to live there. Get off the main road and down to the beach area around Veranda or St. Regis Holiday Inn and you will find a beach you can walk for miles on. It is not possible to walk from Hua Hin the Cha Am as you cannot walk on the beach in front of the kings palace. Cha Am Beach is wide and can be walked most anytime, it does not dissapear at high tide, althought the walking is better at low tide.

You can get most anything you need in Cha Am, it has a great fresh food outdoor market (covered) where you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. All at very reasonable prices. The fish is outstanding and very fresh.

Traffic is not bad at all, my wife will drive in Cha Am but not in HH. It would be a good place for a bicycle. It has a very limited nightlife and if you only occasionally want nightlife you can drive to HH about 20 minutes of too Bangkok in about 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the time of day. There are not many Farangs in Cha Am. It is mostly a holiday destination for Thais out of BKK and you will find a majority of Condo Buildings near empty most of the time. Gets busy on Holidays and nice weekends. But Thailand has more holidays than anywhere I have ever been.

If you play Golf they have some very nice golf courses, 8 in the area. If you are going to live in the area I suggest you have a hobby that you enjoy to occupy your time or you may get bored.

Suggest you visit all three and decide which lifestyle you like the best. we have lived here (in Thailand) for 3 years full time and really love living here, it has it's problems but the good things by far outweigh the bad. Good Luck in your choice and hope you enjoy LOS as much as we do.

Forgot to mention there are many very good restaurants in Cha Am near the beach and even the resort prices for food are usually reasonable.

Edited December 20, 2009 by BEENTHEREDONETHAT

[maccaroni man]

it seems to me that there are a few things to consider besides traffic if you are planning to make such a move. where pattaya is truley just down the road from bkk it still offers international medical care and English is widley spoken you will not find this to be true in HH or Cha Am. The OP mentioned samui which is where i own my home and right now is a very good time to buy or rent as the prices have come down to real value for money. many people cycle on samui, english is the language and international hopsitals and schools are available along with a number of entertainment zones. Given a choice of pattaya and HH move outside Pattaya to Ranong but i really do not see the comparison with HH

[hhfarang]

it seems to me that there are a few things to consider besides traffic if you are planning to make such a move. where pattaya is truley just down the road from bkk it still offers international medical care and English is widley spoken you will not find this to be true in HH or Cha Am. The OP mentioned samui which is where i own my home and right now is a very good time to buy or rent as the prices have come down to real value for money. many people cycle on samui, english is the language and international hopsitals and schools are available along with a number of entertainment zones. Given a choice of pattaya and HH move outside Pattaya to Ranong but i really do not see the comparison with HH

On the subject of medical care. Maccaroni man is correct that at the moment it is dicey in Hua Hin but ground has been broken on a new branch of Bangkok Hospital. The same private hospital that has a main branch in BKK and many say it is the number one facility in the country (arguably also could be Bumrungrad or Samitivej). At any rate, within a year, our need for a top class health facility in Hua Hin should be solved.

[wpcoe]

Excellent topic, as I am considering moving to Hua Hin after living in Jomtien for about five years.

BEENTHEREDONETHAT touched upon the traffic in HH being worse than Cha Am, but I wonder how it compares to Pattaya? After renting a moto-sai for a couple weeks, I decided riding in traffic in Pattaya/Jomtien was not my cup of tea. Is traffic in HH more civilized (a token regard for traffic laws, perhaps?) or less congested?

And thanks, hhfarang for updating the status of the Bangkok Hospital facility. Good to know it should be available within a year.

[d0ndela]

Traffic in Hua Hin is a nightmare at times, but I wouldn't think that should keep anyone from living here. Last night I spent an hour going from Soi 6 to Kao Thakiab, I've never seen anything like it (except for the Jazz festival). There were parades with old cars, parade with off-road cars, rock concert, movie star event at market village and more. And all this on the main road, it truly was an experience

The traffic I can live with, but what I find the most annoying is the lack of parking spaces, whoever builds a multi-level parking building would become a millionaire within a year.

I love Hua Hin, but as others said it's really more a place for "the elder generation", and as I'm young and single I imaging I will be moving to Bangkok within the next couple of years, but not until our business is settled enough to handle a change of office location.

[wpcoe]

Traffic congestion-type nightmares I can tolerate fairly well. It's not often that I need to be someplace at a particular time, and if I do, I allow plenty of time.

Jomtien Beach Road frequently is standstill when windsurfing, jet-skiing, volleyball, whatever championship competitions are held. Sounds like the Jazz Festival and some mid-December day like you experienced.

I'm more afraid of the maniacal way folks drive around Pattaya/Jomtien. I'm much more comfortable riding a moto-sai in Bangkok. It'd be a pleasant surprise if Hua Hin were a bit more like Bangkok, but even if not, I've become pretty used to using public transport = baht buses (sawn taews).

Another black mark in my book against Pattaya/Jomtien is that a pair of katooeys on a moto-sai tried to run me off the road after midnight on a semi-dark (but just off the main drag, so to speak) soi. Freaked me out, so I stopped driving around late night. I used to do my grocery shopping at late night due to less traffic, cooler air, etc, but those two creeps put an end to it.

Oh, and another BIG black mark for The Extreme City: *SONGKRAN week!!!*

[d0ndela]

I have no problem what-so-ever with driving motorcycle in and around Hua Hin. I would say it's up to yourself how crazy you want it, you can just take the time it takes and stay in the left lane and you will get there safely. Or you can drive like some of the young Thai boys 120 km/h with one hand and 3 friends on the back in and out between the traffic in all 3 lanes. I'm surprised I've yet to see an accident live *knock on wood*.

I do tend to take the car when going to Hua Hin, partly because I live on the outskirts of town so it's a bit of a drive on motorcycle. But mostly because it's very rarely that I need to go to the center without having the need for more storage than a motorbike allows, be it either packages to the post office, or some friends who want to come along to eat or have a stroll. Very very rarely do I go to town alone, actually never. But that's because I live with 3 friends and we do most things in teams.

[cheshiremusicman]

Hi 'Thaijasmine'

From what you have said I think that you would enjoy Hua-Hin. I remember reading ( but an't remember the source' that Hua-Hin has some of the best air quality in the whole of Thailand and it is one of the driest parts as well, so maybe this is something worth bearing in mind.

The beaches vary in HH and if you travel some 8 kms south to Khoa Tao you will find a beautiful, quiet, pine clad beach some 7 kms long. Plenty of excellent golf courses and one under construction (Military) alongside the beach mentioned above.

We have couple of National parks nearby and lots of decent restaurants. Flat roads for cycling and a small fishing village where you can obviously buy fresh fish. Pranburi to the south is developing rapidly and we tend to go there to Makro or the newly opened Tesco's or to the indoor market in Pranburi itself. Plenty of car dealerships for servicing and as another poster said previously we have got a new hospital under construction which should match the standards in BKK.

If you have any specific questions then just PM me and I will do my best to answer them for you. Good luck with the move.

My English wife and I have been here 3 years now and are very happy with the area and the local people etc.

[H2oDunc]

If you want good cycling,beautiful beaches and very cheap living head further south to Chumphon. A small farang community and you can live for a quarter the price of living in HH. Not a small pattaya in the making like HH. If you want to do a visa run it is an hour away to Ranong and you can jump on a ferry and get to Tao, KPG and Samui easily.

[klikster]

If you want good cycling,beautiful beaches and very cheap living head further south to Chumphon. A small farang community and you can live for a quarter the price of living in HH. Not a small pattaya in the making like HH. If you want to do a visa run it is an hour away to Ranong and you can jump on a ferry and get to Tao, KPG and Samui easily.

While much of what you say is probably accurate:

-Chumpon is one of the rainest provinces in Thailand

-Chumpon once had a sign on the beach road heading south claiming/wanting? to be the Pattaya of the western gulf

-A farang (property developer ?) in Kanom claimed that Chumpon beaches have sand flies

All that being said, IMO, Cha am is much more "Thai" than is Hua Hin.

Re: Cycling .. Pranburi would get my vote .. long stretches along the sea. And I remember reading somewhere, I think, about a bicycle trail along the river.

Edited December 27, 2009 by klikster

[Chaam local]

A new Carrefour has even just opened in Chumphon! But it sill lack facilities, like a good hospital for instance, and it is a bit far from Bangkok for my taste. Very nice area though (my wife is from there) but I prefer living in Cha-am, sort of half way between Bangkok and Chumphon.

H2o, you mention a small community of expats, where are they from? I mean is it mostly Americans, or European, Aussies...?

[klikster]

, and it is a bit far from Bangkok for my taste. Very nice area though (my wife is from there) but I prefer living in Cha-am, sort of half way between Bangkok and Chumphon.

On my lst visit to Ban Krut I heard some gossip claiming the re-opening of Chumphon Airport. That would be especially convenient for the Thungwualen (sp?) area.