NEXT: Cha-Am at NIGHT + Beach music fest!! th-cam.com/video/a4Rd3l_i6qw/w-d-xo.html PREV: $120 Month Hua Hin: th-cam.com/video/htMFIDyFlWY/w-d-xo.html TIPS/Buy me a beer? bit.ly/3Le6Ex8 Hua Hin Hotels: www.agoda.com/city/hua-hin-cha-am-th.html?cid=1898974 Bangkok Hotels www.agoda.com/city/bangkok-th.html?cid=1898974 Flights: bit.ly/3STHLvf *IMPORTANT!!!!! SOME OF MY RESPONSES TO EMAILS AND COMMENTS ON THIS & SIMILAR VIDS: Been feeling slightly alarmed (and worryingly responsible) at the amount of responses from folks stating they may just pick up and move across the world based on a 15 min YT video.... Here's an email response I just sent to a guy who said he's considering quitting his job and moving here (despite never even been here before....) ============== -Honestly, you may think you could live on $800 month/$1000 month etc here but at that budget life would be very basic (plus wouldn't include insurance, visa costs, emergencies, etc etc etc). Personally keep to approx $1500 budget and find that 'just' covers having a modestly enjoyable lifestyle here (one's milage may vary of course). Both health insurance and long term visas can be costly especially depending on age. Under 50 health insurance approx $100 month and over 50 insurance gets increasingly expensive, factor $300 month-up. Visas: Elite visa $17K USD for 5 years, 60K USD for 20 years. Retirement visa you must show either 65k THB/$1900 USD monthly income, or 800kTHB/$23,000 USD in a Thai Bank account. Many under 50's do get other visas such as education visa to learn Thai Language or Muay Thai etc but this is a short term solution and they're cracking down on abusers. Thus, BEFORE you say 'take this job and %#$@! it' and jump on a plane to move to Thailand... would recommend at a minimum coming for a visit FIRST. YT'rs like me can make it look all wonderful but of course daily life is much different than a 15 min YT highlight vid. So, please, BEFORE making any commitments (or burning bridges) come have a look first. Then, if you still feel the same and are financially sound, do a longer test (say 6 months) to see if daily life here really meets expectations, suits your lifestyle and your budget. Good luck STL
I’ve visited 38 countries, lived in 6 . For me, it comes down to ; mountains+ clean beach + big pool + gym + modern condo+ safety+ clean water+ good markets ; as inexpensive as possible. You don’t need more than that .
Cha Am is where I spend all my time in Thailand. I have been going there for over 20 years. I love staying at the Lumpini Park Beach. So quiet and great pools.
I have a condo in Lumpini Jomtien Park Beach. It's quiet and the weather is great. In the evening, there will be wind from the sea blowing into the condo. Makes me feel refreshed from the ozone and the sunset here is so beautiful. It has 3 large swimming pools, a fitness room, a sauna room. And the view on the top of the building is very beautiful.
Thnx, pal. Your scooter ride was truly interesting. Visited Cha-Am and Hua Hin some 25 yrs ago last time. Did NOT recognise any of scenery shown in this clip! Life evolves... everywhere. Keep up yr good work. It helps a lot as expat that you speak some Thai.
Great video I love Cha Am, they have everything Hua Hin has but with a quieter setting, except on weekends when both Hua Hin and Cha Am fill up with people from Bangkok. The biggest plus with Cha Am is that they have a beach promenade, something you don't have in Hua Hin, Cha Am is also a fishing village, so the seafood is a little cheaper at restaurants or street vendors.
I liked all your videos. I’m trying to convince my wife to buying a condo in Thailand. In Edmonton is where I live now. Things are getting expensive to buy now this days in Canada. I got dual citizenship(Laos and Canadian). Also, I lived in Thailand for 7 years when I was 5 years old until 12 years old. Until I moved to Canada. Thank you for making them videos.
So many available condos for sale now depends on your budget. I prefer bkk I bought mine 11 years ago why bkk? Originally from nyc lived near Times Square. I don’t drive so bkk was perfect for me.
Thank you for a very informative and entertaining video. I really like the added text explanations, such as when you explained the change in province when going through the tunnel under the runway. The extra bits of info are great. Keep up the great content.
Your adventures in these smaller beach towns are just fantastic! These places look very appealing due to lower crowds (tourists) and better prices for medium or long-term visits.
Thanks again for the tours and content. Huge fan of your work and channel. Would also like to see more mid-range condos and resorts rather than standard / low-end please? You might attract a larger audience for that as well. Personally I'd rather stay / rent where it's more quiet and less 20-something party-town. You do a ton of work it's some of the best out there.
Thank you and good suggestion. As I'm just looking for myself and on a budget thus never considered looking at the more upscale options (but I do post some higher end options too as seen in my Hua Hin condo tour vid). Will try to do more of that. Cheers, STL
Indeed I’m more interested in the above 50+ type of quiet place, more geared towards retirees who has had enough of loud music partying all night long. Low budget is fine, so I can save up to keep traveling all around the SEA.
@@SideTripLife i thank you for all your infos...... can you include size of room in eg. 30.sq.m or whatever size it is for all your videos? so we know the size with the price? if you don't mind that at all, thank you so much!
Stumbled upon this and enjoyed it very much --probably for different reasons than most of your viewers. We snow bird from Germany to Hua Hin over 4 months of winter. Me, american, hubby German, stay in the same rental condo every year, where a number of 50 pluses end up, the Blue Lagoon. We often spend beach days in Cha am. I watched your video today on an overcast chili spring day in Wiesbaden, and thoroughly enjoyed the little tour from Hua Hin to Cha am, with your detours in between….a bit of a nostalgic feeling, even though we just returned from HH beg of April! Thanks! Interesting info about the Chinese investing in E vehicles in Thailand.
Last month, I was on the shuttle bus from BKK airport to Hua Hin. The shuttle van from the Hua Hin bus station to hotels is 100 baht, not free. Alternatively, you can walk past the airport to catch the green songtow bus, which will take you to the night market location for 15 baht. Other songtow buses are available once you get to the night market intersection.
@@jefftanasse6958 agree, which is why 100 baht to your hotel doorstep is a good idea if you have luggage. I’m merely providing clarity and alternatives.
@Paul A Thanks, will paste my earlier rsponse to a similar comment below: Never taken that particular bus out by the Airport (if anyone sees my past vids, train most times, LOVE the train;) But what's up with the sign saying free Clock Tower shuttle, bait n switch or? Cheers, STL
We love Cha Am, My mother-in-law introduced Me to it 10-12 years ago & I found myself going back more & more. My wife is from Suphanburi, but lived a lot of her life in BKK, so can live anywhere really. I wanted to be near the coast & Cha Am seemed the right firt for me, enough farang for the locals to speak a bit of English, but not saturated with farang like Hua Hin. We bought our land march 2022, well My wife's land, you know the score 😂 lookjng forward to the house build & retirement.
THANK YOU! I'VE NEVER SEEN A SINGLE YOU TUBE CHANNEL THAT SHOW A SKY VIEW OF THE AREA, THEN ZOOM IN AND SHOW AIRPORTS AND ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION, THEN LOCAL FOOD, PLUS BEACH AREAS AND THEN RENTAL AND FOR SALE ACCOMODATIONS AND TOUR OF THE PLACES IN MENTION PLUS THEN GET A FEEL OF THE MALLS AND PRICES!.. ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN AND NOT AI!.. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! SUBCRIBED! JUST WANT THIS TYPE OF HIGH SPEED CONTENT WITH TONS OF INFO ON MY FEED FROM NOW ON. WHAT A TREMENDOUS WELL DONE JOB, I HOPE OTHERS ARE TAKING NOTES. BECAUSE WE SURE TAKING NOTICE. GREAT SKILLS MY FRIEND! GOT A TALENT FOR THIS FOR SURE. FIRST UNDER 100K YOU TUBER I WILL PAY TO WATCH ADDS. NEEDS TO BE A MILLION VERY SOON!
love your insights of thailand, you really inspire me to become a digital nomad because through your videos i can see that a happy life can be easy and cheap
Yet again, great up to date relevant information on all the important things. Great to see that there are still some amazing deals for accommodation. Even though my last trip was 11 years ago now, I deliberately spent time in the supermarkets to get a feel for the prices. My biggest take away was that wine, beef and cheese were expensive, but I was astounded by the seafood prices. Given that Salmon here (UK) is about £16-20 a kilo, and most other fish are similarly priced, the cost of fish in Thailand, such as red snapper fillets, would be an absolute gift. Don't think I'd ever get tired of that.
Cha Am is one of my favorite destinations in Thailand, and my favorite hotel is the Grand Pacific Sovereign. The breakfast buffet is the largest and best I have had in Thailand and the Italian restaurant there is rated to one of the 3 best in all of Thailand. It is expensive there, but you get what you pay for. So we usually have at least one dinner there at each stay. The Salmon at Makro is from Norway. But as a Norwegian, I don't buy it at Makro due to the 3-5 times higher price there than what I am used to pay.
Thanks for the info Svein. Just curious, how much is salmon in Norway anyways? (farmed/fresh). Also, how much is a plate of say Khao Pad Gai/chicken fried rice at a Thai restaurant there? Cheers, STL
@@SideTripLife Smoked Salmon start at approx. 400 Bath a kilo, Fresh from approx. 750 Bath a Kilo. Most Thai dinner at a Thai restaurant are from 300-750 Bath, depending on location.
Thanks for the great information. Will check out the Grand Pacific next 4 month stay in Hua hin. Sounds wonderful. We go to Cha am often for the beach and easy thai lifestyle, lovely local change from our apt in Blue Lagoon. Any other tips as a presumably fish loving Norwegian, where to get a good selection of fresh fish in Hua Hin? (Not shellfish),looking for both good fish restaurant (there are so many ), plus where to buy fish to cook at home. Many places have it, incl the expensive ex pat supermarkets, also Macro which is very large, what do you recommend?
Thanks for showing the Hua Hin airport. Hope they actually expand the service. A short flight to UTapao or Phuket would be nice. Railway improvements sound promising as well. Another great video. 👍
Great video, like the side tracks. Also, wanted to mention that the audio is very good, even though you're riding I don't hear the wind and other traffic much.
Thank you for going out of the way. There are channels that are showing uo with $2k apartments...which is a whole lotta pointless. This makes it real and worth it.
Great video. I'm pretty much set on retiring to Thailand from the US. But the question is: where?!?! Bangkok is out, don't want the smoke of Chiang Mai, and the craziness of Pattaya might get to be a bit much after a while. These Hua Hin area videos are very informative and putting that area on my radar to check out my next trip!
Love you vids, I'm close to Montreal and your vids make it feel like a very expensive place to live. It seems like living elsewhere would allow me to build wealth 10x faster ! (and way more comfortably as per price of food, restaurants and alcool)
Another great video. Thanks STL!! 😊👏🏼☮️ See you picked the nicely decorated condo in Hua Hin. 😇 All the best finding your next one - yes, compared to Vancouver...you have a goldmine over there...those prices! 🤩 And that fancy place sure did look like the Clampets Beverly Hillbillies! 😂
Good to see my favorite spot in LOS. First visited over 20 years ago ... my how it has cganged and tge prices. Currently staying in an area with thousands of acres of blueberry farms .. eat fresh most days. Tganks for tge tour looking for part 2. Bushyboy Oz.
WOW Cha-am looks amazing, I've not been there before, looking forward to pt2. BTW the gold kiwi in Australia are about the same price. I see you ended u going with Condo #5 - great choice. Pleased to see Wrexham's promotion featured too 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
i live in Cha am, its a great place. Most of what you need is here, or in Hua Hin. I hope you found the fresh market, opposite side of the main road. Also, good market on Wednesday nights........in fact there are good markets every night, different locations. Immigration here is also very good. As you saw, just a small couple of streets where most of the expats hang out.........but if you want a big party.....go to Pattaya. Frozen strawberries right next to the blueberries in Makro, very cheap. Makro is always quiet, i have never had to wait long to pay. Go to the fishing harbour, near the Squid fishing pier.....great seafood there.
I think I would prefer the 3 floor or higher if I had a choice... *Tsunamis ya know !* I had a small bungalo right on the Gulf of Siam at U-tapao RTAFB back in 1967 ! Awesome !
Hiya. STL. Happy Sunday. Like I always say. Always informative. I love coming along with you on your adventures. Showing us around. Places to eat and stay. I love how you're always so polite. A man after my own heart. (Don't skip those ads, peeps. Every little helps.) Buying accommodation is cheap in Thailand. My home is 3 beds and two baths. 490K. No pool. Or gym.😆 My grandson is 3 soon. Blueberries are his fave. That is the cake he has asked me to make for his birthday. Great video. Liked and Shared. Your videos are never long enough. Look forward to part 2. Have a great week.
Thanks Nicky! Your grandkid is a kid after my own heart, blueberries my fav ;) I see the dandelions are welcoming Buddy's endorsement on your latest vid, spring has sprung, enjoy! STL
! Im moving there I am SICK of how expensive it is in Australia every night I look at the real estate website looking at where oh where can I afford to live it’s so bloody expensive 🥵
i actually moved here from WA 7 months ago and have not missed Australia and no regrets. I am unsure as to whether or not you are eligible for the Australian pension but if you are then all good , you can receive it even when living in Thailand. But if you move to Thailand and stay there until you are of retirement age than if you are applying for the pension I am afraid that you are required to move back to Australia for 2 years before you apply.
thanks for the heads up on Cha Am, looks fantastic. Was just in Thailand and went to Koh Chang, Koh Tao and Koh Samui. , stayed at some of the hotels you reviewed, awesome information. Looks like I'm coming back and I think first stop Cha Am for an extended stay. Thanks heap mate. Cheers Lester
Great vids of this area of Thailand. Thanks for including prices in CAN$ . Visited Hua hin 50 years ago and very quiet place, remember walking down the beach to the hill at end and not another person or vendor just sand. No shopping malls, bars or condos then, stayed at big railway hotel for couple of bucks a nite. Wonderful memories.
I spent a weekend in Cha am and I thought it was a very charming town. Much better than Pattaya, which I dislike for many reasons. My home base is Bangkok but it's an easy bus ride to Cha am.
Love your vids , I’m going to stay in cha am Christmas after watching this 🙏 never been before and I’ve stayed in hua hin 6 times and stopped 90 days each time 😂
this: th-cam.com/video/YcwiPM1G8fY/w-d-xo.html and this: th-cam.com/video/bwtFh4BAhdc/w-d-xo.html and this too: th-cam.com/video/bwtFh4BAhdc/w-d-xo.html Hearty congrats Wrexham!
Hello, love your videos👍😊 One thing thou, you are always looking for the low end bargains in Thailand, staying, drinking & food., services. I am looking for the middle class options. Condos from around 500 to 800 USD and mutch more from the drinking parlor. How mutch is Johnny Walker, Smirnoff, Bombay etc. How mutch is imported beer, Haineken, Carlsberg, Tuborg etc. Condos next to the beach? I would love it if you do a video about the good life in Thailand, not always the cheaper options. Thank you!
That's was awesome The city gotten an airport this will be very convenience for the hua Hin residential to travel to and from I did not hear from Bangkok to hua Hin . I guess it too short of the distance.
Live Cha Am and the beach area, the Thai people come in droves on the weekend……easy to get to by train and cheap accommodation for 1 night…..my step daughters would rather go there then come to Hua Hin and visit us🤣😆 great video STL!
Thanks MauiHowey! So you're one of the lucky local Expats. I get why your Thai step kids would like Cha-am beach better. I also enjoy your vids! Cheers, STL
I appreciate you for your troubles went out of your way to show all of us all of the beautiful places. I myself was born in Bangkok makkasan district ratchathew Bangkok, I left Bangkok in the early seventhy and have been living here in the northern New England of the United States more than fifty years and I'm looking for to move back to Thailand and completely my retirement there.
Thank you for your very helpful videos. I Have Been Following you for over a year now and your videos are top notch. I am currently retired in the Philippines and will be visiting there in another few months.
another great informative to the point video..thanx dude,u dont fool with the stupid stuff like angled shots and bs.u show stuff like lodging food beaches and everyday stuff that people really need and want to know..bravo!!,,im retiring in 2024 and coming back to southeast asia to live out my life,,ill be 48 when i retire so still have some life left to enjoy in a tropical paradise instead of freezing chi=town usa lol peace!!
Dude man I really have to hand it to you, I watch Hundreds of Videos about Thailand, and this Video is probably one of the most Inspiring Videos I have seen, you found some place in Thailand that I have never been and I feel like you found the "Secret Spot" 😁 I gotta hand it to you! I am definitely going there, and I will probably use that place as MY Home Base as well, so we might bump into each other sometime. Thanks! 😁
Great Video as all way. I love the long videos even if you're just walking around doing normal stuff, because it gives me an ideal of what I want to do when I get there. Love the condo runs and the local food stalls. I'm trying to find an online course where I can learn Thai so it will be easier to get around. How did you learn? But Great video Keep it up.
Thanks. My Thai is pretty basic actually. I had a Thai GF teaching me but she moved to USA for uni. Also had a small biz but my staff all spoke English. Lousy excuses I know but still tryin! Some good Thai language courses online, just google n try (I should do same 555/lol;) Good luck/chok dee. STL
I'll probably look through out Thailand for my retirement destination. I want a nice quiet place but within a decent distance of say party area should I feel like I need some noise to make me feel alive for a little bit as well. Gotta have some balance in life ya know. I for one don't need much to get by but I'm not against looking at all price options. For me a quiet place, has to have a movie theater, and street food. Anything else is icing on the cake.
Let’s see if we can find a nice condo with gym and pool. Gym is a must. You and I need to keep in shape my Canadian friend. I’ll Look forward to the video.
Good to see there are still some good deals in Thailand...dont go to Costa Rica its super expensive now ! ridiculous prices for food ...still possible to find cheaper accommodation if you shop around.... ! 10 $ plus for a 6 pack of local beer..
Happy New Year from Wellington New Zealand where we are 45 mins into '24. Kiwi-fruit are obv cheaper here but Blueberries...I got 125 gram pack the other day, I just had a look in the fridge to see if the price was still on the pack but alas it wasn't but I am sure it was about $9 dollars. Blueberries are The Bomb, just sooo good for the 'inner sanctum' they ought be made compolsory from the start of school. I like the look of this place and Hua Hin being close I could visit Johnny and his mrs. Hmmm?! Golf Courses sound okay and the manicured ones are works of art on most courses worldwide, Trump has some real beauties and being such an avid golfer he must savea ton of dough in Green Fees.
NEXT: Cha-Am at NIGHT + Beach music fest!! th-cam.com/video/a4Rd3l_i6qw/w-d-xo.html
PREV: $120 Month Hua Hin: th-cam.com/video/htMFIDyFlWY/w-d-xo.html
TIPS/Buy me a beer? bit.ly/3Le6Ex8
Hua Hin Hotels: www.agoda.com/city/hua-hin-cha-am-th.html?cid=1898974
Bangkok Hotels www.agoda.com/city/bangkok-th.html?cid=1898974
Flights: bit.ly/3STHLvf
*IMPORTANT!!!!! SOME OF MY RESPONSES TO EMAILS AND COMMENTS ON THIS & SIMILAR VIDS:
Been feeling slightly alarmed (and worryingly responsible) at the amount of responses from folks stating they may just pick up and move across the world based on a 15 min YT video.... Here's an email response I just sent to a guy who said he's considering quitting his job and moving here (despite never even been here before....)
==============
-Honestly, you may think you could live on $800 month/$1000 month etc here but at that budget life would be very basic (plus wouldn't include insurance, visa costs, emergencies, etc etc etc). Personally keep to approx $1500 budget and find that 'just' covers having a modestly enjoyable lifestyle here (one's milage may vary of course).
Both health insurance and long term visas can be costly especially depending on age. Under 50 health insurance approx $100 month and over 50 insurance gets increasingly expensive, factor $300 month-up. Visas: Elite visa $17K USD for 5 years, 60K USD for 20 years. Retirement visa you must show either 65k THB/$1900 USD monthly income, or 800kTHB/$23,000 USD in a Thai Bank account. Many under 50's do get other visas such as education visa to learn Thai Language or Muay Thai etc but this is a short term solution and they're cracking down on abusers.
Thus, BEFORE you say 'take this job and %#$@! it' and jump on a plane to move to Thailand... would recommend at a minimum coming for a visit FIRST. YT'rs like me can make it look all wonderful but of course daily life is much different than a 15 min YT highlight vid. So, please, BEFORE making any commitments (or burning bridges) come have a look first. Then, if you still feel the same and are financially sound, do a longer test (say 6 months) to see if daily life here really meets expectations, suits your lifestyle and your budget.
Good luck
STL
One month or my rent just outside philadelphia covers the rent in cha am for almost a year God I can't wait to get over there!
😂😂😂
Me 2
I’ve visited 38 countries, lived in 6 . For me, it comes down to ; mountains+ clean beach + big pool + gym + modern condo+ safety+ clean water+ good markets ; as inexpensive as possible. You don’t need more than that .
Which city has ticked most of your boxes?
So it comes down to quite a lot of things then....
100% agree. what's your top 5 ?
Cheap, extensive public transportation. Very important
Sounds like all you need mate
$175. What more could you need? We can always WANT more, but until then this would do nicely! Side trips pay dividends. 👍🇹🇭🏝️
Man this sounds perfect. Just a thought
Cha Am is where I spend all my time in Thailand. I have been going there for over 20 years. I love staying at the Lumpini Park Beach. So quiet and great pools.
I have a condo in Lumpini Jomtien Park Beach. It's quiet and the weather is great. In the evening, there will be wind from the sea blowing into the condo. Makes me feel refreshed from the ozone and the sunset here is so beautiful.
It has 3 large swimming pools, a fitness room, a sauna room. And the view on the top of the building is very beautiful.
My husband and I totally love your condos tour videos!! We’re binge watching them all & thanks for sharing 😊
Thank you both! STL
Another educational video from STL. Easy to listen to and filled with great info. Nicely played.
Thnx, pal. Your scooter ride was truly interesting. Visited Cha-Am and Hua Hin some 25 yrs ago last time. Did NOT recognise any of scenery shown in this clip! Life evolves... everywhere. Keep up yr good work. It helps a lot as expat that you speak some Thai.
Thank God. A Thailand travel vlogger who knows Thailand and knows how to vlog. The best.
Great video
I love Cha Am, they have everything Hua Hin has but with a quieter setting, except on weekends when both Hua Hin and Cha Am fill up with people from Bangkok.
The biggest plus with Cha Am is that they have a beach promenade, something you don't have in Hua Hin, Cha Am is also a fishing village, so the seafood is a little cheaper at restaurants or street vendors.
Great comment!
I liked all your videos. I’m trying to convince my wife to buying a condo in Thailand. In Edmonton is where I live now. Things are getting expensive to buy now this days in Canada. I got dual citizenship(Laos and Canadian). Also, I lived in Thailand for 7 years when I was 5 years old until 12 years old. Until I moved to Canada. Thank you for making them videos.
As a Laotian American, I have a same situation. I would love to retire in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
So many available condos for sale now depends on your budget. I prefer bkk I bought mine 11 years ago why bkk? Originally from nyc lived near Times Square. I don’t drive so bkk was perfect for me.
Here i bought mine in Pataca 10 years ago but i had problem with now i want to sell it
I mean Pattaya
Thank you for a very informative and entertaining video. I really like the added text explanations, such as when you explained the change in province when going through the tunnel under the runway. The extra bits of info are great. Keep up the great content.
Thx!
Your adventures in these smaller beach towns are just fantastic! These places look very appealing due to lower crowds (tourists) and better prices for medium or long-term visits.
Thanks again for the tours and content. Huge fan of your work and channel. Would also like to see more mid-range condos and resorts rather than standard / low-end please? You might attract a larger audience for that as well. Personally I'd rather stay / rent where it's more quiet and less 20-something party-town. You do a ton of work it's some of the best out there.
Thank you and good suggestion. As I'm just looking for myself and on a budget thus never considered looking at the more upscale options (but I do post some higher end options too as seen in my Hua Hin condo tour vid). Will try to do more of that. Cheers, STL
Indeed I’m more interested in the above 50+ type of quiet place, more geared towards retirees who has had enough of loud music partying all night long. Low budget is fine, so I can save up to keep traveling all around the SEA.
@@SideTripLife i thank you for all your infos...... can you include size of room in eg. 30.sq.m or whatever size it is for all your videos? so we know the size with the price? if you don't mind that at all, thank you so much!
One of the best Thai channels 👍👌
And you my friend make it even better
Thank you 🙏
Stumbled upon this and enjoyed it very much --probably for different reasons than most of your viewers. We snow bird from Germany to Hua Hin over 4 months of winter. Me, american, hubby German, stay in the same rental condo every year, where a number of 50 pluses end up, the Blue Lagoon. We often spend beach days in Cha am. I watched your video today on an overcast chili spring day in Wiesbaden, and thoroughly enjoyed the little tour from Hua Hin to Cha am, with your detours in between….a bit of a nostalgic feeling, even though we just returned from HH beg of April! Thanks! Interesting info about the Chinese investing in E vehicles in Thailand.
Last month, I was on the shuttle bus from BKK airport to Hua Hin. The shuttle van from the Hua Hin bus station to hotels is 100 baht, not free. Alternatively, you can walk past the airport to catch the green songtow bus, which will take you to the night market location for 15 baht. Other songtow buses are available once you get to the night market intersection.
Lugging your suitcases and other bags to a baht bus and then throwing them onto the songtow is not the best idea to save three bucks
@@jefftanasse6958 agree, which is why 100 baht to your hotel doorstep is a good idea if you have luggage. I’m merely providing clarity and alternatives.
@@jefftanasse6958 ...gotta make ya wonder.
@Paul A Thanks, will paste my earlier rsponse to a similar comment below: Never taken that particular bus out by the Airport (if anyone sees my past vids, train most times, LOVE the train;) But what's up with the sign saying free Clock Tower shuttle, bait n switch or? Cheers, STL
@@SideTripLife The woman on the bus was pushing the 100 baht shuttle, which makes me wonder.
I like this kind of content! It is really good to see different apartment tours and prices.
We love Cha Am, My mother-in-law introduced Me to it 10-12 years ago & I found myself going back more & more. My wife is from Suphanburi, but lived a lot of her life in BKK, so can live anywhere really. I wanted to be near the coast & Cha Am seemed the right firt for me, enough farang for the locals to speak a bit of English, but not saturated with farang like Hua Hin. We bought our land march 2022, well My wife's land, you know the score 😂 lookjng forward to the house build & retirement.
Thanks for sharing, enjoy!
THANK YOU! I'VE NEVER SEEN A SINGLE YOU TUBE CHANNEL THAT SHOW A SKY VIEW OF THE AREA, THEN ZOOM IN AND SHOW AIRPORTS AND ROADS AND TRANSPORTATION, THEN LOCAL FOOD, PLUS BEACH AREAS AND THEN RENTAL AND FOR SALE ACCOMODATIONS AND TOUR OF THE PLACES IN MENTION PLUS THEN GET A FEEL OF THE MALLS AND PRICES!.. ARE YOU EVEN HUMAN AND NOT AI!.. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! SUBCRIBED! JUST WANT THIS TYPE OF HIGH SPEED CONTENT WITH TONS OF INFO ON MY FEED FROM NOW ON. WHAT A TREMENDOUS WELL DONE JOB, I HOPE OTHERS ARE TAKING NOTES. BECAUSE WE SURE TAKING NOTICE. GREAT SKILLS MY FRIEND! GOT A TALENT FOR THIS FOR SURE. FIRST UNDER 100K YOU TUBER I WILL PAY TO WATCH ADDS. NEEDS TO BE A MILLION VERY SOON!
Take your cap lock off!
love your insights of thailand, you really inspire me to become a digital nomad because through your videos i can see that a happy life can be easy and cheap
Yet again, great up to date relevant information on all the important things. Great to see that there are still some amazing deals for accommodation.
Even though my last trip was 11 years ago now, I deliberately spent time in the supermarkets to get a feel for the prices. My biggest take away was that wine, beef and cheese were expensive, but I was astounded by the seafood prices. Given that Salmon here (UK) is about £16-20 a kilo, and most other fish are similarly priced, the cost of fish in Thailand, such as red snapper fillets, would be an absolute gift. Don't think I'd ever get tired of that.
Cha Am is one of my favorite destinations in Thailand, and my favorite hotel is the Grand Pacific Sovereign. The breakfast buffet is the largest and best I have had in Thailand and the Italian restaurant there is rated to one of the 3 best in all of Thailand. It is expensive there, but you get what you pay for. So we usually have at least one dinner there at each stay.
The Salmon at Makro is from Norway. But as a Norwegian, I don't buy it at Makro due to the 3-5 times higher price there than what I am used to pay.
Thanks for the info Svein. Just curious, how much is salmon in Norway anyways? (farmed/fresh). Also, how much is a plate of say Khao Pad Gai/chicken fried rice at a Thai restaurant there? Cheers, STL
@@SideTripLife Smoked Salmon start at approx. 400 Bath a kilo, Fresh from approx. 750 Bath a Kilo. Most Thai dinner at a Thai restaurant are from 300-750 Bath, depending on location.
Thanks for the great information. Will check out the Grand Pacific next 4 month stay in Hua hin. Sounds wonderful. We go to Cha am often for the beach and easy thai lifestyle, lovely local change from our apt in Blue Lagoon. Any other tips as a presumably fish loving Norwegian, where to get a good selection of fresh fish in Hua Hin? (Not shellfish),looking for both good fish restaurant (there are so many ), plus where to buy fish to cook at home. Many places have it, incl the expensive ex pat supermarkets, also Macro which is very large, what do you recommend?
@@Oggiwara1 It's Bat.Not Bath.
I meant Bot
Thanks for showing the Hua Hin airport. Hope they actually expand the service. A short flight to UTapao or Phuket would be nice. Railway improvements sound promising as well. Another great video. 👍
Great video, like the side tracks. Also, wanted to mention that the audio is very good, even though you're riding I don't hear the wind and other traffic much.
Thanks. No wind silencer or external mic either (just like to keep it simple as possible;)
PS: can see my setup in detail here: th-cam.com/video/W5Nes5i_wZw/w-d-xo.html
Good video!
Thank you for showing the supermarket prices!
Glad to, thanks for watching :)
Thank you for going out of the way. There are channels that are showing uo with $2k apartments...which is a whole lotta pointless. This makes it real and worth it.
Great video. I'm pretty much set on retiring to Thailand from the US. But the question is: where?!?! Bangkok is out, don't want the smoke of Chiang Mai, and the craziness of Pattaya might get to be a bit much after a while. These Hua Hin area videos are very informative and putting that area on my radar to check out my next trip!
Six months Chiang mai six months Hua Hin , job done.😂😂😂😂
How can I stay 1-2 years at Thailand? How can I get a visa to stay so long?
Thank for the great info you provide. I love Chaing Mai but I love ocean more. I will move to Hua Hin soon.
Love you vids, I'm close to Montreal and your vids make it feel like a very expensive place to live. It seems like living elsewhere would allow me to build wealth 10x faster ! (and way more comfortably as per price of food, restaurants and alcool)
Another great video. Thanks STL!! 😊👏🏼☮️
See you picked the nicely decorated condo in Hua Hin. 😇 All the best finding your next one - yes, compared to Vancouver...you have a goldmine over there...those prices! 🤩
And that fancy place sure did look like the Clampets Beverly Hillbillies! 😂
Good to see my favorite spot in LOS. First visited over 20 years ago ... my how it has cganged and tge prices. Currently staying in an area with thousands of acres of blueberry farms .. eat fresh most days. Tganks for tge tour looking for part 2. Bushyboy Oz.
WOW Cha-am looks amazing, I've not been there before, looking forward to pt2. BTW the gold kiwi in Australia are about the same price. I see you ended u going with Condo #5 - great choice. Pleased to see Wrexham's promotion featured too 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
:) th-cam.com/video/bwtFh4BAhdc/w-d-xo.html
Your vids and knowledge of all things Thailand are the best.
Thanks Bill but as I haven't lived in Hua Hin or visited Cha-am much in 20 years I'm sure other local Expats know far, far more than I. Cheers, STL
@@SideTripLife did you move to Thailand when you were 8 y/o??? You look too young to have been in Thailand for 20 years!!!
Just see your video now loving it old guy now back in the day your video filled me full of smiles lovely thank you i lived in North East
NE back in the day sounds wonderful. Glad to bring a smile :) Cheers STL
Am I the only one who gets the best perspective on cost of living from the beer prices?
haha nope, ur not alone in that
Metric.
i live in Cha am, its a great place. Most of what you need is here, or in Hua Hin. I hope you found the fresh market, opposite side of the main road. Also, good market on Wednesday nights........in fact there are good markets every night, different locations. Immigration here is also very good. As you saw, just a small couple of streets where most of the expats hang out.........but if you want a big party.....go to Pattaya. Frozen strawberries right next to the blueberries in Makro, very cheap. Makro is always quiet, i have never had to wait long to pay. Go to the fishing harbour, near the Squid fishing pier.....great seafood there.
Great tips from a local Expat Nick, appreciated! STL
@@SideTripLifehi would 20million baht and pension give me comfortable life living in Thailand thank you from Scott new Zealand
Looking forward to part 2! Thanks for the recon and love your coverage of the area/taking notes!
I knew you picked this room!!! Great job
Yes! Thank you!
I think I would prefer the 3 floor or higher if I had a choice...
*Tsunamis ya know !*
I had a small bungalo right on the Gulf of Siam at U-tapao RTAFB back in 1967 ! Awesome !
Don’t think the Gulf of Thailand gets tsunamis? That’s the Andaman coast side on the West …
Nice visit to a spot I would never have thought was very nice & reasonably priced!
Hiya. STL. Happy Sunday.
Like I always say. Always informative. I love coming along with you on your adventures.
Showing us around. Places to eat and stay.
I love how you're always so polite. A man after my own heart.
(Don't skip those ads, peeps. Every little helps.)
Buying accommodation is cheap in Thailand.
My home is 3 beds and two baths. 490K. No pool. Or gym.😆
My grandson is 3 soon. Blueberries are his fave.
That is the cake he has asked me to make for his birthday.
Great video. Liked and Shared. Your videos are never long enough. Look forward to part 2.
Have a great week.
Thanks Nicky! Your grandkid is a kid after my own heart, blueberries my fav ;) I see the dandelions are welcoming Buddy's endorsement on your latest vid, spring has sprung, enjoy! STL
@@SideTripLife Happy Days. Happy Monday. Have fun.
I just love your videos....planning my retirement there 😊 thanks for the help
Thanks Jose, may you also find your perfect place, or just the right place for you. Cheers, STL
! Im moving there I am SICK of how expensive it is in Australia every night I look at the real estate website looking at where oh where can I afford to live it’s so bloody expensive 🥵
i actually moved here from WA 7 months ago and have not missed Australia and no regrets. I am unsure as to whether or not you are eligible for the Australian pension but if you are then all good , you can receive it even when living in Thailand. But if you move to Thailand and stay there until you are of retirement age than if you are applying for the pension I am afraid that you are required to move back to Australia for 2 years before you apply.
thanks for the heads up on Cha Am, looks fantastic. Was just in Thailand and went to Koh Chang, Koh Tao and Koh Samui. , stayed at some of the hotels you reviewed, awesome information. Looks like I'm coming back and I think first stop Cha Am for an extended stay. Thanks heap mate. Cheers Lester
Cool! Thanks Lester
Great vids of this area of Thailand. Thanks for including prices in CAN$ . Visited Hua hin 50 years ago and very quiet place, remember walking down the beach to the hill at end and not another person or vendor just sand. No shopping malls, bars or condos then, stayed at big railway hotel for couple of bucks a nite. Wonderful memories.
I spent a weekend in Cha am and I thought it was a very charming town. Much better than Pattaya, which I dislike for many reasons. My home base is Bangkok but it's an easy bus ride to Cha am.
I like your videos, good vibes, good pace, interesting to watch
Loving this. Will be moving to hua hin. In 3 months for good. But now you got me thinking. Hua hin /cha am. Lol. Look forward to next video
Cha-am got ME thinking too... Enjoy your upcoming move!
Haven’t been there for decades. What a change. Thank you for sharing.
Not at all tedious STL. Love every minute.
Thanks TGE
Love your vids , I’m going to stay in cha am Christmas after watching this 🙏 never been before and I’ve stayed in hua hin 6 times and stopped 90 days each time 😂
I should go there as well. It seems peaceful enough. Great video amigo.
Howdy 👋 STL - another video of amazing info . Cha-Am has got it all and Big variety - excellent tour - Thanks as always 👍😃🙏👋👌
Great content. I thought you were smitten by Khanom Beach. It's on my list to visit 😁
It’s only my 2nd video just watching as a New Subscriber and I’m liking when that map goes up. Always so fun to see.
I love your videos STL! Never heard of Cha Am before. Off the beaten track and beautiful. Thank you 👍👍👍
I love your style….and found out you’re Canadian too…Awesome!!!….Have a good ONE🎉
With you on the aero press! Surprising the quality of the coffee you can get from them, especially with freshly roasted and freshly ground beans!
Nice job as always, STL!
I was in HH for 2 weeks around Songkran - nice little town save those U-turns and traffic (as noted)😂
Loved the Wrexham reference....great vlog as usual!!!
this: th-cam.com/video/YcwiPM1G8fY/w-d-xo.html
and this: th-cam.com/video/bwtFh4BAhdc/w-d-xo.html
and this too: th-cam.com/video/bwtFh4BAhdc/w-d-xo.html
Hearty congrats Wrexham!
Fun ride..great info..your camera chest mount works great!
Thanks! Can see my MacGyvered rig setup in detail here: th-cam.com/video/W5Nes5i_wZw/w-d-xo.html
Awesome video Sidetrip, so good I posted to my lady..
Cheers Bill and your lady :)
Hello, love your videos👍😊
One thing thou, you are always looking for the low end bargains in Thailand, staying, drinking & food., services. I am looking for the middle class options. Condos from around 500 to 800 USD and mutch more from the drinking parlor. How mutch is Johnny Walker, Smirnoff, Bombay etc. How mutch is imported beer, Haineken, Carlsberg, Tuborg etc. Condos next to the beach? I would love it if you do a video about the good life in Thailand, not always the cheaper options. Thank you!
That's was awesome The city gotten an airport this will be very convenience for the hua Hin residential to travel to and from I did not hear from Bangkok to hua Hin . I guess it too short of the distance.
Absolutely amazing to see the difference between the town and the village in the town of Hua Hin.
Let me get a really good narrating and the prices of stuff I can understand what you're saying you're doing a good job.
Hi, just found your channel, love it . I holidayed in Bangkok and cha am many years ago , I would love to return one day, thank you for your videos ❤
Thanks, another great, information packed video!
Great vid, love Thailand. Love seeing other places besides Samui and other populated areas. Cup Cup
Live Cha Am and the beach area, the Thai people come in droves on the weekend……easy to get to by train and cheap accommodation for 1 night…..my step daughters would rather go there then come to Hua Hin and visit us🤣😆 great video STL!
Thanks MauiHowey! So you're one of the lucky local Expats. I get why your Thai step kids would like Cha-am beach better. I also enjoy your vids! Cheers, STL
@@SideTripLife I’m back in the states for 3 more weeks before coming back to Hua Hin……how long are you staying in Hua Hin?
@@mauihowey Already making tracks to my next stop but perhaps on the return trip.
Good content indeed all depends what the individual wants and where you want to stay.
The music at 20:57 fits the mood of this place perfectly
I appreciate you for your troubles went out of your way to show all of us all of the beautiful places. I myself was born in Bangkok makkasan district ratchathew Bangkok, I left Bangkok in the early seventhy and have been living here in the northern New England of the United States more than fifty years and I'm looking for to move back to Thailand and completely my retirement there.
Love your videos!!! Hello from Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
Here too in the London, On. STL living the life I want. 😂
That was awesome I love the beautiful towns of Hua Hin.
Great video as always. You did a great job. Good editing and beautiful
Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the tour.
Cheers Roy
Thank you for your very helpful videos. I Have Been Following you for over a year now and your videos are top notch. I am currently retired in the Philippines and will be visiting there in another few months.
I am a Thai living in USA and have never been to Cha-am yet. I love fresh seafood made to order. Nice video.
Sawadee! Big Thai seafood fest here: th-cam.com/video/a4Rd3l_i6qw/w-d-xo.html
another great informative to the point video..thanx dude,u dont fool with the stupid stuff like angled shots and bs.u show stuff like lodging food beaches and everyday stuff that people really need and want to know..bravo!!,,im retiring in 2024 and coming back to southeast asia to live out my life,,ill be 48 when i retire so still have some life left to enjoy in a tropical paradise instead of freezing chi=town usa lol peace!!
Man... Might be checking these places out this coming winter.......... Thanks for sharing!
I love the long videos keep them coming buddy.your living the dream
Just got back from Asia, great videos! Your channel is perfect, subscribed and will be sharing!
Dude man I really have to hand it to you, I watch Hundreds of Videos about Thailand, and this Video is probably one of the most Inspiring Videos I have seen, you found some place in Thailand that I have never been and I feel like you found the "Secret Spot" 😁 I gotta hand it to you! I am definitely going there, and I will probably use that place as MY Home Base as well, so we might bump into each other sometime. Thanks! 😁
Great Video as all way. I love the long videos even if you're just walking around doing normal stuff, because it gives me an ideal of what I want to do when I get there. Love the condo runs and the local food stalls. I'm trying to find an online course where I can learn Thai so it will be easier to get around. How did you learn? But Great video Keep it up.
Thanks. My Thai is pretty basic actually. I had a Thai GF teaching me but she moved to USA for uni. Also had a small biz but my staff all spoke English. Lousy excuses I know but still tryin! Some good Thai language courses online, just google n try (I should do same 555/lol;) Good luck/chok dee. STL
Thanks for sharing. Definitely thinking this once done with my medical career.
I really love the food stand on the side of the street . all of them look good.
Please God 🙏 just 3 more years of this American nightmare. Can’t wait to be here!!! Quality of life baby!!
That's like me 7 more mths to get away from this nightmare.
I'll probably look through out Thailand for my retirement destination. I want a nice quiet place but within a decent distance of say party area should I feel like I need some noise to make me feel alive for a little bit as well. Gotta have some balance in life ya know. I for one don't need much to get by but I'm not against looking at all price options. For me a quiet place, has to have a movie theater, and street food. Anything else is icing on the cake.
Thanks for sharing ! Enjoy ....
Thanks for always watching and commenting Karl, appreciated! STL
@@SideTripLife The pleasure is mine , thank you for your work ! Enjoy ...
Let’s see if we can find a nice condo with gym and pool. Gym is a must. You and I need to keep in shape my Canadian friend. I’ll Look forward to the video.
Very interesting video
Already begin to wait for next
Thanks Jorgen
Cha-am looks like a nice place to retire in if you dont want the busy life of Pattaya or such.
Good to see there are still some good deals in Thailand...dont go to Costa Rica its super expensive now ! ridiculous prices for food ...still possible to find cheaper accommodation if you shop around.... ! 10 $ plus for a 6 pack of local beer..
Thanks for another awesome video! Love videos like this because it is useful for my husband & myself 😊
Thanks, I'm so glad! STL
Lov the way you cover everything
Cheers PJ! STL
Thanks for taking us along, your a legend man. 🙏🏽✌🏽❤️
Palm Hills. Great golf course. A must if in Hua Hin. 👍
Love Your Videos, always Very Informative 👍🏽
Great vlog! I love your laidback commentary. I will be arriving in Hua Hin on May 6 and will definitely take a trip up to Cha-am.
Happy New Year from Wellington New Zealand where we are 45 mins into '24. Kiwi-fruit are obv cheaper here but Blueberries...I got 125 gram pack the other day, I just had a look in the fridge to see if the price was still on the pack but alas it wasn't but I am sure it was about $9 dollars. Blueberries are The Bomb, just sooo good for the 'inner sanctum' they ought be made compolsory from the start of school. I like the look of this place and Hua Hin being close I could visit Johnny and his mrs. Hmmm?! Golf Courses sound okay and the manicured ones are works of art on most courses worldwide, Trump has some real beauties and being such an avid golfer he must savea ton of dough in Green Fees.