Hua Hin online community - happy new year
HHAD staff and moderators would like to wish all of our readers and forum contributors a happy new year. Now should be the time to put those problems that are largely beyond our control behind us and look forward to better times ahead. We would also like to thank our sponsors for sticking by us in 2008 and we look forward to HHAD being bigger and better in 2009.
Hua Hin has been hit hard by recent political events and the resultant drop in tourist arrivals. Many hotels are at well below normal occupancy levels for this time of year and the town definitely has less foot traffic (although we can’t say the same for the roads)! All we can say is that Hua Hin has not changed in the slightest, it is still one of the best places in Asia to come for a holiday, the sun is still out, the sky is still blue and the beaches, golf courses, and swimming pools still await you!
We all live in hope that the new Democrat government will offer some incentives to foreigners wishing to visit, live in or work in Thailand. More visa stamp clampdowns just before the previous administration were disbanded only enforces the fact that they were not the most foreigner friendly government. Thailand needs to make a bit of effort now to bring back the tourists, the smiles, and prosperity to their people.
Several suggestions were posted on the forum, many of which were in support of long-stayers who consistently bring money in or spend their incomes in Thailand and support the local economy. Recent populist governments have only made their lives more difficult with annual visa clampdowns and increases in requirements to stay here. Disbanding dual pricing and offering frequent visitor perks would also make Thailand a friendlier place to tourists, as will more environmental preservation, better policing, and clampdowns on scammers that target foreigners for easy cash.
Local event marketing could also do with some vast improvements; we have had three major events in Hua Hin in the last six weeks and virtually nothing in the way of promotion for them. The annual bike week, food festival and vintage car parade would have got a lot more visitors simply if people knew about them. The odd sign around town only in Thai is not going to help! Those that did get to the bike week had a great time and posted some fantastic photos on the forum.
Property prices have been discussed in depth as the falling economy and crumbling Thai real estate industry leaves us all wondering if they will ever drop in Hua Hin. It doesn’t appear so as the developers seem to be building to order only and the existing owners seem affluent enough to ride out the financial storm. The only chance of a ‘good deal’ on a property in Hua Hin seems to be getting a ‘fire sale’ where the owner is desperate and will drop the price … however these are few and far between.
There was plenty of discussion on Christmas dinners on the board as bars and restaurants posted their menus to entice all of those expats out of their caves over the festive week. Full roast and all the trimmings were laid on by a number of venues and as usual Hua Hin Ham and Bacon company were run off their feet cooking up for those that wanted to eat at home this year.
The ever popular “ask the expats” section had its usual list of bizarre requests last month ranging from tinted windows to buying a bar to chrome work and printing business cards. Whatever your question you’ll get an answer on the Hua Hin Forum.