Why Hua Hin?

[bbqboy]

Some people will take this post the wrong way. It's not meant to offend. We were in Hua Hin for 5 weeks and although we appreciated all the amenities available to foreigners there were too many things about the town that turned us off: the traffic, the dirtiness, the selling out of the entire beach area to the Hilton/Centara Grande. The pier looks like its about to break apart and is just swarming with stray dogs. There doesn't seem to be any central planning.

We're travel bloggers and wrote about it here in more detail:(DELETED). I'm curious really about why people retire in Hua Hin. Have I missed something? Do most long term residents actually live in town or along the coast a little further from downtown? Do you enjoy life in Hua Hin and if so why?

Appreciate any feedback.

[darrendsd]

The traffic and dogs are problems all over Thailand not just HH, did you visit anywhere else?

As you mention no central planning you obviously don't have much experience of Thailand in general.

[ukrules]

You're referring to one specific part of Hua Hin, a part that most people who live here probably avoid unless they have friends visiting from out of town who want to see it.

I hardly ever go down there.

The real beaches are a few miles out of town. I notice you mention Khao Takiab on your page and you're right, many expats live in Khao Takiab and further south in places like Khao Tao along with the housing estates over the other side of the railway tracks on the Sois off Phetkasem road. It's very different compared to to the downtown area.

The city center is for the short term tourists and shopping. Living here is something entirely different.

[SoiBiker]

Doesn't like a place. Stays for five weeks.

Interesting choice.

[bbqboy]

Ukrules - appreciate your perspective
Soibiker - Came on a recommendation and were locked in our rental.

darrendsd - Have been in Nong Khai for a month and some pretty nice sidewalks here. But yes, I know..

[rgs2001uk]

In plain speaking English, what TF does this actually mean, We're travel bloggers

Have you ever spent any time in HH?

Have you ever been in Thailand?

Or you one of these new Digital Nomads we keep hearing about?

The same ones who plaigiarise, copy and paste, and knock out a review from some place like Cambo?

[bbqboy]

Digital Nomads - yup, thats us. You make it sound like a disease. Travel and work (a real job) but like to write about our real travel experiences along the way. Don't know where you come up with the rest and don't know what Cambo is...
But my post was about Hua Hin and getting an expat's perspective.

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^, ok from an expats perspective, go and visit other parts of Thailand, see what they have to offer, then you will understand the attraction.

Sure it aint perfect, but its sure a damned site better than whats on offer elsewhere.

Written as a Thai expat, not a 2 week millionaire blow in.

[sfokevin]

Ukrules - appreciate your perspective

Soibiker - Came on a recommendation and were locked in our rental.

darrendsd - Have been in Nong Khai for a month and some pretty nice sidewalks here. But yes, I know..

Where is this nice sidewalk you speak of?...

[Noi657]

How long has the OP been travelling around Thailand?

[hugocnx]

In a way OP is right. All over Thailand there is litter, dogs, dirt, noise, holes everywhere. Name some more if you like.

Nasty maybe if you are a tourist? 'We expats' got used to it after a couple of years (really?).

Even Hua Hin is a good place to be. You'd rather like the pollution in Chiang Mai? Come over here. Terriffic nice city, but has it's disadvantages too.

If you are not happy with yourself, you cannot be happy in another place as well.

[mrtoad]

Digital Nomads - yup, thats us. You make it sound like a disease. Travel and work (a real job) but like to write about our real travel experiences along the way. Don't know where you come up with the rest and don't know what Cambo is...

But my post was about Hua Hin and getting an expat's perspective.

How can you be a travel blogger, and not know what Cambo is?

Sounds more like another Digital Do as you Likey.

[xen]

It is written as opinion not as a absolute truth . It should be read as written by somebody who has stayed 5 weeks, not 15 years. Everyday you spend in Thailand you should be unravelling another part of the complex jigsaw that makes Thailand what it is. How much are you going to discover in 5 weeks but at least they are honest enough not to pretend they know it all.

[pinkpanther99]

Hi OP

You make some valid points and I enjoyed reading the article on your site.

I've lived in Hua Hin for the past year but there are some things you mention which I don't agree with.

I wouldn't say that Hua Hin is any dirtier than anywhere else in Thailand. I agree the beach near the Hilton needs cleaning but in that beach you probably chose the worst beach of the lot in the area. The beaches south of town are much nicer.

In fact I'd say (I could be wrong) but it sounds like the parts of Hua Hin you mention in your article are really on the very touristy parts - the places that get really busy with tourists at the weekend, where you pay tourist prices in restaurants and the places which expats and people staying here long term seldom visit.

With regards to central planning, I agree that the choices made by the planning department in Hua Hin (if it even exists) leave a lot to be desired - see the new road layout down at Soi 116 as an example.

The traffic isn't that bad and only gets bad at the weekends, with tourists from Bangkok. It's bad now but that's because of the time of year. The other 10 months of the year isn't too bad at all and the longer you live here the more you know of how to avoid the traffic blackspots.

I actually don't know any expats who live in the areas you talk about in your article.

As for stray dogs in Hua Hin - show me somewhere in Thailand that doesn't have a problem with stray dogs.

(How long have you been in Thailand and how much of Thailand have you actually seen?)

The reason I like Hua Hin that is that it isn't Phuket or Pattaya, is it a bit quieter and not nearly as sleazy as those two places. You ask people in Pattaya and Phuket what they think about the local traffic.

In Hua Hin, there's a good choice of shops, restuarants, schools and it's expanding all the time. There's a massive new shopping mall being built, a couple of new international schools and rumour has it that Central Festival will come to Hua Hin in the next 18 months.

It's within easy reach of BKK and the south and for that reason there are few better places to live than Hua Hin. Venture out into the country and we've got two of Thailand's largest national parks on our doorstep, which are both stunning.

Whilst I think Hua Hin is a good place to live, I actually wouldn't recommend it as a tourist destination, certainly not for any more than a week as there isn't enough to do.

You stayed for 5 weeks!!!! That's where you went wrong. 5 weeks is too long for a holiday but not long enough to try and experience living as an expat. You've just been on a long boring holiday. You could have chosen maybe 15 other provinces in Thailand in which to do that.

How you can write an article offering advice on Hua Hin as a retirement destination when you've only spent 5 weeks there I'm not quite sure.

Maybe you were just chasing SEO which you allude to in your article, but it's really not fair to judge somewhere as a destination for long term living when you yourself has only spent a little time there.

But then again you can have an argument on which destination in Thailand is best all day long. What's suitable for one person, won't be for another etc.

I've lived in Cha Am and Chiang Mai prior to moving here and I prefer Hua Hin to both of those places. Actually, the traffic in Chiang Mai was terrible in the year I was there and don't get me started on the air quality, other than that Chiang Mai is a nice place to live.

But then again I'm 30 and a long way off retirement. I have a young family and work in Hua Hin town centre. Living here is just fine for me but each to there own.

[rhythmworx]

Travel bloggers and you spend 5 weeks in Hua Hin?

It seems the soi dogs you speak about travel more than yourself, it's just a pity they cant write a blog.

You might want to try Syria on your next blogging trip.

[PaulHamon]

Cha-am, Pranburi both lovely area just a quick trip from 'Hua Hin' town.

I'm not a fan of the city, but if you're within 30 minutes of the centown ter you've got everything you need.

Personally I'd never lock in 5 weeks anywhere in the world, first week *maybe* and then discover the the best part for me by myself of myself.

But them I bicycle for 150 days around 77 provinces and only booked 1 night in advance the whole trip.

Did you travel down to Prachaup Khiri Khan, now there is a lovely little town only 100km from Hua Hin.

[AliasJohn]

You hit the nail on the head Paul, I drove into PKK for the first time on the 5th of January last year. We instantly fell in love with the town and in March my wife and myself relocated from Ubon Ratchathai to Prachuap. Yes it has stray dogs like any where else but it is a super clean town, beautiful beaches that you can have to your self, cheap seafood and the list goes on. The local Thais and Westerners here are very friendly and always willing to help. That's my view on this beautiful part of Thailand.

[Apiwan2]

Prefer cha am personally.

Can think if worse places in Los to retire

[Elprebsi]

We have been staying in HH 4-5 months every year for 6 years and here are the reasons:

1. We have a nice house in a lovely community of about 25 houses with different nationalities about 5 km outside of the city center.

2. The weather here is a lot better than anywhere in Thailand: dry in the winter with little rain and no floodings. Also better than in south Europe which would have been an alternative but too cold...

3. We consider the area very safe and do not experience any criminal activities

4. HH is only a 2 hours drive from Bangkok and 2.5 hours from the airport

5. Needless to say it is less touristy than Pattaya and Phuket

6. We are golfers and have a choice of 8 different beautiful golf courses nearby

7. Lots of nice small thai restaurants around and staff welcoming you with a smile

8. The roads have improved a lot the recent year

Am writing this on my terrace with a beautiful mountain view and no stray dogs around but of course they are here and there and also agree that the town should employ some people to clean up all the plastic bags flying around. I was in New York recently and thought this city was dirty...

[blazes]

You hit the nail on the head Paul, I drove into PKK for the first time on the 5th of January last year. We instantly fell in love with the town and in March my wife and myself relocated from Ubon Ratchathai to Prachuap. Yes it has stray dogs like any where else but it is a super clean town, beautiful beaches that you can have to your self, cheap seafood and the list goes on. The local Thais and Westerners here are very friendly and always willing to help. That's my view on this beautiful part of Thailand.

I agree totally about PKK, but I was only there for about five days. Great beach, but the town behind the beach seemed a bit drab (for an expat), but no worse than any other small town in Thailand.

Please list some of the things that make PKK desirable for an ex-pat to live there. How about farang food or restaurants?

[ggt]

It is a rousing day filled with chess matches at the Hua Hin ex-pat chess club that keep me excited about living in Hua Hin...

[monkey4u]

A tosser by any other name ( bbqboy ) is still a tosser

I guess you just make up <deleted> as you go

A navel base in Hua Hin

How about a navel unit protecting the Kings Palace

Please check your facts

[Nielsk]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

In plain speaking English, what TF does this actually mean, We're travel bloggers

Have you ever spent any time in HH?

Have you ever been in Thailand?

Or you one of these new Digital Nomads we keep hearing about?

The same ones who plaigiarise, copy and paste, and knock out a review from some place like Cambo?

Seems like You have been here for too long with Your negative attiude.

Cambo = Cambodia I presume.

[maynard420]

Some people will take this post the wrong way. It's not meant to offend. We were in Hua Hin for 5 weeks and although we appreciated all the amenities available to foreigners there were too many things about the town that turned us off: the traffic, the dirtiness, the selling out of the entire beach area to the Hilton/Centara Grande. The pier looks like its about to break apart and is just swarming with stray dogs. There doesn't seem to be any central planning.

We're travel bloggers and wrote about it here in more detail: http://bbqboy.net/things-consider-retiring-hua-hin-thailand-isnt-us/. I'm curious really about why people retire in Hua Hin. Have I missed something? Do most long term residents actually live in town or along the coast a little further from downtown? Do you enjoy life in Hua Hin and if so why?

Appreciate any feedback.

It is a 3rd world country dude, go to Cambodia or Laos and you will think Hau Hin is the nicest place on earth.

[Nielsk]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Hi OP

You make some valid points and I enjoyed reading the article on your site.

I've lived in Hua Hin for the past year but there are some things you mention which I don't agree with.

I wouldn't say that Hua Hin is any dirtier than anywhere else in Thailand. I agree the beach near the Hilton needs cleaning but in that beach you probably chose the worst beach of the lot in the area. The beaches south of town are much nicer.

In fact I'd say (I could be wrong) but it sounds like the parts of Hua Hin you mention in your article are really on the very touristy parts - the places that get really busy with tourists at the weekend, where you pay tourist prices in restaurants and the places which expats and people staying here long term seldom visit.

With regards to central planning, I agree that the choices made by the planning department in Hua Hin (if it even exists) leave a lot to be desired - see the new road layout down at Soi 116 as an example.

The traffic isn't that bad and only gets bad at the weekends, with tourists from Bangkok. It's bad now but that's because of the time of year. The other 10 months of the year isn't too bad at all and the longer you live here the more you know of how to avoid the traffic blackspots.

I actually don't know any expats who live in the areas you talk about in your article.

As for stray dogs in Hua Hin - show me somewhere in Thailand that doesn't have a problem with stray dogs.

(How long have you been in Thailand and how much of Thailand have you actually seen?)

The reason I like Hua Hin that is that it isn't Phuket or Pattaya, is it a bit quieter and not nearly as sleazy as those two places. You ask people in Pattaya and Phuket what they think about the local traffic.

In Hua Hin, there's a good choice of shops, restuarants, schools and it's expanding all the time. There's a massive new shopping mall being built, a couple of new international schools and rumour has it that Central Festival will come to Hua Hin in the next 18 months.

It's within easy reach of BKK and the south and for that reason there are few better places to live than Hua Hin. Venture out into the country and we've got two of Thailand's largest national parks on our doorstep, which are both stunning.

Whilst I think Hua Hin is a good place to live, I actually wouldn't recommend it as a tourist destination, certainly not for any more than a week as there isn't enough to do.

You stayed for 5 weeks!!!! That's where you went wrong. 5 weeks is too long for a holiday but not long enough to try and experience living as an expat. You've just been on a long boring holiday. You could have chosen maybe 15 other provinces in Thailand in which to do that.

How you can write an article offering advice on Hua Hin as a retirement destination when you've only spent 5 weeks there I'm not quite sure.

Maybe you were just chasing SEO which you allude to in your article, but it's really not fair to judge somewhere as a destination for long term living when you yourself has only spent a little time there.

But then again you can have an argument on which destination in Thailand is best all day long. What's suitable for one person, won't be for another etc.

I've lived in Cha Am and Chiang Mai prior to moving here and I prefer Hua Hin to both of those places. Actually, the traffic in Chiang Mai was terrible in the year I was there and don't get me started on the air quality, other than that Chiang Mai is a nice place to live.

But then again I'm 30 and a long way off retirement. I have a young family and work in Hua Hin town centre. Living here is just fine for me but each to there own.

Where did You read:

"How you can write an article offering advice on Hua Hin as a retirement destination when you've only spent 5 weeks there I'm not quite sure"

It would be a big advantage if people read the subject propper, before answering.

[spidermike007]

Hua Hin is located In what I consider to be the one of the most beautiful provinces in Thailand. The city is at the northern end of Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The further south one goes, the more beautiful and lush it gets,especially south of Prachuap city. The province is full of amazingly beautiful beaches that are well maintained, and go on for miles, with hardly anybody on them. But, all the good beaches are south of the city. Many national parks, waterfalls, gorgeous temples, monkey caves, etc. Great food, gorgeous country roads, and a lot more. Sounds like these bloggers did not get out and explore too much. The city itself has a great little art colony up on the hill, decent shopping, and a fantastic night market, and a walking street with a lot of very good food, and excellent restaurants throughout the city. Also, good nightlife. Who cares about the Hilton? Look around next time. HH is a very nice town.

Oh, and did I mention that HH seems to have a significant less sleazy expat population than other spots like Pattaya, Samui, and Phuket? More upscale and refined for sure.

[Robert24]

Have you travelled the area around as well, the beautiful national parks as well? Whenever I visit Hua Hin these days, I like to go a bit more South, about 30 km to Pranburi, much quieter, the beach is nicer, some great seafood restaurants.

[HerbalEd]

Not taking offense, but you must have gone to a different Hua Hin than the one I know. In fact, I just bought a new home there because I've finally burnt out on Pattaya because of the things you accuse HH of. (No offense Pattaya lovers. It's just not for me.

You must not have seen much of Thailand .. and even though you spent 5 weeks it HH you obviously didn't see much of that either. Not adventurous travels, huh? Why travel if you don't get out and explore the areas you travel to?

Dirty? Actually HH is, IMO, one of the cleanest towns/cities in Thailand ... and, overall, best maintained.

Traffic? It way way better than BKK, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. It can sometimes be a bit much on weekends or certain holidays when the BKK crowd visits, but even at its worst, it's still not that bad.

I wouldn't live in the central area of HH, but then I wouldn't live in central area of any city ... except BKK where my condo is on Suk. Soi 10. But BKK is different and I have MRT and BTS stations very near by.

Because the king resides in HH the city is kept much cleaner, and the crime rate is very low. It's a small city but has substantial upscale restaurants, hotels, resorts, and shopping. Night life can't compare to BKK nor Pattaya, but there more than Chiang Mai. The beaches are not as nice as Phuket or Krabi, but they're better than Pattaya.

Funny ... I haven't even moved to HH yet ... do so in a three weeks ... and already I'm proud of the city and am defending it. To each his/her own, I guess.

[Nielsk]

(DELETED)

Another one been here too long. Make me Wonder how come so many long stayers seems so unhappy and write so much trash....

[Suradit69]

Ukrules - appreciate your perspective

Soibiker - Came on a recommendation and were locked in our rental.

darrendsd - Have been in Nong Khai for a month and some pretty nice sidewalks here. But yes, I know..

We're travel bloggers ...

"Soibiker - Came on a recommendation and were locked in our rental."

Did you read the recommendation on a travel blog? Probably indicative of the value of travel blogs & random recommendations ... and rather strange that a seasoned "travel blogger" would blindly commit to a long term stay,post his experience on his blog, and then somewhat belatedly seek opinions about a place he's already been & written about.

And five weeks in a place without exploring further afield to find more better beaches or less tacky venues?

Quite a strategy and stellar résumé. Is your blogger mission statement equally impressive?