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Discussion on where to go when the sun goes down in Hua Hin; bars, pubs, clubs, karaoke and general nightlife.
HuntingTigers
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HH traffic and the Palais Royal, Paris 1837

Post by HuntingTigers »

I write here of the Palais Royal, Paris, France, circa 1819 to 1837, as a cautionary note to those who have interests in Hua Hin and in particular Soi Bintabhat and environs.

The Palais Royal was a gift from Louis XIV, the Sun King, to his nephew the Duke of Orleans as a wedding present. It remained within the Bourbon family until the Revolution when it was confiscated by the state and its rooms leased out for business and pleasure.

"...it was a very exciting place... You could see dancing dogs, montebanks, blind muscians and restaurants. There were huge slate side walks where 10 people could walk abreast.

There were four gaming clubs, where, if a patron was concerned about his moral conscience he could salve it with the knowledge that a slice of the expenditure was contributing to the welfare of the sick.

... above the restaurants you have the highest class of courtesans who have rooms upstairs - it was the nicest place in town.

Ironically, it was not the objections of the Church that led to the closure of the Palais Royal but the greed of surrounding businesses. Competitors observing the volume of monies spent at the Palais, thought if it was shut down then it was assumed money would flow through their establishments instead.

Unfortunately for the local burghers closure had the opposite effect. Visitors no longer flocked to the area, trade and commerce slumped and many of those who had campaigned for the closure of the Palais went bankrupt themselves".
[Source: Barnhart, "Gambling in Revolutionary Paris" cited from "The Money Spinners", J. Black c.1993, ISBN 0-571-17037-4].

I found on my all too brief visit that the Soi Bintabaht locale was dynamic and had that 'magic' that makes the place and the local area what it is - i.e. brilliant. Meddle with it, and you will kill it.

I didn't get run over by a motorbike although I can see why they can be a nuisance, especially those without lights on. They are nevertheless an integral part of life out there - people, in particularly Thais, don't appear to walk anywhere - it seems they'd rather hop on a 'Wave'? to go to the end of the street than walk!?

I am aware I haven't presented a solution here to the motorbike issue but what I am saying is be extremely careful changing the locality structure based on some social engineered 'vision'.
HuntingTigers
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STEVE G
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Post by STEVE G »

I tend to agree with you HT, although I did once get knocked down by a lady-boy on a Honda Wave which would have made for an interesting insurance claim if it had done any great harm.
I must admit I expect Asia to be a little chaotic and if I wanted everything to work I would move to Switzerland instead.
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