Cha Am and Hua Hin - the best places to live in Thailand?

[pinkpanther99]

Cha Am and Hua Hin have got to be the best places to live in Thailand, right?

Of course, everyone is different, I know that, but for me at least, a young(ish) guy with a family, these two areas tick all the boxes for me as to where I would want to settle longterm in LOS.

Hua Hin has nice beaches, great Thai & international restaurants, great shopping, incredible golf, stunning homes, it's (quite) affordable and has a relatively good nightlife.

It's free from the crime, sleaze and trashiness of Pattaya or Phuket (Patong) and has a nice mix of Thai and foreign tourists. Throw into the mix that it has decent schools. decent hospitals and is within easy reach of Bangkok to the North and the islands and stunning beaches in the south. It is also in a good spot for those who need to do visa runs to Myanmar.

Cha Am is good because it is a little quieter, easy to get around, has some excellent restaurants and is also close to Hua Hin.

[kentfx]

You left out the feral dogs in Hua Hin. There are several thousand, out away from the tourist noise, in the areas where you're most likely going to end up living. Don't plan any pleasant walks at night.

[JackieMager]

Cha Am and Hua Hin have got to be the best places to live in Thailand, right?

Of course, everyone is different, I know that, but for me at least, a young(ish) guy with a family, these two areas tick all the boxes for me as to where I would want to settle longterm in LOS.

Hua Hin has nice beaches, great Thai & international restaurants, great shopping, incredible golf, stunning homes, it's (quite) affordable and has a relatively good nightlife.

It's free from the crime, sleaze and trashiness of Pattaya or Phuket (Patong) and has a nice mix of Thai and foreign tourists. Throw into the mix that it has decent schools. decent hospitals and is within easy reach of Bangkok to the North and the islands and stunning beaches in the south. It is also in a good spot for those who need to do visa runs to Myanmar.

Cha Am is good because it is a little quieter, easy to get around, has some excellent restaurants and is also close to Hua Hin.

[Foxglove]

If what I have heard from my Russian friend is true, you may, as in Pattaya, have to learn Russian very soon

[darrendsd]

You left out the feral dogs in Hua Hin. There are several thousand, out away from the tourist noise, in the areas where you're most likely going to end up living. Don't plan any pleasant walks at night.

Agreed, was out this morning and noticed that this problem seems to be getting worse

[dapsolapsalai]

"the best places to live in Thailand?"

having lived in both of those places, I would say no, but that's just an opinion. It sounds like you have already made your own mind up anyway.

[mogo51]

I have long had an interest in Hua Hin as a possible retirement place. How does the cost of living there stack up against Pattaya (which is getting more expensive). What price for a decent size one bedroom condo, near the water, say 45-50 sq. mts.? Food, transport etc?

My partner is a Filipino dual degree teacher (English/Maths) with 20 years teaching experience and very competent, anyone know what job opportunities are there for her? Thanks all.

[leggo]

Hua home is probably the least value for money place in Thailand but does have lots to offer but certainly not great beaches which at some times of the year are covered in rubbish - always surprised by people who think Thailand has great beaches - they obviously haven't travelled.

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[GavinK]

"Hua Hin has nice beaches, great Thai & international restaurants, great shopping, incredible golf, stunning homes, it's (quite) affordable and has a relatively good nightlife."

How about your family - any need for (international) schooling ?

[flyingdoc]

If the choice were limited to just Cha Am or Hua Hin, it would be the latter in my book, for sure. My house is on Samui, which could be O.K too. Not everywhere is expensive there!

[flyingdoc]

Hua Hin out of those two!

How about Samui? Not everywhere there is expensive!

[somchai jones]

Hua Hin has an awful traffic problem and the way it's been developed it has turned into a bit of an eyesore....

I live in Cha-am and although it ticks most boxes for me, I'll probably move soon as I'm about 20 years younger than 99% of the ex pat residents here. Would be a great place to retire though.

[umbanda]

Hua Hin?..is that in Thailand?....or is that awful beach in South California with a lot of Thai people?

[duanebigsby]

To me, the question is simply too loaded and personal.

Are you a big city person, or a small town kinda guy? Do you want to eat Western food and hang out with expats or mingle with locals?

You haven't even considered the North or the East of Thailand.

I'm in chiang Rai and lots of people who live in far more rural areas would consider it too "city and touristy" for them. Me? I like to visit Bangkok and the beach resorts, but I could never live there. You are comparing two touristy places with even more touristy places. You'll have to make up your own mind.

[Torrens54]

Some 30 years ago I toured Thailand with a bunch of other Travel Scribes as guests of the then Government.

Of all the fine places we saw, I fell in love with Chiang Mai and said that I would come and live here at some stage in the future.

I did and I'm very happy with my choice. Check it out for yourself!

[sfokevin]

Some 30 years ago I toured Thailand with a bunch of other Travel Scribes as guests of the then Government.

Of all the fine places we saw, I fell in love with Chiang Mai and said that I would come and live here at some stage in the future.

I did and I'm very happy with my choice. Check it out for yourself!

Chiang Mai is a hell hole conrtolled by the Black Pudding mafia.... Don't anyone else think of moving here!...

Edited November 18, 2013 by sfokevin

[Skint]

If what I have heard from my Russian friend is true, you may, as in Pattaya, have to learn Russian very soon

I'm not so sure, there is not much in hua hin for them to skim. Plus if they want something they can either learn Thai or English.

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[Gonsalviz]

I built my house in Isan in the middle of a sugar cane filed surrounded by dedicated farmland because I plan to retire and have no desire to be over-run by tourists that insist on Thailand being like their home countries.

If I want to see the beach, I'll drive there.

[hhfarang]

You (the op) pointed out the positives of Hua Hin. Everyone else has pointed out SOME of the negatives. There are many more so come live here a while renting before you set down permanent roots. It's ok as far as small cities go but it's no garden of Eden and the continued growth and construction with little infrastructure improvement is making it worse.

[Paul3456]

I moved to Hua Hin about six months ago from the USA. I had been here many times staying for about two weeks, usually in February. I thought I had done all the research and thought this would been the place I would spend the rest of my life. Well, let me tell you living here year round is completely different than being here on a two week holiday. I think the place is c**p and I am out of here as soon as my one year lease is over. Thankfully I didn't buy a place. I'm looking at Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Koh Saumi in Thailand and also Bali, Guam and The Philippines.

[Sheenasilkymink]

I think the place is pretty nice place to live. Most basic amenities are here but it still has a rural feel. And if you want to get a way of the beaten track its pretty easy here but you do need a car or good bike. I think most people want to live in Thailand but yet want the infrastructure to be the same as back home. It doesnt quit work out that way. Of course if you are a woman shopping is pretty bad here but hey Bangkok just a short drive away;)

[darrendsd]

I moved to Hua Hin about six months ago from the USA. I had been here many times staying for about two weeks, usually in February. I thought I had done all the research and thought this would been the place I would spend the rest of my life. Well, let me tell you living here year round is completely different than being here on a two week holiday. I think the place is c**p and I am out of here as soon as my one year lease is over. Thankfully I didn't buy a place. I'm looking at Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Koh Saumi in Thailand and also Bali, Guam and The Philippines.

So you obviously don't like it here but for what reasons?

[thepanom]

Check it out yourself, I think that life in Cha-am is much more relaxed, and if you like it it also more Thai, Hua hin is full with tourist, if you like that fine

[pinkpanther99]

"Hua Hin has nice beaches, great Thai & international restaurants, great shopping, incredible golf, stunning homes, it's (quite) affordable and has a relatively good nightlife."

How about your family - any need for (international) schooling ?

My daughter is a few years away from attending school yet. A school with an English program should suffice, doesn't have to be an international school

Edited November 20, 2013 by pinkpanther99

[pinkpanther99]

OK, maybe my OP was too biased and I do agree with some comments about HH getting busier, problems with traffic etc. However, in the wider discussion, no one really came back an viable alternatives to live. Don't fancy Chiang Mai - too much smog during the burning season.

[pinkpanther99]

I have long had an interest in Hua Hin as a possible retirement place. How does the cost of living there stack up against Pattaya (which is getting more expensive). What price for a decent size one bedroom condo, near the water, say 45-50 sq. mts.? Food, transport etc?

My partner is a Filipino dual degree teacher (English/Maths) with 20 years teaching experience and very competent, anyone know what job opportunities are there for her? Thanks all.

I've never lived in Pattaya but I would say that HH is almost certainly cheaper. Never lived in a Condo but when I first came to Thailand I rented a a brand new, quite large detached house for 10k THB per month.

I now live in Cha Am and rent a similar sized property, with quite a large garden and drive way for 7.5k THB per month.

Perhaps this is one you should ask in the Education Forum, but from my experience, if your partner has a teaching degree then there is no reason why she wouldn't be able to get a job. However, you must understand that schools pay Filipino teachers considerably less than farang teachers - no offence meant that's just the way it is. I've taught in Thailand before and the Filipino teachers, although the ones I worked with were very well qualified, experienced and excellent teachers (much more competent than me) they earned about 10 or 12k Baht a month less than an unqualified farang teacher who literally landed the teaching job just walking in off the street.

[dapsolapsalai]

OK, maybe my OP was too biased and I do agree with some comments about HH getting busier, problems with traffic etc. However, in the wider discussion, no one really came back an viable alternatives to live. Don't fancy Chiang Mai - too much smog during the burning season.

Ok so the question you are asking is "What is the best place FOR ME to live in Thailand?" and to answer that we need to know what you are looking for, and what you are not looking for, and from you opening post and follow up posts it looks like

want don't want

beach crime

restaurants sleaze

golf air pollution

nice homes

affordable

nightlife

good schools

good hospitals

close to Bangkok

easy to do visa run

which describes ................ hmmmmmmmm good luck with that