Hua Hin, the next Pattaya?

[BaaBaa.]

I question if some people on this thread have actually been to both places, HH is nothing like Pattaya in any way and is too small to become Pattaya.

I'm 31 years old, I enjoy a beer and a laugh, but I've had enough of Pattaya after 3 nights, it's a place for hedonism, Costa del Thailand. Downtown Pattaya is like nowhere else on earth, nevermind HH, where I'd happily base my family.

[johnnyk]

I question if some people on this thread have actually been to both places, HH is nothing like Pattaya in any way and is too small to become Pattaya.

I'm 31 years old, I enjoy a beer and a laugh, but I've had enough of Pattaya after 3 nights, it's a place for hedonism, Costa del Thailand. Downtown Pattaya is like nowhere else on earth, nevermind HH, where I'd happily base my family.

Bang on BB. Play in Pty but live in HH. I'm with you - 3 nights and home and each time I've gone there the past 2-3 years I liked it less. Great thing about Thailand is you can have fun everywhere, it doesn't have to be in your face 24/7.

[PET]

I agree. I've often thought that there'd be money to made running flights from Hua-Hin --> Samui/Chang Mai. Doesn't have to be daily, a couple of flights a week in each direction should be enough to start with.

In fact there's no reason those flights couldn't go VIA bkk anyway.

But yea, I'm willing to bet if flights do ever start again, it'll be another doomed-to-failure HH-BKK only affair.

I suggest that if it were profitable to do what you suggest then it would have been set up and done already

[dozer]

The extension to the airport was completed in 1999 and the primary reason was the hope that it could attract airlines from South East Asia and chartered European flights.
But alas it was not to be and the only time I have seen large aircraft land there was during the last ASEAN meeting in Cha Am

[Pleng]

I agree. I've often thought that there'd be money to made running flights from Hua-Hin --> Samui/Chang Mai. Doesn't have to be daily, a couple of flights a week in each direction should be enough to start with.

In fact there's no reason those flights couldn't go VIA bkk anyway.

But yea, I'm willing to bet if flights do ever start again, it'll be another doomed-to-failure HH-BKK only affair.

I suggest that if it were profitable to do what you suggest then it would have been set up and done already

Following that logic, all profitable ideas have been thought of and set up already? Sad day for enterprise...

[Dannie Boy]

I agree. I've often thought that there'd be money to made running flights from Hua-Hin --> Samui/Chang Mai. Doesn't have to be daily, a couple of flights a week in each direction should be enough to start with.

In fact there's no reason those flights couldn't go VIA bkk anyway.

But yea, I'm willing to bet if flights do ever start again, it'll be another doomed-to-failure HH-BKK only affair.

I suggest that if it were profitable to do what you suggest then it would have been set up and done already

Following that logic, all profitable ideas have been thought of and set up already? Sad day for enterprise...

My read of it is that as yet, HH doesn't have the critical mass sufficient to support an international airport, but with the continuous development that has been going on, then maybe in 5-10 years it will. I have been coming to HH for just over 10 years and the road journey from BKK has reduced by almost an hour during that time, so the benefit of a regional airport is less now than it was back then.

[zevon]

I agree. I've often thought that there'd be money to made running flights from Hua-Hin --> Samui/Chang Mai. Doesn't have to be daily, a couple of flights a week in each direction should be enough to start with.

In fact there's no reason those flights couldn't go VIA bkk anyway.

But yea, I'm willing to bet if flights do ever start again, it'll be another doomed-to-failure HH-BKK only affair.

I suggest that if it were profitable to do what you suggest then it would have been set up and done already

To an extent it already has been done. It must be around about 8 years or so when one of the airlines trying to make a fist out of regular flights to Hua Hin had for one of its Bangkok Hua Hin flights an onward leg to Samui. This ceased when the airline puled out of Hua Hin.

I just don't see a Bkk to HH regular commercial flight surviving. For anything to have a chance imo it would have to be flights to and from the Thai regions but is there truly a market for such an airline? I for one would not be at the front of the queue as an investor

[johnnyk]

Planes don't make sense if the road or rail trip can be done under 4 hours. Factor in the true time required for an air trip and you can see why. Time going out to the airport, check-in and security nonsense, actual flight, baggage claim then travel to final destination. When France put its first TGV in service the plane service between Paris-Lyon was pretty well wiped out. Nominally a 1-hour trip (in air) but all the other crap bumped it up to 4 hours or more. The TGV did the trip in about 2.5 hours city centre to city centre and a more pleasant experience to boot.
Bottom line is planes between BKK-HH can't compete with other transportation options, except rail, on price, frequency or trip time and that's why nobody is offering it.

[Pleng]

I think we're all pretty much agreed on BKK-HH being a no go

[hhfarang]

Yes and johnnyk brings up a good option. A high speed rail system to cities within 2 to 4 hours of BKK would be a better option but I'm sure that won't happen in my lifetime.

[Pleng]

Sky train extension all the way to Hua Hin

[hhfarang]

^ Well, I was thinking of something a little faster than that.

[Uktom]

Change is inevitable, nothing is permanent and people seem to cling to an ideal that things will remain a certain way. It is easy to see if you take a quick look around at the construction of hotels and condos, the traffic and everything else that has already been pointed out. I am quite sure that in 10 years HH will have grown a lot in size and maybe, just maybe the government will have sorted out the traffic down petkasem. But the next Pattaya, naaa. But what will Pattaya be like in 10 years

On a side note, Prachuap town seems to have less foreigners, things are cleaner and the cost of living is easier on the wallet. Correct me if I am wrong...

[richard]

Change is inevitable

On a side note, Prachuap town seems to have less foreigners, things are cleaner and the cost of living is easier on the wallet. Correct me if I am wrong...

I agree UKT. Everywhere changes. Even going down south from HH the places are gradually growing as the infrastructure improves and BK seems nearer