Hua Hin, the next Pattaya?

[Siani]

Into the sea, Siani.

Oh dear...just as well I swim in swimming pools

[usual suspect]

Think of Pattaya..sleazy girls, loud music, bad walkways, snarled traffic, litter, crime... now take a good look here when you walk around the Poolsuk/Bintablock on a weekend.. Same-Same huh?? (Well nearly..I hear that Patts DOES have a Police force willing to patrol)

[yselmike]

Shock horror! Thai seaside town busy at weekends,people out enjoying themselves.

[traveller2]

Think of Pattaya..sleazy girls, loud music, bad walkways, snarled traffic, litter, crime... now take a good look here when you walk around the Poolsuk/Bintablock on a weekend.. Same-Same huh?? (Well nearly..I hear that Patts DOES have a Police force willing to patrol)

Bintablock is only a very small part of HH. If thats not your 'thing', then its easily avoided.

[dtaai-maai]

Bintablock is only a very small part of HH. If thats not your 'thing', then its easily avoided.

Not for usual suspect, it's not!

[STEVE G]

Another factor that might stop Hua Hin turning into a Pattaya is that most of the people I meet there seem to be more interested in golf than girls!

[SunandFun]

Another factor that might stop Hua Hin turning into a Pattaya is that most of the people I meet there seem to be more interested in golf than girls!

What is the difference? Aren't you trying to "hole out" with each one?

[kendo]

To the open poster, i call this progress, the Thai economy is weathering the economic storm better than a lot of countries for example commodity prices have gone through the roof building is every where drive down the Rama 2 road out of Bangkok housing developments on mass in the last couple of years.

I think that maybe you have hit a bit of a nondescript flat spot in your retirement , i bet if you dipped your toe's back on the soil of your own country you would not like the changes very much their ether.

Now Hua Hin is seeing a massive rise in Bangkok Thai's looking to relocate due to the floods and a large part of Bangkok only being 1 meter above sea level and their is talk of a big part of industry moving north to Korat for the same reason.

I see Hua Hin as an up and coming family resort as already mentioned if you don't like the bar scene easily avoided in my opinion, the bars have become less in yer face in the respect of girls trying to beckon you or grab you although their are a couple of chrome polls in opposite bars bit of a shame the girls don't have a clue on how to dance on them they are more interested in getting pissed on Sam Song and dancing in the street and pumping up the music trying to out do the other bars.

I think the biggest issue that let's Hua Hin down is the traffic the kurbs and the refuge area's in the middle of the PK road they put these very stupid kurbs there makes it very awkward with a push chair and outside market Village they have put chrome bollards that you will have trouble getting a push chair through.

Kendo.

[Siani]

I think the biggest issue that let's Hua Hin down is the traffic the kurbs and the refuge area's in the middle of the PK road they put these very stupid kurbs there makes it very awkward with a push chair and outside market Village they have put chrome bollards that you will have trouble getting a push chair through.

Kendo.

I think maybe the high curbs in HH are for flooding? I could be wrong, but maybe that is a reason for being so high. I agree 100% that they need to be tidied up somewhat

[Takiap]

I think the biggest issue that let's Hua Hin down is the traffic the kurbs and the refuge area's in the middle of the PK road they put these very stupid kurbs there makes it very awkward with a push chair and outside market Village they have put chrome bollards that you will have trouble getting a push chair through.

Kendo.

I think maybe the high curbs in HH are for flooding? I could be wrong, but maybe that is a reason for being so high. I agree 100% that they need to be tidied up somewhat

You'd be far better off hoping for something else. Not a negative comment, but in general, Thais don't seem to place much importance on appearance. So long as something works, that's fine. What is it with westerners wanting electric poles to be perfectly straight? Why would you possibly want an attractive awning when you can block the sun with a free Mc D advertising banner, or a few bits of rusted sheeting?

As far as HH becoming like Patts is concerned..................I can't comment because I've never been there, but from what I read and from what I've been told, the two places have nothing in common. I rarely get to the Binta area, and when I do, it's only for a change and some people watching. If anything, I would say it's a dead fish, especially if I were to compare it to some parts of Bangkok the way they were 15 years ago.

And now I've just scared myself.................how out of touch can one get. I guess that's what marriage and kids do to you.

[Siani]

You'd be far better off hoping for something else. Not a negative comment, but in general, Thais don't seem to place much importance on appearance. So long as something works, that's fine. What is it with westerners wanting electric poles to be perfectly straight? Why would you possibly want an attractive awning when you can block the sun with a free Mc D advertising banner, or a few bits of rusted sheeting?

I don't think it is a negative comment at all I suppose Pattaya years ago looked more Thai than it does today. Some for better, some unfortunately for worse. I liked the old Thailand myself, but now it seems to be half and half. Every town where there is money involved is changing, sadly. My personal opinion on rusting tin roof...do not like them Now straw roof..that is different
Takiap..here is a picture of the road along the seafront. Maybe they did up the road to stop all the drunks falling down the potholes

imagesCAGLWGH5.jpg (11.47 KiB) Viewed 1252 times

[kendo]

I or i should say we, as a family feel very safe in Hua Hin and over the last 7 years have visited i would not walk around Pattaya in the wee small hours on my own drunk.

Just remember Pattaya is a melting pot of the worst of Thai's and the worst of Farang's and a whole bunch of criminals lying low and gangs exploiting anything and anyone.

Just look around Hua Hin at what go's on then go online and read the two Pattaya news papers they for sure will make your toe's curl, these two city's are a million miles apart in my opinion.

Kendo.

[JAFO]

To the open poster, i call this progress, the Thai economy is weathering the economic storm better than a lot of countries for example commodity prices have gone through the roof building is every where drive down the Rama 2 road out of Bangkok housing developments on mass in the last couple of years.

I think that maybe you have hit a bit of a nondescript flat spot in your retirement , i bet if you dipped your toe's back on the soil of your own country you would not like the changes very much their ether.

Now Hua Hin is seeing a massive rise in Bangkok Thai's looking to relocate due to the floods and a large part of Bangkok only being 1 meter above sea level and their is talk of a big part of industry moving north to Korat for the same reason.

I see Hua Hin as an up and coming family resort as already mentioned if you don't like the bar scene easily avoided in my opinion, the bars have become less in yer face in the respect of girls trying to beckon you or grab you although their are a couple of chrome polls in opposite bars bit of a shame the girls don't have a clue on how to dance on them they are more interested in getting pissed on Sam Song and dancing in the street and pumping up the music trying to out do the other bars.

I think the biggest issue that let's Hua Hin down is the traffic the kurbs and the refuge area's in the middle of the PK road they put these very stupid kurbs there makes it very awkward with a push chair and outside market Village they have put chrome bollards that you will have trouble getting a push chair through.

Kendo.

Kendo,
I think you make some good points. I guess my rub about it all is that some of us enjoy and want the little enchanted place to relax. Hua Hin IMHO has lost that appeal and soon it will become and run down, dirty, congested get away place that really is no fun to visit unless you are a BKK weekend refugee which is not really saying much. I know of many ex Pattaya people who moved Hua Hin to get away from 'Patters" and have made the same comparison.

Hua Hin is dirty, when you get off the Phetsakem rd heading towards the mtns the hills are ladened with 3 to 10mil baht homes and right next to those places are garbage dumps where the construction people just toss their crap. The roads are tore up. If you ride a scooter anywhere you are pelted by sand and debris all the time. If you walk the beaches they are dirty and polluted(except for the military base beach) and this will only worsen as it grows faster then Thais can manage it.

The other night my GF and I went down to get a few things to take back to the states and as we walked you could smell heated garbage emanating up out of the sewers. As for the bar girl scene I have never been down to the area and will not. Absolutely have no desire. They could close all of them everywhere in Thailand as far as I am concerned.

As I said for some of the retirees these changes are wanted, Westerners always want where they live to be like home. I never quite understood this, why move there then? While I miss certain things as I posted in another thread I could live without a lot. I would not want Thailand to have all of what I miss in the US here. I will just go back for awhile and enjoy them. I would prefer Thailand remain Thailand if that makes sense. I will honestly admit I retired to soon (48). When you are still quite active golf and sitting on a beach chair drinking all the time is not so rewarding. But at 65 or so when you are just about done and relaxing a lot is important then maybe so.

I know when I return back I will not live anywhere near Hua Hin. It will soon be lumped into your Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya bucket and once it hits main stream it will get bad. I counted over 10 new HUGE condo complex/housing projects being built from Cha am to the airport runway cross over bridge entering Hua Hin. Wait until those are all sold out. I also do not agree with others that Thais will not let it grow to much due to the Kings retreat palace. I bet once he passes it too will become another historic site to visit and the royal family will not visit it anymore.

[kendo]

Jafo, maybe Bang Saphan would maybe be more your flavour, but i think the underlying issue is you have retired to young and i believe that after a fair amount of time in Thailand or being married to a Thai that you do become conditioned to your surroundings and maybe a little critical of east meets west and how restrictive this country can be the more you know and all, that everything is stacked against you:D .

Thailand does not wow me anymore or bother me its just my wife's country that i come to as a guest and its nice for a holiday.

I find after 3 weeks i am getting very restless as i am only 41, and married so not doing the bar scene like a single man.I work many hours in the UK and find it hard to switch off for two long.

I personally would love to live the dream, but in reality i am not ready by a million miles yet, one of the mods commented on another thread that come over with x amount of money at a young age, and look upon it as a long term holiday for 4-5 years, sound advice in my opinion.

I really do agree with you about the rubbish plastic bags are the scourge of the countryside everywhere.

Kendo.

[johnnyk]

Think of Pattaya..sleazy girls, loud music, bad walkways, snarled traffic, litter, crime... now take a good look here when you walk around the Poolsuk/Bintablock on a weekend.. Same-Same huh?? (Well nearly..I hear that Patts DOES have a Police force willing to patrol)

A bit over the top with the comparison. Anyone who has actually been to Pattaya instead of just hearing about it will know there is no resemblance to HH.