Since it was me who started this topic, can I say thanks for all the interesting responses.
As far as I can make out, most seem to chime with my own impressions, and I am not particularly surprised about that.
(One of the reasons I first posted was because every local resident I spoke to on my last trip told me that Hua Hin was the best place in all of Thailand to retire to - and given that I had already decided that it was my own ideal choice, I could not help wondering if such opinions had the same basis as my own. I know I could have continued these conversations in a little more depth at the time, but perhaps my name came up on the board for the next game of pool, or maybe a beautiful lady suddenly noticed that I was indeed a handsome man….)
Joking aside, this thread has so far confirmed my assumptions yet again; even the negatives strike me as relatively tolerable compared to where I live now.. And I have spent time in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Pattaya, but Hua Hin keeps coming out on top for me.
Hope to meet some of you next time I’m out there.
PS: If anyone knows when the Rolling Stones are next coming out for a secret gig, please PM me and I will try to rearrange my dates. (Not bothered about art exhibitions, though….)
Why Hua Hin?
Good points. I think there's a big difference between HH and anywhere else. I havn't been up country for some time now, so maybe that's changed as well with all the farang built houses in the village?johnnyk wrote:2. And this is the difficult one - I really don't think that the Thais are as friendly towards us farangs as they were years ago.
I wonder if this is the same all over Thailand.
The country is now a "mature" tourist destination (though many of the visitors are not!) and the thrill may be gone for Thais except in the more remote areas. Getting my hair cut up in a Lopburi village drew an audience of about 8 or 9 curious villagers. Some had not encountered a falang before and all were good-natured and made me feel welcome.
Still, HH offers one of the nicest mixes in Thailand of Thainess + western amenities and overall I find most of the Thai people to be very nice. They seem happy to live in HH. Perhaps HM The King living here contributes to that and gives a sense of pride.
HH does have growing pains for sure but so far the growth isn't overwhelming unlike Samui for example where the ring road is clogged with development, much of it ugly and ill-considered.
Over the time I was spending there, the village went from total amazement of me to total aphathy. I simply became a farang who, when he came, had some money.
There were other good places in Thailand - such as Pai. But shit can happen anywhere.
Maybe it's just my clouded view of HH and Thailand and some very negative events in this wonderful country recently. That's all.
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huahindolly
- Specialist
- Posts: 125
- Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:44 pm
- Location: Hua Hin
Female perspective
Dear iagra,
Don't know if you're bringing a Western woman with you or not, but here's a Western woman's perspective.
Pro's:
I agree with all of the comments about location (close, but not too close, to Bangkok), accessibility (you can walk to all of the major locations once you get yourself downtown), and culture (a Thai town with a good expat community).
One of the big turnoff's for me in both Pattaya/Jomtien, Samui and Phuket, was the big sex industry - here it's pretty low key. I'm not interested in bar girls or prostitutes or finding a local person to be a surrogate wife. That's not an overriding feature of HH as in other places.
On the other hand, there IS an intellectually stimulating community that likes to eat and read and be healthy and converse. There are a lot of opportunities, both through local universities and through local spas/health resorts to improve one's mind and body.
There are good restaurants and art galleries and music.
People are generally happy - they don't have a chip on their shoulder, they accept you.
Cons:
The unsavory farang element that thinks they can make a quick profit off trusting farangs. There are some Western business people who apparently couldn't make a success of it in their home country who have chosen to cheat and lie and fleece other farangs. Unfortunately, the rules are somewhat different here, and the Better Business Bureau doesn't prevail. Caveat Emptor!
As everyone else says: traffic in the city center. But, if I was trying to park in downtown New York City, I'd be paying 1500B a day, so a tuk tuk is a really cheap and effective substitute to driving into the center of activity.
I've been coming here off & on for the past four years, now living here fulltime. I'm happy with my choice in spite of some very costly con's.
HHD
Don't know if you're bringing a Western woman with you or not, but here's a Western woman's perspective.
Pro's:
I agree with all of the comments about location (close, but not too close, to Bangkok), accessibility (you can walk to all of the major locations once you get yourself downtown), and culture (a Thai town with a good expat community).
One of the big turnoff's for me in both Pattaya/Jomtien, Samui and Phuket, was the big sex industry - here it's pretty low key. I'm not interested in bar girls or prostitutes or finding a local person to be a surrogate wife. That's not an overriding feature of HH as in other places.
On the other hand, there IS an intellectually stimulating community that likes to eat and read and be healthy and converse. There are a lot of opportunities, both through local universities and through local spas/health resorts to improve one's mind and body.
There are good restaurants and art galleries and music.
People are generally happy - they don't have a chip on their shoulder, they accept you.
Cons:
The unsavory farang element that thinks they can make a quick profit off trusting farangs. There are some Western business people who apparently couldn't make a success of it in their home country who have chosen to cheat and lie and fleece other farangs. Unfortunately, the rules are somewhat different here, and the Better Business Bureau doesn't prevail. Caveat Emptor!
As everyone else says: traffic in the city center. But, if I was trying to park in downtown New York City, I'd be paying 1500B a day, so a tuk tuk is a really cheap and effective substitute to driving into the center of activity.
I've been coming here off & on for the past four years, now living here fulltime. I'm happy with my choice in spite of some very costly con's.
HHD
My perspective is only from a quick visit to HH but have been living in bkk and Pattaya for the last 4. The expat community of Pattaya does not interest me. There's only so much you can discuss your conquests of last night...
I also find unless I meet a Thai fresh off the bus, the attitudes are very snappy here. I am looking forward to my move to HH in the coming weeks.
From reading this post, I feel re asurred and will enjoy meeting some of you for good eats and chat. I'm 35 which always makes me a bit of an oddity as an expat but I've adapted.
I also find unless I meet a Thai fresh off the bus, the attitudes are very snappy here. I am looking forward to my move to HH in the coming weeks.
From reading this post, I feel re asurred and will enjoy meeting some of you for good eats and chat. I'm 35 which always makes me a bit of an oddity as an expat but I've adapted.
What's a good place to find some of the board members here in HH? Not being one to particularly spent hours in internet cafe's whilst on hol if there is a certain day of the week or location some of the team meet.
Realise there are probably many answers to this question but asking nonetheless.... oh, and do you guys have a HASH in HH also?
Cheers from sunny Maldives!
Realise there are probably many answers to this question but asking nonetheless.... oh, and do you guys have a HASH in HH also?
Cheers from sunny Maldives!
_____________________________________
... fall down 7 times, stand up 8.
... fall down 7 times, stand up 8.
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Wanderlust
- Legend
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 12:27 pm
- Location: Hua Hin
gunner,
There is a Hash here, and there is a monthly report on their exploits in the Observer magazine in the Local section; they also have a website http://www.huahin-hhh.com/.
There is a Hash here, and there is a monthly report on their exploits in the Observer magazine in the Local section; they also have a website http://www.huahin-hhh.com/.
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margaretcarnes
- Rock Star
- Posts: 4172
- Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:28 am
- Location: The Rhubarb Triangle
Why HuaHin
This thread was going so nicely until Wanderlust struck terror in me by mentioning the Hash! I was assured by Dougie that some folks did walk the route. Well, all I can say is that Doug go Hok!
Nevertheless some really nice comments. I've never known Lomu to wax quite so lyrical, and its good to know that he seems to have overlooked the pool cues.
Buksida - yeah I remember the old days when you and me were new to HH. I think there was maybe a better sense of Expat camaraderie then (and still have the photos to prove it) but things move on wherever you are. A blend of HH and St Ives with a touch of Blues would be perfect, but who wants perfect? Its no fun.
Nevertheless some really nice comments. I've never known Lomu to wax quite so lyrical, and its good to know that he seems to have overlooked the pool cues.
Buksida - yeah I remember the old days when you and me were new to HH. I think there was maybe a better sense of Expat camaraderie then (and still have the photos to prove it) but things move on wherever you are. A blend of HH and St Ives with a touch of Blues would be perfect, but who wants perfect? Its no fun.