Why Did You Choose Hua Hin?

[HHTel]

The growth of HH is not down to 'farangs'. We are very much in the minority. The increase in population and traffic is Thai, not 'farang'. Yes there are some speciality outlets that cater for foreigners but, again, they are in the minority.

We really are not that important.

[caller]

I first visited HH on my way back to the UK having spent the millennium with family in Oz, so January 2000. I was smitten. I too wished it was still more like it was then, but every subsequent visit saw more and more growth. Despite this, I still had a real yearning to retire here.

I have been living in Thailand for just over 5 years now, initially in Korat for 18 months, then mainly Bkk for 6 months, but with time still spent in Korat and increasingly here, then finally buying somewhere here. 15 minutes drive west and south of town in the Tap Tai area and it's very quiet, which suits me. But there is still growth, not on our soi, only one new house has appeared in the 3 years I have been here, but at the road at our soi's end.

Given a chance, would I have changed anything? Yes, maybe settled around Sam Roi Yot area, but I am very happy where I am.

[dtaai-maai]

I started teaching at a university in the northern outskirts of BKK in 2004. The job was okay, but I didn't go much on the location - I've done my share of city living, thanks very much. I had to find somewhere I could work and would be happy to live. No universities on Samui, sadly...

We'd done several weekends in Pattaya, which satisfied my need for an occasional roast dinner but was never going to be somewhere I wanted to live. So we settled on HH. No job conveniently waiting for me, sadly, but there were enough unis in the area to be reasonably sure that one would be along soon.

Did 10 years there, and now I've been back in the UK for 2½ years there's not much about HH I miss, quite frankly.

[Ratsima]

I first visited Hua Hin in 1991 when a friend and I needed to kill a week waiting for visas to Laos. I liked the area and kept returning. After the Tom Yang Kung financial hit my friend bought a bargain condo just north of the Regent Cha Am. I liked that area even better.

I retired from a job on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands in 2005 and moved to Korat, my wife's home town. After a few years in Korat I realized I missed the beach so I decided to buy a condo. We looked on the Eastern Seaboard thinking it was closer to Korat, but hated it. I ended up buying a condo not far from my friend's place.

Frankly, I prefer Cha Am to Hua Hin. The beach in front of my place is clean and usually quite empty. There is no road along the shore so, while the beach is public, the public generally ignores it. Except on holidays, parking in and around Cha Am is easy and traffic minimal. Granted, the range of amenities such as restaurants, bars and shopping venues is limited but we've learned to deal with that.

I still live in Korat, but managed to visit Cha Am every month for a week or so. I like it very much.

[Robinhood]

A friend recommendation brought me to Hua Hin. Now living and working here.
I'm enjoying all the things people have mentioned such as the beach, some nightlife and an easy lifestyle.
Having been here a year, the big question for me is do I rent or buy some where bigger than my two room apartment (approx 80m2).

[laphanphon]

Assuming you're not Thai, so buying a condo, larger than 80m² will be quite the investment. Unless married to a Thai, then more cost effective to buy in (townhouse / house), and sell....maybe.

Are you sure HH is for you, at least the next 5 - 10 years, and finances secure enough for any future negative exchange fluctuations. Many thinking the same 10 yrs ago, now regret buying in.