Walking around Tourist area with a pushchair

[usual suspect]

How many times are we reminded that Hua-Hin is a 'family resort'..?
Well that title falls flat on it's face if you've ever tried to navigate around town with a younger member of your family in a pushchair!
All the way down Poolsuk Rd various hostelries have encroached onto the pedestrian walkway.. starting with La Bar Francias who have lined the footpath with their footstools..then a couple of hotels have cut away the footpath to make a ramp up to their place.
ALL the restaurants on the temple-side have lined tables along the walkway FFS!
Opposite those restaurants the footpath is taken over by the hilltribe vendors who line the pavement with both their wares and themselves.
No ramps off the high kerbs, no maintenance to 'lifted' pavers or broken grate-tops.

Turn down Binta and you have to battle with the food vendor's hot trollies in the middle of the Soi, then Thais on motorcycles pushing by.

The road past the Hilton all the way along has lost it's pedestrian walkway to shops & street-vendors.

And nothing ever seems to be done here to HELP tourists walk around town..every footpath just gets more & more congested..hence folk have to walk on the road & risk the wrath of yet more motorcycles flying by & tuk-tuks racing back to grab the next fare.

My walk with a one+half yr old child in the pushchair was almost a fight for our survival..with me HAVING to walk on the road nearly all the time!
Then imagine navigating with a wheelchair..?
(Don't get me started about the need for a footbridge over Petkasem Rd).

AGAIN this may be just one more factor when the visiting family consider returning to HH in the future..??
OK..Rant over

[hhfarang]

Always agreed with that rant. Sidewalks should be clear for pedestrians, but TIT. Heaven help someone here in a wheelchair whether it be in Hua Hin or on the sidewalks of Bangkok.

[caller]

Don't get me started about the need for a footbridge over Petkasem Rd.

Why was the old one removed?

[kendo]

I agree US around the Binta block its hard work with a push chair when walking quite fast got one of the front wheels stuck in a drain grating and nearly tipped the push chair over and in the evening you have no real choice but to walk in the road i remember outside of the Seven Elenven my at the time heaverly pregnaunt wife nealry got hit by a girl riding way to fast dodging padestrians.

If Hua Hin was really serious about being family friendly they would barrier this area off at night and put some ramps on those monsterous curbs for wheel chair users and family's like mine with almost three year old.

Now the crossing to the night market is very dodgy with a push chair and their should be a traffic cop there twenty four seven, i remember back to when my little girl was 11 months old, we crossed at the crossing in between the traffic sequence and this brand new car with some rich hi so's on board decided to stop to let his pasengers out on the crossing, stopping everyone from crossing the road and blocking the padestrian access.
I was rather pissed at this and slapped the boot lid very hard and gave the driver a fright and something to think about everyone looked around and some of the Thai's said to my wife tell farang good.

Another thing i was shocked at is by that crappy pizza chain there was a hole in the paving slabs that went down over a metre one wrong step and a broken leg no question.


Kendo.

[richard]

Come on guys. You've been here or coming here long enough to know that pavements (walkways) are for vendors, the occasional motorbike and extension of businesses when space is at a premium. The right place for pedestrians, wheelchairs and invalid carriages is on the road. TIT same same most of SE Asia

[kendo]

C'mon Richard it still makes it hard work with a small child we still use Amelie's push chair as she gets tired on long days out.
Coming back next month so will see you for a beer or three.
Kendo.

[oakdale160]

That is all very sad. Do Not for one second think that in any way will it get better. This is how it is, this is how it will stay. THIS IS THAILAND. The hi-so parents leave the children at home with nanny.

[Big Boy]

I see the suggestion for wheelchair/pushchair ramps and pavements without obstacles.

I was driving through Bangkok during rush hour 3 days ago. Every time the traffic stopped, all the motorcyclists headed for the nearest ramp and continued their journey along the pavements. TIT - Do you not think removing the obstacles, and inserting ramps would encourage similar behaviour here?

IMHO people aren't looking out for crazy motorcyclists when walking on the safety of a pavement, whereas when walking on the road you're always on your guard.

NB: I'm not condoning the behaviour, just pointing out the Thai (with many Farangs following like sheep) mindset.

[richard]

C'mon Richard it still makes it hard work with a small child we still use Amelie's push chair as she gets tired on long days out.
Coming back next month so will see you for a beer or three.
Kendo.

I understand your predicament and I too as an limping pedestrian find the road the easiest but not the safest route to take but I doubt it will change. Even the pavements are uneven and difficult to walk on at times. Look forward to a sherbet or three

[hhfarang]

^
Sherbet? Have you given up the suds Richard?

I'm not normally a limping pedestrian, but I can't count the times that I have turned my ankle walking on the "sidewalk" in this country and then become a temporary one.

[Takiap]

I agree with the OP's rant, but at the same time, if you've been to Thailand even just on a two week holiday, then you should surely know that this is the way it is, and this is how it is going to stay.


Kendo, we bought a pushchair when our first daughter was born, and I can't remember using it more than about a dozen times, and that only before she was able to walk. I now have three daughters, with the youngest one being three years old. Daughter number two and daughter number three have never sat in a pushchair because we gave the one we had away to a friend.

As you might know, I've lived here full time since before our first kid was born, and I honestly can't say life was a struggle without a pushchair. I guess if you only visit the place every now and again, then things must seem quite daunting. To me it's simply just a part of life then I never really think about anymore.


Having said all that, it was the mayhem and craziness that drew me to Thailand in the first place.



Let's not forget, a vast number of people/families would be without any form of income if they were forbidden to set up shop on the sidewalks.


PS: When the going gets to scary for a pushchair, carry your kid on your shoulders. She'll love it.

[usual suspect]

Thank you all for mainly agreeing with my post here..BUT,- My Mrs has just informed me thing's will never change in HH mainly due to the MIB being fully aware of every business that occupies the sidewalks/pavements, & every M/cycle hire company that uses kerb-space for their vehicles..meaning they ALL have to PAY..so MIB are happy & so are the vendors..that's right folks..no-one else matters..
(as our resident ageing Yorkshireman keeps reminding us... T.i.T.
..2-week tourist or long-stay ex-pat..we be same-same).

ps..Sorry for Kendo having to negotiate town with his little daughter on a daily basis while he was here..I decided to give the pushchair (c/w toddler) back to my sister-in-law..she was far more patient than me).

[Pleng]

Like others have pointed out, this is not exactly something new here. Were you ever expecting it would be likely to change?

I, for one, am quite happy to chance my life ducking between road and pavement if it means I'm never more than a couple of minutes from a som tam and grilled chicken, pork satay, bowl of noodles, or whatever else I may find between wherever it was I started and wherever it is I'm going.

Besides which; if these vendors weren't on the streets you'd only have to spend your time worrying how many traffic-intolerant motorbikes you're likely to encounter riding on your nice newly cleared pavement, anyway.

[kendo]

Next month US I will have the pushchair but it will be folded and over my shoulder unless little one really needs it.

As for the Binta area it's a fine example of the BIB doing what they like best generating tea money up north in Surin province farangs openly run bars even on dry days, and I also know a farang that delivers refrigerated coffins for his GF business.

Kendo.

[richard]

Next month US I will have the pushchair but it will be folded and over my shoulder unless little one really needs it.

As for the Binta area it's a fine example of the BIB doing what they like best generating tea money up north in Surin province farangs openly run bars even on dry days, and I also know a farang that delivers refrigerated coffins for his GF business.

Kendo.

Isaan towns and HH are almost different countries. The way things are going that may soon become the case anyway