norseman said
May I dare to say that I like Tesco Lotus?
We are in a small town named Hua Hin.
Exactly , and a shopping complex like market village will just push hua hin another step away from being the small town of hua hin.
The town centre , that until only a few years ago was a traditional thai town centre , is gradually losing most of its character , character that makes hua hin so appealing.
Most of the shops that once served local needs have been taken over by neon lit optical outlets , tailor shops with annoying touts outside harranguing passers by, shops selling all manner of useless tourist tat and no end of real estate businesses with premises designed more for new york than hua hin. The beautiful wooden shopfronts are being hidden by ugly plastic signage. The powers that be in this town really should try and preserve some of the things that make hua hin so attractive , new businesses should alter their premises in a sympathetic way , the uglification of the old streets has gone far enough in my opinion.
But it's progress i suppose and as such is unstoppable.
As for tescos and the market village , well it was inevitable , and in the short term probably a good thing for a lot of people , but in the long term i think its just another nail in the coffin for the attractiveness and lure of hua hin.
i dont want to get too misty eyed about the old streets and the past , but does the future have to be so unfriendly , ugly and overpowering?
shakin' boxcar joe.