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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It maybe a sign of the times but two hot topics that are always generating a healthy response are the cost of living and the increasing crime levels. As currencies and exchange rates continue to squeeze expats that bizarre Thai concept of increasing the prices when the customers are scarce just adds to those financial woes. The fact that virtually no Thai businesses in Hua Hin can acknowledge that there is a difference between a two-week-tourist and a permanently residing expat is frustrating. Hua Hin is a tourist town hence you’ll largely be paying tourist prices, an expat ID card to get local rates would be a great idea but as with many others it’s unlikely to happen.

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The annual Hua Hin Jazz Festival is back and this year promises to be even better with three days of music at two separate venues. The dates of June 12 to 14 should be penciled into the diaries of anyone that enjoys good music and the ambiance of a beach festival. The lineup includes international artists Shakatak from the UK, Malene Mortensen from Denmark and Popsanova from Brazil. Also in attendance will be performers from Japan, the Philippines and Malaysia and fifteen local Thai bands and musicians.

Hua Hin is expected to be jam packed over the festival weekend so it pays to book your accommodation early to avoid disappointment. Previous years have seen overcrowding problems as an incoming tide reduces the beach venue size; this year will be much better as the organisers have reverted back to a two stage event. The main stage is likely to be on the beach at the Sofitel with the second ‘Jazz Royale’ stage at the red cross park just down from Hua Hin railway station. For more information, lineups, schedules and images check out www.jazzfestivalhuahin.com and for discussion on the event take a look at the Hua Hin forum: Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2009.

Serenity descended on Hua Hin once more following last weekend’s Bangkok teenage party at the Honda Summer Music Fest on the beach in Khao Takiab. As expected organisation was shocking and the roads in and out of Hua Hin were gridlocked, there were reports of journeys of a couple of kilometers taking as many hours, even on a bike!

Takiab beach the following day looked like the Lebanon and the sad fact is that a lot of the plastic discarded by revellers the night before will end up washed out to sea. Thai fishermen are bad enough with their polystyrene contributions to marine habitats, and teenagers with plastic bottles just compound a problem that nobody seems to care about.

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The annual Red Cross Fair has been going on down Naebkehardt road in central Hua Hin this week. The gathering of hundreds of local stalls and attractions selling all manner of commodities occurs every April however it doesn’t feel like it was there that long ago. This is because there was one in November last year also.

Live music, thumping speakers and raucous fairgrounds are a great attraction to anyone that doesn’t live within a 2 kilometer radius of the event but for those that live and operate businesses down Naebkehardt road it has been a week of misery.

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One of Hua Hin’s biggest stories in recent times reared its head again this week as the shooting of Donald Whiting sparked more discussion. A number of suspicious looking user accounts and doppelgangers materialised on the forum to have a poke at each other leaving the rest of us still with no clue how this case is proceeding. Getting information from the local plod is harder than finding a parking spot in Hua Hin at the weekend so we’ll just leave those with too much time on their hands to it for now.

Many public forums fall foul to trouble makers and time wasters who have little better to do than hide behind pseudonyms on the internet and have a go at other people. This is the nature of the beast and often explains why forums are so popular, in a virtual world someone can say what they like without any comeback. Just as well HHAD is well moderated and the spurious among its membership are easily spotted and exposed … Hua Hin is still a small town.

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Well the wet week is now over and as expected the death toll on the roads made the violence in Bangkok look like a Sunday picnic on the beach. Alcohol, water fights and motorbikes don’t mix and never will so we trust you all were sensible and never left the safe confines of your local bar!

Many expats have grown a little tarnished over the years and avoid Songkran at all costs; we still find it a great day out providing it doesn’t get out of control. Hua Hin only celebrates the 13th but as you read this people will still be flinging cold water at each other in different provinces around the country.

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The real estate discussion section was bought back to life this week with the same conundrums on buying and leasing property in Thailand. Apparently there are some not-so-honest property developers in Hua Hin (yes we were amazed too) that have been selling houses with a 90 year lease disguised as three renewable thirty year leases. Some local legal advisors and officials in the land office have also been supporting this spurious practice and allowing buyers to be bamboozled by bureaucracy.

A 90 year lease does not exist as one inopportune home buyer later discovered following consultations with a Bangkok lawyer. Only the first 30 years of a property lease in Thailand is covered by law so the rest is just a loose agreement which is probably not worth the paper it is drafted on. The company route to buy property as a foreigner is pretty much a dead end also since the last wave of government restrictions included the enforcement of checks on operational, tax paying, companies with Thai shareholders – who will all be investigated. Not the most welcoming option for a retired couple seeking a holiday home in the tropics.

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