Price comparisons have always been hot topics of contention especially when that comparison is between Hua Hin and Pattaya. The two resorts are constantly being compared but the one that comes up on top in terms of value for money has always been Pattaya. From the cost of a room to the price of a beer, to anything else that you may indulge in the ‘Big P’ beats ‘Double H’ pretty much hands down.
In Hua Hin’s favour, and for many something that is worth the additional expense of living here, is the relative safety, lower crime rate and lack of unadulterated sleaze and generally dodgy characters (although the latter are definitely on the increase in Hua Hin). Pattaya has always been the place for those seeking a little more vivacity in their lives, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea which is why we chose to live in Hua Hin!
Hua Hin is probably right up there with Phuket as one of the most expensive places in Thailand to live or visit but as in the southern resort it is quite easy to avoid paying tourist prices if you stay out of the town centre and hunt around a bit for bargains. Household items, furniture and electrical items can be purchased for remarkably less just down the road in Pranburi or Tha-Yang.
As foreign currencies continue to squeeze and the baht looks no closer to weakening many expats will be looking to save more in order to stay here, but the ultimate saving may well be finding a cheaper place in Thailand to live, there are plenty of them.
Now that immigration have finally found a place and confirmed their move to Soi 23 this week a huge sigh of relief was felt by the hundreds of expats resident in Hua Hin who are no longer faced with the road trip to Prachuab. We also hope that some of their “local policies” and “extra documents” that are often not applicable at other regional immigration offices do not start increasing again! The rumours of another move later in the year have already started to emerge so be sure to check the forum for the latest information.
Tech fans had a lot to talk about this week with the usual problems stemming from the unreliable flaky internet services in Hua Hin, cooked computers and camera questions. The number of computer shops in town has increased substantially but the majority tend to be over priced with limited stock, anything remotely out of the ordinary will require a trip to Panthip Plaza in Bangkok though there have been a couple of recommendations for local service and repair technicians, check the digital forum to find out more.