This week has been one of mayhem on the roads as the security clampdowns for the ASEAN meeting begun in earnest on Monday. Those resident in Hua Hin who have registered their vehicle with the military and got the green sticker will just get waved through the multiple check points fringing the town so their only gripe will be the extended times it will take to get anywhere on the roads. Nothing different to any long weekend in Hua Hin really – just more traffic cones!
The whole registration and processing system was quite efficient so there is really no excuse for anyone permanently residing here not to have their little green security clearance. The military seem to have more of an air of approachability about them and often flash the occasional smile, maybe they don’t see many farangs. The police on the other hand also have a smile but it’s because they know they’re about to get a little tea money from you!
Petchkasem Road is now a long strip of orange with four confusing lanes and fewer opportunities to turn on or off it – that will definitely be one to avoid this weekend unless you wish to spend most of it staring at the car in front! It sounds the perfect opportunity to get out of Hua Hin, drive down the coast and find a secluded beach to chill out on.
That is exactly what one reader did with a trip to Ban Krut. The area is very popular with domestic tourists and takes about an hour and forty five minutes to drive from Hua Hin. It is probably the first spot on the coast line heading south from Bangkok where the beach is clean white, powdery sand the sea that clear blue/green color usually reserved for the Andaman side. A large temple complex offers views across the bay and a number of small farang-style bars and restaurants have started to spring up. Ban Krut is worth a night or two away from Hua Hin any day (especially weekends), more info on the area and accommodation bookings can be found on www.bankrutinfo.com
There were a couple of grumbles about the Hua Hin post office and its inherent inability to deliver mail properly. It seems that a disproportionate percentage of overseas mail destined for homes in Hua Hin either doesn’t make its destination or ends up in a large room full of undelivered mail at the post office. A good gauge is if your postie can read English you’re probably getting most of your mail.