Post Covid Hua Hin observations

[Timb-uk]

I’ve been a member of this forum since January 2014 and although I rarely contribute, I’m a regular reader and feel the information shared gives me an indication of what to expect during our annual visit to the town. I’m guessing, but I think the majority of members on this forum live in Hua Hin with the remainder occasional visitors or people looking for information for a first time visit.

So, as we’ve now passed the dozen visit mark (every February – apart from Covid and the occasional October), I felt it was prudent to give my thoughts on the town since Covid, as a “regular outsider”.
To give this some perspective, myself and my wife stop at the Hilton for about 9 or 10 nights and tend to stick to the downtown and beach areas. It’s a simple system: Breakfast, pool, long walk on beach, beers on beach, back to pool (or out for massage), another beer, meal at local restaurant (never hotel), night market, few drinks, bed. Repeat x 9 !
During Covid I tried to keep in touch by reading this forum and also viewing the many YouTube videos. The videos gave a horror story of the decimation of the bars around Soi Bintabaht, shops closed, the night market struggling and piers being knocked down.

Having just returned from 10 nights at the end of October he’s my view (and this is where I’d appreciate other members feedback in case I’m missing the point or giving out old information). I think we need to bear in mind that we went at the end of the low season and it was obvious that the locals were getting ready for the busier Christmas and high season in January / February.

It’s no doubt that the locals have had it hard, really hard. On speaking to bar owners on the beach (I’d even call some of them close friends) – no tourists for a year, their bar closed, no job, “I cried every night”, when will it stop !. YouTube videos showing no one on Bintabaht, bars up for rent – “no recovery” and bulldozers knocking down buildings near the piers
We were expecting a mess !

Bars:
The Hilton bar has had a renovation – looking good, but hardly anyone there (hopefully they will start the live music outside again soon). We’ve spent many an hour in that bar, people watching on the main road and listening to the live music.
We decided to move up the road to the left (away from the piers) towards SamSam bar area. It was about 9:00pm, football was on the screen and the bar areas were full !. There are about 3 to 4 bars all next to each other all busy – things were looking positive.
We then went down Soi Bintabaht and adjoining streets. The streets were busy, the girls out trying to get you in the bars, the music playing, sport on TV. Granted, not as busy as previous years, but to the uninitiated the life and soul was still there. The even better news was that work was being carried out on closed bars (Nu Nu – looked huge and was going through an expensive refit) and the beer garden had been renovated and looked good. The old bars were still open (London Bar etc) and had drinkers in them.
A huge relief !

All the old massage shops were there (on the main road and on the streets behind), and you still got the, “You want Massage” calls, but this time with a “….please” – and I think they meant it !

After a few days we decided to try Soi 94 and the new Wonderwall Area. I can see why the council wanted to do this – an all new bar area, away from hotels, make as much noise as you want !. Most of these small bars had punters and the majority had good looking bar girls (much better looking than Bintabaht), HOWEVER – it’s not for me. The negatives far outweighed the positives I’m afraid – a long way from hotels (yes, I know tuk-tuks are around), you can’t get away from the music (downtown, you can move to the bars on the main road for a break) and most importantly for me, the bars were pretty much the same – no character, no charm. So with a huge relief I can say Soi Bintabaht was alive and kicking, busy (ish) with signs of investment and development.
My biggest disappointment was the fact the Hilton Brewery (the inside bar, which has the live group until 2:00am) was still closed – hopefully that will change in high season.

Shops
Another disappointment was the number of empty shops – from the Hilton to the piers I think about 60% plus are closed. The landlords have recognised the need for incentives, so they are all painted, clean and ready to go – hopefully the financial incentives are there too. The closure of Cheers wine bar, the extended mini market and the artisan art shops (that no one went in) will all be a loss.
The nightmarket, is back on track again – certainly from the empty streets I saw in YouTube during Covid. Probably less stalls, but all the restaurants have survived and the streets were full.

Restaurants
The vast majority were still there, open for business with punters inside – however, whereas we have had to book in the past, no problem in getting a table anytime (even at our favourite restaurant, The Orchid, which you had no chance of getting in without a booking – this time only 25% full each night). All piers were functioning well and it looked like money had been spent on refurbishments – they were looking good and the food was excellent.

Beach
Full of tourists, beach bars, passing salesmen, horses and locals – nothing changed. We did comment how clean it was this year – all good stuff !

I’d appreciate comments from those of you reading this who live in Hua Hin on a permanent basis – can you see things getting back to “normal” ? Do you think Soi Bintabaht will survive ? Do you think, as the title of this post suggests, “It will all be alright”.

Thanks and see you in February.
Tim

Mod edit: we changed the thread title so it made sense to readers.

[HuaHin61]

last time i had been in HH was in 2018, so i only know HH before the shutdown.
the relocation of (maybe unwanted) bars had started, more and more bars had moved to Soi80 or Soi94,
A certain adjustment (close or relocate the smaller restaurants along the temple wall) was apparently desired by local officials,
but i hope, the business for thai people (thai people living from income in tourism-business) will recover.
if such quickly as expected from TH tourism officials, i am not sure.

[2dandan]

I am a long time visitor and pre Covid came over to HH 2/3 times per year with my family. We were over in March this year, not long after the country opened up and found that about 80% of shops and bars in the Bintabaht block were closed. The bars and restaurants which were open had very few customers. The town centre had lost its soul however it sounds as though the town is starting to recover.

The night market had many stalls missing and was not particularly busy.

Soi 94 area was much busier and some bars and restaurants were quite busy.

I am due to arrive again next week so look forward to seeing the bars, restaurants and shops a bit busier as per your report.

[huahin4ever]

You should have tried the strip from Soi 94 to Baan Khun Phor. Lot of nice small bars which is very different from Wonderland. IMO Wonderland is only for picking up chicks, nothing else. Many of the regular bars in soi 94 ar quite cozy and some has live music too. Cheers bar, Le Pub etc. And cheap beer and looking at all the people in Baan Khun Phor is a must too.

[Timb-uk]

I am a long time visitor and pre Covid came over to HH 2/3 times per year with my family. We were over in March this year, not long after the country opened up and found that about 80% of shops and bars in the Bintabaht block were closed. The bars and restaurants which were open had very few customers. The town centre had lost its soul however it sounds as though the town is starting to recover.

The night market had many stalls missing and was not particularly busy.

Soi 94 area was much busier and some bars and restaurants were quite busy.

I am due to arrive again next week so look forward to seeing the bars, restaurants and shops a bit busier as per your report.

Hopefully you will see quite a few improvements in the town centre areas, especially (as I said in the original post) in the Bintabaht area. Still not as busy as pre-covid, but I’d be interested on your view between your last visit in March and now.

Tim

[2dandan]

I’d be interested on your view between your last visit in March and now.

Tim

I’ll certainly do that

[Mikeyb]

I was down Bintabaht last night and it was very busy around the top end near the Hilton with tourists, couples, golfing groups.
There are many new or refurbished bars and its certainly encouraging.
Had a wander down Poonsuk and the other streets and it was a little less busy.

I would say Hua Hin is now back to Pre Covid tourists levels certainly with Europeans and Aussies.
Still down on the Asian market which go to the shopping centres and markets.