Online community update
Low season is upon us and the streets of Hua Hin are a little quieter this time of year, fortunately that seasonal lull does not transfer to the internet as the forums have been as busy as ever. We usually find that many people start researching for their approaching holiday online when we in Hua Hin are going through a quiet spell. With more people using the internet, they find HHAD the best place to search for accommodation, recommendations, and things to do in advance of their approaching holiday. For the expats it provides a good place to share their knowledge and meet up with like minded people.
This month discussions have revolved around all number of topics including the advantages and disadvantages of all the recent development and an interesting list of things that the town could do without. Most residents are in agreement about many of them with traffic topping the list of annoyances, we think a spell in Bangkok is due to regain some perspective!
Lots more discussion in the property section, most of which now centered on condominiums as foreigners can legally own the freehold to them resulting in a possible increase in demand. A number of new condominium developments have been started this year as their popularity grows, we will have more news on them with the launch of a new website next month.
The events and activities section was also busy with questions about the up and coming Hua Hin Golf Festival and condition reports on local golf courses. A boat trip was taken out to the local island of Koh Singhto (Lion Island) with a report to follow up. The trip provides a great way to get an alternative view of the Hua Hin, Khao Takiab and Khao Tao coastline, more information and bookings for boat trips can be found on www.khaotakiab.com
Health issues came under the spot light with discussion on local dentists and health insurance policies. With many reports of over charging at certain Hua Hin hospitals a good health insurance policy should be considered by any expats living here.
Starting a business was the subject of a long discussion which highlighted the pleasures and pitfalls of running your own business in Hua Hin. Being your own boss is a great concept but when weighed up with the increasing difficulties of bureaucracy, restrictions and red tape for visas, work permits and foreign companies the idea is no longer as appealing as in times gone by. Unless there are changes for the better we may start to see a decline in foreign managed small businesses in Hua Hin.
There were a number of discussions regarding finance and the dual exchange rate for the Thai baht. There appears to be a lot of confusion over which rates are actually used, onshore or offshore, throw in the weak dollar and there are certainly some interesting times ahead for currency speculators.
Digital cameras, Windows Vista, Hutch mobile internet connections and email accounts were all hot topics for the technically minded, with spam on the increase and no sign of YouTube returning to Thailand all seems to be “business as usual”.
The expats section was as busy as ever with more people considering the move to Hua Hin, many questions involved local schooling at an international level, cost of living and home care services. Most of this information can already be found on Hua Hin’s original expat website: www.expathuahin.com
Find out more on the Hua Hin Forum