Why Hua Hin isn’t for us
Note: this post dates back to 2014. I’m sure there’s been some changes in Hua Hin since then…
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We really, really wanted to like Hua Hin after our stay in Bangkok. We stayed there for 5 weeks and I held off writing this post, hoping that something could warm us up to the place. Nothing did. Except for maybe the Airbnb apartment which we rented. It felt an oasis in an otherwise uninspiring beach town. In fact I thought about called this post “Ho Hum about Hua Hin” (rhythmic but I don’t think it would be very SEO friendly).
For those not familiar with Hua Hin: it is a town approximately 3 hours south of Bangkok along the Gulf of Thailand. It is famous for being the location of the King of Thailand’s summer palace and is a very popular place on weekends when Thai tourists stream in from Bangkok. Besides the beach (which stretches 5 km down the coast to the hill of Khao Takiab), Hua Hin has a lively night market, some great seafood restaurants, as well as some of the best golf courses in Thailand. It is a popular retirement spot for expats drawn to its many international restaurants (you can find cuisine from all over the world), warm and dry temperatures, and abundance of lively bars including girlie bars (which I’ve previously written about here). Expats can find good accommodation options (i.e. to Western standards) in condominium buildings stretching down the coast as well as all the imported food they could hope for in both boutique stores as well as some fancy malls (there’s a Tesco Lotus). It really is a town perfectly set up for the expat.
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Reasons we didn’t warm up to Hua Hin
– The town is built up along the highway from Bangkok heading south. This means a lot of traffic, noise, and pollution from trucks, buses, cars. It is not a quiet beach town. Central Hua Hin is the exception with a network of streets built up towards the beach and, on the other side, towards the train station. But it does mean that heading anywhere in Hua Hin requires going down Phetkasem road (otherwise known as Thailand Route 4, one of the four major highways in Thailand).
– For a ‘beach’ town you often would never know that you are along the beach. Naretdarmi Road lines the coast but you would never know it because private businesses have taken over these prime location and built their stores and restaurants on either side. See the two photos below – the coast is actually located about 30 feet behind those buildings on the right. You can walk that whole road and never see the beach. EXCEPT if you stay at the Hilton or Sofitel/Centara Grande which occupy prime real estate and where you have unimpeded access and views to the beach. Access to the beach for the public is via one small road which runs between these two hotels. A perfect example of a town selling out to big business.
– Look at the photos above again. Notice that there are no sidewalks? This is the main tourist street. If you walk through central Hua Hin you constantly have to give way to cars and motorcycles. Again, where’s the central planning?
– One of the main activities is riding horses down the beach. There are also stray dogs on the beach. Horses and dogs poop. Residents complain about increased pollution from shipping. The beach is nice to look at but I wouldn’t spread my towel on it.
– Cockroaches. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen as many cockroaches per square meter as we saw in Hua Hin. We also saw a couple of cat-sized rats. Between the crappy or non-existent sidewalks, traffic, cockroaches and rats we didn’t much enjoy wandering out at night in Hua Hin.
As you can see from the photos above, the geography stretching down this coast is gorgeous. It is the humanity, lack of planning, and dirtiness that has, for us, ruined Hua Hin. The expat may not face the above on a daily basis; as an expat I’d stay further down the coast in the vicinity of Takiab in a nice beach-side condo and venture out to play golf, meet the beer girls or pick up whatever groceries I need at the spiffy Tesco. I can see how Hua Hin would have its points. As a tourist I wouldn’t come here. I don’t get the attraction. Either way, Hua Hin is not a place that would bring us back.
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Practical Information
Accommodation. I’ve previously written about accommodation in Bangkok and how expensive it is finding good quality furnished apartments for the 1-3 month traveller. Hua Hin was no different. We rented an Airbnb apartment and paid USD 1000 for 5 weeks (that comes to USD 800/month).
If you want a hotel. A few places we were recommended: Centara Beach Resort (the fanciest place in Hua Hin. Honestly a bit rich for our blood) OR if you want to be down the beach and have a beach holiday, the super fabulous Resort de Paskani.
If you wander around town you’ll see signs for rooms to rent. Most we saw were on Naretdarmi Road (ie the main tourist street). We can’t vouch for the quality but it is an option worth exploring for those that just show up in Hua Hin looking for cheap accommodation.
Getting there. Most people fly into Bangkok and either take the train or a private transfer to get to Hua Hin. We book all plane, train, bus and private transport using 12Go Asia. They’re the best booking site for transport in Asia.
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Have a different opinion on Hua Hin?
Related: How about Prachuap Khiri Khan instead?
Related: Getting to Hat Yai – our 1st class Sleeper train experience in Thailand. And on seeing a different side of Thailand.
Related: The Hypothetically Perfect Day in Bangkok
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Enjoyed the article, photos and the comments even more great you respond and is part of the enjoyment of the article. Do agree on Hua Hin although some fantastic beaches near such as Au Minaow (Not sure if I spelt that right) Lime Beach, but is still a favorite of those who dont go out much and play golf etc. Prices are a bit cheaper to buy or rent property there compared to Pattaya or Bangkok. Very different lifestyles.
Hi Spanky and BBQboy,
I just stumbled across your post on Hua Hin from probably some eons ago. And I couldn’t agree more!
It was my late husband (he died ten years ago) who chose this place for us to live, and after all this time of trying to make it work, it still doesn’t. I’ve often described it as a “scruffy fishing village that morphed into a tacky tourist town.” Before the pandemic, I used to survive by commuting up to Bangkok–I’m a dyed-in-the-wool city girl–and then coming back here from time to time. But these days that is definitely not an option.
I saw from a more recent post that you’ve settled down in Spain. I hope you’re enjoying it there.
warmest wishes to you both,
Jen
Thanks for commenting and the kind words Jen. Yes, I think we agree on Hua Hin.
Visiting Hua Hin from Australia for the second time this year. As an active 80 year old I have to say I think you’re doing a little unfair. For anyone with experience of driving Sydney or Gold Coast beachside roads I would say that Hua Hin is no worse and at quiet times considerable better. Access to the each is much easier than Sydney – if you look carefully there are dozens of little lanes to the beach between the houses and hotels. As far as rats and ‘roaches are concerned Sydney and Darwin have it all over Hua Hin! Walking around the night markets I saw one – in Sydney around the tourist/restaurant areas I would see dozens of whoppers! It IS pretty scruffy, but I felt a lot safer walking in traffic than tourist areas in Bali and for me the old town has a greater charm than other Asian destinations I have been to. The people are friendly and polite and I have felt totally safe. Anyway, thanks for the opportunity of posting a view!
PS – seriously thinking of moving here for my twilight years! I think it would be doable on my modest Australian pension. Cheers!
Thanks David. I’ve never been to Australia so I can’t compare…but a bit alarmed to hear there are that many rats in Sydney and Darwin, we’re not talking about the developing world when it comes to Australia.
This post dates back to 2015, things may have changed. But I’ll agree with you about the people – Thais always friendly and we’ve been many places in the country and have never had a bad experience with the people.
Good luck!
An interesting article and accurate for 2014. Things have changed a lot since then as the town has grown but some things have not. A bypass means the heavy traffic tends to go round but is more than made up for by the weekend influx from Bangkok. Pavements are better in some places but others unchanged. Two big malls now, Market Village (with Tesco) and Bluport (more up market). The beach access is just as bad. I have lived in Hua Hin since 1990 however rarely go into the centre of town as in my own opinion has just got worse. The town has expanded like crazy in recent years and what was a quiet holiday town has become a small city spread over a huge area.
Most expats actually live farther out from the town, myself included as apart from anything it is cheaper. Hua Hin is expensive and there is a noticeable difference in price between there and Pranburi or even Cha Am. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I certainly would not challenge yours as it is not a place for everyone. I am happy to leave central Hua Hin to the tourists both Thai and foreign and if I want to go to the beach will take the family to Suan Son Pradiphat. I stopped playing golf a few years ago as it is so expensive and took up cycling (trail riding rather than road as it is safer), much cheaper and better for your health. Hua Hin is attractive to retirees as it does have the facilities such as hospitals, transport links, restaurants that cater to westerners all of which come at a price.
I would recommend to anyone reading the article who is considering Hua Hin as a place to live come and stay as you did for an extended period to get a feel for it before committing. It is not for everyone for sure but for some it may be perfect.
Thanks very much for your comment Greg. Great feedback.
By the way, we were in Prachuap Khiri Khan just about a month ago. Thought it was a really pretty place. Whether I could live there or not I don’t know, but I’d go back anytime….
Hi Frank,
I’m moving to Hua Hin from Nakhon Pathom in May 2018, which is why I was reading your article.
What I really want to say though is I love the way you respond to negative and/or rude and aggressive comments. You are clearly a man who knows how to handle a troll. If only the rest of the internet community was as calm and considered the world would be a better place.
Thanks,
Steve.
Thanks so much Steve. I usually cringe when I see that I have a comment on this post – so it’s nice when somebody has something positive to say. I wish you all the best in Hua Hin! 🙂
I was in hua hin for a few hours, travelled from Bangkok to look at a rental condo. Not really sure about living there 1-3 months. But it appeared clean and the infrastructure good. May I suggest that the rats and roaches seen was due to your being close to the market. Maybe it is not the same everywhere. A couple of Brits working for the rental agency have lived a long time in HH. Maybe they like the pussy. Anyway what I wanted to say was the 1BR condo I looked at was furnished and quite nice, though small but adequate, had a pool and gym in the complex but the rent and utilities would come to about AUD 1500 per month. Same as the equivalent cost in mallorca, Spain.
Thanks Ken. Yes, not as cheap as expected huh? We were a bit surprised by some of the rent costs (in Bangkok as well).
Roaches and rats – yes. But they extended a good 5 block radius…which means most of the center. I still haven’t as many roaches and rats as I saw in Hua Hin when we were there. Maybe they just came out when we passed…
I spent a couple of days in Hua Hin and enjoyed it. I took the train from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong station and stayed at a hotel a couple of blocks from the beach in Hua Hin. I brought my bike and found the area pretty bikeable; there was even a dedicated bike path south of เขาตะเกียบ (chopstick mountain), although I did have to share the path with an occasional motorcyclist. 🙂 I saw neither roaches or rats during my stay, but it’s a tropical locale, so it’s an environment favorable to both. I also know one Bangkokian who has warmed up to the place despite the lack of azure water that more southern locales have due to the night scene, nice resorts, and great cuisine to be had.
Thanks for sharing your experience Keith. The rats and roaches were in the center of town, unfortunately we were a few blocks from the market so that didn’t help matters. Glad you enjoyed it.
Salut Frank ! Tu viens de Montréal? I stayed in Bangkok for 6 months and 2 weeks in Chiangmai. Chiangmai wasn’t for me but was thinking of checking out Hua Hin.It was interesting reading your thoughts.Anyway,is there a place anywhere in Thailand that has “reasonable” weather? Heat is ok,but the humidity is a killer..lol Let me know,thanks,Yves
Hi Yves! Yes, lived in Montreal 25+ years.
Yes, you’re right about humidity. It’s all relative when it comes to Thailand. But we found the humidity particularly ‘heavy’ in Hua Hin. I always felt the weather was a little more bearable up north (Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son…)
Yelapa maybe (hidden gem)
We stayed a few days in Hua Hin 2 years ago. It was Okay (much better than Phuket in my opinion, the former Summer Palace was awesome, and the train station too, our hotel was convenient and not expensive), but I wouldn’t snowbird there.
But that’s not because of Hua Hin proper, anywhere in SE Asia is not possible for us , because of the hot and humid climate. I like warm weather, but that’s just too much!
You pretty much echo our feelings Lionel – Lissette doesn’t really like beaches and doesn’t especially like the heat. I think we much prefer spending our time in Europe actually.
As we learned during our 6 months in Thailand, we much prefer it for ‘vacation’ than as a potential retirement spot.
Uhhhh read 2yrs covers every month.
My friends there still complain about the heat, i am a keen cyclist and nong khai has become so dangerous with lorries speeding between NK and Ta bo.
Also they are working on the river between the two places and even when you take the back roads still very dangerous.
You say no girlie bars ha ha ha ha, do you allways wear blinkers?
I enjoyed my stay at NK but now i,m 25 klms south of hua hin and its quiet traffic free and stunning restaurants and empty beaches.
I agree on one thing, i rarely go to hua hin city only to report and get provisions.
Uhhh…well, actually I was trying to be cordial. Maybe that was lost on you.
If we’re going to be talking about the heat then I can tell you that going from Hua Hin to Nong Khai was a relief. Maybe you have selective memory.
Girlie bars down a back alley – you’ll always find them if you look for them hard enough in Thailand.
I’m talking about Nong Khai town vs Hua Hin Town and you’re talking about riding the bike on the outskirts of Nong Khai. Of course there’s traffic out there, just like there is on the major highway cutting through HH.. Then you talk of Hua Hin and refer to the traffic-free, empty beaches – 25 km south of Hua Hin. This post was about Hua Hin.
Living outside of Chiangmai in the country for 6 years but seriously growing weary of the year round poor air quality here; it’s literally unbearable… One can’t even venture outside much of the time; what’s the point? Friend recommended south of Hua Hin, but I don’t have a clue… Sounds as if you’ve settled in a happy place. Looking for unfurnished detached home to rent, initially. Do you have any location and perhaps an agent recommendations? Planning on visiting in a few weeks to try to discover more… Thanks
Hi B – Maybe Prachuap Khiri Khan? A post on that here.
Ken, if you are still around Id look elsewhere. HH is very ordinary.
Look at some of the places out near Trat or in the south.
Thailand still has some cool cheap spots but you have to look around a bit more. Some of the well known spots have been ruined by local developers as well as foreign tourism.
As a travel blogger of more than 5 years,and living in five countries in that time,I have a little experience in living conditions in other countries. Currently, I am researching a move to Hua Hin, which I’ve identified,along with Khiri Khan, as a nice place to try for at least a year. From your report, Hua Hin doesn’t sound much different than Costa Rica, or St.Kitts-Nevis, or Indonesia. I got over the sidewalk situation a long time ago in Quespos, CR, and see no or poor sidewalks in a lot of places. You get over it; it’s not a consideration, really. Stray dogs, rats and cockroaches? Again, you get used to it. The roaches were just as bad or even worse when I lived in Florida. In Indonesia, the rats are part of the landscape,although there weren’t many dogs since Muslims consider them dirty (although in some parts of the country they are on the menu). I want to live by a beach so I can resume shore fishing like I had in Florida, so inner Thailand is not an option. I’ve been to Bangkok several times and Chiang Mai for a short visit. From the videos I’ve seen, the beach in Hua Hin looks great, and access is not as difficult as you make it out to be. The food prices and rents also seem to be on par or even cheaper than in Indonesia, where my rent was about US$230/month for a furnished 1-BR in the center of town. I like the fact that Thailand seems to welcome expats, unlike Indonesia. The 12-month visa is attractive, eliminating the need for regular visa runs. I also like to be able to shop local markets for food, while also having Western goods available if I want. I don’t need the Western restaurants but it’s good to know there might be a real pizza or fried chicken available if I want. And I want some nightlife,with the girls, playing pool and socializing with expats. Hua Hin seems to have what I need so I plan to give it a try. At the very least, it will be great fodder for my blog and maybe another in my growing list of ebooks.
Hi Ken,
I don’t want to be a downer but from my point of view there is little appeal to Hua Hin. I’m also not sure where you got the financial numbers from because we didn’t find it at all cheap and one of the major complaints from locals is that prices have soared over the last few years. The other major complaint among expats are the tougher visa laws: you mention the 12 month visa. One of the conditions is that you have to leave the country every 90 days for at least 48 hours. So a bit of a pain…
Commentors on this post make it seem like there’s some kind of valor associated with putting up with roaches and rats. Roaches and rats are associated with filth and there’s a lot in Hua Hin.
As far as restaurants, markets, girls and socializing with expats? Yup, there’s all that. But I could say that about most places in Thailand.
As I said, we were there 5 weeks so I think we got to know the place pretty well. Its definitely not a place we would come back to. What we wrote was our opinion – people have different needs. If you end up there for a significant period of time don’t be shy to write back what you think. Good luck!
Frank,
I’ve lived in Asia a total of over 30 years and continuously since 1992 (the last 24 years). From your post, it seems your reasons for not liking Hua Hin boil down to the following negative issues —
– traffic along the main highway is heavy & noisy — this would apply to most destinations I’ve ever seen in my home country or abroad. Solution: don’t chose a home close to the highway.
– there are no sidewalks — I’d say, if you want all the amenities of home (such as sidewalks) then maybe you should stay in your home country, but won’t you suffer from much worse problems, like cost of living? If you want endless daily adventure — then venture to Asia.
– lots of rats & cockroaches. Common problem in most parts of the world. Solution: Choose an area not preferred by rats & cockroaches.
– poor access to the beach. I visited Hua Hin a few years ago and had no problem in accessing the beach, just walked across the street from the hotel to the beach park.
We have lived in Chiang Mai the last 3 years. We love it — one of the nicest places I’ve ever lived in my 75 yrs. But, a lot of negative folks complain about Chiang Mai. We recently discovered that in Hua Hin we can rent a beautiful 3-BR house at half the cost of our rent in CM and the 8,000 baht/month Hua Hin house is MUCH MUCH nicer than our Chiang Mai house, it even has a gorgeous private pool. We plan to go to Hua Hin for a year at least, just to enjoy the much lower rents and to be near the beach.
In my 30+ years in Asia, I have observed that the expats who are happy and know how to enjoy life are invariably happy wherever they go. The folks who pack their negativity in their suitcases and take it with them — they can never escape their “excess baggage” and are usually not happy anywhere, even at home.
The most revealing information in your post is the idea that you can become familiar with a place in 5 weeks. It took us at least 2 years to become familiar with Chiang Mai, and after 3 yrs we’re still discovering new things every day.
Just my observations. Your mileage may vary.
Good luck to you.
Brad
Thanks for the comment Brad!
I think I’ve covered what I think of most of those points in some of my other replies.
– Hua Hin is built up along a highway. Most places are not. I think that’s helpful to people.
– “stay home” Expats settled in certain places have blinders on…there are places that fit the bill in both Thailand and SE without having to put up with the filth of Hua Hin.
– Hotel to the beach park? That was my point exactly…you shouldn’t have to stay in a 5 star hotel to have access to the beach
We’re not expats at this point, we’re slow travellers. “familiar” and “know” are two different things. We became familiar enough with Hua Hin to know that its not a place that we would want to ever come back to. I think most people can figure that out in 5 weeks. Chiang Mai also much, much bigger than Hua Hin, can’t really be compared. But I’ve gone there enough to know I much prefer it to Hua Hin.
In the end if you’re happy with Hua Hin that’s great. But I can assure you it doesn’t fit the bill for everyone.
Frank
Thanks for your points
You’re right – but I wasn’t talking particularly about those who retire. I know a lot of my friends who are young that have exactly the same opinion and I am a freak for the to prefer to be in a less touristy, unknown place.
Thailand, with its nature, architecture and original culture is (or was) amazing, of course, just like any other place in the world. Unfortunately, in my opinion the tourism industry destroyed it. Too many people coming there just to “abuse” what it has best without caring about the environment etc… probably they wouldn’t do it at home so they do it in Thailand – get drunk and stoned cheaply, get cheap prostitutes, etc… There is nothing wrong in having fun, but it went way to far I think.
We saw that the last time we went and met a few Expats who are disillusioned. But it also applies to tourism – you commented previously on my Phi Phi post. Perfect example of a place that has been ruined by tourism. Its true for most of the south.
I can see that you also sparked some controversy here because you said something negative about Thailand. I think people are so blinded by the media that when they think Thailand = Amazing, mythical, magical place out of this world. It’s funny how they defend it saying that South East Asia is just the way it is – without side walks, with pollution, crazy traffic, scams etc… and you should just love it the way it is. It’s great and that’s it. And it’s not true that there are no beautiful beaches besides towns – Vlora (Albania) has a beautiful, crystal clear sea right besides the main road.
But, whenever I say that I loved Albania, Ukraine etc… the first comment I get is that I am crazy because those countries are poor and polluted. And mafia! Now, suddenly the poverty and chaos which seem to be an attraction in SE Asia (people love to watch the villagers working in the rice fields – its so natural, cool and trendy) becomes an issue. And the Balkans are nowhere near as polluted as SE Asia where you rarely can see the real, blue sky because of the smog and smoke coming from burning fields.
To be honest, it’s so sad to see how mass tourism destroys the coast and the once unspoiled beaches… Unfortunately, slowly it happens in off the beaten path places too, like Albania, Macedonia etc… 🙁
Thanks Tom. There’s a different breed in Thailand, an army of expats who’ve settled there to live the dream of sunny skies, beautiful beaches, and easy sex. They know damn well its not perfect but when you say anything negative they get angry because you are questioning where they chose to retire.
But Thailand has changed. My mom the perfect example. Retired in Chiang Mai, loved it. It lasted about 5 years. Has gotten more crowded, more dirty backpackers and expats filling up the place, more smog and traffic. Prices have gone up and friendliness down. She’s now in Mexico which she prefers. Places come and go…
I agree. The fun wears off and some of them probably are low on funds and cant move back home.
Just read the comments on thaivisa. Funny how “happy” expats sound do angry and unhappy. You hit a few raw nerves. There were some considered responses though.
Honestly, I think there are a lot of miserable expats in Thailand who maybe thought it would be the perfect life and it hasn’t turned out as expected. So they get upset when you question the place where they’ve chosen to settle because they figure you’re attacking them and their choices.
I agree Hua Hin is ordinary. Beaches don’t compare with the islands, hotels are overpriced, seafood triple that of Prachuap Khiri Khan and trafficbis horrible. You should have stayed in Prachuap KK. Much nicer charming town!
“Again, where’s the central planning?”
You’re not in Kansas anymore. You’re in Southeast Asia where the idea of “central planning” doesn’t exist. Wait until you try to have a nice walk around Phnom Penh!
We were in Nong Khai where we were quite happy with the central planning and where we did a lot of walking. Just because a place is in SE Asia is no excuse for it to be a dump. Have you been to Vientiane? Expats love making these snarky comments, the same way backpackers claim they know better than everyone else because they live at the local level (like being cheap is a virtue, ignoring there are some very well off Asians).
My comments were meant to inform people who’ve never been to Hua Hin of the pros and cons of the place in our eyes. We didn’t like it. Nong Khai was a whole different story.
Sounds like you want everything. An unspoiled beach. Sidewalks. Central Planning. Lots of activities.
LOL.
First, of all, unspoiled beaches don’t happen in cities–anywhere in the world. Where have you travelled to with an unspoiled beach in a city?
Unspoiled beaches happen in remote fishing villages. There are no sidewalks. There is no “central planning”.
You want “central planning”? Retire to Santa Barbara, California. They have bike lanes and many kilometers of bike paths. There’s a major university nearby that has cultural activities and lots of beer parties with up and coming bands playing in people’s front yards. There’s a great farmer market with organic food. Plus great Mexican food. The weather is outstanding. There are several great beaches, including 3 clothing optional beaches. It’s only a couple hours from a major city (Lis Angeles) if you get bored. The architecture is planned and all houses mist conform to the red tiled roofs.
However, you won’t be able to afford it. There is no camping on the beach, that’s illegal. Santa Barbara is one of the most expensive locations in California. Why? Because it’s got everything (except racial diversity. It’s pretty “White Bread”).
I would suggest you go to Santa Barbara before you criticize Hua Him, LOL. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
And sometimes you don’t. My favorite beach location is on the Pacific coast of Mexico. I’m not going to say the name, because that’s a Secret. I paid $1 a night to camp on the beach under a palapa. Nothing on the beach between my hammock and the ocean. No condos. No development. You have to take a bus to get there. Most Mexicans have never heard of the place, so it’s very difficult to get there. There’s no bars. There was one restaurant with fresh seafood. I don’t want to give you the impression it’s unknown–I met tourists from Canada, Belgium, France, Germany and Spain there. But only one American. So, for those in the know, it’s a great location. There’s nothing to do there, except swim in the ocean, walk on the beach or hike in the mountains.
Again, I only paid $1 a night to sleep in a hammock on the beach. Name one location anywhere in the world that equals that, Mr. Travel Blogger. LOL.
Commenters like you always add a bit of life to the blog 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Don’t forget that Hua Hin is supposed to be a beach town. Thailand Tourism Authority: “Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s premier beach resort towns”. HA! We’re actually not big beach goers, but when we settle down somewhere for a while we want something clean, where you can walk somewhere without dodging the roaches. And to all the detractors who say “this is Thailand, no sidewalks, dirty, don’t be a pussy..etc etc” – well, we are in Nong Khai and it’s pretty much everything we were looking for in a town. Hua Hin DOESN’T have to be dirty, it’s not a poor town. Could be a lot better, they just don’t bother doing anything to improve the place…
You know what? There are lots of beach towns in the world where you don’t have to be a millionaire to live. It doesn’t have to be Santa Monica. There’s places in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia…there’s places everywhere. And yes Mexico (I’m a big fan of Mexico).
And I’ve been places where I’ve paid $1 to sleep in a hammock. I’ve even laid out my sleeping bag on beach and slept there. But I was young and I really don’t feel the need to brag about either of those experiences 😉
I’m sorry, which place are you referring to Lionel?
HI
I visited Hua Hin last year between Christmas and New Year 2013. I was rather new to Thailand, having made two short visits before. I moved to Bangkok in October 2013. I had visited a southern island years before; I wanted a nearby beach holiday. I had also been to Pattaya before, unfavorably impressed, and heard Hua Hin was much nicer, less commercial, etc.
I was really disappointed in my short term stay. My experience was very much like yours: noisy (the middle of town guesthouse was near multiple bars with nasty loud music til 2 am), and crowded, poor beach access controlled by big resorts. Food prices were significantly higher than my BKK neighborhood. I was rather disgusted. Getting around is also difficult – no taxis, tuk tuks are pirate ripoffs, songtaw trucks hard to figure out. I wanted to get further south to nicer beaches, but affordable public transportation was hard – songthaws (covered pickups) are HARD to figure out at first, even though I spoke some Thai. I managed to get down to Khao Takiab with the songtaw but he wouldn’t take us to the top (my friend couldn’t hike it). Finally up there, the temple and everything were so very dirty, with aggressive monkeys. Charming to some, but… Upside: magnificent views, beach accessible and much nicer there – however, beaches are so so so much better all along the US coast, esp. Florida (whine whine whine, I know…)
So as they say, “haters gonna hate,” but when you are hoping for a decent beach experience and are confronted at every turn with ickiness, it’s hard. And this after some other Thai beach and Bangkok experience. Rampant overdevelopment is the Thai curse, country-wide.
I know you won’t slam or be overly negative in your blog posts, but SHORT TERM VISITORS NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THEY ARE GETTING THEMSELVES INTO. While less overtly sex oriented than Pattaya, it’s the same icky overdevelopment and lack of proper beach access IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN, which is where most short term tourists – who don’t have cars or motorbikes – can get around. As you say, no planning, just commercial whatever, how-ever… Short-termers can’t stay where the nice beaches are and also have good access to the stuff they need: variety of food, shelter, except at the overpriced resorts at Cha Am (nice beach there).
Frankly, some negative publicity might help the situation improve – it is a “royal retreat” after all (bullshit x 1000…). Make sure the Thailand Tourist Authority knows your impressions.
Anyway, I live in Chiang Mai now, which has its own problems, but is much nicer overall. Also, check out southern island Koh Yao Yai (or don’t – it’s not overdeveloped yet – LOL). Good luck.
Thanks for the comment Paul. Actually you mention public transport which I hadn’t covered in the post. The Songthaws we found pretty handy getting from one end of town to the other. Taxis was a source of frustration. The security guard at the building called us one (none on the street) and it took 20 minutes. Took us less than 10 minutes to get to Hutsadin Elephant Foundation and we were late by the time we arrived. Cost: 200 Baht one way. We thought for sure that we had been ripped off but were told that’s the going rate, supply and demand. I’m not sure what the deal with that is in Hua Hin but you are right, not easy to get around without your own wheels.
Dear bbqboy,
I have lived in Hua Hin, worked there, toured there and visited friends in HH and surrounds for some time. Haven’t kept an accurate record but have entered HH over 50 times during a 30 year period. Cumulatively, perhaps several years in the immediate district. Having disclosed this I still could not possibly consider myself to have an informed opinion, and advise on retirement in Hua Hin.
I don’t have a problem with the content of your post, just the title. It’s obvious your target audience is the tourist and the piece would be competent if titled appropriately. The content is a subjective, surface opinion of a tourist.
I have lived in the province of Khon Kaen, district of Chumphae for 5 continuous years in retirement. If I had the intent to write serious copy about retirement in KK, I believe I am close to being well informed. I am persuaded (by retirement) that it takes an extended, integrated retirement experience – regardless of location – rather than a snapshot view, to offer advice on such an inherent, complex issue as to: ‘Hua Hin as a retirement option?’.
Cheers
Rob
Hi Rob,
Appreciate your well-written comment and your opinion. I can understand – I lived in Montreal over 25 years and still discovered new things over the last few years. You’ll never know everything about a place no matter how long you stay.
But how long do you have to visit a place to know whether it is a place that you want to settle in? Obviously you’re not going to spend 30 years everywhere you go. So how do you, in the first place, decide that Hua Hin is the place you want to retire in?? How did you decide that Hua Hin was the place for you?
I think everyone can decide within a certain period of time if a place they visit is a place that they would want to spend more time in. I knew within a week that while Bangkok was a fun place to visit that we couldn’t live there. We initially liked Hua Hin (and please don’t think we have an intense dislike for the place) but realized with time that it’s not a place that we would want to retire in. We’ve been in Nong Khai for a month now. Loved it from almost the moment we arrived and we could easily see this as our base in Thailand both now and in the future. Before Thailand we spent 3 months in Prague. We would go back to there anytime.
We’re not ready to retire. But we are travelling the world both to see places we haven’t been while also keeping an eye out for places where we could see ourselves retiring in the future. Of course it’s personal – places that you might like might not be places we would like for a multitude of factors. The above is an opinion piece on what we think of Hua Hin. I don’t pretend that the above is a detailed Hua Hin guide, I’m rather stating the pros and the cons as we see it. And as much as I don’t pretend to know it as you do having been there for 30 years, I can tell you that 5 weeks was enough for us to decide that it’s not the retirement spot for us.
Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Frank (bbqboy)
Sounds like you’re having trouble adapting to the third-world and its concepts…
Oh, how so? If you’re capable of writing more than 12 words at a time maybe you can expand on the point you are trying to make. Otherwise just sounds like troll talk…
I welcome people to write their opinions in an intelligent manner. Always like feedback even if different from my opinion. But if comments add no value to the conversation they’ll just be deleted going forward.
What a load of rot. You clearly have no knowledge of thailand or travelling in asia. No sidewalks – what did you expect, that applies to 95 percent of thailand. I think because of you clearly very limited budget (850 us per month) you should make clear that you are a backpacker type and not someone able or in a position to retire in thailand. I have been once to hua hin 8 years ago and loved the place staying four weeks. Sofitel was a worldclass hotel and really enjoyed walking into a bustling town centre with hundreds of really good restaurants. We choose hua hin because of the golf, at the time 5 great courses within 15 mins drive and we liked most black mountain. Now we prefer to spend a month a year over xmas in phuket where we are right now. Island has also changed massively and all your gripes about dogs, sidewalks, traffic apply. However, over the past 6 years i think the island has improved for the better providing the option of a cheap and cheerful thai restaurant against the russian funded bliss or nikita beach clubs. Something for everyone and lots of good golf courses. My only gripe is that phuket has become expensive with a typical meal for 6 coming to 3300 baht which is just over a hundred us. This is more than south africa from where we come but i guess still good value if you live in pounds.
Huh? Very limited budget? Where did you pull the $850/month from? I mentioned we paid for our Airbnb apartment (which was actually quite chic) $1000/5 weeks. Per month that comes to $800. Most locals would I’m sure tell me that’s pretty darn expensive.
Sure, it has a couple of nice hotels. Is that how you judge a place? Because I’ve seen great hotels in some of the shittiest cities on earth.
And I agree on the restaurants and golf. My dad loves golf and would probably love Hua Hin just for that. And that’s why opinions on a place are subjective. I really couldn’t care less about golf…
Haven’t been to Phuket in 5 years but reading on forums lots of people would not agree with you. Again though, if you love golf then you’re probably in paradise.
Comments like the one above (from Richard) make my blood boil. What is wrong with being a backpacker? I think this is the way you get to know the culture and the country! Otherwise, you don’t know if Richard loves the country he’s visiting or if he loves those closed resorts for western tourists built by corporations that have nothing to do with the local place. Maybe I’m different or there is something wrong with me but you must be out of your mind to come all the way to Thailand just in order to stay in a hotel and play golf. I just do not understand it.
I think people should go to a place to discover it, absorb its culture and decide whether they like it or not. But they should see the reality and not be locked in the “posh westernized bubbles”. Is it not better to go to a 5-star hotel in the city where you live and stay there? At least you’ll save the flight tickets!
There’s a lot of people like Richard who want nothing but their comforts and playing golf. Hua Hin is so damn hot I can’t imagine playing golf there. Sounds f*ing boring to me but I guess he’s entitled to his opinion.
I know there’s plenty of people like that (I think majority of people) and thanks to them we can see the unspoiled coastlines turned into a construction sites and then closed posh resorts.
Hi Frank,
There are no sidewalks ANYWHERE in SEA. Does ma heed in!!!
You’ll be grand in NK. I love it there. Be sure to check out Chiang Khan a nice 200km ride west along the Mekong.
Retirement? I did that once.
All the best
Steve
Thanks for sharing Frank! I decided to skip Hua Hin for now and it sounds like I’m not missing much… I’ll get down there some day but it’s no rush. That’s interesting you will be based in Nong Khai for 4 months. What made you decide to spend such a long time there? I’ve never been to the north east myself. Looking forward to reading your thoughts about life up there.
Hey Skins! The way we are travelling we needed a base…and we’re just basically a bit fed up of Thai cities. I read good things about Nong Khai and a few people told me that it’s a laid back, pretty place. It’s exactly that. The Mekong here is beautiful and its gorgeous when the sunsets over it. Not much traffic, you hear the sounds of nature from your window in the morning. Its clean, not too hot; about 25C here vs the 32C in Hua Hin. And there’s just enough expat infrastructure; nice little cafes, bars..and no girlie bars yet which is fine for us. Really pretty. An alternative was Chiang Mai but just keep hearing how its getting crowded, too much traffic and pollution. Plus every other blogger in the world there right now 🙂
Everyone has different tastes. For us it’s perfect for right now.
Sounds good Frank. I’m assuming you are on tourist visas? At least you have an easy trip to Vientiane if you need a new one. Be sure to post your thoughts about life up there. I’ve been wanting to explore Isaan on a motorcycle. Need to brush up on my pasaa thai first. Cheers!