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 family so I really wanted my kids to be able to play on the beach and go swimming etc which is not as easy to do in the capital. Here are 5 reasons that make Hua Hin the best place to live as an expat.
- Near to Bangkok – I wouldn’t want to go back and live in Bangkok again with all the pollution, noise and people but I do love the capital. It’s everything a city should be and I love spending a weekend there but I always appreciate coming back to the fresh sea breezes of Hua Hin. There’s no denying the convenience of being only a few hours from BK; it’s one of Asia’s major international hubs, has all of the International embassies and you can get trains to all destinations around the country.
- Not Too Busy – Following on closely from the last point. Hua Hin feels like a breath of fresh air compared to Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. The town never feels too busy and the only traffic we do get is easily avoided if you don’t go through the town centre. Sure, Bangkok and Pattaya are fun but I want a nice place to live and Hua Hin provides a nice lifestyle which is not as hectic as the other places I have mentioned there. The town provides a nice balance; plenty of things to do without feeling too overcrowded.
- Outdoor Lifestyle – With the lovely fresh air and lovely year round climate it’s easy to live an outdoor lifestyle, which; let’s face it, is the best thing about living in Thailand. Being able to enjoy your food out on the terrace every day is priceless, not something you could always do in the some of the more polluted cities of Thailand. Hua Hin has 8 golf courses, plenty of good Muay Thai gyms, kite surfing schools and cycling clubs. It’s very easy to live a healthy lifestyle here.
- Money Goes Further – Hua Hin does have all the luxurious hotels and high class restaurants but it’s also amazing for small affodable restaurants. My family regularly eat out or get take out as it’s cheaper than going to the supermarket (which is more than ok in my book, I hate shopping). You can eat well at the smaller Thai restaurants for around 300 baht and the food is awesome. Renting here is very cheap and you can buy high quality pool villas here for a fraction of the price it would cost in your home country. Transportation is very cheap and utility bills are cheap too (if you watch how much you are running your air con units).
- Beaches and Mountains – Hua Hin has an abundance of beaches to choose from, particularly if you are willing to drive south a little. The beaches of Pak Nam Pran and Sam Roi Yot are beautiful and never crowded. The topography of this region is also characterised by the mountains that run south a few kilometres from the coast. This means you get beaches and moutains all around and some of the scenery is breathtaking.
