My Gf is looking for a rental property and is being very careful about where she rents. She needs to be close to Hua Hin. She has told me that she can get better deals because she is a local girl and this does seem to be true with the places she has shown me so far. Would the experts agree that a Thai can pick up a good deal. I am not sure that of you want decent showers and possibility of a pool and security the price would be that different. I realise that lets on holiday sites I can access from the UK will not show a true picture but is there such a difference between local and farang rents when the better properties are on offer.

han108 It is true that Thais get a better deal than Farang on many things, having never rented in HH, so I'm not sure about that particular issue.

I always let My wife (Thai) do any negotiations when in country and kept well clear, after letting her know what I was willing to pay.

In most cases when they see a farang coming you can almost hear the following;

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Jackpot.

Good luck.

Han108

Make sure your GF knows your requirements not just hers. Big difference between the two sometimes

Where you might benefit is if your girlfriend is a good bargainer.
My partner is pretty lethal when it comes to agreeing prices for things and she will carry on haggling way past the point where I would have given up.
If it's a commercial let the prices tend to be fixed, but if it's a case of renting a house off an owner, you might manage to get the price down.
To give you an idea of prices, I know people paying between 4000 bt a month for small basic local houses, to others paying 35,000 for a fancy villa with pool.

I believe that the price is dependent on the landlord. A Thai negotiating with a Thai will be more favorable than a farang negotiating with a Thai. It also depends on what you require of the home. If you are not fussy and don't mind your typical Thai home with a Thai kitchen and the Thai plumbing you can find very affordable rental options. On the other hand if you require something more to what you are accustomed too than expect to pay more. As a property owner in Hua Hin myself I am not influenced one way or another. I know what I want and if you are not willing or able to pay what I want than I am not interested. I find it interesting that a lot of foreigners seeking long term rental expect to pay abnormally low rent. I frequently get inquiries for rental terms from 1-5 years. When I let them know I am not interested in long term rental they seem dumbfounded. I as a landlord can make more money on short term basis and at the same time the home is left in better condition as it has been occupied less.

I thank you for the responses. The negotiation will be done with the help of a lady who has a number of successful businesses in Hua Hin (not bars). I have specified the sort of property I would be interested in and it would seem that it will come down to who the landlord is. I had assumed that the majority of non Thai landlords would not want to enter into rentals of one year as they would want the property available to them. This leaves Thai landlords with western specified properties. This may be a limited market. I will report back on our progress.

Thai price = Thai amenities
Thais manage with a squat toilet and a gas ring.
If people want western-level kitchens, toilets, showers etc. then they will have to pay more.

Where a Thai will benefit you in finding a rental is in that a lot of property around Hua Hin is still advertised by either word of mouth or by having a sign in Thai on the front of the house.
When I found my rented house, we got much further by wandering around on a scooter talking to people than by going to estate agents or looking in the press or on the net.
Obviously if you go really cheap you are looking at basic facilities as Johnny says, but there are quite a few wealthier Thais around who have houses to rent at the moment which can be to a very high standard.

Good points above, most properties with the agents and on websites (such as this) are short term holiday rentals as the majority of landlords see the bigger dollar signs and the smart ones want to market their rentals for quick a return. These work out great for families that don't want to pay top whack in hotels though and are only here for a month or two.

The long term and Thai-style/priced places don't get listed because the owners won't pay commissions to agents or websites and the hassle factor is huge for such a small return. They also tend to have several properties so won't mind yearly contracts, getting a discount for paying a year in advance can be a struggle though - many would prefer to leave the place empty than drop the rate. Must be a face thing, Mrs Sombat got x baht for her house so I want it!.

Here is a good guide to finding your own rental in Hua Hin:
http://www.expathuahin.com/renting-huahin.php

It's tough to call, because as was mentioned earlier, the amenities (esp provision of TV's, refrigerators, air-con) varies so much, but I've certainly formed the impression that there are some landlords in HH who think that almost any girl in HH can aford to pay a premium and there are some places which are close to slums (aka Thai Facilities) that go for the price you would pay for a small house in less 'fashionable' places. It doesn't seem to matter whether the girl is single, and assumed to be a bar girl, or attached and therefore supported by someone (presumably a farang). My place is 4500, for which I get bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and laundry room; furnished, pluc AC, plus cable TV, plus refrigerator, separate kitchen etc. etc. I have visited several places which were basically just a room & thai bathing facilities for anything up to 3500 +utilities (generally 500 a month). I know which I'd rather have. Which is just a very long way round of saying that if she thinks she's going to get a better price being Thai in HH - she might, but it isn't guaranteed.

I note your comments Mr K. It sounds like good advice so will make sure the friend helping GF in the search can represent the most favourable position for renting. If they do not mention my involvement it could improve the negotiating position. I will report back when the rental is negotiated so that my experience can be shared.

Update on the rental. A three bedroom 2 bathroom house for 12 months taken on with 6 months paid up front for a discount. Rent works out at 12000 a month so a good rate for a furnished house. There were a number of options but most were outside the city and the requirement was one close to the city. I will visit soon but the photos look good.

Agree if you can fill your property about 80% of the time, but if it any less than that, it's going to be hard to make that guaranteed income up. Plus you have the hassle, and advertisement costs to consider to find the short term renters. So that's quite a big plus point for long term renters.

As for leaving it in a better condition, I cannot see that one, you have to clean a property every time you let it, so yes you obviously keep it in pristine condition that way, but that is at a cost, if you pay someone, or it is your time, that is still at a cost. Whereas a long termer you only clean the property top to bottom when that person leaves, yes it might cost a bit, but only equal to the on going costs you have endured with short termer's.

I have rented property out in UK, and always put them on the market 10% less than anything similar in the area. I have had most of the time, long term grateful tenants who have looked after the place, and I have never had an empty house. Of course a bit of luck does come into play, but treat tenants well, and they will generally treat your property well. Note the word generally, nothing is certain in this game, but surely your chances of it being mistreated goes up if you rent it out to lots of people rather than one or two?

I say this now, as I am going to be a tenant........