Hua Hin online community update
Firstly we would like to wish all of our members and readers a happy Songkran and hope you enjoy the festivities in April. The fun only lasts for one day in Hua Hin so make sure you’re prepared. Speaking of events we had a grand time at the kite festival and have the photos to prove it online. The attendance was good and there was a lot to take in with stunt kites, formation flying, balloons and some large airborne sea creatures!
The forums have attracted a lot of readers and new members in March with topics ranging from jellyfish on the beach to seasonal differences and as always the weather. If you don’t know by now this month and next will be scorchio! April to June is the hottest time of the year in Hua Hin.
A number of the bars and pubs had events this month with Crawford’s changing names to O’Neill’s, St Patrick’s Day, charity quiz nights at Buffalo Tavern, and a comedy night arranged by Hot Property. A few new venues got reviewed also though not all favorably – there seems to be a new trend in swanky venues targeting Bangkok’s weekend hip crowd opening in Hua Hin, needless to say they also have Bangkok prices. On the feeding front there was the usual selection of restaurant reviews as Hua Hin’s culinary options continue to expand.
By far the busiest section of the forums over the month has been the property section. It seems a new government has restored a sense of security in at least some readers as they pose their real estate questions to the experts. Primarily though the main discussion topics tend to be about developers and developments. With a massive increase in new developments and over a hundred to choose from you have to do your research thoroughly as not all are what they seem.
There has been an increase in complaints against developers not providing what they agreed to before the purchase, in many cases the buyer has little to fall back on. Other developers are simply too powerful and have greased local wheels to keep their operations above the law. It is a sad state of affairs and the only advice we can offer is buyer beware, do your research as there are a lot of good ones out there, and if possible rent in Hua Hin for a few months before you buy your dream home to get a feel of things.
A reader with a Thai girlfriend problem generated five pages of responses and advice in the relationship section. These topics are also very popular as most expats and long term visitors to Thailand can relate to the issues which invariably get more complicated when property is involved!
Plenty of visa experiences were also aired as Hua Hin immigration seems to be tightening the noose on foreigners living here more and more. Bizarre 24 hour reporting regulations, odd questions for marriage visa extensions and requests for income into Thailand were among some of the things people encountered there. It does seem that immigration departments in different provinces operate autonomously and run by their own book, Hua Hin just seems to have a larger book than elsewhere.
We had the usual array of requests in the “ask the expats” section ranging from moving trucks to used books to security services and appliance repair. Whatever your question there is an answer there.
Find out more on the Hua Hin Forum