Troopie

Hello there, folks

I know that Hua Hin hasn't had much coverage here but just in case there's anyone out there interested in visiting/moving to Hua Hin, feel free to drop me a line. I've lived in Hua Hin for almost 2 years now & have already compiled a few websites to publicise my hometown.

For those poor souls who don't know HH, it's Thailand's oldest seaside resort, the semi-permanent home of the Thai King, & the home of Thailand's oldest golf club. Located just 225km south of Bangkok -- & a million miles from the gridlock & congestion of 'the big mango'!

So if you'd like to know more -- who you gonna call?


Don't be shy

scotian

Hi

I've been considering Hua Hin as an investment area for a year or so now, and will look to buy something in the next couple of years. Whats your take on it? Is it a good location for rental? Many tourists? Some nightlife? I understand the beaches are in quite good condition, better than Pattaya and Phuket.

Would be interested in seeing your websites.

thanks!

Troopie

Hello there

Hua Hin as an investment area? OK. Like all seaside resorts, Hua Hin does not offer year-round occupancy & so most property will be vacant for at least part of the year. Some of the new, upmarket resorts guarantee a 6% return, which is attractive for many Asian investors. This is one of the most popular resorts, especially for Thais who are attracted here by our royal neighbour. Therefore, many Thai investors & a few foreigners buy a condo before its finished building & then sell it a couple of years later -- which does offer a nice profit. Not many units remain unsold by the time they put the windows in! Phuket & Pattaya do have more upmarket properties & are better known to foreign tourists -- but their crime rates are much higher & Pattaya in particular is becoming very popular with the Russian mafia, ever since Thai Airways began a direct service to Moscow!
Hua Hin does get a lot of tourists, especially during the north European winter. Many Scandinavian visitors stay here for the whole winter but even short-stay tourists are increasing. We already have a Hilton, a Marriot, a Hyatt & a Sofitel, & Intercontinental is opening next year, but you can't get a hotel room for love nor money during December & January!
Nightlife. Being a royal resort, the Patpong, 'red light' type of nightlife is not common here, nor is it likely to become so. We do have one Soi (side street) with girlie bars, so it is there if someone wants it. However, for families, it is possible to holiday/live here without seeing a 'working girl'. Elsewhere, the nightlife consists mostly of bars & restaurants. Since February last year, we do have a cinema & a bowling alley but these tend to attract more Thais than foreigners. Oh, & there are Thai boxing bouts twice a week, which are popular with many visitors.
The beaches. The main beach, Shirahama, stretches some 7 kilometres from downtown (literally a few metres from the main crossroads) south to Khao Takiab. It has yet to become as developed as some other Thai resorts, such as Phuket and Samui, and so even at the height of the peak season, you can always find a quiet little spot. For those seeking something possibly nicer/quieter, there are plenty of nice beaches a little south of town -- including some bays where the tide never comes fully in!

If you'd like any further information, just let me know, either on site or by pm.

Troopie

John Speed

We have stayed many times at Hua Hin, very nice area, when driving through to Bangkok from the south, but I would dispute the claim to better beaches than Phuket
But there are plenty of new developments afoot, and the big advantage is the ease of access to Bangkok for shopping;
Hua Hin hasn't much to offer in that respect.

Troopie

One big advantage to HH is that we are on the EAST coast, the Gulf of Siam. In light of recent, tragic events, that can mean a lot more peace of mind for the long term!
Also, we're only 45 minutes from Bangkok (by air -- less than 3 hours by road, which is slightly easier than the Andaman Sea resorts) plus the extra security provided for our majestic neighbour (2 Special Forces camps inside the town, 3 warships anchored offshore 24/7, plus a lot more of the boys in brown), plus the fact that the Royal Family's presence means a limit on garish nightlife & a strictly enforced limit on the height of buildings means this town is unlikely to get spoilt or too westernised too quickly.

John Speed

All true and useful, but having investigated both HH and Phuket I know where I prefer to be!

Troopie

Hello there

My last reply to your post didn't make it through the Bermuda triangle of the internet so here goes with attempt #2!

Investment: Hua Hin is, of course, a holiday resort & so unlike Bangkok, it is rare to get 12 months tenancy in your condo/house. However, during the peak season, rents can get pretty high & so in some cases, this can equal a full year's tenancy elsewhere. Also, some of the new upmarket projects are guaranteeing a return of 6%, which isn't too shabby! However, what many Thai investors do (as well as a few savvy foreigners) is to buy a condo while it is still being constructed & then sell it a few years later for a very nice return. Most condos & projects here are sold out well before they put the windows in!

Tourists: Tourism is Hua Hin's #1 industry & so if there were not enough tourists, the town wouldn't be growing like it is. Most of the tourists are Thais, drawn by the royal connection & by the ease of access to Bangkok -- Thailand's lack of motorways means that a drive to somewhere like Krabi or Phuket is extremely tiring, & Pattaya is too close to the capital, attracting many you'd rather not holiday with! We already have a Hilton, a Marriot, a Hyatt, a Sofitel & a Dusit, & both Sheraton & Intercontinental are on the way, being constructed as I write. During the Christmas/New Year period, it is estimated that 10% of the town's residents are foreigners & if you include Bangkokians, the figure is much higher.

Nightlife: One of Hua Hin's main attractions is as a family resort, & this is largely due to the royal influence. This makes sure that we don't have any real Patpong/red-light district. We do have one Soi (back street) that is lined with girlie bars but for those who prefer otherwise, it is entirely possible to visit/live here & never see a 'working girl'. Otherwise, nightlife is mostly restaurants & bars, although we do have a cinema & a bowling alley -- part of the new 'Market Village' shopping mall, that includes one of the largest Tesco's outside Bangkok plus several foreign restaurants. What's more, the added security (another royal bonus) means that walking around at night is pretty safe, even on the beach.

Beaches. The main beach (Shirahama) is located just a short stroll from the main Satukarn crossroads, & stretches for some 7 kilometres from the town centre to Khao Takiab. It has yet to become as developed as some other Thai resorts, such as Phuket and Samui, and so even at the height of the peak season, you can always find a quiet little spot. However, if you prefer even more open space, there are several great beaches just south of town, often located on bays where the tide never fully comes in. Some beaches have cheap but excellent restaurants and shops nearby, but for those who really want to get away from it all, there are plenty where you can expect nothing more than the sea, the sun and your own shadow!

OK, I'll admit that I'm biased. This is my hometown & even after 2 years, I still love it. For me, places like Phuket & Pattaya are too foreign, with the tourists & the folk they attract diluting the Thai-ness to a large extent. This isn't true in Hua Hin just yet & so long as Thailand doesn't become a republic, it is unlikely to.

My main website for Hua Hin is at http://huahinjapan.com/english/home.html, which includes links to pages dealing with tourist attractions, transport, cost of living, property, etc. If these don't answer your questions, just drop me a line, either here or by pm. OK?

Troopie

I couldn't agree more -- that's why I'm here!

maria-g

What's the average price for a 3 bed house with pool in Hua Hin?

Troopie

It all depends on location, of course, but for a house like that situated away from the beach, you could expect to pay 6~8 million baht. For one located closer to the sea, then the price will be around 10 million or more. OK?

John Speed

Or more, O.K.!

maria-g

Thanks for your replies. I read from other forum that as a foreigner I will not be able to own a property but if I have a company registered in Thailand my company can purchase the property for me. How easy is it to form a company?

Troopie

Sadly, it isn't that simple!:curse:

It is true that no foreigner can own land in Thailand -- & that means you can only legally buy a condo. However, you can lease land/house for 30 years, renewable for 2 more terms of 30 years each, which is what most foreigners are now doing. Setting up a company is relatively easy -- but you MUST have several Thai partners who must jointly own 51% of the company. In the old, pre-coup days, foreigners would use their maid/driver/gardener as partners. However, as that's what PM Thaksin did (in a different way), the anti-Thaksin generals tightened the law & so there is a chance that they might check to see that your 'partners' are getting a share of the action. Now some of the 'cowboy' developers will tell you not to worry & that they can give you a list of partners, & they're probably right -- some of the time. Now, more than ever, is a time to avoid the cowboys!
Therefore, unless you have several good & truly trusted Thai friends/in-laws, a lease is the best bet. However, make sure you lease from an established & reputable company!

Some people here seem to think that these xenophobic laws will change in the near future, as it is losing Thailand billions. Others think that logic is something Thai politicians are very short of!

Hope that helps. Let me know if there's any other way I can help.

John Speed

They actually leave what little logic they ever possessed in the hands of their chauffeurs when they go to the office.
It is true, Thais do not think in the seme way Europeans do

Troopie

That implies that they had any logic in the first place!
However, the main thing Thais lack is long (or even mid) term thinking. They'll do something or say something (like Thaksin's anti-alcohol laws or the new mobs anti-farang investment laws) that anyone can see will hurt the nation -- but they'll still do it! From the peasant who takes it easy today & so has to work (?) extra hard tomorrow, right up to the minister who cuts off his nose to spite his face, they can't see beyond the next tea break!

However, let's be positive -- China & India might inherit the financial world, but this bunch never will!