What Is It Like To Live In Hua Hin ?

[khaan]

I have tried living in Pattaya but definitely didn't like it because of the seediness of the bars and because of the traffic. Now I have been trying out Chiang Mai but to be honest I do miss living near the ocean.

Can anyone tell me what it's like to live in Hua Hin ? Looking at the real estate advertisements it seems to be more expensive than Pattaya. Am I correct in this regard or do I have the wrong impression?

I enjoy bicycle riding and I also wonder if Hua Hin is an easy city in which to cycle and whether there is anything resembling a bicycle track along the beach?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

[stgrhe]

Hua Hin has also its share of bars but it is more like a Sunday school compare to Pattaya. The girly bars are located in a small area and they can easily be avoided. Hua Hin is a very good place to live in if you have a mixed marriage as it has everything both Thais and we farangs can wish for. Its relatively close proximity to Bangkok is also a bonus. However, I personally do not think Hua Hin is a good tourist are as the beach is crap. Also the beach does not have a cornice. Most "tourists" here are Bangkokians coming down over the weekends and they usually live in their condominiums. Very good beaches are, however, within reach south of Hua Hin.

Traffic through the town ca be rather heavy at times, especially during long weekends when the town fills up with Bangkok registered cars. However, the air here is very clean as we do not have any heavy industries nearby, nor do we have any forestry burnings like you do up north i CM. Also south of Hua Hin the nature is very green and lush. The northern side of the town all the way to Cha Am is very flat though.

There are many real estate opportunities here right now and you could get something nice provided you take your time and shop around.

[jaapfries]

Mate;I lived & worked (1 year contract) in Hua-Hin and I can tell you that this has got to be the most BORING place I have ever had the dubious 'pleasure' of having lived in !

It's much more expensive than here on the Eastern Seaboard and because there's really only one (1) main-street (Petchakaserm Road) it is often totally plugged-up, which adds to the annoyance factor.

I have a suggestion to make: go and check-out the area of Ban-Chang (not too far from Pattaya. I'l just bet you would fall right in love with that place !

Frankly I have lived in Thailand for almost 20 years and even though I see increasingly more things wrong with Pattaya; I also MUST live near the ocean (sail-fanatic !) Because of my job I have to live in Pattaya (or near it). I rarely visit beer-bars etc.,only when I get overseas visitors.

The simple fact is;you just can not beat the brilliant infrastructure which Pattaya has on offer.

So; go take a look at Ban-Chang,you can still do your major shopping in Pattaya.

Cheers,

JGK

[petertucker48]

Definitely give Cha Am a go well located Bars close to beach good Restaurants plenty of Farangs quite during the week ,weekends a little more lively when the Thais from Bangkok come down.

Hua Hin close enough (25 kms) if you need HomePro big Tesco's ,Index etc but really not a place to live because of the main road going straight through the middle of the town,

You might find this helpful:

http://www.onlychaam.com/

Also if required only 2 hours to Bangkok (Victory Monument) ฿160 ? by Mini Van.

[khaan]

Thank you very much stgrhe , jaapfries and petertucker for your replies :jap:

so essentially one in favour and two against……….hmmmmmmmm I have to inwardly digest these comments.

I am very easy to please actually and like I said if I can ride my bicycle in a relatively nice area away from cars I would be as happy as Larry

Chiang Mai is supposed to be a bicycle friendly city but the motorists here are crazy and instead of it being a leisure activity you end up coming back from a bike ride more stressed after trying to stay alive by dodging traffic because so many cars have parked right over what is meant to be a bicycle Lane .

Plus I have discoveredChiang Mai definitely doesn't have the kind of weather I like. I don't mind even if it rains every day if it's short sharp burst of rain and then you get just a little bit of blue sky during the day but here you can go for days or even one week where the sky continually grey and overcast like in Europe.

[khaan]

Mate;I lived & worked (1 year contract) in Hua-Hin and I can tell you that this has got to be the most BORING place I have ever had the dubious 'pleasure' of having lived in !

It's much more expensive than here on the Eastern Seaboard and because there's really only one (1) main-street (Petchakaserm Road) it is often totally plugged-up, which adds to the annoyance factor.

I have a suggestion to make: go and check-out the area of Ban-Chang (not too far from Pattaya. I'l just bet you would fall right in love with that place !

Frankly I have lived in Thailand for almost 20 years and even though I see increasingly more things wrong with Pattaya; I also MUST live near the ocean (sail-fanatic !) Because of my job I have to live in Pattaya (or near it). I rarely visit beer-bars etc.,only when I get overseas visitors.

The simple fact is;you just can not beat the brilliant infrastructure which Pattaya has on offer.

So; go take a look at Ban-Chang,you can still do your major shopping in Pattaya.

Cheers,

JGK

But surely in that area the air would not be so clean from the pollution coming from the industrial area?

[bungalowbob]

If you are looking for a nice place by the sea then go a bit further South. Chumphon has far superior beaches and way cheaper housing and cost of living. That plus you can go out for a drink or something to eat without getting hassled to but flowers, croaking frogs or food for a poor, ill treated elephant. Great beaches, great diving and snorkelling, good road access, easy visa runs, easy access to the islands of Tao KPG and Samui, great cycling and the national park is not far away. It beats HH hands down by a mile and I have lived in both places

[khaan]

If you are looking for a nice place by the sea then go a bit further South. Chumphon has far superior beaches and way cheaper housing and cost of living. That plus you can go out for a drink or something to eat without getting hassled to but flowers, croaking frogs or food for a poor, ill treated elephant. Great beaches, great diving and snorkelling, good road access, easy visa runs, easy access to the islands of Tao KPG and Samui, great cycling and the national park is not far away. It beats HH hands down by a mile and I have lived in both places

sounds interesting bob can I ask you when you lived there yourself did you rent a place or buy ?

And is there a reasonable supply of houses or even apartments?

Edited October 2, 2011 by khaan

[MickA]

I moved from Pattaya to Hua Hin last year after 12 years in Sin City .. I love it here! Don't rent from an agency get on your bike and ride around. Being disabled I do not get about easily so I used an agent for my first house here last year 3 bed bungalow 15k a month my housemaid went and found me a similar place (with no steps up and down) for 8k and I moved in last month. Shopping in Market Village is a delight.... everything is there ... bank..., post office etc

[nickmanchester2]

How old are you? I am 38 and often get called a 'young man' when walking near the bars (would prefer hansom man to be honest) - lots of silver foxes here - many many older retired people living here - if you dont mind that then ok.

yes, Hua Hin is boring, lots of traffic, can find cheap places to stay - I have 2 bed 2 bath 62sqm condo on swimming pool (big pool) level for 13,300 a month.

[bungalowbob]

Rented a 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 storey detached house with a good sized garden on a private estate which had 24 hour security and a small pool. 5 minutes out of town for 5000 a month. My friend had a 3 bed bungalow 2 bath which he paid 3,500 a month. As said far better beaches, no hassle from the thousands of hawkers cheaper bars and restaurants and having lived in both places would never go back to HH other than for a weekend.

The last time I went up it was full of wrinkly old British coffin dodgers who have all sold up their places in Spain and all moved to HH.

Need to do a visa run then it is a beautiful 90km ride / drive over the mountains to Ranong against a 12-15 hour race in a minibus from HH.

It has a small expat community with a couple of expat bars and even has a Makro now. All a Farang needs can be found within a short drive.

Go look at both places and decide for yourself. People want different things from Thailand.

To me HH used to be good about 7-8 years ago. Now it is like a mini Pattaya.

Not for me.

As said I get sick and tired of saying Mai ou kap when I go for a drink or something to eat there!

[TCA]

In direct contrast to the OP, I am considering ditching Hua Hin for Chiang Mai. After 4 years in HH I find it quite boring and need a change. The foreign population is more the retired crowd and that's who you'll find round the bar area. Not an issue for me as I don't go there much, but maybe for some younger people. Beaches aren't great and I sometimes wonder why tourists would come here at all as there isn't a whole lot of things to do for them. I do like the climate in Hua Hin, which is (I think) the driest place in Thailand. Cha Am IMO, has better beaches than Hua Hin, but is still lacking in other stuff to do. Chumphon sounds interesting though. Must go check it out. Those property rental prices look especially low - Bob, when did you live there? Hua Hin isn't anywhere near as cheap as that these days.

I'm paying a visit to Chiang Mai next year. Looks like a place that has all the benefits of a big city without being one. Surrounding areas look beautiful and I think the northern culture/food/language would be something refreshing. The climate seems more seasonal and I like the idea of a "cool winter", although given the current flooding, that would concern me. The other issue is the air quality, as I'm reading lots of negative stuff about the burning that goes for 2 months of the year and as I have chest problems, that would be a worry.

Anyway, as was said above, go check HH out. It's different strokes for different folks.

[outofoz]

Rented a 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 storey detached house with a good sized garden on a private estate which had 24 hour security and a small pool. 5 minutes out of town for 5000 a month. My friend had a 3 bed bungalow 2 bath which he paid 3,500 a month. As said far better beaches, no hassle from the thousands of hawkers cheaper bars and restaurants and having lived in both places would never go back to HH other than for a weekend.

The last time I went up it was full of wrinkly old British coffin dodgers who have all sold up their places in Spain and all moved to HH.

Need to do a visa run then it is a beautiful 90km ride / drive over the mountains to Ranong against a 12-15 hour race in a minibus from HH.

It has a small expat community with a couple of expat bars and even has a Makro now. All a Farang needs can be found within a short drive.

Go look at both places and decide for yourself. People want different things from Thailand.

To me HH used to be good about 7-8 years ago. Now it is like a mini Pattaya.

Not for me.

As said I get sick and tired of saying Mai ou kap when I go for a drink or something to eat there!

Thanks for that info.. I also have been looking at areas in Thailand I would be happy living for a few years or more. Hua Hin makes it on my list, but I hadn't yet checked out Chumphon, but will do so in the very near future

[khaan]

I moved from Pattaya to Hua Hin last year after 12 years in Sin City .. I love it here! Don't rent from an agency get on your bike and ride around. Being disabled I do not get about easily so I used an agent for my first house here last year 3 bed bungalow 15k a month my housemaid went and found me a similar place (with no steps up and down) for 8k and I moved in last month. Shopping in Market Village is a delight.... everything is there ... bank..., post office etc

I certainly will do that if that is where I go Mick

[khaan]

How old are you? I am 38 and often get called a 'young man' when walking near the bars (would prefer hansom man to be honest) - lots of silver foxes here - many many older retired people living here - if you dont mind that then ok.

yes, Hua Hin is boring, lots of traffic, can find cheap places to stay - I have 2 bed 2 bath 62sqm condo on swimming pool (big pool) level for 13,300 a month.

I am 54 so the Silver Fox already

[khaan]

Rented a 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 storey detached house with a good sized garden on a private estate which had 24 hour security and a small pool. 5 minutes out of town for 5000 a month. My friend had a 3 bed bungalow 2 bath which he paid 3,500 a month. As said far better beaches, no hassle from the thousands of hawkers cheaper bars and restaurants and having lived in both places would never go back to HH other than for a weekend.

The last time I went up it was full of wrinkly old British coffin dodgers who have all sold up their places in Spain and all moved to HH.

Need to do a visa run then it is a beautiful 90km ride / drive over the mountains to Ranong against a 12-15 hour race in a minibus from HH.

It has a small expat community with a couple of expat bars and even has a Makro now. All a Farang needs can be found within a short drive.

Go look at both places and decide for yourself. People want different things from Thailand.

To me HH used to be good about 7-8 years ago. Now it is like a mini Pattaya.

Not for me.

As said I get sick and tired of saying Mai ou kap when I go for a drink or something to eat there!

I will need to go and have a look at this place to check it out but in the meantime how big is Chumphon in terms of

size of population ? So did you move from Chumphon and if so where did you move to?

[Checker]

bungalowbob - Interesting that you mentioned Chumphon as I have been looking at the town for a few months now, although it is hard to get a lot of information on the net. I intend visiting the town in March... Are there any golf courses nearby ? My wife and I lived in Bangkok 2008/2009 although we visited Hua Hin every year for 10 years when we lived in Australia. We loved HH from when we first visited in 1999 and our plan was to end up living there however it does seem to be getting too big now and that brings it's own set of problems including high cost of living. Any information you can provide is very much appreciated.

[thepanom]

If you checking out Hua Hin, please have a stop in Cha-am, and hav a look there as well, you mabey will be surprised

[midas]

If you checking out Hua Hin, please have a stop in Cha-am, and hav a look there as well, you mabey will be surprised

do you think it is nicer than HH ?

[khaan]

If you checking out Hua Hin, please have a stop in Cha-am, and hav a look there as well, you mabey will be surprised

I think I will do that also. How about the traffic situation Cha-am ?

[thepanom]

If you checking out Hua Hin, please have a stop in Cha-am, and hav a look there as well, you mabey will be surprised

I think I will do that also. How about the traffic situation Cha-am ?

A lot of traffic on saturday, because all the visitors from Bangkok, the rest of the week no problem at all

[thepanom]

If you checking out Hua Hin, please have a stop in Cha-am, and hav a look there as well, you mabey will be surprised

do you think it is nicer than HH ?

There are not many farangs who live in Cha-am, who would think about moving to Hua Hin

[somchai jones]

To the OP - you mentioned that you didn't like traffic and wanted a 'bicycle friendly' place - if bad traffic is a mojor concern, don't even consider Hua Hin and if you do ever ride a bicyle there be very careful.

[khaan]

To the OP - you mentioned that you didn't like traffic and wanted a 'bicycle friendly' place - if bad traffic is a mojor concern, don't even consider Hua Hin and if you do ever ride a bicyle there be very careful.

Thanks for that advice somchai

actually by now bearing in mind all the comments so far I have virtually already made my mind up that there seem to be

more negatives than positives regarding Hua Hin from my point of view anyway and the traffic situation based on some of the comments here would be like going from the frying pan into the fire.

because of this I am leaning more towards taking a look at Cha Am and they do mention that bicycle riding seems to be a popular pastime in Cha Am.

Edited October 3, 2011 by khaan

[bungalowbob]

Chumphon is a fairly big town with a small expat community there. I found it when I used to ride down there on the Honda Wave to do a visa run. I used to ride there, have a night in a hotel in town, get up early the next morning and ride over the mountain to Ranong. Have the day in Ranong and back for another night in Chumphon and then get up the next morning and head back to HH.

Just North of Chumphon is Thung Waelen beach which is a 2km stretch of pristine beach. If you Google Cabana resort Chumphon you can have a look. You can go there mid week and see nobody. South of Chumphon you have Sairee beach where the big Novotel is. Another nice stretch of beach and I believe they have a golf course there as well and there is also one at a military camp a few km's away.

Business took me away and if it wasn't for those I would still be there now. I am trying to relocate one of them over there so maybe back soon, fingers crossed.

link to the beach

http://www.thaisouth.com/en/42/Thung-Wua-Laen-Beach/Thung-Wua-Laen-Beach

link to the resort

http://cabana.co.th/2011/index.html

[kmj]

Chumphon is a fairly big town with a small expat community there. I found it when I used to ride down there on the Honda Wave to do a visa run. I used to ride there, have a night in a hotel in town, get up early the next morning and ride over the mountain to Ranong. Have the day in Ranong and back for another night in Chumphon and then get up the next morning and head back to HH.

Just North of Chumphon is Thung Waelen beach which is a 2km stretch of pristine beach. If you Google Cabana resort Chumphon you can have a look. You can go there mid week and see nobody. South of Chumphon you have Sairee beach where the big Novotel is. Another nice stretch of beach and I believe they have a golf course there as well and there is also one at a military camp a few km's away.

Business took me away and if it wasn't for those I would still be there now. I am trying to relocate one of them over there so maybe back soon, fingers crossed.

link to the beach

http://www.thaisouth...-Wua-Laen-Beach

link to the resort

http://cabana.co.th/2011/index.html

I live in Thung Wua Laen and have for over a year and the beach is good when you can get past the sand flies that eat you alive, things they don't tell you when you book to visit, I also stay here because of work.

Sairee is now run down and dirty and don't get me started on the Novotel...There are a lot of resorts in Thung Wua Laen, Cabana is now run down and dirty so don't book anywhere before you get here. There are plenty of places to stay, I've heard and seen but not stayed at the Nana resort on the beach road that looks good and is the newest in town.

You need to stay in Chumphon for a while before you choose it's not to everyone's taste.

Edited October 5, 2011 by kmj

[ItDontMeanAThing]

I've lived in HH for 18 months, agree with almost all of the previous posters.

On weekends and high season I can't imagine how frustrating the traffic would be in a 4 wheel vehicle, but it's no problem on a scooter. People do bicycle here, but I wouldn't. Too many drivers/riders not paying attention, texting, talking, riding with only one hand on the bars, etc. for my sense of security. HH has limited breadth and depth of entertainment choices. If you're not in the habit of providing your own entertainment I don't think you'll last long here.

[freddythefrog]

Chumphon is a fairly big town with a small expat community there. I found it when I used to ride down there on the Honda Wave to do a visa run. I used to ride there, have a night in a hotel in town, get up early the next morning and ride over the mountain to Ranong. Have the day in Ranong and back for another night in Chumphon......

You used to do Ranong on a honda wave,what about all that rain

[khaan]

Thank you ItDontMeanAThing and kmj . And can I ask what is your opinion of Cha Am ? Do you think it is more suitable for someone who enjoys cycling?

Edited October 7, 2011 by khaan

[petertucker48]

Once you get west of the main bypass road its a great place for cycling there is also a Hash Harriers bike section in H/H.