troopie

I've just come back from a few weeks in Japan & over there, it was grey skies & COLD!

Therefore, forgive me if I hope the blue skies & warm sunshine remain at least a little longer in HH. Yes, Prachuap Khirikhan is one of the driest provinces, one reason I settled here, & if the rainy season is indeed over, I for one will be VERY happy! The rainy season here is quite long enough so let it fade into the sunset. I grew up in southern Africa, where a blue sky is considered normal, unlike the UK! Shine on, Mr Sunshine!

One thing that attracted me to this area was the climate and infrastructure to cope with the rain, unlike Samiui and Phuket...but where is the rain this year...its too hot and cant do anything...everything so dry......will it come this week....last year at this time was quite wet

None of this surprises me as medical facilities outside of Bangkok are not considered important by the VIPs in the government, who would simply take a helicopter (at the taxpayers' expense) back to Bangkok if they got sick whilst travelling. However, to be fair, it was the polyclinic & Petcharat which saved my life, diagnosing that I had cancer when San Paulo (which is worse than any hospital I've ever been to, in Africa, Asia or anywhere) had told me that I had wind (gas)! However, this is Thailand & neglect is national sport here, so it is more than possible that things have deteriorated since 2007. It's up to you but I have to say that my advice is -- if you feel sick/get injured, take a taxi to Bangkok ASAP!

Yes there is, his name is Steve but can't remember surname.

Read about it in local publications.

Sorry can't be more helpful but he is there so making some enquiries should track him down.

Burgernev

Sorry to disappoint you, folks, but according to the embassy website (http://ukinthailand.fco.gov.uk/en/our-offices-in-thailand/other-locations-in-thailand/), the only British diplomats outside of Bangkok are the British Honorary Consulate in Chaing Mai and Pattaya.

Maybe my grandchildren will see HH get one -- but even if we do, what use are they? (& I speak as a former Foreign Office minion!)

Is there a british vice consul in hua hin

Are you kidding? The way Britain's been cutting the F&CO's budget, we're lucky there's still an embassy in Bangkok! In the old days (like when I worked for the F&CO back in the 1980s), they might have considered an Honorary Consul for a town with such a growing Brit retiree community but with London's increasing dislike of its expats (looked upon as non-tax paying black sheep who should be patriotic enough to tolerate Britain's appalling climate & government), such is out of the question. To be fair, no nation has any diplomat in HH, not even the Swedes, but that MIGHT change -- in a decade or two!

Hi there.

Probably been asked before on here (but here goes anyway). Anyone have any info on Somtawin school ? Any info would be appreciated.

Cheers.

I can only speak from my own experiences. When my boy reached that age, I went to check out the local schools. I found Somtawin to be very neglectful & careless. The teachers we saw in class seemed not to care what the kids were doing & there seemed little if any discipline. What's more, we were told that there was no homework. We also noted that although the foreign campus is quite new, it already looked old & neglected.

We then went to check on Yamsaard & suffice to say that is where my boy now goes. Not only is there sufficient discipline & well qualified foreign teachers (English in the mornings, Thai in the afternoons), there is also plenty of homework & after school activities. Final note: My boy RUNS to get on board the school bus each morning! He loves it! (Also, whereas we were told that Somtawin would get a swimming pool "soon", Yamsaard has one & uses it a lot!)

I am not a teacher or connected with either school, so this is just my own opinion.

Oh, & the cost is not that different between the two.

Hope this helps!

Just trying to find out when the tide is in/out at Hua Hin before walking down there. Anyone know if this info is online anywhere ?

Thanks.

No problem -- I used to be in the same situation & the place I always consulted was

http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyT...dictionLength=7

It isn't exactly minute by minute but it kept my feet dry -- & you'd be amazed at how the timings change in just a few days.

Enjoy your walk! (& if you're resident here, why not joinn the club below?)

Troopie

As ubc in thier wisdom has decided to cut bbc entertainment from thier schedules does anyone know of any alternatives?

I'm after a service that will provide pretty much the same as ubc [football, films. bbc etc]

anyone know of any shops in hua hin that can provide a decent alternative to ubc at a reasonable price?

Visit http://www.jsat.tv/, which is what most pubs here use. You can watch foreign satellite TV (especially South African, good for sport) for MUCH less than UBC. You do need a LARGE sat dish but that's about the biggest outlay. It has BBC World & Entertainment, though the schedule is SA time. Based in Bangkok so you might have to wait a bit to get them to call & set you up. I've been using it for years now & would have died from rugby deprivation without it!

Otherwise, try HH cable, which many people like & doesn't need a big dish.

Any recommendations for a dentist in Cha am?

Nothing fancy .. standard extractions and dentures. If they speak a little English it would be a plus.

It isn't Cha Am but it is on the Cha Am side of HH & is, in my opinion, the best dentists I've ever used in any country. I refer to the 'Dazzling Smile Clinic', located on Petchakasem Road on the left (inland) side just before you get to Soi 6. It's run by 2 ladies who both speak very good English & they are NOT expensive. On my first visit, she charged me just 1,180 baht for cleaning my teeth & giving me some painkillers. Even an extraction or filling wasn't much different. What's more, her charming young receptionist drove me home afterwards (I'd walked to the clinic) and the day after the extraction, I had a call from the dentist herself, asking how I was and if I was still in any pain. I have never had 'after sales service' like that from a dentist, and as the shocking state of my choppers will show, I've used dentists all over the place, from London to Japan to the Légion Etrangère, and I haven't met with that sort of courtesy!

If I lived in Pranburi, I'd still consider this place worth the trip!

Let's be fair -- name a country where it is NOT open season on foreigners! Wherever you come from, do you honestly think that locals & foreigners pay the same prices every time? I remember travelling on a train in China back in the 1980s with my British-born Chinese colleague & a local translator/guide. We were occupying the same seats but were each paying different fares, as locals pay less than 'overseas Chinese' who pay less than foreigners. Personally, I can think of plenty of places where the Bt770 would have been pocketed/split by the staff & you'd have been told to collect your untouched vehicle a bit later!

Yes, it stinks but such is the world. When our own homelands don't practice such financial xenophobia, maybe Thailand & elsewhere will do likewise -- but don't hold your breath!

I don't know if it's related but there have been rumours that the town council was going to close the pier restaurants north of the Hilton since before i moved here 4 years ago. However, as the pier restaurants are owned by some influential folk (including, it is said, senior cops), the closures remain a rumour, denying HH a decent seafront promenade.

Maybe the same thing applies to the places you're talking about.

This from the 'Bangkok Post' (remains to be seen if the partying will truly stop!)

Songkran festivities scrapped

By: SIRIKUL BUNNAG

Published: 13/04/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

The Bangkok governor has cancelled all Songkran activities hosted by city hall after the government declared a state of emergency yesterday.

ML Sukhumbhand Paribatra said the emergency decree would disrupt activities and spoil the atmosphere of the water festival, so he decided to scrap the ceremonies.

City hall had scheduled a range of activities across the city from April 11 to 15 to celebrate the festival.

But many tourists shrugged off the state of emergency declaration and embraced the water-splashing activities with gusto.

Dozens of revellers flocked to have their picture taken in front of a tank positioned at Khao San road after the emergency decree was declared.

Restaurant and tourism operators in the Khao San area said crowds were down 30% on last year's festival.

Thanathorn Madeesuthikul, a restaurant owner, blamed the shrinking tourist numbers and his falling revenue on the political turmoil. He urged the government to "quickly end the red shirt rally".

Tour agency manager Sirisak Surarattanawattana said 80% of Taiwanese tourists had cancelled their bookings since Saturday, when the red shirt protesters stormed the Asean summit venue in Pattaya.

Just wondering if the State of Emergency has had any effect on HUa Hin, are tourists still arriving or are people canceling their plans ...

This latest debacle will just make a bad situation worse and surely will be another nail in the countries coffin !?

Down here, everything is normal. Shops are open, traffic is flowing without having to dodge troops or tanks, & as this is part of the 6-day Songkran weekend, the town is filled with Bangkok tourists. When you read reports of tanks & troops on the streets, remember (i) this has happened many times before, (ii) even if a coup happens, it won't change a thing, (iii) the Thai Army are good at coups but not so good at fighting, least of all when they don't know who to support, & (iv) unless you're near the Thai parliament/ Victory Monument, you won't notice anything different!

Have a good Songkran (Thai New Year)!

If you head North up Petchakasem Road, go past the Palace, past the new Immigration office (one location you'd better be familiar with!) & then you'll see a large used car lot on the right, almost opposite the Chrysler dealership. Take a Thai with you as you will need to negotiate. Otherwise, just look for parked vehicles with signs (usually in Thai) on them, saying they're for sale.

Good luck!

anyone knows if there are any direct transport services from huahin to pataya?

There was the famous ferry service from near Cha Am to near Pattaya but I don't know if it's still running. I don't think think there's a road connection but as I wouldn't go to Pattaya if they provided a Rolls, I could be wrong!

any local knowledge as to where to purchase a second hand car?

There's a place on Petchakasem Road to the north of Index, on the right as you head north. Mostly sells pick-ups & 4x4s but be warned -- when we tried to buy one, they only offered a month's warranty!

(By the way, I noticed that although Thailand never sends team to any of the Sevens tournaments, the Thai Ladies did qualify for the Sevens World Cup in Dubai. So the ladies are better than the men? Why doesn't that surprise me . . . )

Thailand used to enter Sevens tournaments a few years ago. I watched them get annihilated 5 years ago at the Singapore Sevens in a pathetic & timid display. The ladies would not have done any worse.

Hi,

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit to beong from NZ after that loss to KENYA!!! But, yeah another rugby fan (Cheifs) supporter. Is there anywhere which shows the super14???

To mark5335: That's probably why the Bangkok 7s are so parochial -- if they invited truly international teams, it would reveal Thai manhood (especially the military & police teams) as being a bunch of softies. After all, when was the last time you saw a Thai cop who looked fit enough to play tiddly-winks, let alone rugby!

To Eli27:

As an African (Zim or Rhodesia as was), I rejoiced at that Kenya victory, & the yellow card that preceded it. Too many NZ rugby players (not all by any means) seem to think different rules apply to them, be it 15s or 7s. I am eagerly waiting to watch the Adelaide 7s, another 3 days of fast rugby!

As for watching the S14, you'll need a BIG satellite dish, not one of those tiny USB things. On its own, it'll help you watch some games on TV5 -- French TV. If you can pick up ABC, you can watch Aussie games as well. However, if you get the South African package from http://www.jsat.tv/, you can see ALL the S14, 6N & Currie Cup games, as do I. If you don't have space for such a large dish, find a rugby friendly pub -- there's plenty around.

Oh, & I support the Bulls or Sharks, the Boks or Ireland, or any team (including the 'Top 14') that plays good rugby without too much winging.

"drinking singha and watching the league is better then sex"

oh-oh, man! You clearly have the wrong partner, or you're putting something extra in that diluted water called Singha!

Me, I'll stick to my Japanese partner (ours is a Dorian Gray relationship with me as the painting!) & the golden rule of Leo/Felderbrau before sunset & Chang after -- plus good rugby, like the final day of the HK Sevens I'm watching now (Portugal are thrashing China for the right to play Japan, plus South Africa v Australia, New Zealand v Kenya & Fiji v England coming up-- THAT'S an international sport!).

Sadly, with the number of RL guys defecting to RU, & the increasingly likelihood that Sevens will soon be included in the Olympics, you may not have anything to watch soon -- so good luck with your acclimatisation to the "game they play in heaven"!

Sorry But........Rugby League.

Andy.

Hey, no need to apologise. I used to think Singha was a nice beer until I discovered the error of my ways! You'll see the light some day.

(I suppose you rely on ABC to see any of that stuff. Whenever I feel hard done by due to the lack of RU here, I can console myself that it's tougher for minorities like you . . . )

I'm sitting at home watching the Hong Kong Sevens & wondering if anyone else is doing the same. I can't be the only civilised sports fan in the area, surely! I, of course, hope that the Boks win but I also love seeing the little guys, like West Indies, Taipei & Japan do well. Are there any other rugby lovers out there? Let me know.

(By the way, I noticed that although Thailand never sends team to any of the Sevens tournaments, the Thai Ladies did qualify for the Sevens World Cup in Dubai. So the ladies are better than the men? Why doesn't that surprise me . . . )

Did someone mention a rumour that this office will only be operational for 8 months?

I sincerely hope this is just a rumour & that the kind folk who donated this office space, small as it may be, were not so mean as to limit it to such an awkward & short term duration. Won't some philanthropic company please donate a property/office for an unlimited duration? Surely a property company can see the benefits of making HH a more convenient place in which to live?

Once again, I hope this rumour was just a bit of bearish pessimism -- fingers crossed!

So has it become official. The move from soi 102 to The border sight? Heard a blip on Hua Hin radio that it was open on Petkasem, any new news on this?

As you can read elsewhere in this forum, the new Immigration office is located in the old Observer building near the big Index store. It is well sign-posted from Petchakasem Road & began o[perating yesterday. Use it & be thankful!

Completely unrelated but is there a restaraunt that has falafel?

I've tried all the usual searches and found nothing-thanks for any help-wn

I don't know of any Mid-Eastern places outside Bangkok (I see hundreds every time I visit Bumrungrad each month!) but it might be worth trying one of the Halal type food stands/restaurants around HH & the southern suburbs. Just a suggestion.

I arrived back in HH (from Japan/HK) yesterday & whilst doing the U-turn required to reach my soi, I saw that beautiful brown & white sign showing that Immigration had indeed arrived in my neighbourhood -- what a welcome home! This morning, my wife went to do the usual report-within-24-hours-of-return fiasco (I had to stay & supervise a repairman) & she said everything was working fine. The Imm office is located at the back, it seems, but is easily located. I recommend we all show support for the boys who made this office possible, to try & prevent another scare 2 years from now.

Oh, & as for the address, I recommend you dig up an old issue of 'The Observer' & use the address shown inside. I am taking it for granted that you'll use EMS, as who in their right mind would use the Thai postal system in any other manner? It's bad luck for those few (very few) farang who live around Prachuap City, of course, but presumably you folks chose that area because of its isolation & being a long way from various offices is one price for such isolation. I'm not gloating but I shall have a celebratory beer or three later to celebrate my new neighbours!

Perhaps it will stop the whinging and the criticism of the service. Bet a few have had sleepless night's over this as it would have cost them a few baht and extra time, we are guests here remamber.

Let's see -- if we're guests, that means they are hosts, & as this host needs us (=our bucks) rather a lot, then maybe this host should treat his guests with at least a little kindness & respect. Someone once told me that the government's ideal world would be a big box at the airport where arriving foreigners would leave all their cash before turning around & heading home again! Bangkok needs to remember that it does have competition around it & every time they make life a little more difficult for the farangs, their neighbours' smile gets bigger! Yes, we are guests & should act like guests, treating them with respect -- but respect is a 2-way street, isn't it?

Anyway, if the news about the move to the old Observer building works out, I promise to treat my new neighbours with GREAT respect -- until the next time Bangkok tries to play silly buggers!

Rather than wait for Jumnien to finish meditating, I made a few enquiries & according to my wife's accountant as no one at the police knows what she was talking(who knows as much/little as anyone else), the new Immigration Office will be located on Soi 23 (near index). When this will open, I know not but this is within walking distance for me, making life much easier. Is it true or just a rumour? Only time will tell!