The big news of the week has been the railway accident in Khao Tao which appeared on the forum within a couple of hours of it happening. As foreign and local news organisations scrambled for the story the grim details began to emerge and messages of condolence hit the board. These incidents are quite rare in Thailand which is a surprise considering the number of dangerous crossings and the antiquated rail system that runs throughout the country. Many railway crossings in Hua Hin, such as the one on soi 94, have been the scenes of accidents as they have no barrier and are very poorly signposted.

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In the run up to the ASEAN conference on October 23-25 a number of security precautions are being taken by the local authorities in Hua Hin. One of them is the registration of all Hua Hin residents and their vehicles for a sticker allowing them to travel in and out of the city limits during the meeting. This implies that security will be heavy handed with road closures, check points and parking restrictions – the authorities obviously do not want a repeat of the circus caused by the red shirted mob at the last conference in Pattaya. The sensible thing to do for this weekend (and the week running up to it) would be to leave Hua Hin completely.

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The bars of the block received some attention this week as readers posted their raves and rants on Hua Hin’s nocturnal establishments. The bar scene has mushroomed over the years and what once was a sleepy town with two or three watering holes now has hundreds of them. A common complaint about some bars in the binta-block area is bill padding whereby additional items mysteriously appear when it is time to check bin. This does occur from time to time, occasionally intentional and often accidental; furthermore customers often get confused especially after consuming 12 Changs. The bars in town change hands so frequently that a good bar this year could be a bad one next and due to astronomical rents a lot of bars are now popping up out of town as Hua Hin’s urban sprawl spreads further afield.

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There have been a lot of questions for the expats this week as people turn to the forum in search of answers to some often quite bizarre requests. Many are simply asking where to by certain items however those items occasionally raise a few eyebrows. Starting with the sensible stuff the list has recently included distilled water, maids, aerial photography, grass seed, bedding, wood carving and pest control. Moving on to the realms of the strange we get TDS (total dissolved solids) meters, pith helmets and boomerangs. The mind boggles … maybe Hua Hin’s expats are getting bored with beaches and golf!

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An interesting discussion was started on our perceived and actual status in Thailand and whether we consider ourselves tourists or residents here. Income is probably the major factor as many still rely on incomes from overseas and are heavily affected by exchange rates; others work in Thailand and get paid in baht. The bottom line, as aptly posted by one observant reader, is that most other countries allow you to take part and become integrated with society if you move there and make the effort. You can achieve a status close to its nationals with relative ease (depending on the country), get loans, credit cards, buy property, apply for citizenship, and even vote in some instances.

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With the dramatic increase in burglaries in and around Hua Hin there have been a few topics on home security devices and techniques. Many have opted for those unsightly but effective grills around the windows and doors to act as a deterrent. Other options ranged from motion sensors and alarm systems, lighting that operates on a timer or light sensitivity switch and the old favourite; a big snarling dog. Some of the more extreme suggestions and questions involved electric fences, razor wire and firearms – and yes, they were serious. It does make you wonder if things have really got that bad in Hua Hin and it should be renamed ‘Hinchester’, or whether people are generally more paranoid in the current economic climate.

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Another wave of house break-ins has been hitting Hua Hin residents as many share their experiences on the board. Certain areas have been named and the problems remain the same, namely sleeping security guards, ineffective police, and more opportunists looking for a quick and easy buck by targeting farang housing developments. An alarm is a good deterrent though a determined thief will soon get around one if they want to. A good business opportunity for someone would be to setup a security company that patrols these areas after dark, a job that the police should really be doing but we know how that works here.

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Hua Hin’s annual Golf Festival is now underway and golfers can enjoy a round for 800 baht at most of Hua Hin’s major golf courses. There are a couple that won’t play ball, namely Black Mountain that still wants 1,500 and Banyan that forces you to take a cart at an additional 650. The rest including Royal Hua Hin, Majestic Creek, Palm Hills, Springfield and Lakeview are offering the discount. A topic has been started for readers to share their Hua Hin Golf Fesitval stories and and questions about the event.

Local restaurants received both praise and criticism as diners shared their experiences on the forum. A couple of anonymous members claimed that anonymity on the internet was unfair on local businesses however we feel differently. Not many publications let people discuss both the good and the bad aspects of dining out, and everyone is welcome to get online and have their say. The internet should be used as a guide, there is no substitute for visiting a venue yourself and getting first hand experience, naturally some will be better than others.

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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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A mixed bag of reports came in on the weekend’s Jazz Festival though most that went enjoyed it. Improvements over last year included the two venues but getting onto the beach and finding a spot was still a crush as the night went on. Security was heightened this year with areas being cordoned off and bag checks taking place, maybe they were expecting something.

A lack of seating at the park stage meant bums on cold concrete and a general shortage of good food stalls at the Park and along Damnoen Kasem Road was quite bizarre considering the enthusiasm for food in Thailand. The music, as always, made up for these minor shortfalls with top performances from Shakatak and Koh Saxman. We did miss our favourites Prode and T-Bone though and hope they’ll return next year. Photos from the event can be found on the forum and at www.jazzfestivalhuahin.com.

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Visas have been the hot topic of the week as Thailand’s immigration department made another clampdown on border runners, adding to the already mind boggling levels of confusion on the subject. The latest restriction has been placed on those crossing the border for a 15 day stamp and it seems that Thailand is trying to weed out the undesirables, or those that don’t have proper visas. What is more mind numbing is that in the year when the economy is hitting record lows and tourism numbers continue to plummet Thailand carries on with its customary clampdowns.

Naturally the discussion evolved into one on long term options which are also becoming rather limited for those under 50 without an overseas income, it appears that if you are old and wealthy you’re welcome. Getting a work permit is no longer that easy in the current economic environment as many companies can’t afford the expense or deal with the ever increasing bureaucracy of hiring a foreigner.

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