Other attacks on foreigners in the town center have also been on the increase however not all of them are reported. While Hua Hin still remains a safe haven it will soon change unless real action is taken against what appears to be a rising criminal element and more brazen assaults upon its residents.

On a brighter note Hua Hin’s golfing community seem to be reaping the benefits as the two month golf festival proves yet again to be a success, the new Sea Pine army course opens its fairways in Khao Takiab and the Asian Tour announces the return of the Black Mountain Masters in December. Golf is the town’s biggest draw so with new courses opening and being planned, and world class events returning to Hua Hin, it can only help bring more visitors and business to the area.

As predicted foreign tourist arrivals have been down over the last couple of months, the low season is always a little quieter but a strong local currency and fears of more political violence have kept people away. Some of the major hotels have reported occupancies as low as 20% despite the recent increase in domestic tourism. There is hope that the high season will bring numbers back up but there is also the fear that many have already cancelled their holiday to Thailand this year.

Hua Hin immigration department could be on the move again for the fourth time since their arrival from Dansingkhon in Prachuab a number of years ago. The next destination is a larger building along the canal road, anyone visiting recently will know that the current spot can get very overcrowded and busy. Despite the falls in numbers of tourists, it seems that the number of expats and long stayers is increasing. A reflection of this can be seen in the property rental market which has had a good year even though the sales market is still flat.

The ever popular ‘ask the expats’ section has seen an increase in questions ranging from postal services to Europe, used car dealers, driving schools, annual cost of living in Hua Hin, home appliance repair shops, and launching a jetski. Whatever your question you’ll get an answer within minutes on HHAD.

As shocking as they are, incidents such as this remain few and far between here in Hua Hin, especially when compared to what goes on across the pond in Pattaya. A glance at any local newspaper will reflect this however as Hua Hin continues to grow the bad elements are likely to increase along with the good.

On a brighter note Hua Hin enjoyed another influx of domestic tourism last month for the Cha-am Reggae Festival on July 31st which attracted revellers from Bangkok and beyond. This month the town plays host to hundreds of golfers who have made the annual pilgrimage to enjoy the Hua Hin Golf Festival. During the two month long event select courses are offering 800 baht green fees, which is a discount of up to 70% on some of them. Golfers will have the choice of playing at Royal Hua Hin, Springfield, Majestic Creek, Lakeview, Palm Hills, Milford (The Eagle as its now known), Kaeng Krachan or Sawang at this great rate for all of the month and into September.

The Hua Hin Regatta also takes place in August; it is a draw for sailing aficionados across the region as teams compete for the coveted King’s Royal Vega Rudder trophy for various classes. Down on the beach near the Sofitel was the best place to view the week long event which came to a conclusion on August 8th.

Discussion on the brand new Sea Pine military golf course in Khao Takiab continued as Hua Hin’s expat golfers eagerly await the opening of the areas first and only links-style golf course. It is unlikely to be open to the public for another couple of months and green fees are likely to be in the region of 1,000-1,500 baht. Check the forum for the latest news and updates.

Property questions started to trickle in following a two-year-long slump in the market; maybe they are an indication of renewed interest in Thailand’s real estate sector. Self builds and construction was among some of the topics discussed and the various pleasures and pitfalls of building your own home were laid out.

Two more computers were donated to the Mercy House children’s home in Pranburi as part of the C3HH project devised by forum moderators and members which recycles old computer components for rebuilding and donation to charities and good causes in the area. Another children’s home, this one in the Pala-U area, was also highlighted so if you’re feeling generous please take a look on the forum for more details of how you can help.

The ‘ask the expats’ section has not been short of bizarre requests recently, some of which included bilge pumps, scaffolding, upholstery cleaners, importing stereos, asbestos and the age old question of cost of living. If you need an answer quick you’ll get it on HHAD.

With a large area opened up for parking and plenty of space on the beach the Intercontinental stage was definitely the place to be for Saturday afternoon where the Brass Monkeys from the Philippines had the crowd on their feet into the early evening. Incognito from the UK also put on a good performance later in the evening as did Crescendo and Lee Ritenour over at the Sofitel stage. Unfortunately this venue suffered the usual rising tides, squeezing crowds and traffic chaos as the hoards inched their way onto the beach. Photos from the event can be seen on the forum and at www.huahinpictures.com

Other than during special events Hua Hin has been quiet as we are now well into the low season. The Golf Festival in August will also help to bring visitors to the area with select courses offering 800 baht green fees, which is a discount of up to 70% on some of them. Golfers will have the choice of playing at Royal Hua Hin, Springfield, Majestic Creek, Lakeview, Palm Hills, Milford (The Eagle as its now known), Kaeng Krachan or Sawang at this great rate for all of the month and into September.

Renting has also become the subject of many discussions as it is now seen as the cheaper alternative to staying in a hotel, especially for holidays of a month or more. A fully furnished pool villa sleeping an entire family can be rented for 30-40 thousand baht in Hua Hin. There are also hundreds of cheaper places for rent but finding a good deal is not as easy as it sounds as many have discovered. Plenty of advice has been given on the forums so if you’re seeking a place to rent or have one that you want to list check it out.

The visa and finances section had a lot of questions including changing from a non-immigrant O to a B visa, opening a bank account in Hua Hin, finding a good legal company to make a will, sending money out of Thailand and of course the ever present problems with the current exchange rates and weak overseas currencies.

The weird and wonderful questions came thick and fast in the ever-popular ‘ask the expats’ section, some of which were about bicycle rental, goldsmiths, couriers, chickens, animal welfare groups and a flying school. If you need an answer quick you’ll get it on HHAD.

The western media certainly have not helped the situation by sensationalising reports, publishing biased commentaries, and labeling the country as a war zone. Hua Hin as usual has seen little effect aside from the drastic drop in foreign tourism at an already quiet time of the year. Domestic tourism is on the increase though as Bangkokians flee the city in droves and Hua Hin’s inadequate road system grinds to a halt again.

All of this leaves businesses that cater to foreigners in a quandary, the bills still need paying but there is little coming in. The town’s expats and retirees also seem to be hunkering down as both the Euro and Sterling took a beating recently, the still inexplicably strong Thai Baht only makes life here more expensive by the day for those relying on income from overseas.

The smart business owners are starting to offer more incentives, promotions and price cuts to the ever budget conscious customer. HHAD have also taken this route with a number of low cost marketing options for small businesses that are seeking a large internet audience. For less than ten baht a day local establishments and businesses can get an advertorial thread in the forum that they can instantly update with news and promotions with the option of interacting with existing and potential customers. With over 80 readers per hour there are plenty of people out there that are still interested in Hua Hin related venues, businesses and products.

The big event next month is the Hua Hin Jazz Festival which will run from June 18 to 20. A beach stage and a park stage will feature again this year with performances from American musicians Eric Marienthal, Jeff Lorber, and Jimmy Haslip playing on the beach on Friday 18th, and Lee Ritenour on Saturday 19th. The Jazz Royale stage in the town will have Thai and Filipino bands featuring over the weekend. Make sure you book you accommodation early as Hua Hin gets swamped by jazz aficionados from the big city.

The ever popular “ask the expats” section saw its usual round of bizarre requests last month ranging from where to buy bubble wrap and creosote to shipping agents, watch repairs, shades, and eBay tips. Whatever your requirement, you’ll find an answer on Hua Hin’s only active forum.

The forum has been abuzz with discussion on Thailand’s political rift that seems to be widening, fortunately here in Hua Hin it is business as usual with no sign of any disturbances or shirt colour disparities. The results appear to be a surge in domestic tourism to the town as the holiday week witnessed unprecedented traffic levels with Bangkokians escaping to the sea side. Petchkasem Road became a solid three lane bumper to bumper queue of Benzes, Lexuses, BMWs and SUVs as Thailand’s “haves” inched their way into Hua Hin while the “have nots” threw bottles and stones at riot police in capital.

Sadly the same cannot be said for foreign tourism as thousands of cancellations were made firstly on account of the violent clashes in Bangkok and secondly due to grounded flights. Weak foreign currencies only add to the problem which may result in Thailand losing one of its once stable foreign revenue streams. Tourist visa waivers have been extended into next year though it is highly unlikely that immigration will make any effort to make life easier for the thousands of expats that live in Thailand. The trend continues to be one of decline especially in Hua Hin as authorities continue to put the squeeze on foreigners working and running businesses in the town.

The coming months will see a musical bonanza hit the beaches of Hua Hin as the Honda Summer Music Fest returns for its third year and the annual Hua Hin Jazz Festival gears up for a show. Takiab beach hosts the Honda Fest as thousands of young revellers flock to Hua Hin for the party on May 1st. A huge line up of rock, ska and reggae bands entertain the burgeoning crowds. The Jazz Festival is currently scheduled for June 18 to 20 though this may change (as it did last year), check the forum for the latest news and updates.

There have been plenty of recommendations for restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues from forum members who have been out and about recently. Despite the turmoil mentioned above many people have made it to Hua Hin and enjoyed their holiday immensely, many more are still looking to make the move here.

The heat and resultant water shortages around town have left many households with dry tanks although some suggested that the reserves had been saved for Songkran day which saw no such scarcity of the stuff. Water supplies are in higher demand as the town continues with its unabated development expansion into the hinterlands, planners must take this (and traffic management) into account before things reach critical levels.

Asking the expats is always popular and this month has been no exception with questions on windscreen replacements, laundry services, second-hand stores, dog breeders, baby sitters and driving lessons. Whatever your question you’ll get an answer in no time on the Hua Hin Forum.

The heat has started early with a number of blisteringly hot days recorded in March and more expected next month. Water shortages and outages have already been experienced by some around town and droughts have been forecast this year in some parts of Thailand. There is no doubt that April 13 will be wet as this is the day that Hua Hin celebrates Songkran, or Thai New Year, avoid it if you want to stay dry.

There are a couple of high-flying events this month including the Hua Hin Kite Festival which is held at the Naresuan military camp around 12km north of town and the Intercontinental Kiteboarding Competitions that takes place on the beach near the hotel. Hua Hin has become a world renowned place for kitesurfing over the past few years due to its favourable thermal winds at this time of year.

April marks the end of the high season in Hua Hin and a return to normality for those expats that are resident year round. Although the Christmas and New Year period was quiet in terms of tourism the last two months have been busy which may indicate a return to normality for the industry. The political unrest in Bangkok does not help matters for Thailand but Hua Hin is largely unaffected by these things so the town’s visiting population actually increases during such events.

The property gurus have been advising on the possibility of protecting your assets in Thailand as a foreigner such as setting up usufructs to buy real estate. The market itself remains very quiet with only lower end properties generating any interest at the moment. The rental market however is booming as more people seek to rent villas as opposed to staying in the hotels. A villa rental for a month can offer substantial savings over the large hotels, especially for families.

Currency conundrums continue to plague expats living on income from overseas with the Pound Sterling being hit particularly hard recently. At less than 50 baht to the pound Hua Hin starts to get very expensive very quickly, unfortunately this trend is likely to continue as Asian countries strengthen and Western ones struggle to get back on their feet again following the financial crisis. Of course choosing to live in a tourist town where prices are naturally inflated anyway does not help the problem!

The Hua Hin expats section was again filled with the usual array of weird and wonderful requests including hiring a bicycle, receiving mail from overseas, buying neoprene, dealing with fatalities and looking for fake clothing. Whatever your question you’ll get a quick answer on HHAD.

Chinese New Year went off with a bang in Hua Hin as festivities at Market Village and all of the major hotels welcomed in the year of the tiger. The weekend celebration attracted the usual Bangkok crowd eager to get away from the big smoke to their favourite resort by the sea. Occupancy at Hua Hin’s high end hotels was even better than the regular new year indicating a possible shift in visitor demographics to the town.

Local organisations are now marketing Hua Hin towards Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, China and India as a high end destination. At least for the 2009/2010 season western package tourists seem to have moved on, Hua Hin and Thailand in general are no longer destinations for the budget conscious and it looks like the authorities want to keep it that way.

March sees the return of the Hua Hin Kite Festival which is held on the 13th and 14th at the Naresuan army camp around 12 kilometers north of town. The event is a great day out for the kids with kite competitions and aerial displays. The strong seasonal winds this time of year also attract the kitesurfers and an international kiteboarding competition is also held on the same weekend.

Theatre, dance, music and the arts have been making a big splash in Hua Hin recently at the month-long Fringe Festival which was held at The Vic in Khao Takiab. Domestic and international acts put on shows and displays to ever growing audiences, events such as these and the annual Jazz Festival are slowly putting Hua Hin on Thailand’s cultural map.

Several topics on life in Thailand have seen lively discussion including the behaviour and dress conduct of tourists whilst in town, relationships, getting and being married to Thais, living in Thailand as a western female spouse, and the sadly deteriorating state of current Thai politics and possible implications on expats living permanently in the Kingdom. HHAD is more than just a web board about Hua Hin, members from all over Thailand join the discussions.

Last month Hua Hin immigration released a number of directives and new forms for resident “aliens” to fill in for reporting purposes. One even included a bizarre 48 hour cross-provincial reporting policy that would be a logistical nightmare to enforce. Either security around the town is being beefed up or more elaborate fine extraction methods are being introduced. Also cracking down last month were the tourist police who raided many foreign managed operations to check up on paperwork and the legitimacy of the foreigner involved.

The expats were asked plenty of questions last month with the usual array of weird and wonderful requests including sourcing Copenhagen tobacco, solving soi dog problems, finding a reliable print shop, paying electric bills by direct debit, and buying kitchen cabinets and office furniture. Whatever your question you’ll find the answer on HHAD.

Photos of Hua Hin, specifically historical and old ones, were discussed as a few long term residents shared their images. The difference between the town now and say 15 years ago is astonishing, for one you could actually walk across Petchkasem road without risking death! The one time sleepy fishing village has been transformed into a modern metropolis in no time, much of which can be attributed to the 2007-8 property boom. Even in today’s tough times new resorts are springing up such as the Intercontinental, Best Western and a number of new properties in Khao Takiab. Hua Hin’s boom is not over yet, it has just taken a nap for a year or so.

The number of tourists this high season has also been observed with many stating that Christmas and New Year have been very quiet compared to previous years. Some major hotels were running at only 60% occupancy which seems to be a result of holiday cancellations last year. The good news is that January started to pick up in terms of numbers and this month should be good too so optimism for 2010 is gaining momentum.

A few property questions were posed last month as confusion arose over leaseholds, land title deeds and company ownership. The resident property gurus were at hand to set the record straight. The old discussion over buying versus renting sparked up again however there are no winners to that argument, it all comes down to the individual and his or her current situation.

A few events were held in January including a number of festivals at the newly opened Cicada Market in Khao Takiab, a Swedish music festival at Black Mountain and the Asian PGA qualifying school which took place at a number of Hua Hin’s golf courses. This month we have the Chinese New Year festivities to enjoy and next month sees the return of the Hua Hin Kite Festival which will be held at the Naresuan Camp on March 13-14.

A whole range of questions and bizarre requests were posed to the expats last month including some about picture frames, cleaning toilets, terminating termites, saving Koi Carp, finding a public fax machine, and renting a small plane. Whatever your request and no matter how weird or wacky you’ll get an answer on HHAD.

A 50 classic car procession will be on the move from Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok on Friday morning (18th) and will drive by King Rama II Park in Samut Songkram before lunch in Phetchaburi. The parade will arrive in Hua Hin for the official ceremony in the evening.

The rally will be on the move around Hua Hin throughout the Saturday (19th) and will be based at the Sofitel. More information on the event and images can be found here: [Hua Hin Vintage Car Parade 2009].