Once out of Bangkok’s traffic, the trip to Hua Hin (dubbed the centre of Thailand’s riviera) is easy and the difference between the wealth in the north and the south is quickly apparent with good quality roads, international resorts, restaurants, bars and shops covering all price ranges.
A foreigner is not allowed to own land in Thailand although there is currently one (perhaps dodgy) way to do this via a company formation. However, I couldn’t really see the point of this when a 30 year land lease is available for foreigners, automatically renewable for 2 x 30 years. My thinking was that a total of 90 years would see me out. So in March this year, I acquired the lease on some land about 10-15 minutes drive west of Hua Hin towards the Myanmar/Burma border in a gated development of around 60 planned properties.
In many ways, my decision to take this plunge was instinctive, based largely on my love for a country I have been visiting for more than 40 years and my increasing dislike (and discomfort) of northern European winters! Add to that my current divorce roller coaster with the inevitable uncertainty about the future, the idea of regaining some focus in my life with a building project became ever more appealing. How this will all end up is anyone’s guess but my current plan is to hibernate here in the winters.
Despite having good feelings about such a decision, committing to such a project was daunting to say the least. Not only am I not very good (and have had little recent practice) at coming up with colour schemes, design layouts etc, doing all this at arms’ length back in the UK was quite scary! Add to this the inevitable concerns about the construction company’s legitimacy and financial strength and it’s little wonder that some might think that to undertake such a project (especially at my age) was proof positive of the early onset of dementia! All such concerns were initially exacerbated by little evidence of any construction activity taking place despite me having stuck to my side of the bargain with the financials. And then suddenly I received a photo
which didn’t prove much but partially set my mind at rest that at last something was happening!
Since then, I have received regular photo updates
which gave me some confidence that my project might not, after all, be the result of a deranged septuagenarian’s mental aberration!
Now I am here in Hua Hin, with a touch of trepidation it was important that, as a priority, I took a look for myself. And…… Wow!
It’s coming along just fine but, blimey, it’s BIG!! All for little more than the price of a small 2 1/2 bedroom 1970s end of terrace semi in Aylesbury – unless, of course, sterling declines further!! Completion is scheduled for sometime in December. So I need lots of visitors to fill the space in 2019, please!
I am told that all the plots in the Woodlands development (where my little hut is located) have now been sold so, hopefully, the finishing touches will be added to the project soon.
The construction company building Woodlands seem highly professional and the builders themselves seem to be a happy bunch.
The area, set close to the foothills of the mountain range separating Thailand from Myanmar/Burma is rural, the main agricultural crop being pineapple,
readily available for purchase by the roadside
at the exorbitant price of around £0.23 each!
Less than 15 minutes away, though, is the bustling town of Hua Hin populated by around 60,000 Thais and a fair sprinkling of ex pats; full of good food, good bars, good beaches, good shops and only the occasional traffic jam. So it’s all looking good, so far.
It’s been hot today so I’ll be glad when beer o’clock comes around!
Phileas.
thelasthurrahsite 