On Wednesday 12th December 2007, the ‘Jazz train’ made its inaugural journey from Hua Hin to Baan Krut. The idea came from Khun Ray, the owner of ‘Ray’s Place’ bar & restaurant and a selection of musicians who jam in the restaurant on Monday evenings, for patrons’ enjoyment.

At about 11am, passengers started to congregate at Hua Hin Railway Station. We signed in with our tickets and received our name badges and information sheet. Then we waited for the train’s arrival. Many passengers found that their friends were fellow passengers, and the buzz of greeting and chatter mixed with the sound of music, being played live on the platform. Refreshments were already being served and some passengers eagerly partook of the cool beer or soft drinks, while waiting in the heat.

At about midday the train arrived and the 68 and a half (my little boy) passengers and the musicians and staff got onto the train in a surprisingly orderly fashion. One 3rd class car was reserved for us, and it was definitely a bit of a squeeze to get us all in. I found myself near the centre of the car & sitting with complete strangers, with my little boy perched on my lap. I admit to dreading the journey, fearing my legs would go to sleep before an hour was up.

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Thought I’d take a trip down to Dolphin Bay last weekend to catch up with an old friend and check out the place that I last visited 3 years ago.

The little town of Phu Noi is just on the outskirts of Sam Roi Yod national park and can be reached in about 45 minutes by car from Hua Hin. We stayed in a nice little suite with pool and all the trimmings, only a short stroll to the beach.

The serviced apartment can be rented daily or weekly [more details].

The beach and surrounding area is a haven for wildlife and is especially famous for migratory birds. From the accommodation was a view over marshlands and across to the peaks of Sam Roi Yod (which actually means 300 peaks). A great spot for those into their ornithology:

Sunset over SRY

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We are all deeply saddened this month at the loss of our good friend David Geoffrey Boycott or “Dr Dave” as he was known amongst us. David passed away early last month and was cremated in Hua Hin temple on the 14th or November. He was an integral part of HHAD running all of the sales and marketing and moderating the forums, he will be deeply missed by all of us here on the site and out sincere condolences go out to his family here and in the UK. As a reflection of the sad news the forum has had a quiet month although readership remained high as people logged on from across the globe to pay their respects to the great man. A gathering was held at Johnny Walkers bar last month to raise a drink to Dave and listen to some of his music.

Local news and discussion revolved around the opening of a new Makro store in Pranburi, the Japanese population in Hua Hin and more sad news with the closure of the Hua Hin Dog Rescue Center. There was also news of local events such as the Hua Hin Vintage Car Parade, Pranburi Triathlon, Jazz Train and a number of other local events and parties over the festive season. For those wanting to get out onto the ocean try the Buccaneer, a new pleasure boat operating from Hua Hin, they offer cruises, fishing trips and parties onboard.

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