Number of tourists?

[Francois]

[quota="hhfarang"]Sorry Big Boy and Francois,

I didn't mean to be snobbish[/quote]

I never thought that in any way.

Now you've say it, I must admit that things have changed at KO. Last time I went there, I had to insist to get Thai food that wasn't that good.

Next to KO's place are lots of farangs, some living a few months in the area, others spending a couple of weeks of vacation. This may explain the change.

As you said, there is plenty of small restaurants and street vendors who will provide you with real Thai food for a good price.

[Korkenzieher]

Tom,

If you are looking at 'elf and safety' standards that even remotely approach those in Euroland, Thailand is definitely a place to avoid - but then so is the Ladywood road in Birmingham.

[Korkenzieher]

To the foodies -

I think we can all agree that Khun Oy place isn't 'fine dining' a la Ramsey et al. but it is generally fit for purpose. I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal there, though some of the Thai food does look a bit below par occasionally. However, I have had ladies specifically ask me to take them there or back there to eat so there seems to be no general issue with the Thai food that I could personally atest to. Perhaps there is a 'farang style thai' issue here, as opposed to simply Thai food.

Being a resident here means there are times I just want to eat - not 'experience'.

All that said, except on very rare occasions, I don't eat Thai there. It is the one (and pretty much only) place I go if I want farang style food. If there is something about their mushroom or pepper sauce for instance, that isn't to an individual's taste, well that is the way it is. That is their recipe. But as such, the recipes are executed well. And if they are not to an individual's liking, or are perceived as being, shall we say, too down market, then there is plently of other choice.

I would finish only by saying that if I had as few issues with some of the 'better' eateries as I do with Khun Oy's, then the world would be a better place.

[STEVE G]

You do have to keep moving around as very few of the small local restaurants are consistently good.
Every time I come we seem to find another good one and perhaps find another old favourite has lapsed.
The good thing is, you can always rely on new ones opening up every so often.

[margaretcarnes]

Korky,

I don't miss out on much - I think we're pretty much on the same wavelength..

The issue is that many of these vendors are very obviously at odds with european standards of 'elf 'n' safety..

That this does not present an issue in a hot climate, even to unprepared farang digestive systems; speaks volumes about the nanny state gastronomic tyranny that we have allowed ourselves to be sucked into (at considerable cost to the populace) - with very little demonstrable benefit as a result..

Tom

Unfortunately the 'nanny state' has probably come about as a result of mass refrigeration, mass imports of food to the UK, and processing/packaging/freezing which all take time before the food hits our plates.
Again the much discussed 50 year difference between Thailand and some Western countries applies. 50 years ago very few people in the UK had a fridge. Frozen ready meals were unheard of (although I think maybe the fish finger wasn't far away) and we only expected to eat strawberries in midsummer.
I think the reason so many of us escape the runs from Thai food vendor stalls is that they still buy fresh every day. When everything is sold they pack up and go home.

[Name Taken]

Thailand is pricing it's self out of the market

Regards SJ

Yeah, I agree with SJ.
I think Thailand is beginning to price it's self out of the market and i don't think increasing prices is good for foreigners residing in Thailand and it's not good for foreigners that are wanting to just visit Thailand either.

[margaretcarnes]

The high season will be down - even on last years aready low figures and very short.

Pretty much everything will be full for two to three weeks over Christmas New year - but you can still find top end Hotels available in that period

After that - not sure. The Dollar and Euro zone have exchange rate favourabilty over UK.

Thailand is pricing it's self out of the market

Regards SJ

I'm not so sure that Thailand as a whole is pricing itself out the market SJ. There are still reasonable room rates to be had in other parts such as ChiangMai, and even Bangkok.
The problem HH faces is that it is no longer catering for the 'traveller' as opposed to the tourist on a package deal, who can still get a good hotel at a bargain rate (albeit maybe out of town as I said earlier.)
Even the Hostel in HH is now in the 1000 baht a night range for a room.
Food and drink is still reasonably priced IMO - again - especially so for the traveller who knows where to go. But HH seems to have got itself into a quandry somewhere along the line. More new hotels in the town centre which need to get themselves on the package deal map, rather than hoping for the seasoned flight only trade, or people passing through en-route from North to South.
Those kinds of travellers who might have stayed 2 or 3 nights before, and now stay only one night if that.
Another factor which has to be considered these days is how many 'old faithfull' visitors to HH are being lost to other resorts - not because of pricing - but due to the changing face of HH?

[seasides]

This high season is very quiet in Hua Hin. Now at New Year with Thais arriving from Bangkok Hua Hin's quite full, but from next week onwards will be sleepy again ...

Had dinner at the Sheraton Hua Hin yesterday, really really empty for the peak of the high season ...

There are better choices at the moment it seems!

As long as Thailand cannot prove that it deserves new trust and confidence expect further low arrival numbers.

Good for us living here, but people invested in the tourism business ... it's been some ugly years.

Here is a story "Where are the tourists?":

http://absolutelybangkok.com/where-are-the-tourists/

[caller]

Well I was in Hua Hin on the 28th and the night market was heaving! Everytime I'm here, things change and the amount of new eateries along the night market surprised me - and they were all packed with farangs!

However, when we crossed the road to the bar area, with the exception of a few places and most on Bintabaht, it was very quiet. And what I noticed most was that the bintabaht bars were busy with groups of farang friends, both male and female. I ended up in U-Turn and that was the same.

On saying that, we had no problems booking a room in town at a decent hotel with just 24 hours notice.

[dtyolmn]

I think word of mouth is getting around tha Hua Hin is a better place to go. I sincerely think that in the next couple of years, maybe three you'll see almost a doubleing of population.

[PET]

[quote="dtyolmn"]I think word of mouth is getting around tha Hua Hin is a better place to go. I sincerely think that in the next couple of years, maybe three you'll see almost a doubleing of population.[/qu

How on God's earth did you come to this conclusion?

[heretostay]

was glancing at some classified sites such as B&S the amount of property, cars, furniture been sold is amazing, mostly at reduced prices with the caption "relocating or going home" on the ad, for every new person I meet here at least 10 have left for greener pastures, I can certainly say the local expat community is shrinking fast, with new visa regulations coming out soon and new WP rules I am sure our days are numbered.

[caller]

I've just returned south(ish) after three days in Hua Hin and I thought it as busy as I have ever seen it - mind you, the last time I was there in high season was 10 years ago!

Pretty much everywhere we went was busy, even at the top of the Hilton where we ate on our last night. In fact, I began to hate the crowds and the noise and especially the traffic. On saying that, apart from Bintabaht and the established ex-pat places, the bars seemed quietish. But for me, there was clear evidence the type of tourist has changed and I guess that's a good thing. I was also interested to see that the Intercontinental chain has moved in, as are Amari at Takiab, with what appears a huge site for a condo/hotel.

So if the big boys are still moving in, I guess the tourist side is taken care of? But driving around the hinterland, I was amazed at the number of houses with for sale signs up, I felt almost as though I could knock on any door and make an offer and prices still seem inflated compared to other places, but I guess thats part of the deal if the town is your destination of choice as an ex-pat?

And prices generally? Well, we got good deals on our chosen (excellent) hotel down by the new bus station - but that was by the wife phoning Thai to Thai, nor did we pay more than 100 baht for a tuk-tuk anywhere - same reason, although I heard tourists being charged double that. Its more expensive than where we are staying by a long way, but if you know the places to go, as many on this site do, then reasonable value can still be found.

I never want to go again in the high season though - still have a liking for the place, mind!

[margaretcarnes]

Caller - yes the increase in traffic bugged me as well after only a 4 year absence. A lot of it though seemed to be the night time builders trucks.
Just a few posts earlier I said that HH needs to get itself more on the tourist map, and town centre hotels encourage more package deals.
I've already noticed a little more 'pushing' of HH in the holiday pages here in England. One company in particular advertising 11 nights at the Citin Loft which, as promised in the ad, is very central. But with all meals included, plus 10 beers a day per person, hardly aimed at getting tourists into the local bars and eateries.

[loverboy44]

I think like hhfarang and some others said, you have to look at the time before Tsunami and after Tsunami. Caller was here the last time 10 years ago. That time i didn't even consider living here as i told my wife. It's a retirement house with walls arround it. It was totally quiet. After the Tsunami the same amount of people wanted to come to Thailand but Phuket was out of order. So they had to look for other destinations.
Not so many left. Pattaya, Samui, Bangkok, Koh Chang, not even Krabi.
The prices were blown up. Now Phuket has come back and the ammount of people chosing to go to stay at the substitute destinations was going down pretty fast. Not talking about the economic crisis.
What we have now is simply, IMHO, a basket of aching economy, coming back to normal tourist levels and current Thai political instability.
People are not stupid and a democracy where people are not even elected is, for me, not a democracy.
By the way, why are they doing it? Simply because if there were elections they would not have the majority.