A year in each
Hua Hin's year is gentle. December to February is almost dry, October is the one properly wet month, and Scandinavians arrive for one to three months in winter. Chiang Mai's year has a sharper shape. November to January is cool and dry, with January lows near 16°C. Smoke builds from February, April brings highs near 37°C, and the rain comes in May. A home in Chiang Mai asks you to plan part of every spring somewhere else. Climate and seasons sets the two calendars side by side.
Getting home, and getting care
Chiang Mai International is about 15 minutes from the old city, with regional routes and Etihad to Abu Dhabi; travellers from Europe usually connect in Bangkok or the Gulf. Hua Hin means Suvarnabhumi and about three hours on the road. For care, Hua Hin has Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin and looks to Bangkok for complex cases, while Chiang Mai, a regional capital, has Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai and Chiang Mai Ram. Price health insurance before the home: it is a condition of the O-A retirement visa, and premiums depend on age. See healthcare.
The visa is the same in both
From age 50 a retirement visa asks for THB 800,000 in a Thai bank or THB 65,000 a month in income, an address report every 90 days, and no work. Owning a home counts for nothing towards it. Retirees with larger pensions should compare the Long-Term Resident visa, and the visa pathfinder shows which route fits.
