Any downside to retiring in Hua Hin

[LaughTilIDie]

Sound like my kind of place

[JamesWest]

You are only allowed into the country one year at a time with no guarantee that you will be allowed in the next year, 800,000 baht tied up in a Thai bank for at least 90 days every year, you must report to immigration every 90 days for the rest of your life.

Major red tape and government paper work for simple things like drivers licenses. You are required to carry your passport or a photocopy at all times.

Extreme heat and humidity making outdoors activities difficult, high levels of solar radiation, very serious air pollution in the form of diesel fumes, litter on streets and beaches, very heavy rains, unsecure banking and ATM cards, no credit cards for non Thais, dangerous driving conditions, poor roads and traffic, dangerous sidewalks, unknown future exchange rates, overrated hospitals, drinking culture, bar culture, being married and being constantly propositioned by beautiful Thai woman, and to repeat, you are constantly seeing 60 year plus old men with beauiful young Thai women when you go out with your wife to dinner, price inflation, very little if any legal recourse, no consumer safeguards, general lack of moral or ethical values in business and real estate, no land ownership, do nothing police, corruption, very slow emergency medical response and transportion, constant language barrier making simple tasks sometimes far more difficult, huge numbers of dogs and cats running wild on the streets, dengue fever.

Extensive list.....

Have you repatriated yet ......?

No, I love it here.

[dtaai-maai]

As far as I can see, the OP asked for the downside of life as a retiree in HH. All JamesWest did was list a few examples. And it's a pretty accurate list. Not really fair to give him a hard time about it!

[HHTel]

You are only allowed into the country one year at a time with no guarantee that you will be allowed in the next year, 800,000 baht tied up in a Thai bank for at least 90 days every year, you must report to immigration every 90 days for the rest of your life.

Major red tape and government paper work for simple things like drivers licenses. You are required to carry your passport or a photocopy at all times.

Extreme heat and humidity making outdoors activities difficult, high levels of solar radiation, very serious air pollution in the form of diesel fumes, litter on streets and beaches, very heavy rains, unsecure banking and ATM cards, no credit cards for non Thais, dangerous driving conditions, poor roads and traffic, dangerous sidewalks, unknown future exchange rates, overrated hospitals, drinking culture, bar culture, being married and being constantly propositioned by beautiful Thai woman, and to repeat, you are constantly seeing 60 year plus old men with beauiful young Thai women when you go out with your wife to dinner, price inflation, very little if any legal recourse, no consumer safeguards, general lack of moral or ethical values in business and real estate, no land ownership, do nothing police, corruption, very slow emergency medical response and transportion, constant language barrier making simple tasks sometimes far more difficult, huge numbers of dogs and cats running wild on the streets, dengue fever.

Extensive list.....

Have you repatriated yet ......?

No, I love it here.

All of those are debatable and some of them COMPLETELY WRONG. Not worth going into it. Those with a more balanced mind know already.

[heartofmidlothian]

I have to day that JamesWest views on the downsides of living here are very negative. Anyone who believes these are all downsides should leave.
To get a retirement or marriage visa is really very simple and they have every right to demand that they show you have the means to take care of yourself financially. Drivers license lasts for 5 years and only takes an hour or 2 to get. Comments on bar culture and having to watch older men married to younger girls, how distressing for you!! There are heavy drinkers everywhere.
Anyone wanting to retire here just needs to spend some time here and make their own opinions. No point in listening to whingers who make this place sound like hell.

[hhfarang]

what are the Cons?

You obviously haven't completed your reading assignment.

[dozer]

^
I was wondering where you were, thought you had gone AWOL, just when we needed you the most

[Homer]

JamesWest - the forum software automatically classified you 'Amateur' because of your post count. Responses to your attempted troll means the forum members think you're an amateur, regardless of post count. Carry on, we enjoy a good chuckle or two.

[richard]

As far as I can see, the OP asked for the downside of life as a retiree in HH. All JamesWest did was list a few examples. And it's a pretty accurate list. Not really fair to give him a hard time about it!

I agree.

Most of us who enjoy living here are more focused on the pros not the cons but it was a direct question about our views on the cons.

I was told from a very good friend who has lived here 30 plus years and is a member of the forum that when you encounter a problem in Thailand do as the Thais do. Sleep on it and when you wake up you will find that there are at least 5 solutions to the particular problem. My own formula is to step back and think about whether I would prefer to be retired in my home country or in fact anywhere else

[StevePIraq]

In my opinion James West is absolutely spot on with the cons. For some people the items may be acceptable however IMO they are all still valid cons. Of course there are also numerous positives as well and anyone contemplating moving to HH needs to be aware of both sides of the coin so that they can consider everything and make an informed decision.

[oakdale160]

Con. Most of the fellow farangs are also retired people. If you enjoy the company of aimless, unfocussed people that's OK, if you don't frequent trips to bkk will help.

[JamesWest]

Nevermind, I have to go now, I don't have time to answer all of your personal attacks. I am off to get my drivers license that will only take "one or two hours". LOL!

By the way, I just show up and they hand the drivers license to me, right? I don't need any paper work from immigration that might take at least a hour to get, and from a doctor, and a document proving where I live, do I? Where do I get that document? Should I study for the test? How long is the video you have to watch? One hour? Two? How long do you have to wait? After I get my license, will it somehow stop the police from shaking me down for money like they tried to do today?

[crazy88]

About time someone started a thread on the "Pros" IMHO. Jameswest has quite a few points that wind people up here but most are easily dealt with.

You are only allowed into the country one year at a time with no guarantee that you will be allowed in the next year, 800,000 baht tied up in a Thai bank for at least 90 days every year, you must report to immigration every 90 days for the rest of your life.

Major red tape and government paper work for simple things like drivers licenses. You are required to carry your passport or a photocopy at all times.

Extreme heat and humidity making outdoors activities difficult. IT IS THE TROPICS AND YOU GET USED TO IT. high levels of solar radiation,NO IDEA ABOUT THAT IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTRIES. very serious air pollution in the form of diesel fumes, litter on streets NOT OUT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE WHERE I LIVE 10 MINS FROM TOWN and beaches, GRANTED ON SOME OF THE BEACHES very heavy rains, AGAIN IT IS THE TROPICS JUST PLAN FOR IT unsecure banking and ATM cards,NEVER HAD A PROBLEM no credit cards for non Thais,THINK YOU BEST SPEAK TO YOUR BANK MANAGER BECAUSE THAT IS NOT THE CASE dangerous driving conditions, poor roads and traffic GRANTED , dangerous sidewalks, unknown future exchange rates,APPLIES WORLDWIDE overrated hospitals HAVING A DECENT LEVEL OF MEDICAL TRAINING I WOULD RATE THE HOSPITALS HERE, NOT ALL, QUITE HIGHLY, drinking culture, bar culture, being married and being constantly propositioned by beautiful Thai woman IF YOU CHOOSE TO FREQUENT SUCH AREAS THAT IS YOUR CHOICE. THEY EXIST IN EVERY COUNTRY I HAVE EVER BEEN TO, and to repeat, you are constantly seeing 60 year plus old men with beauiful young Thai women when you go out with your wife to dinner, price inflation, very little if any legal recourse, no consumer safeguards, general lack of moral or ethical values in business and real estate AS LONG THEY ARE HAPPY WHO CARES?, no land ownership CORRECT AND WELL DOCUMENTED, do nothing police ON THE FENCE ON THAT ONE AS THEY ARE GREAT WHERE I LIVE, corruption WORLDWIDE JUST BETTER HIDDEN IN SOME PLACES, very slow emergency medical response and transportion,DISAGREE COMPLETELY IN HUA HIN FROM EXPERIENCE BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE THE CORRECT EMERGENCY NUMBERS TO HAND AT ALL TIMES. constant language barrier making simple tasks sometimes far more difficult LEARN THE BASICS AND/OR HAVE THINGS WRITTEN DOWN FIRST IN THAI BEFORE EMBARKING ON YOUR MISSION, huge numbers of dogs and cats running wild on the streets WANDERING ABOUT AND SLEEPING MOSTLY BUT SOME PEOPLE DO COMPLAIN THEY ARE AGGRESSIVE CLOSER TO TOWN IN CERTAIN AREAS. THE ONES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SOI FROM ME I JUST GIVE THEM OUR FOOD LEFTOVERS AS MANY THAIS DO. YOU WILL SEE CERTAIN POINTS WHERE THE DOGS WILL GATHER AT A CERTAIN TIME OF DAY WAITING FOR A BIT OF GRUB.
dengue fever HAD IT. NOT PLEASANT BUT I HAVE HAD INFLUENZA JUST AS BAD IN EUROPE.


Crazy 88

[Frank Hovis]

@JamesWest I like your original answer, they asked for 'cons' you gave them 'cons'. I might not agree with them all but then what a dull world it would be if we all agreed on everything.

As to you licensing questions....(this information may be a little out of date - especially regarding the video part).

1. I just show up and they hand the license to me - Yeah, very nearly, they need to make a bazillion photocopies of any document you may have brought with you and that takes time. Only give them documents that they ask for (unless you need 14 copies of your high school diploma).

2. I don't need any paper work from immigration that might take at least a hour to get - Assuming you're not on a tourist visa then no you don't - pop into the police station and they'll do it for free in a matter of minutes.

3. and from a doctor Yes, you do (seems sensible to expect drivers to be reasonably fit to drive), but if you are registered at a hospital in Prachuab or Petchaburi you should get that for free too.

4. a document proving where I live...Where do I get that document - See #2 above.

5. Should I study for the test - Yes, if you are colour blind, have depth perception problem or have the reaction time of a noble gas then you'd better brush up on those.

6. How long is the video you have to watch - They have a video? That's news to me.

7. How long do you have to wait About 20 minutes, most of that is for the photocopier. The colour blindness, depth perception and reaction time tests take about 30 seconds each, depending on how quickly the examiner speaks.

8. After I get my license, will it somehow stop the police from shaking me down for money like they tried to do today - Yes, I've had a Thai driving license for over ten years and they never 'shake me down'. Even without a Thai driving license you can avoid the 'shake down' by asking for a ticket and going to the police station and paying the fine.

9. This is just some extra info if you are applying for a motorbike license too. They do not appreciate it if you do wheelies up the ramp, nor is doing stoppies, donuts, burnouts or Christs seen as a valuable skill. Do not attempt any kind of twelving.

10. Remember to smile when they take your picture. Unlike the UK where smiling in photographs is forbidden, it's a crucial part of the driving test that you smile while the photograph is being taken. This part happens immediately after they tell you that you forgot to bring a document that you need and that you can get it from Immigration at a cost of 700 baht between the hours of 8am and 9am. This is a secret test of susceptibility to road rage. If you do not smile during the photographic part of the test you may be failed and have to retake the test at a later date (repeating steps 1 through 9 as applicable).

[JamesWest]

Nevermind...