News

The new Makro store in Hua Hin has created a lot of discussion on the forum this month. The majority see it as a vast improvement over Tesco Lotus in terms of product selection, location and parking, customer service and price – it is a welcome addition to Hua Hin. Meanwhile the mayhem continues at Market Village where a rumoured multi-storey car park is being built. There were also rumours of a Big C coming to Hua Hin and a Tesco store down soi 112 however we cannot verify them.

News of the flooding is now fading from memory however the damage has been done, many international travellers cancelled plans due to embassy warnings and the result is that Hua Hin’s hotels are running at a fraction of the occupancy rates they should be for this time of year. The US didn’t help by issuing a terrorism warning which also had tourists scurrying for cover and cancelling vacations.

Chinese New Year, which falls on the 23rd of January, is a busy affair in town as it usually is. With over 75% of Hua Hin’s tourists being Thai the place gets rather crowded during long weekends and holidays.

Black Mountain have opened their Hua Hin water park but it appears to be priced towards the hi-so and affluent; a family of four will be stung 2,200 baht (without eating or drinking) just to enter – and this is the ‘promotion’ rate! When you look at the alternatives this can work out to be an expensive day out.

A few property questions emerged in what has been a very quiet section on the forum last year. Finding the perfect paradise property can be fraught with pleasures and pitfalls and many readers came online to offer advice. Should you use an agent? Buy direct from the owner? Build your own? or buy on a development? Asking those that have been there and done it is the best way to get firsthand information and experiences.

The Thailand Life section yielded some interesting discussions on retirement homes, sexpat stereotyping, Thai female psychology and even squat toilets!

Asking the Expats again featured some weird and wonderful information requests such as setting up guitars, costs of freon, gas barbeques, pilot training, and washing machine repair. Whatever your question you’ll get a quick answer on the Hua Hin Forum.