The new Makro store in Hua Hin has created a lot of discussion on the forum this month. The majority see it as a vast improvement over Tesco Lotus in terms of product selection, location and parking, customer service and price – it is a welcome addition to Hua Hin. Meanwhile the mayhem continues at Market Village where a rumoured multi-storey car park is being built. There were also rumours of a Big C coming to Hua Hin and a Tesco store down soi 112 however we cannot verify them.
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Most of us only ever see ATV’s when they are offered for rent on beaches and road sides next to resorts. There is another level to the ATV experience. A path ‘less ridden’ perhaps. The chance to own your own ATV and ride whenever the mood suits you.
I have a good friend who lives amongst the pineapple plantations around Pranburi and owns several of his own ATVs. He can regularly be seen riding along off road tracks, river paths, abandoned airports, beaches and open spaces around the area. Frequent visitors to his house are often treated to a guided ATV tour of the points of interest in the area. After one visit and several rides I found myself well and truly ‘hooked’.
In less time than it takes to say; “all terrain vehicle” I had three ATVs in my car port! Since then I and my two teenage sons have enjoyed many an hour cruising around the little known byways and unspoilt countryside near our home. Its a great family experience and a chance to see places you would never get to in your car. As more of our friends become owners we are hoping to start a club where we can arrange regular meetings with BBQ’s and organised route tours.
HuaHin has its very own ATV dealer in QUADMASTER their showroom is just north of Pranburi on the Petchkasem road. Why not stop by and see if they have a machine or two to suit you. Or you can always visit Quadmaster online.
We would like to wish all of our members, readers and sponsors a happy new year and a prosperous 2012. We will be expanding the forum and our web services in the new year to accommodate our ever growing readership which currently stands at over 80,000 per month making Hua Hin Forum dot com the area’s best read publication.
The explosion of new bars and restaurants in Hua Hin are turning the town into a culinary paradise for those that like to eat out. Soi 94 is becoming a bit of a feeding hotspot with a new eatery opening almost every week. Our roving critics are constantly reporting back with restaurant news and reviews so don’t forget to login to the feeding time forum to find out what’s new in your area.
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We would firstly like to wish all of our readers and contributors a very happy festive season and a prosperous new year. 2011 has certainly had its ups and downs, both for Thailand and the West, we are optimistic that 2012 will bring brighter times for all. The forum itself continues to grow despite slowdowns elsewhere, membership now exceeds 5,000 and daily readership continues to climb.
The flooding in Bangkok has dominated the news and diligent forum members posted round the clock updates on the situation in the capital and here in Hua Hin. Updates on routes to and from Bangkok have also been posted. The town itself has been heaving; the roads have been jammed solid resembling Songkran day, every day. Local police have been fighting a losing battle against Hua Hin’s flood of the four wheeled variety. The demand for rental properties has also soared as people look to relocate from the submerged city.
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According to the organisers, the Vampire MC Club, the 2011 Hua Hin Bike Week will be held on December 2nd and 3rd. No venue has been specified at the time of writing but previous Hua Hin Bike Weeks have been held at 48 rai along the canal road. For more updates on the 2011 Hua Hin Bike Week please visit the Hua Hin Forum: Hua Hin Bike Week 2011.
hua hin bike week 2011
Some interesting tourism figures for the Hua Hin area were reported by TAT and picked up on the forum for discussion. We are all aware that the town is very popular with the Bangkok weekend crowd but surprisingly the tourism arrivals figure for Hua Hin and Cha-am is over 80% Thai. This would go a long way in explaining why local events and festivals are only promoted and marketed in Thai language banners that get plastered over town preceding them. Naturally the forum is the best source of local news and updates for expats and visitors so be sure to check it out for information on upcoming events in Hua Hin. From the foreign tourism arrivals to Hua Hin Finland topped the list with over 44,000 visitors in 2010, followed by Norway, Sweden, Germany and the UK – it is also no surprise that Hua Hin is very popular with Scandinavians!
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What is traditionally a low season month in Hua Hin has seen the town busier than usual this year with a number of Thai holidays and a slight change in the demographics of the typical Hua Hin tourist. The Ansana Bucha weekend in July saw Petchkasem Road turn into a ten kilometer long car park as Bangkokians fled the big smoke to enjoy a weekend by the sea. Keen observers also noted the increase in Russian visitors to Paradise City, a topic on the forum was created to discuss the recent changes.
All of us at the Hua Hin Forum are happy to see the Observer rolling off the presses once again, it remains to be one of the stalwarts of the town’s publications. Also in this category is the forum which will be celebrating ten years online at the beginning of 2012. From a small website covering the town’s nightlife we have now expanded considerably and currently attract over 2,200 readers per day and have a membership nudging 5,000.
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Golfers will be rejoicing during August and September as many of Hua Hin’s golf courses will be taking part in the Hua Hin Golf Festival which offers discount green fees of 800 baht. Golf courses included this year are:
Hua Hin Golf Festival 2011
Royal Hua Hin
Palm Hills
Imperial Lake View
Springfield Royal
Majestic Creek
The Eagle Milford
Banyan
Sea Pine
Sawang Resort
Kaeng Krachan Country Club
Caddie fees are usually an additional 250 baht and it is advisable to book your tee times as the courses get very busy, especially at the weekends. For more information check out the
Hua Hin Forum: Hua Hin Golf Festival 2011
This time of the year always generates more discussion on the weather in Hua Hin as we are in the middle of the rainy season and flooding is still common despite numerous efforts to alleviate the problem. Rain has been long overdue around the town following months of very dry weather earlier this year. November will bring the high tides and wind changes and the likelihood of flooding again will increase. Infrastructure development has lagged a long way behind the rampant construction of buildings and houses so it will be interesting to see what happens this year, El Nino may bring unusually higher tides and more rain.
The new Bangkok Hospital is almost ready to open its doors and one of the Doctors has kindly joined the forum to answer questions from Hua Hin’s expats and visitors. The response has been overwhelming with 6 pages of information and over 4,000 views. If you have any health concerns or questions about new services offered join in the discussion direct with hospital representatives.
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The expat community in Hua Hin has been shocked by a recent spate of murders, many of which have been under similar circumstances. The highest profile was the killing of Asia Times Online editor in chief Allen Quicke whose life was taken at his home in Naebkehardt road on August 17. The police report suggests the crime was a simple robbery that got out of hand, a culprit was quickly apprehended and the case closed.
Other attacks on foreigners in the town center have also been on the increase however not all of them are reported. While Hua Hin still remains a safe haven it will soon change unless real action is taken against what appears to be a rising criminal element and more brazen assaults upon its residents.
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Hua Hin’s expats and visitors were shocked last month by the brutal murder of British retiree Raymond Hind in what was later discovered to be a pre-meditated attack carried out and arranged by relations of his estranged Thai wife. The forum was the first place to break the news in English, word of which spread rapidly as messages of support and condolence for the family poured in from across the globe. Ray Hind was 68 years old and will be missed by many friends here in Hua Hin and his daughter and granddaughter back home in the UK. RIP Ray.
As shocking as they are, incidents such as this remain few and far between here in Hua Hin, especially when compared to what goes on across the pond in Pattaya. A glance at any local newspaper will reflect this however as Hua Hin continues to grow the bad elements are likely to increase along with the good.
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Hua Hin received a welcome boost in visitor numbers in June as the annual Jazz Festival drew crowds from across the region for the three day event. Two stages were set up on the beach at the Sofitel and Intercontinental hotels, the latter being a welcome addition to the event which usually suffers from overcrowding.
With a large area opened up for parking and plenty of space on the beach the Intercontinental stage was definitely the place to be for Saturday afternoon where the Brass Monkeys from the Philippines had the crowd on their feet into the early evening. Incognito from the UK also put on a good performance later in the evening as did Crescendo and Lee Ritenour over at the Sofitel stage. Unfortunately this venue suffered the usual rising tides, squeezing crowds and traffic chaos as the hoards inched their way onto the beach. Photos from the event can be seen on the forum and at www.huahinpictures.com
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There are no prizes for guessing what the hot topic of discussion on the forums has been for the last few weeks. With Thailand’s political crisis deepening and tourist numbers plummeting the situation seems to be going from bad to worse for those in business in Hua Hin. Violence on the streets of Bangkok once again cased chaos as anti-government protesters clashed with security forces in deadly shootouts. Foreign countries issued travel advisories warning against coming to Thailand and foreign arrivals dropped by over half this month.
The western media certainly have not helped the situation by sensationalising reports, publishing biased commentaries, and labeling the country as a war zone. Hua Hin as usual has seen little effect aside from the drastic drop in foreign tourism at an already quiet time of the year. Domestic tourism is on the increase though as Bangkokians flee the city in droves and Hua Hin’s inadequate road system grinds to a halt again.
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The lineup for the 2010 Hua Hin Jazz Festival has been released. Look out for American musicians Eric Marienthal, Jeff Lorber, and Jimmy Haslip playing on the beach on Friday 18th, and Lee Ritenour on Saturday 19th. The Jazz Royale stage in the town will have Thai and Filipino bands featuring over the weekend. For more information please visit www.jazzfestivalhuahin.com or the forum for the latest news and updates for the Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2010.
This month has been one of turmoil for many travellers to and from Hua Hin and Thailand with the political violence disrupting Bangkok, Songkran week resulting in the usual closures and road chaos, and the Icelandic volcano stranding thousands of passengers here and forcing more holiday cancellations. Just when we think Thailand’s tourism industry couldn’t suffer anymore it does.
The forum has been abuzz with discussion on Thailand’s political rift that seems to be widening, fortunately here in Hua Hin it is business as usual with no sign of any disturbances or shirt colour disparities. The results appear to be a surge in domestic tourism to the town as the holiday week witnessed unprecedented traffic levels with Bangkokians escaping to the sea side. Petchkasem Road became a solid three lane bumper to bumper queue of Benzes, Lexuses, BMWs and SUVs as Thailand’s “haves” inched their way into Hua Hin while the “have nots” threw bottles and stones at riot police in capital.
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