Sun, sand, sea, great food and a healthy lifestyle are some of the things that await those who choose to visit or live in Hua Hin, a seaside town about 3 hours south of Bangkok. I’m here to celebrate this fantastic place which I’m lucky enough to call home and hopefully provide you with some interesting insights, some good advice and a few laughs. I’ll be covering areas such as food, Thai culture, a healthy lifestyle and what it is to live and work in Thailand. In other words a celebration of life in a tropical location and how to make the most of it.
Look, I know I’m on shaky ground here but I’m pretty sure my wife will find some amusement in all of these and to be fair it is pretty funny. I’ve been in long term relationships with both western and Thai women and my (Thai) wife and I are about to celebrate our 4th anniversary.…
Who doesn’t love Thai food? Let’s face it, the Thais have the got the Asian food thing nailed and it’s one of the best things about living here. For this list I’ve not included the usual suspects such as Gra Pow Moo, Pad Thai, Somtam and Tom Yam Goong (much as I love them). I’ve…
The Mae Hong Son Loop Known as one of the top 10 roads in the world for any motorbike enthusiast to ride. The Mae Hong Son loop is 692 kilometers of twists and turns, the 1095 highway has 1,864 corners making it a motorcyclist’s dream. Take a couple of days to explore the city of…
Well, it finally looks like everything is to open again (except for bars, for some reason Covid hates bars) and we can look forward to a state of normalcy again. Or can we? We keep hearing this term ‘new normal’. Are things really going to change post Covid 19? I’m sure this whole experience has…
Hua Hin is a location that is steeped in Golfing history. The first course was commissioned by the royal family to be built here and It has become a mecca for both golfers on holiday and people who wish to live / retire here. Here is the main reason that Hua Hin has become one…
Many people dream of living out their retirement in a warmer climate which is why so many retirees choose to move to Thailand. Of course, we all know many reasons why, the all year-round sunshine,beaches, food, people etc. etc. but what are the main health benefits of living in Thailand. 1. Get More Sunlight Vitamin…
Well it’s as much of a surprise to me as anyone finding myself locked down 3 hours south of Bangkok! After a holiday here booked to return to the UK on the 28th February I am now in week 8 and adapting to life as a slightly surprised expat! After my fiancée became ill and…
If the Corona Virus has taught us one thing it is how most of us are entirely dependent on others to survive. This begs the question: what if we experience another virus in years to come which is more virulent and millions are laid off work? Just to be clear, I’m not saying that we…
In 2006 my wife and I made the life-changing decision to up roots and move to Thailand, the year before I had just turned 50 and the thought of working for another 15 or more years in the UK before I could retire really did not appeal to me. I had a friend who used…
Nobody has a crystal ball and world business post Corona, along with property markets worldwide are facing an unpredictable future. Thailand’s property market has had a roller coaster ride over the last 15 years and has had to deal with army coups, red and yellow shirt demonstrations, the death of their beloved King, the army…
It looks like 2020 is going to be a tough year for us all. I’ll admit that as this situation developed I was in the ‘it’s only flu’ camp. How wrong I and many others were; you only need to look at the news and statistics from some countries to know that this is a…
Have you ever dreamed of living near the beach? Hua Hin is a beautiful seaside town about 3 hours south of Bangkok. If you are prepared to venture a little further south of Hua Hin the beaches are lovely and the property more affordable as well as offering easy access to Sam Roi Yot national…
Around 4 years ago a close friend suggested I go along to the Muay Thai gym with him and start training. I have to say I was keen but also a little cautious as I had seen what the inside of a Muay Thai gym in Thailand looked like. It was sweaty, ripped Thai guys…
The increasing popularity of Hua Hin as a destination for both tourists and expats has given rise to the number of foreigners looking to buy villas and condos in the area. Whether it is for investment, buying a holiday home or somewhere to live permanently, there is increasing demand from foreigners wanting to buy property…
You’ve found a buyer, in this, the most difficult of property markets – congratulations. You’ve received an offer but should you accept or continue negotiating? Are there any other costs you may have overlooked? Have you considered what the transfer fees and taxes will be? This is not a quick and simple calculation. Indeed if…
Thais are generally a very friendly bunch and they respond very positively to foreigners who make an effort with their language. They might giggle at you for getting tones wrong and mispronouncing things but that’s all part of the fun of learning a new language. So if you are thinking of moving to Thailand or…
As we all know selling your property in Hua Hin is tough. There are many many properties for sale and you can get some very attractive deals if you want to build a new one to your own specifications. So you really need to make your property stand out from the crowd. Here are my…
I love living in the tropics. Thailand affords a really nice lifestyle with beaches, restaurants, great food and really interesting flora and fauna. However, something that comes with living anywhere in the tropics is the fact that some of the fauna can do you some serious damage. I come from England, which is a country…
Recently, I’ve been experiencing a lot of negativity regarding the poor property market here with many people lamenting the strength of the baht. However; I can’t help but feel that this is the best time for a buyer to look for a property in our beautiful seaside town. Yes, the baht is strong but this…
After living in Bangkok for 9 years and having done lots of travelling around Thailand I have settled in Hua Hin. Admittedly the opportunity arose to work here which I was more than happy to take as I’ve always loved Hua Hin and visited it many times, also my wife and I have started a…
Hua Hin is a location that is steeped in Golfing history. The first course was commissioned by the royal family to be built here in 1923. It has become a mecca for both golfers on holiday and people who wish to live / retire here. Here are the main reasons that Hua Hin has become…
One of the greatest things about living in Hua Hin is the food, there are many many lovely restaurants offering different cuisines from around the world to suit all tastes. So to find such a unique dining experience here is something quite special. The farm is run by James Douglas Noble, a Michelin starred chef,…
So you’ve decided to purchase a pool villa and give yourself a great lifestyle here in tropical Hua Hin. After looking at many different properties and weighing up all of your options you’ve decided that you’d like to build a new property. Congratulations. What now? Confirm a Design – The first and most important aspect of…
Around 15 months ago my wife and I had our first child here in Hua Hin and we’ve recently received the exciting news that we are to become 4 by Christmas so it’s all very exciting at the moment. Knowing we are to be making our way through this process once more prompted me to…
We’ve all seen the stories coming up on our news feeds. Another ‘falang’ has got drunk on holiday, had a motorbike accident, been admitted to the emergency room and they haven’t got any health insurance. So what do they do in order to pay their $10,000 dollar hospital bill. It seems there are only 2…
If you love partying you won’t feel at home in the peace and serenity of Sanctuary Lakes, Hua Hin. If you love the traffic and the hustle and bustle of the big city you’ll not appreciate the tranquility of Sanctuary Lakes, Hua Hin. If you like sweating in the heat and humidity, you’ll not enjoy…
Having moved from Bangkok to Hua Hin 15 months ago I’m very well situated to discuss the advantages of living in the seaside town over Bangkok, the huge capital city of Thailand. Now don’t get me wrong I think Bangkok is one of the greatest cities in the world; there’s nowhere else like it: it’s…
Let me start out by saying that this blog is intended as a light-hearted giggle and my intentions are certainly not to make anybody look stupid. With learning any other language we all have to go through a world of making silly (and sometimes very amusing) mistakes. I myself have made very many mistakes when…
It’s all very well me saying find an agent and/or developer you can trust if you want to buy a property in Thailand. But let’s face it you should be doing more. By hiring a professional, well-established legal service you can make sure your interests are fully protected. At TCH Property Agent we recently decided…
Having lived here in the Land of Smiles for 10 years now I feel I’m pretty well positioned to comment on what it is that makes a great life as an expat here. We’ve all seen people fall and crumble and head back to their home countries either miserable, heartbroken or penniless (or all 3).…
Hua Hin is currently enjoying an upsurge in quality developments offering the more discerning buyer European standards, a very high quality build and an excellent level of finishing. At Baan Phu Thara the developers spent years of thought and meticulous planning to offer their clients exceptionally well-designed, ecologically advanced pool villas. The development has caught…
With rainy season over, the days drenched in lovely sunshine and high season fast approaching; here are 5 great things to do in and around the seaside town of Hua Hin. Monsoon Valley – For the wine lovers amongst you can find Monsoon Valley vineyard just a 30 min drive into the mountains outside of…
There are so many fantastic aspects to living life as an expat in Thailand; the year round warm climate, the amazing food, the low cost of living and a relaxing lifestyle are just a few of the things that us expats love about Thailand. However, there’s one aspect about life in Thailand that most of…
Some would say they are irrational poppycock; others live by them on a daily basis for fear of bad luck. Whatever you think of them there are many of them and superstitions are ingrained into most cultures. We have plenty of them in the west: don’t put new shoes on a table, an itchy nose…
I was recently having an interesting discussion about whether or not I could ever move back to the UK. The point was being raised about retirees’ pensions going nowhere near as far as they used to, and people are jumping ship to head back to Europe. So I decided to do a little research regarding…
When it comes to life there are always small, seemingly insignificant things that we take for granted. Here are 5 small aspects about daily life here in Hua Hin that often go unnoticed by myself as they are things I encounter just about every day but are actually great. Countdown on traffic lights – I…
Use a Real Estate Agent or buy direct? A Helpful Guide Statistically, about 20% of property purchases are direct between the buyer and the seller. Buying direct from the owner can be easy but it’s more than advisable to have an awareness of several factors and to do your research. Buying Direct The main difference…
Firstly I’d like to state that I’m very much basing this article around living in Hua Hin. I lived in Bangkok for 9 years and although I love the capital I don’t miss the pollution and the traffic. Hua Hin offers a far healthier, more relaxed lifestyle; it’s been a breath of fresh air to…
There has been a fair bit floating around social media recently regarding what’s best for your child when it comes to education and schooling. A lot of the discussion I have read has centred around schooling in Thailand vs Schooling in the west and Thai Schools (government and private) vs International Schools. The school you…
First and foremost, I’d like to state here that I love living in Thailand. The people, the food, the weather, the lifestyle and the culture all come together to make it a lovely place to live. Saying that, there are some things about living here that I (and other foreigners) find very difficult to understand.…
My wife and I recently discovered a little pearl of a restaurant by the sea that has become our regular weekend brunch spot. I say discovered because I’ve never seen more than a couple of westerners there each time. However, there are always lots of Thai people there, which, as all of those of you…
I was participating in the Take 5 Golf day organised by Mr Sam Sheriff, whose sport’s bar and restaurant Take 5 is located in Khao Thakiab, opposite the Amari hotel and residence.
A short video I made about the top 3 golf courses in Hua Hin (in my humble opinion).
Buying property in Thailand has many potential pitfalls so remember not to just buy with your heart; buy with your head too. All too often people get carried away with the romantic idea of a property in Thailand and overlook certain important details. Thailand is fast becoming the destination of choice for foreigners who wish…
Find out in this post why Hua Hin is the Best Place to Invest in Thailand? I listed 10 main reasons here.
If you’re anything like me you’ll think that one of the best things about living in Thailand is the food. The Thais enthusiasm for their cuisine is infectious and when you are married to a Thai person it’s impossible not to be drawn in. If they not actually eating, they are thinking about it or talking about it.
What would you say is the most important thing to you in relation to the day to day running of your life? I’ve lived in Thailand for nearly 10 years now and those years (with all their ups and downs) have been formative to me as a human. All of us that have re located…
