Any downside to retiring in Hua Hin

[PeteC]

True, and that is the only thing keeping me from moving back to that country you hate. I just spent three weeks (mostly in California) in May and it was the best three weeks I've had in ten years (since moving here)

To be honest, I think many Brits would be happy to retire to California but a significant downside would be the fact that a decent house anywhere near the beach would cost a fortune.

In actuality any house in the western half of the State, or Tahoe area!

[magsandbilly]

Mags & Billy must wonder what the hell is the matter with some of you. Every place in the world has it's down sides, no ifs and or buts about it.

James has his own opinion on the cons and I not only respect that, but look forward to seeing for myself. 30 days and counting down.

Do I need to start a new thread asking what the pros are to living in HH?

Hi All

We appreciate James telling it for what it is, warts and all. What he has posted is no shock to us after living in Asia and holidaying in Phuket. At least we are going in with our eyes open.

Everywhere has their good and bad points, possibly that is why a lot of ex-pats are living in Hua Hin and not in their own country.

Pros must be - weather, quality of life etc.

Thanks heaps all
M

[heartofmidlothian]

I think it is great that JamesWest has made the forum a lot more interesting recently. I think if you are going to give a controversial answer then you need to be prepared for a few responses that are not personal attacks, but just cheeky responses. You need to have a thick skin if you want to post on this forum. What you should be aware of is that many people on this forum are older people who have younger wives and girlfriends. So I am sure JamesWest can understand why that comment might have aggravated a few people. Also many people on this forum who love living here and we do get a bit tired of listening to people who complain about everything. Your list was rather long and a bit over the top but I do hope you keep posting on more subjects.

[STEVE G]

True, and that is the only thing keeping me from moving back to that country you hate. I just spent three weeks (mostly in California) in May and it was the best three weeks I've had in ten years (since moving here)

To be honest, I think many Brits would be happy to retire to California but a significant downside would be the fact that a decent house anywhere near the beach would cost a fortune.

In actuality any house in the western half of the State, or Tahoe area!

Also, even if I could afford a house near the beach in California, my Thai partner wouldn't be able to get a visa to go there. I found out that from a British friend, married to a Thai, who bought a house in Las Vegas.

[REEM]

James West nailed it with a lot of the points he made.

No need to slag him off.

The fact is, as foreigners here we are very much second class citizens with no rights at all.
We can be scammed, cheated and shaken down by the often very unprofessional authorities, many of whom think foreigners are just sources of extra income, this is not common, but it does happen. The rules and regulations that we have to follow here are not cast in stone and the goalposts are moved according to who is quoting and enforcing the rules. Often you just dont know where you stand, especially newcomers not yet accustomed to the Thai way of doing things.

I have been here for eight years, I can speak the language well and can read and write it too.
It actually makes little difference. Many times I wish I had not heard what is said sneakily behind our backs, and sometimes to our faces too, by Thais who really should know better.


We very often have to pay more than locals for the same service, I wonder why that is?

We are outsiders and always will be, it doesnt matter how long we have been here. The only Thais who can truly relate to westerners are those Thais who have been educated abroad and are fluent in English.

The main problem with retirement in Hua Hin, is boredom that sets in after the second or third year.

I dont drink and I dont play golf, I cannot get a work permit, there are no evening classes where I could learn or study. Other non drinking non golfing foreigners have the same complaints.

Hua Hin would be a good town to escape the harsh Northern European winters, but 12 months A year here is starting to drive me, and my Thai wife a little crazy. She also longs for the opportunities available in England to productively fill ones spare time.

Once you have travelled around the country and seen all the sights, you come to the realisation thast Hua Hin, as pleasant as it is, offers very little to engage the active mind, like most of Thailand.

It may be different for those with businesses here, but filling ones day becomes harder and harder the longer one stays here.

I wont even mention how the tsunami of development over the past few years has changed the area, and not always for the best.

I know quite a few long stayers who have had enough and left, and quite a few planning to leave, and I cant blame them after some of the experiences they have had at the hands of locals they thought of as friends. Ethics, loyalty and morality are qualities that can be very difficult to find here.

For those coming here to retire, think of it more as a holiday than as making a home here. Rent dont buy, and be just as suspicious of foreign owned businesses as of local businesses. Do your homework extremely well and be very careful who you trust and believe.

For most though, it can never be home, but it can be a pleasant way to pass a few years, providing your expectations are not too high.

[Dannie Boy]

Reem, regarding your comment about people slagging of James West, in fact I think it was only one or two who did that, the rest like me, agreed that he had listed a number of valid issues, although with some planning (and a bit of luck) most can be overcome.

Regarding your post, I think you've done a really good job of telling it how it really is for most people and I particularly agree with your last point about not having too great an expectation - if you can moderate your desires then HH and no doubt many places in Thailand can be an acceptable place to live, either full time or definitely somewhere for half of the year if you can afford to do so.

I'm just completing my third year of permanently living here but have started to plan for the establishment of a base in England in about three years from now, so that I can spend my time between both countries, which I'm sure will work out well.

[jimmy40]

Those kebabs on soi 80 are bloody terrific........Sorry had to add that

[Takiap]

Personally, I think James West was spot on with his post, and REEM also summed things up nicely. There are plenty of cons, but since we are all different, those cons affect all of us differently. Some people take the cons very seriously, while others simply laugh and smile.

We also need to remember that most (if not all) of the cons which people have mentioned, should have been spotted/observed within the first few days of being in Thailand. My very first trip to Thailand back in 1997 revealed most of the cons people complain about today:

With a few days I already knew that Thailand is a warm country; I knew that Thais don't drive like Westerners, and that the country has a problem with stray dogs. Common sense also told me that these issues must have been around for ages, and that they will likely still be around by the time they chuck me on the flames at some or other temple.

I instantly picked up on the pollution issue in Thailand and it really bugged me, but it was clear that it was not something which was/is likely to change any time soon.


There are plenty of cons and it would be downright stupid to pretend they don't exist. In my opinion, it all depends on each person's tolerance level. For me, the freedom I have here (yes, even under military rule) cancels out all the other bullshit I have to put up with.

@ the OP..............You have lived in Asia; you have stayed in Phuket, so I'm sure you'll get along just fine in Hua-Hin.

Of course if you find the place doesn't fit your needs, you could always move to "Sunny South Africa" where the thrill of adventure awaits you every time you venture outdoors. Alternatively, move to the UK; enjoy wonderfully cool weather; pleasantly high taxes, and welcoming charges for services you never receive.

So many choices; so little time.

[HHCanuck]

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.

Can't really argue with Jame's reply however "being married and being constantly propositioned by beautiful Thai woman, and to repeat, you are constantly seeing 60 year plus old men with beautiful young Thai " I don't see that as a negative LOL.

What James wrote could be said about all of Thailand however after living over a decade in Thailand I have to say HH is the better than the other cities (except for the terrible roads) and is less polluted.

[sateeb]

JamesWest wrote:
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.


Does anyone know of anybody who has been refused an extension based on retirement when all the relevant paperwork is in order....I don't.

It's hardly ball breaking stuff once a year to do it and is a 90 day report such a hassle? What do you want regulated free immigration....worked out well in Europe eh!!!!

[REEM]

To have to report to immigration every 90 days is demeaning and to be fined 2000b, or is it now 5000b for missing the date by more than 7 days is downright insulting.

To have to provide maps to ones house and photographs of you and your wife at home, in order to obtain a stay based on marriage, with the possibility of a visit by immigration officers so they can snoop around is downright disgusting. Ever seen them showing the photos around the office and sniggering? Ever heard them announce loudly to the office " ooh, this ones got 4 million is his account"

What happens if you want to take a trip upcountry at the time your 90 day report is due, check in at another office? Not allowed.

It may not be such a hassle to turn up every 90 days, but its the subtle threat that lies behind such regulations that rankle, Thais probably have to put up with these government jobsworths more thsn we do, but that doesnt make it any sweeter.

They hold a lot of power over immigrants, and that power can easily be abused.

[Pleng]

" ooh, this ones got 4 million is his account"

If I was lucky enough to have that kind of money, I'd probably try and make sure 3.2mill of it it was in a different account to the one I present to any government official.

[Spitfire]

There are plenty of cons as have been mentioned (some more pertinent than others imo) but most can be circumnavigated with a small degree of effort or understanding when looking at Asian society, religion and culture through a wider perspective. A lot of the so-called 'cons' only resonate really if you are 'wrapped too tight' for the place......in which case you probably should relocate/move on. Also, a lot of the 'cons' mentioned are nothing more than environmental hazards to be avoided or dealt with (perhaps even expected) and all places have them in one form or another. To live effectively here in Thailand you have to have certain qualities or 'outlooks' with a large slice of latitude and it's not for everyone.

There are also the apologists to look out for who troll any post/poster that infers anything negative about the lifestyle or country. Realistically, there are cons but they are presently outweighted by the pros and this has been so for a long time, is at present and looks to be so for the foreseeable near future.

My only real peeve is the government bureaucracy (interacting with it) and the way I'm still treated as a criminal/security threat after 13 years of living here, with no hope of gaining some kind of "naturalized" status, despite my contributions to Thai society, the economy and efforts to intigrate to the fullest extent (learning the language, marrying a Thai national, not committing any crime, legally here with WP, educating Thai youth, paying income tax, importing currency monthly, buying property and high value goods and on and on and on).

@OP, the best way to find out if there are cons you don't like is to live here for a year or two before you decde whether it's the place for your retirement or before you sink any amount of money that would annoy you to lose.

[Siani]

As I have said before on other topics..."Try before you buy"...a golden rule. It's "horses for courses" wherever you live. Don't burn your bridges until you are sure. Don't ship out a container until you have tested the water for at least 3 months. I made this mistake. I know now that I prefer to come out maybe once a year, if possible.
I think we all know Thailand is hot The roads are bad The rest is plain simple to comprehend really. Not rocket science!
What worries me is, what happens to you when you really get old, not just 60 but when you are 85-90 yrs ?

[Dannie Boy]

I assume you mean before the inevitable happens?

Picking up on some of the posts about cons etc of living in Thailand, I guess many of the men have invested in a younger wife, maybe the girls should follow suit?

TBH though, it is a big issue as with no NHS equivalent, many people will need a lot more medical attention and home helps, so single people had better plan accordingly.