Hua Hin Nice Place To Live?

[reenatinnakor]

This might be a strange request for help but my thai gf wants us to live in Hua Hin and so the 1st thing I would do is type in google "how many farang in hua hin". Various commentaries are saying its becoming a farang infested shit hole like Pattaya. Is there any truth in this?? Now I have nothing against my own kind or my own self, but you know how it is, why would i want to live in a foreign country with my own people?? Doesnt make sense....I would just stay in Europe or US if i wanted to live with my own kind!! The gf doesnt understand this off course.

But all my other research on the internet about Hua Hin say its a nice place and has nice views, international schools, Tesco's etc etc, and some of the property looks pretty good. I will definitely come and visit before I strike it off the list as a place to live! But I just wanted to to ask if you as a resident of Hua Hin, in your honest opinion, think there are too many foreigners in your hometown?? Does it bother you? My gf said I'm not going to bump into them every minute of the day!

Thanks.

[Irene]

Though not a resident there, and only a frequent visitor. My impression of Hua Hin is a place far different from Pataya where expats and Thai gfs are almost everywhere. In Hua Hin, few are there and certainly not predominant. However there is a rising trend. Hua Hin is still a preferred place to the locals to take their families for holidays. Pataya has lost its glamour for family Thais. But in term of infrastructure, Hua Hin is far inferior to Pataya where one's need starting from health care is always met and best of all it is near to Bangkok, one and a half hour drive. If one can close one's eyes from seeing the dislikes or be selective on one's contacts, then Pataya is preferred. Pataya is more strategic for infrastructure improvement than Hua Hin. More improvements can be expected in the long run.

[makescents]

Hua Hin will never become a "farang infested shithole" so long as the King resides there. Soi Bintabat hardly compares to Walking Street.

If you don't want to be around a lot of foreigners then Cha Am or Pran Buri are options; but the trade off is even worse amenities than Hua Hin, unless you don't mind driving to Hua Hin once a week.

[PeaceBlondie]

No international schools. No decent medical care yet, AFAIK.

[stander]

I have lived in Hua Hin for 23 years and there have been a lot of changes, but I still think it is a great place to live.

[katabeachbum]

early morning its oneandhalf hours drive to BKK and 2 hours to Suvarnabum, from my house next to the kings residence

having homes in both Hua Hin and Phuket, I find HH much more Thai and I love the place. As for farang, there are some sh-tholes around, but just avoid them

[reenatinnakor]

No international schools. No decent medical care yet, AFAIK.

Thanks for your replies. This website here says there are international schools? http://www.frangipani.com/huahin/living.htm

I don't mind driving and living outside of Hua Hin if it means I am more with the locals and the lack of amenities and having to work a bit harder to find what i need is all part of the experience of living abroad! Will look at Cha Am and Pran Buri. Thanks!

[hhfarang]

I live in Hua Hin and have done so for six years and it is nothing like Pattaya, Phuket, or Samui. According to a stat I saw published somewhere a couple of months back (local paper I think), there are about 3,500 foreigners living full time in Hua Hin. At any given time that number can rise to between 8 and 9 thousand due to the transient foreign population; tourists and Hua Hin part timers (a lot of people own 2nd homes here and spend one to three months per year only).

The last statistic I heard on total population was around 85,000 in Hua Hin so at peak times foreigners may reach ten per cent but the norm is around 4 per cent of the population. Whenever you go out downtown, especially in the bar areas, you will see other foreigners, but you will see far more Thais outside the main couple of bar streets.

I agree with a previous poster that if this is still to many foreigners for your ideal place to go, then Cha-Am or Pranburi may suit you better. Cha-Am (twenty minutes north of Hua Hin) is normally quieter with fewer foreigners and a better beach that is mostly visited by Thai families from Bangkok on weekends and holidays (when it can become quite busy). I was there yesterday and the beach was crowded and the traffic was gridlocked with carloads of Thais with Bangkok license plates. This is holiday season for them as the kids are out of school for the summer break and Songkran is coming soon.

Pranburi (twenty minutes south of Hua Hin) is even more "Thai" until you get near the ocean where you will find a few foreign developments and resorts.

I'll be happy to answer any specific questions that I can if you need more info to make up your mind, but the best approach would be to come for an extended visit and explore Hua Hin and the surrounding area to see what suits you best.

I don't have children so I'm not current on the school situation, but the last time I heard about it, there are no true international schools here. As far as health care goes it has lagged behind but the renowned Bangkok Hospital is building a branch here now so that situation should be much better within a year or so.

[katabeachbum]

No international schools. No decent medical care yet, AFAIK.

Thanks for your replies. This website here says there are international schools? http://www.frangipani.com/huahin/living.htm

I don't mind driving and living outside of Hua Hin if it means I am more with the locals and the lack of amenities and having to work a bit harder to find what i need is all part of the experience of living abroad! Will look at Cha Am and Pran Buri. Thanks!

there are english language schools in HH to the age of 12, but not really international schools.

HH, like Pranbury and Cha Am, has some farang communities/residential areas, but most areas are thai with occasional farang blended in. In my block next to the beach there are approx 100 houses, with 7 farang homes, approx 10 BKK homes and the rest local thais.

In the weekends and school holidays, some restaurants and even the beaches can be dominated by BKK thais. Like any seaside town 2 hours drive from a capital, traffic on main roads can be bad friday and sunday afternoon

[ESB7]

Hua Hin will never become a "farang infested shithole" so long as the King resides there. Soi Bintabat hardly compares to Walking Street.

If you don't want to be around a lot of foreigners then Cha Am or Pran Buri are options; but the trade off is even worse amenities than Hua Hin, unless you don't mind driving to Hua Hin once a week.

I hear Cha am is getting running water soon ...

[makescents]

Pranburi (twenty minutes south of Hua Hin) is even more "Thai" until you get near the ocean where you will find a few foreign developments and resorts.

As a remember real estate was well priced in Pran Buri when I was scouting for a customer.

[reenatinnakor]

Hua Hin will never become a "farang infested shithole" so long as the King resides there. Soi Bintabat hardly compares to Walking Street.

If you don't want to be around a lot of foreigners then Cha Am or Pran Buri are options; but the trade off is even worse amenities than Hua Hin, unless you don't mind driving to Hua Hin once a week.

I hear Cha am is getting running water soon ...

I don't mind pumping for water or going 5 miles to fetch it if it guarantees that I wont bump into a group of farang drinking beer :-)

[PeaceBlondie]

I moved out in 2006, and still no good hospital or third-rate international school.

[reenatinnakor]

I moved out in 2006, and still no good hospital or third-rate international school.

All part of living and surviving in a foreign land. It would be so easy if everything was just there for me and the family like it is in London!

[PeaceBlondie]

I live where we have ten excellent hospitals and six top international schools.

[johnnyk]

Can't compare HH and Pattaya.

There are 6X as many bar girls in Pattaya as there are falang in HH. HH centre has about 80 bars +/-. Pattaya has over a thousand, maybe two thousand. HH is not given over to falang and they are scattered in a number of developments/estates, no "ghetto". Pattaya is basically a falang ghetto, it's development beyond a fishing village is directly attributable to the sex industry. HH has been a resort for upscale Thais since the King went there in the 1920s, P4P is not its raison d'etre and never was.

[katabeachbum]

I live where we have ten excellent hospitals and six top international schools.

and the see breeze is wonderful

dont get me wrong, I like CM, but after a week I just miss the beaches to much.

as said oneandhalfhours drive to BKK hospitals from HH, until BKK hospital is up and go in HH. Presently HH public hospital is on par with half of the excellent CM hospitals you mention

[PeaceBlondie]

My CM doctors are medical school professors. The best doctors in BKK were clueless. The long-awaited new hospital in Hua Hin was expected in late 2005. The smoke's bad for 2 months. No jellyfish here.

[hhfarang]

My CM doctors are medical school professors. The best doctors in BKK were clueless. The long-awaited new hospital in Hua Hin was expected in late 2005. The smoke's bad for 2 months. No jellyfish here.

They are building the hospital now so it is a reality. It is just south of Soi 94 on Phetkasem (the main) road. The foundation appears to be done and construction is continuing. There is a "future home of Bangkok Hospital" sign out front and projected opening end of this year, but as everything is late here I guess it will probably actually open sometime in the spring or early summer of 2011.

PeaceBlondie,

Were you talking about a new private hospital projected in 2005, or the rebuilding of Hua Hin Government hospital. They actually did rebuild Hua Hin Hospital (from two stories to about a ten floor building a couple of years ago and now it is much better (probably the best Hua Hin has until Bangkok Hospital opens). I've used their emergency room and the doctor I had seemed competent and spoke English, but, being a government hospital it is still geared more towards the local Thai population.

[ESB7]

Hua Hin hospitol is excellent although busy, two children born there and other numerous times with professional and courteous staff always, and cheap as chips. If you need any major surgery, bangkok is only 90 minutes away. Private rooms cost 800-1500 baht although the ones at the back suffer from the railway noise.

Schools can be a problem if your kids do not speak Thai otherwise they are of a reasonable standard....then pack them off to Uni in bkk.

The area is placed ideally for commuting to bkk with trains, mini bus or coaches, sering victory monument, chata chuk, South terminal and hualumphong Chaing Mai, Korat plus all southern destinations including Malaysia are also a a available.

Seafood in Cha am is the best and cheapest I know of with a great selection of restaurants and now some good high end independant hotels.

Its a captive audience each weekend if you have a small business serving Thais, so a living can be made.

All in all a great place to live compared to Pattaya, Phuket, Samui etc.

[stevehaigh]

if you want less farangy try Cha-am, close to Hua hin shopping and restaurants, etc but has a real thai town feel.

farangs in HH are very different to everywhere else i've been in Thailand, much older and more farang couples. its like Florida basically.

i love the convenience of the HH/Cha-am area, that's without doubt its best asset IMHO. but the area is pretty ugly i think, at least at this time of year when it hasn't rained in months, it looks like the desert SW USA.

if you want beaches and beautiful lush tropical scenery, you have to go south of Chumphon.

if you want close to BKK but not BKK, inexpensive cost of living, good schools, hospitals, etc, then its a perfectly ok place but nothing to get too excited about.

[Shotime]

I agree with all the replies except the comparison with that other place. There are, or it seems, mostly Germans, Swiss, and from that part of the world.

If you play golf, it's a wonderland, and you don't have to put up with the traffic coming and going, or the many golfers in that other spot.

It seems to be a growing city, too. Clean. Air, too. Check it out yourself. The Army is here.

[johnnyk]

I agree with all the replies except the comparison with that other place. There are, or it seems, mostly Germans, Swiss, and from that part of the world.

If you play golf, it's a wonderland, and you don't have to put up with the traffic coming and going, or the many golfers in that other spot.

It seems to be a growing city, too. Clean. Air, too. Check it out yourself. The Army is here.

Plenty of Brits too, but thankfully not nearly as many stringy-haired, tattooed drunks as across the gulf.

HM The King spends a great deal of time in HH and people are proud of that and do't allow it to become a human toilet.

[condothailand]

I though that Hua Hin is the top 5 place in Thailand for living (Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin, etc). There are a lot of nice place like department store, shopping, nice restuarant. I generally visit there every year.

[love2travel]

We are back in Hua Hin soon. First time for 4 years so will be interested to see how things have changed. Hilton price has doubled since my last visit. Been holidaying in America to keep the wife happy but I prefer Thailand. Great little eating places beside the temple then wander down to Crawford? Irish Bar and then a quick beer in a little place round the corner. I hope things haven't changed too much and this time, we really intend to explore restaurants and bars more but when you find good food and drink, its just so easy to go back. breakfast included this time so guess I'll be giving the Crawford Big fry a miss this time. Wish I could remember the name of the wee eating place beside temple, but they were all good and incredibly cheap.

27 days to go, but whose counting.

All comments, suggested eating places, changes to look out for, will be most welcome.

[hhfarang]

We are back in Hua Hin soon. First time for 4 years so will be interested to see how things have changed. Hilton price has doubled since my last visit. Been holidaying in America to keep the wife happy but I prefer Thailand. Great little eating places beside the temple then wander down to Crawford? Irish Bar and then a quick beer in a little place round the corner. I hope things haven't changed too much and this time, we really intend to explore restaurants and bars more but when you find good food and drink, its just so easy to go back. breakfast included this time so guess I'll be giving the Crawford Big fry a miss this time. Wish I could remember the name of the wee eating place beside temple, but they were all good and incredibly cheap.

27 days to go, but whose counting.

All comments, suggested eating places, changes to look out for, will be most welcome.

You may be shocked at the changes in 4 years. Crawfords Hua Hin is now O'neal's and under different ownership. A lot of bars and restaurants have closed or changed names/owners and there has been a lot of new construction in the last 4 years. Soi 94 particularly is becoming restaurant row with S & S Indian restaurant, Sakura Sushi and Japanese, Khun Oy (European and Thai), all very popular and the soon to be opened Terrace 90 on Soi 90 but visible and accessible from Soi 94 that will serve steaks, ribs, European, Thai, Italian, and Mexican food (including a fresh bakery and deli).

It will be interesting to hear your comments on the differences you notice over four years. Living here all that time the change was somewhat gradual and maybe not as immediately noticeable as it will be to you.

[PeaceBlondie]

You will note also a shift from the downtown center.

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

My wife and I have been here for 4 years, one in HH Palm Hills Country Club and 3 in Cha Am. A house (rented) in Palm Hills and a condo on the beach in Cha Am, bought the condo. Cha Am wins for us hands down but then we are not into the bar scene and dislike the driving through HH.

Cha Am has a very nice undercover fresh food market that is inexpensive and good quality. It has fish, fruit, vegetables and meat plus a lot of Misc. stuff. Friendly place to shop and good quality. They also have a small super market with canned and boxed stuff, nothing fresh. Then across from the open market there is a super market with most things.

We only go into HH about twice a month, usually when we run out of bread. Can't find it in Cha Am so we buy several loafs in HH and stick it in the freezer.

It is not Cha Ams main beach you want to go to. It is crowded and has hawkers on the beach etc. Go south a bit and go down to the beach anywhere from the Springfield @ Sea too Regent Holiday Inn. The beach is much nicer, very clean and does not disappear at high tide. Some very good sea food restaurants and you can walk for miles on the beach if you choose to.

Hope you find what you are looking for. Can't be any help with school info most of my grandchildren are just finishing college.

[yabaaaa]

I Looked in and around Hua Hin for land for about 18 months but its way overpriced and not at all attractive in my opinion. I ended up farther south at Sam Roi Yot but again not at the stupid overpriced beach areas, inland about 12 km cheap land (80000 a rai odd) and only 4 km from Phetkasem Road for easy access to HH IF I need it. Beautiful, and nice mountain roads desserted and full of butterflies. Tescos is just 8km away in Pranburi. No other farangs around my land at all in fact not many Thais either.

Nor sor sam gor now with usufruct.

Its not easy to find but worth the effort.

[thrawn60]

if you want less farangy try Cha-am, close to Hua hin shopping and restaurants, etc but has a real thai town feel.

farangs in HH are very different to everywhere else i've been in Thailand, much older and more farang couples. its like Florida basically.

I use to explain to people back home that HH is the Thai answer for Florida Old folks, quiet on the main street at 11PM and so on.