Filthy Beaches in Paradise City

[Jaime]

Firstly, apologies for my tardiness in posting this - just been too busy but even though it is late I still feel it is worth posting about.

We were last in Hua Hin in October 2010 when there was very heavy rainfall and a storm on the second or third night we were in Hua Hin. A couple of days later the weather settled and so we went to our usual spot on the beach at Soi 75 but it was absolutely littered with all sorts of storm and flood debris and just not a nice place to be at all. Well, this is to be expected I thought, given the weather over the previous couple of days. Hopefully things would be better in a couple of days time. That weekend we went up to Bangkok to visit relatives and returned three days later. The day after our return, we went back to Soi 75 and (I suppose I wasn't really that surprised) the beach was in exactly the same state as it had been 4 days earlier. Despite the storm having passed, nobody had made any effort to clean up the beach.

This was the scene at Soi 75 and for as far as the eye could see in both directions:

Soi 75 Beach, 01 Nov 2010

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Again, we left the beach and went and did something else. We didn't bother going to the beach the following day but the day after that we decided to give it a go again. However, the beach at Soi 75 was exactly the same. Then I had a brainwave! Why not go down to the beach areas in front of the posh resorts at Khao Takiab!? They are bound to be cleaned up! So off we headed to the beach in front of Chiva Som. Unfortunately, the tide was still fairly high and the beach at this point was no longer accessible. Never mind - since we were that far down the beach we may as well head off to the beach at the foot of the golden buddha. This is what we found (bear in mind that this is a full week after the storm has passed):

Khao Takiab Beach, 03 Nov 2010

Khao Takiab Beach (looking North), 03 Nov 2010

There were a handful of tourists there and all were taking more pictures of the filthy beach than they were of the Buddha and temple - no doubt these have already made it to photo web sites and holiday travelogues. By this time, the smell was pretty bad.

Our last day was a couple of days later on 5th November and by this time the weather was really very nice - about 30 degrees, blue skies and a big yellow sun. Not at all confident that the beaches in Hua Hin would be cleaned up, we decided to take a trip a bit further down the coast to Khao Khalok, of which we had been given glowing reviews. So, with images of pristine white beaches filling our minds, we headed off.

On arrival, from a distance all seemed well:

Khao Khalok Beach, 05 Nov 2010

However, these images are the reality of the close up experience:

Khao Khalok Beach, 05 Nov 2010

Khao Khalok Beach, 05 Nov 2010

Of course, there is less debris but more than a week after the storms it is still on the beach and there is no way I am going to let any child of mine run around on a beach where there are syringes lying around! The amazing thing was that the restaurant owners at the back of the beach couldn't understand why we only stayed for 5 minutes or that we were not prepared to eat in one of their restaurants with their fine views over the syringe strewn beach! A shame because otherwise it really is a lovely spot.

Words fail me really because if this had happened in every other country I have visited there would be tractors on the beach the NEXT day after the storm clearing the beach. Two days later it would be possible to use the beach as before. In Hua Hin and the surrounding area there was still plenty of horrible debris on the beach NINE days after the storm! The only action taken was either a) scrape everything into little piles and set fire to them so the beach is covered in smouldering piles of rubbish or b) wait for the tide to wash it all away. What the hell is all that about!? Why can't the local Tessaban and big business community understand that clearing the beach should be their highest priority when it is littered in this way!? They spout all this crap about creating a Paradise City and they can't even get organised enough to clean the whole focus of the tourist industry in the area.

My family and I will come back to Hua Hin, year after year, but if I was a package tourist and had paid out a couple of grand for my annual holiday in Hua Hin over those two weeks I would never return and I would make sure that I told everyone I knew that the beaches in Hua Hin are A DUMP!

[lomuamart]

My only thoughts on this would be that it was October = not many tourists = who cares? Or,
There could be another storm coming in, so why clean it now?
If the same thing happened in the high season (less chance because of the weather, admittedly), the beaches would probably have been cleaned up quickly.
If I remember rightly, you're coming back out in a couple of months, Jaime. Hopefully things will be better then. During December - February, there's precious little beach to speak of anyway as the tides are constantly high. For me, walking the beach regularly, the best times are from March - Jul/August when the tides are out and I can feel that I'm virtually the only person on it.

[margaretcarnes]

To be fair Jaime does have a good point - 'tourist' season really isn't an excuse for that mess. I was down south past KhaoKolok (I think - it was the beach with the mermaid statues) in mid December and it wasn't too clean even then.
There was a guy ambling around clearing up dead fish, but not clearing other rubbish. Maybe he was just collecting his evening meal? And at these beaches the restaurants aren't exactly cheap any more - nor are the deck chairs. I spotted a Walls sign and took our friends little 'un (and me) for icecreams - 'no have'.
I don't expect pristine facilities at these beaches but they ARE well used popular places so a little more effort would be good. And although tin shack toilets are fine a light would be good too!

[Big Boy]

I agree Jaime - I also posted very similar photos and a short video at the time.

[Spitfire]

Dare I mention it, and I don't want to sound pedantic/santimonious etc, even though the comments are reasonable on this thread, that it's all simply that the money for this sort of stuff is simply grafted/corrupted away, rather like the money for road repair and other things.

Thailand has enough money to sort out a first class Asian country, it just unfortunately doesn't have the responsible public officials to match the challenge. They are more interested in their own bank accounts instead.

I wonder how much of the taxpayers' money ends up in the bank accounts of BMW/Benz/Thai banks that have given out house loans etc?

How many times does the local Gov and his minions requisite funds and then do a crap job and pocket the difference?

Sorry to sound cynical but might not be that far off, it's not just in the rural areas that this happens, alive and well in the cities too.

[caller]

To be honest and continuing in the negative vein, most people I speak to who know or have visited Hua Hin make adverse comments about the beach.

[lomuamart]

Having walked it for 13 years, it's best between the months as I've mentioned.

[lomuamart]

As an aside, there was a huge spread of sunbeds just to the right of the Sofitel.
I went down there last week and they'd disappeared.
Amazing. Now it's pretty sand.
Someone must have said something.

[kendo]

The beach should be respected like it's Hua Hin's biggest asset one thing that I don't like is the loy kratong rubbish left on the beach it's not an environment friendly festival.
Kendo.

[buksida]

Its one of my pet hates, we have similar problems in Bangsaphan where 90% of this crap is just tossed overboard from careless and ignorant fishing boat crews. At certain times of the year the ocean spits it all out and the beach looks like a rubbish dump.

Beach cleaning and environmental awareness should be school projects and part of the curriculum/education system. As Spitfire said, any finances allocated for community clean ups are likely to end up in some 'officials' pocket.

[Jaime]

My only thoughts on this would be that it was October = not many tourists = who cares? Or,
There could be another storm coming in, so why clean it now?
If the same thing happened in the high season (less chance because of the weather, admittedly), the beaches would probably have been cleaned up quickly.
If I remember rightly, you're coming back out in a couple of months, Jaime. Hopefully things will be better then. During December - February, there's precious little beach to speak of anyway as the tides are constantly high. For me, walking the beach regularly, the best times are from March - Jul/August when the tides are out and I can feel that I'm virtually the only person on it.

I don't disagree with any of that Lomu - in fact I think the first sentence is exactly what I was thinking. The thing is though, Thailand advertises itself as an all year round destination. Sure there is a low season but there is not an off season. It is not as if Hua Hin shuts down for three to six months like they do in some of the med resorts. Everything is supposedly still open for business and hotel bookings are still being taken all year round. The town is still full of customers - just fewer of them. It's ok if you live in Hua Hin and can take or leave the beach all year round but not if it is for your hard earned two weeks in the sun! Bad weather is one thing that we all have to take a chance on when booking holidays but rubbish on the beach for nine days just shouldn't happen - especially in a place where the local Tessaban is marketing itself with the grandiose title of 'Paradise City!' What a joke!

OK, the beach at Soi 75 doesn't have any big hotel frontage but even in front of the Hilton and Sofitel it took days to clear things up. Notwithstanding the lack of joined up thinking by the local officials, surely those multinational chains have a vested interest in keeping the beach clean?

The beach at hua Hin could be fantastic - and as lomu points out there are times in the year when it is just that - but too much of the time it is just too dirty.

Spitfire is pretty much spot on with his posts and I know it's been said before but those who matter will not wake up until all the tourists and their hard earned cash have already gone. Why would any tourist who had stayed in any of those resorts in November ever give Hua Hin a second chance?

[Big Boy]

This was taken 20 Oct 10 (and it was still as good a few days later):

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This was taken from a similar angle, but a bit further away on 3 Nov 10:

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[Lung Per]

Send your photos and your complaints to the Lord Mayor of Hua Hin, preferably in a Thai translation, with copy to the Minister of Tourism in Bangkok. Posting here won't change anything.

[Big Boy]

Send your photos and your complaints to the Lord Mayor of Hua Hin, preferably in a Thai translation, with copy to the Minister of Tourism in Bangkok. Posting here won't change anything.

Personally, I'm just joining in the conversation. I would not expect the thread to change anything. However, neither would I expect a letter to the honourable officials you mention to change anything. They have their own eyes to see for themselves.

[Jaime]

Sending details to a TV watchdog programme, package company organisation or publisher of Lonely Planet/Rough Guide type books would be more effective.....