Looking for stories from British expats living in Hua Hin

[Dannie Boy]

Heritage uummm the rich Thais have always had Hua Hin as a holiday place but the main and overriding reason for the ludicrous high price rises was expats paying any price they were asked[/quote]

That may be true, but made easy by the then far better exchange rates - now that it is less than 50 baht to GBP 1, the expats have come to their senses and demanding greater value for money.

[sargeant]

From my present day enquiries as to buying land the Thais have NOT dropped the prices at all in fact they still see a farang and it goes even higher they wont drop the price and loose face to their neighbours
They have been trained by the farangs of the past

In 1998 one could have bought a good bungalow 2 beds for as little as 350,000 up to 600,000

In 2006 a simalar bungalow was at 2 to 4 million an unprecedented %age increase in such a short time

Trust me it was not Thais pushing the prices up it was farang driven led by the ex benidorm prop dev and estate agents happy to take the increased commission

The THAI driven property boom 1994/5/6 had crashed in 1997 and Thai fingers were burnt the Thais were ultra cautious second time round

[GLCQuantum]

If you would like to chat with one of the younger members of this forum ... I will be in Hua Hin most weekends of August to visit my family.

I came to Thailand in 2004. It was just before my 21st birthday that I made the journey to see my family (who had moved to Thailand a couple of years earlier) for a '6 month holiday'. Well that 6 month holiday has become 8 years. For most of these years I have been teaching and currently still am. I stayed in Hua hin for just over 4 years but moved to Bangkok in search of greener pastures

Incidentally, it's my birthday ( ) on the 10th of August which is a long weekend due to the Queen's birthday (12th) which is the Mother's Day of Thailand. I'm sure there willl be some sort of get together for food and drinks. You are more than welcome to join if it materializes.

[KB_lboro]

If you would like to chat with one of the younger members of this forum ... I will be in Hua Hin most weekends of August to visit my family.

I came to Thailand in 2004. It was just before my 21st birthday that I made the journey to see my family (who had moved to Thailand a couple of years earlier) for a '6 month holiday'. Well that 6 month holiday has become 8 years. For most of these years I have been teaching and currently still am. I stayed in Hua hin for just over 4 years but moved to Bangkok in search of greener pastures

Incidentally, it's my birthday ( ) on the 10th of August which is a long weekend due to the Queen's birthday (12th) which is the Mother's Day of Thailand. I'm sure there willl be some sort of get together for food and drinks. You are more than welcome to join if it materializes.

Thanks for the invite! It would be good to chat to you about the different moves you've made in Thailand and hear your experiences as someone who moved over here at a relatively young age. I will send a pm to arrange

[Super Joe]

From my present day enquiries as to buying land the Thais have NOT dropped the prices at all in fact they still see a farang and it goes even higher they wont drop the price and loose face to their neighbours. They have been trained by the farangs of the past

In 1998 one could have bought a good bungalow 2 beds for as little as 350,000 up to 600,000
In 2006 a simalar bungalow was at 2 to 4 million an unprecedented %age increase in such a short time

Trust me it was not Thais pushing the prices up it was farang driven led by the ex benidorm prop dev and estate agents happy to take the increased commission.

While agents were benefitting from 5% commission on the doubling and tripling of land prices, Thai landowners were picking up the remaining 95%. It wasn't the agents that were driving the prices IMO. Everyone had a hand in it from landowners, to Farang & Thai developers, to the hordes demanding it. Thai developers have always been the dominant force in the local market by at least 10-1... in 2006 Thai & Farangs supplied 250 houses to the market while Thais supplied 2,500 condos. The biggest hikes have been, as you'd expect, in beachfront land... Thai landowners to Thai condo developers, in the main.

Comparisons between 1998 and 2006 need to take into account the former was in a period where the market, and prices, had crashed like no other time in Thailand's history (I think!?), following the 1997 crisis, and 2006 was a then all-time high point. IMO, bar the exceptions, prices had tripled during that time... just as they tripled in the UK over the same period


SJ

[GLCQuantum]

It wasn't the agents that were driving the prices IMO

Most with half a noggin understand this.

Anyway, let's not talk about this in this thread it as it could become one that is interesting to many. From what I understand there are free drinks at hand (KB_lboro... you will have to excuse me for changing 'coffee' to 'drinks' ) - so everyone should keep this baby on topic!

[margaretcarnes]

I don't disagree with anything you're saying Margaret, but surely this is the information that Kate will push out to everybody (once she has access to the PM system) for their consideration prior to proceeding further.

Having now had a pm yes I'm sure she will BB. Just my natural Civil Service caution kicking in!

[Big Boy]

my natural Civil Service caution kicking in!

Been there, done it (even enjoyed it), and now I've escaped to the real world

[Nereus]

my natural Civil Service caution kicking in!

Been there, done it (even enjoyed it), and now I've escaped to the real world

I thought that you had moved to Thailand, Big Boy?

[Big Boy]

OK, I've escaped to Disneyland

[margaretcarnes]

my natural Civil Service caution kicking in!

Been there, done it (even enjoyed it), and now I've escaped to the real world

You never quite escape BB - it's a bit like that big ball in the Prisoner

[KB_lboro]

If you would like to chat with one of the younger members of this forum ... I will be in Hua Hin most weekends of August to visit my family.

I came to Thailand in 2004. It was just before my 21st birthday that I made the journey to see my family (who had moved to Thailand a couple of years earlier) for a '6 month holiday'. Well that 6 month holiday has become 8 years. For most of these years I have been teaching and currently still am. I stayed in Hua hin for just over 4 years but moved to Bangkok in search of greener pastures

Incidentally, it's my birthday ( ) on the 10th of August which is a long weekend due to the Queen's birthday (12th) which is the Mother's Day of Thailand. I'm sure there willl be some sort of get together for food and drinks. You are more than welcome to join if it materializes.

Hi,

Sorry I have not msg'd you yet - I can't seem to send pm's to you - do you have an email I can contact you on to arrange a meet? I'm basically free to meet any day from 14th August onwards - or if the birthday party materializes - count me in!

Kate

[KB_lboro]

Hello!

Just wanted to post to say thanks again to all those who have replied to my call for participants in the research project we are doing in Lifestyle Migration in Thailand. I am very graetful for all the advice and help offered so far. I am now in Hua Hin and slowly getting to know this lovely town and its surrounding villages. If anyone who didn't see this post before would like to take part in the project, I'd be very happy to meet in person to explain the research. You can contact me through pm or on my Thai mobile - 0844611242.

Best wishes,

Kate

[richard]

Kate

I know you plan to send each participant some feedback but I think it would also be beneficial to ALL on the forum to see the results. I know for sure many of us have similar likes/dislikes. So perhaps after your conclusions you would make a suitable post on this forum

[KB_lboro]

Kate

I know you plan to send each participant some feedback but I think it would also be beneficial to ALL on the forum to see the results. I know for sure many of us have similar likes/dislikes. So perhaps after your conclusions you would make a suitable post on this forum

You make a good point Richard, I will definitely make the findings and conclusions public to the forum and post the results on this thread. It will most likely be next year that this will be available as we are doing a comparative study with Malaysia and China so will need to analyse and write up all the results together once the separate bits of fieldwork are completed and this usually takes some time - but hopefully not too long!

Thanks:)

Kate