Rumours of a high speed rail link between Chonburi and Hua Hin sparked a discussion following reports of new government investment projects. The initial reaction though was to be expected as Hua Hin residents have had more than their fair share of promises and disappointment in the transportation department. There was the ferry across the gulf that has yet to materialise, Thaksin’s bridge to nowhere that collapsed before the first brick was laid, and an airport that literally never took off.  Now we’re offered a high speed train that is supposed to encourage those hordes of Bangkokians to get out of their SUVs. If it has taken over five years to build that overpass at the end of the Hua Hin bypass road in Pranburi (and it still isn’t anywhere near finished) we won’t be holding our breath for this one!

The golf gossip did the rounds again as people gear up to get on the fairways for the 2009 Hua Hin Golf Festival which runs for the month August and into September. Aimed at promoting golf in Hua Hin the annual festival includes tournaments and golf challenges but the big pull for most will be the cheap green fees on Hua Hin’s otherwise expensive golf courses. A round at Black Mountain or Springfield for just 800 baht is fantastic value; we just hope that there are no queues at the tee boxes!

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The fate of the flattened Satukarn Square caught people’s attention this week as a report in another local paper depicted a shiny shopping and accommodation complex to take the place of the eclectic cluster of restaurants and bars that used to be there. As we know though whatever ends up there is likely to cause traffic snarl-ups of nightmare proportions and construction chaos. Does Hua Hin really need another bunch of swanky over-priced brand name shops, or more opticians and tailors, or another hotel? How about a public swimming pool, or a play area for kids, or a multi-level car park … unlikely, that chunk of real estate is far too good to waste on something sensible!

There seemed to be cravings for Italian food also this week with a number of pizza recommendations from several people. There has to be at least ten different places in town where you can get a pizza, long gone are the days when there was only one. Then of course you’ll get the argument from those that think everyone should stick to Thai food when in Thailand. Well we don’t think all of those pizzerias are just for us farangs, noticed how many Thais cram into the Pizza Company at the weekend?

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Health issues have dominated the hot topics of the week as an array of ailments, medication requests, and grumbles about overcharging hospitals have hit the forums. It maybe that time of year when the rains are setting in that residents start to feel under the weather. Visitors can also get the latest updates on whether their medication is available in Hua Hin, as we know there is no shortage of pharmacies but what they stock and what’s available over the counter is another matter.

The media frenzy over the escalating number of H1N1 cases in Thailand also has people talking. Schools are probably one of the areas where infection can spread fast and kids wearing face masks will soon be commonplace in them. Whether you’re a diehard conspiracy theorist who believes that it’s all a ploy by governments and drug companies to boost their profits or an overly sensitive hypochondriac currently constructing a quarantine shelter you can have your say on the boards.

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The long weekend bought the usual long queues of Bangkok plated SUVs to Hua Hin which proceeded to turn the town’s inadequate road system into one giant car park. Reports of it taking over an hour to cross town were common as residents and visitors all took to the roads en-masse. A simple solution may be the construction of a multi-storey car park but considering Hua Hin’s astronomical land prices and the fact that hotels take precedence it is unlikely to happen. There is also the fact that walking is an alien concept to many so a car park may not solve the town’s ever increasing traffic problems after all.

The government’s idea to extend the holiday to boost domestic tourism wasn’t a bad one – the purpose, however, was completely defeated by their draconian law that prevents places selling alcohol on religious holidays!

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A lot of debate has taken place on natural health remedies as opposed to traditionally prescribed medication. There are two distinct opposing schools of thought on the subject and discussion can often get heated. Good natural suggestions have been offered however everybody has a different physiological composition and there is no exact science to it so what may work for some won’t for others. More people are willing to give alternative medicine a try though as the cost of pharmaceuticals continues to increase, some interesting experiences can be read on the board.

Internet woes are affecting Maxnet users in Hua Hin as the provider seems plagued with constant problems. Repetitive page refreshing, inconsistent connections, and email server problems are common and the blame is usually put on the user, not the supplier. Funny that, as it seems a whole bunch of users have the same problem – must be a faulty batch of routers! DNS server problems, whereby the internet provider has trouble resolving web addresses, are very common with Maxnet so a number of solutions have been posted as it looks like assistance from TT&T will be a long time coming.

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