Choose Pattaya or Hua Hin as your place of residence
If someone is planning to buy a condo, house or villa in a coastal Thai town that is fairly close to Bangkok, he is faced with the question of choosing Hua Hin or Pattaya.
That question is not so easy to answer, because the two places have quite a few similarities. Both have miles of coastline, good beaches and are only hours away from Bangkok. For Hua Hin it is 3 hours and for Pattaya 2 hours. The weather is pleasant all year round in both places, there are many foreigners and Pattaya and Hua Hin are both top Asian destinations for water sports and golf enthusiasts.
However, there are also significant differences that are important for the choice, depending on the wishes and lifestyle of the buyer. The Thaiger recently published a long article in which a number of aspects of those differences and similarities are highlighted. You can read that article in English at “Tale of two cities – Hua Hin vs Pattaya | News by The Thaiger”. I've translated parts of it in a condensed form below, sometimes adding a comment of my own.
General impression Hua Hin
If you are looking for a quiet beach resort, Hua Hin is the best choice. There are about 100.000 people living in Hua Hin and it is becoming more and more attractive for tourists. The lazy-looking town has 5 kilometers of beach, where not everything has been built up with high-rise hotels or apartment complexes, due to applicable building regulations. Hua Hin is not the best place for swimming enthusiasts, because the seabed off the coast is quite rocky.
Hua Hin is also a great destination for a short stay for those who like peace and quiet. It does not have a shabby reputation, there is hardly any industry and this is due to the presence of two palaces, which is why Hua Hin is often referred to as the "Royal Resort".
Nevertheless, the number of good restaurants and new tourist attractions is growing. Hua Hin is a favorite with the Thai upper class and people from Bangkok for a weekend.
General impression Pattaya
If you want more action with many possible activities, Pattaya is the absolute winner. It has a longer history of development for Western style designed villas and condominiums. Almost 400.000 people live there plus a large number of foreign tourists. There are many high-rise buildings on the beaches, but also beautiful villas with sea views on the Pratumnak hill. There are three well-known beaches, where you can swim and where water sports such as kite surfing and water skiing can be practiced. There is of course Pattaya Beach, but the beaches of Jomtien and Wong Amat in Naklua are also very attractive.
Pattaya is well known – notorious if you will – as the place for an exuberant nightlife, but Pattaya has more to offer and is increasingly being referred to as a perfect place for families with children. There are more than 400.000 tourists every year, who use the many tourist attractions.
Lifestyle
There are quite a number of eateries, shopping malls and attractions in both places, but when it comes to variety of choices, Pattaya is the winner.
That is not to say that there are few options in Hua Hin. Many buyers choose Hua Hin because they like to play golf and love space. There are first class Thai and international restaurants, a large eco-friendly water park and multiple night markets. Hua Hin also has stylish shopping centers such as Blueport and Market Village.
Pattaya may have a bad reputation because of the nightlife in go-go bars, beer bars, discos, in Pattaya it is certainly possible to follow a different lifestyle due to the many other options to make a stay pleasant, especially for families with children .
The range of Thai and international restaurants, from pricey four-star restaurants to simple family restaurants, means that there is a choice for every budget.
Pattaya also offers the opportunity to visit chic shopping centers such as Terminal 21, Central Festival and Central Marina. There are also many opportunities, especially for families, to visit water parks and museums, while there are also many sports options, such as Thai boxing, kite surfing, water skiing and skydiving. Pattaya is also an excellent destination for diving. For a day of snorkeling, go to nearby islands such as Koh Larn or Koh Samet.
A colorful house in Pattaya
International education
For expat families, there are excellent opportunities for international education in both Hua Hin and Pattaya. In Hua Hin there are a few possibilities, such as the Hua Hin International School, where mainly English teaching methods are applied by many English teachers. The subject matter is of a high standard and the school has excellent sports facilities.
In Pattaya, expats have more options with international schools such as St Andrews International School, Regents International School and Tara Pattana International School.
A picturesque blue house in Hua Hin
healthcare
For medical care, high-quality hospitals are available in Hua Hin and Pattaya, which offer specialist care in addition to basic care. In Hua Hin, for example, this is the cheaper Sao Paulo Hospital and the more expensive Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin. In Pattaya there is also a larger choice here, but I only mention the Bangkok Hospital Pattaya and Pattaya International Hospital as the better hospitals.
Conclusion
The choice of Hua Hin or Pattaya depends entirely on one's wishes and lifestyle. Lovers of a quiet life choose Hua Hin and those who want to live a more vibrant life will live in Pattaya.
Source: “Tale of two cities – Hua Hin vs Pattaya | News by The Thaiger”
About this blogger
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Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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That you can't swim because of the rocks in Hua Hin is a persistent misunderstanding. It's going bad for a piece at the Hilton Hotel. If you go 100 meters towards Khao Takiab, there is no rock to be seen.
The water there is cleaner than in Pattaya and therefore better bathing water.
Both Pattaya and Hua Hin are nice places. Personal preferences will make it biased towards one or the other.
Personally, I really like Pattaya, but the crowds and noise start to bother me after a few days. I don't have that in Hua Hin.
Perhaps it is good to mention that Hua Hin is a lot more expensive to live there compared to Pattaya.
Indeed. There is not a stone to be seen on Hua Hin Beach. It is very popular among kite surfers because there are no rocks and no stones on the coastline. Hua Hin also escapes the corona pandemic a bit. There is still quite a lot open, bars and restaurants. I am having a great time in Hua Hin and it certainly has my preference over Pattaya. Phuket can also be done, but that is now so incredibly dead, you don't want to sit there. Hua Hin is the place to be at the moment. Hua Hin is pricey. A lot more pricey than Pattaya.
What is missing in the excellent article is that Hua Hin is drier than Pataya. Both places have an excellent climate, but the rainfall in some months in Hua Hin is less. Due to its location near the mountains between Thailand and Myamar, there is a micro climate
Useful article. I chose Hua Hin myself. A note: there are large boulders in the sea in front of the main entrance to the beach (at the Hilton Hotel), but otherwise the beach and the sea are free of stones with one exception. I also have the impression that the sea in Hua Hin is 'cleaner' than in Pattaya.
You go on vacation to Hua-Hin. You will live in Pattaya.
We always go on holiday to both Pattaya (north) and Hua Hin for 1 week. And both weeks are always fantastic. For this year there is also 1 week Koh Chang added.
I live in Hua Hin.
To all newcomers : be wise and live in Pattaya.
Then it stays nice and quiet here!
Hahaha, I totally agree Dirk.
indeed for me after 5 years of pattaya hua hin is a breath of fresh air in every way
I would advise not to buy anything at all for the time being and first for a while in one place, and then something to rent in the other place for a while. This gives you the opportunity to look around and find something that fully meets your own requirements. Buying is easy, but if you don't like it after a while, selling is a lot more difficult. I wish you good luck and enjoy life.
Greetings Ben Korat
Pattaya of course has the nicest bridge club!!!
With the most attractive location, namely Thai Garden Resort.
Two bridge clubs in Hua Hin, each playing 2 days a week, nice and busy and fun
I've always been told that in the "heyday" of tourism, around 8 million tourists came a year!
Under the big "umbrella" called Pattaya, from the afternoon I enjoy the cycads chirping and later the sound of frogs! In the morning I enjoy the birds singing in the garden, looking for food.
During the day when I'm at home I'm sometimes startled by an ice cream man calling, who stops at my house.
Plenty of choice of European food if you feel the need! Many international restaurants with even hala food.
For the beach and "bustling" life only 20/30 minutes by car.
And many hobby clubs.
i miss the air quality comparison in both places
If I have to be honest I wouldn't want to live in Pattaya at all (same for Phuket).
In the real high season it is unpleasant there because of the hordes of arrogant tourists who think the world is theirs. Hua Hin, on the other hand, is a lot quieter. I've been there on vacation a few times myself.
I myself live in a non-touristy town, an hour's drive from Bangkok and Pattaya. If I want the advantages of a big city, I take the car. Now I enjoy the tranquility of the countryside but still have all the necessary amenities relatively close by. The perfect combination.
I do understand the Farang who would like to visit their compatriots for a nice chat. There are many others who are perfectly happy in the countryside among the real Thai. To each his own I would say.
Pattaya or Hua Hin? If I had to choose: definitely Hua-Hin!
We will also be living in the middle between BKK and Pattaya in the future.
In Chachoengsao.
You also have everything there.
Except sea and beach. More forest
I wouldn't choose Pattaya because of the noise, the crowds, the hellish traffic (outside of Covid times), entire streets that are flooded with the slightest rain shower... and the stench from the sewers. But… if you look a little further, about 20 kilometers, you have Bangsaray with all the advantages of Pattaya but none of the disadvantages.
If you want to live in a seaside resort as close as possible to Bangkok, why not choose Cha Am. This seaside resort is much more relaxed than Pattaya or Hua Hin with a nice, long boulevard, without traffic chaos. The prices are a lot lower than in Pattaya.
I live in pattaya for 11 years. Been to Hua Hin several times, but I think Pattaya has a lot more to offer. And if you want to live in peace: there are many villages near Pattaya (I live in Pattaya Tropical village, 123 houses) where it is very quiet living and yet close to the center of the city.
I have been to Hua Hin several times, but finally decided to stay in Pattaya (Pratumnak). I love to take a long exercise walk on the beach road every morning or evening. There is no beach road in Hua Hin. That is really a loss. I am quite a foodie and in Pattaya area can really find all good international culinary restaurants. In Hua Hin that is quite limited.
In Pattaya I rent a beautiful large apartment with sea view and very quiet. In Hua Hin the condos are rather small and much more expensive. A house is easier to rent, but I don't like a house because I live alone. By the way, in Pattaya dark side you can also rent houses at a good price. In Pattaya and the surrounding area, everything is easily accessible by baht bus. I think in Hua Hin a bit more difficult.
However, Hua Hin has a more beautiful nature around it. And it is beautiful cycling. In Pattaya I stopped cycling.
Greetings
Paul
Pattaya is currently a 'hell' because of the 100s, perhaps 1000s of mopeds whose riders have removed the mufflers from their exhausts: it has been a trend for several months. In addition, heavy engines roar, the riders of which occasionally open the throttle while standing still at the traffic light.
It is no longer pleasant to walk on the boulevard in Jomtien due to this infernal noise.
And near Pattaya is SATTAHIP.
With all the benefits of Pattaya and the outdoors within 25 minutes.
And much cheaper houses and land.