Hua Hin is dead

[KonKorat]

Most of the people who went there maybe were on overstay and deported  lol

[alzack]

10 million chinese coming Christmas

[Easy Come Easy Go]

7 minutes ago, alzack said:

10 million chinese coming Christmas

marvellous 

...

...

...

[JemJem]

On 11/2/2018 at 8:01 AM, Older and Wiser said:

I was at Venezia in Hua Hin a couple of days ago, not only was it almost deserted, all the shops except the one you are obliged to walk through at the entrance/exit were vacated and most of the restaurants too. Got to be closing soon. I don't understand their attitude, overpriced for foreigners, no promotions are any attempt to lure in customers, obviously given up.

 

There's a lack of foreigners around but Cha Am is always busy at weekends when the Thais come down. doesn't really help the businesses though as they bring their own food or eat and drink on the beach.

Hua Hin is one of my favorite places in Thailand. I am not a big fan of crowds, but I am surprised and a bit sad that it is quiet, even though November has arrived.

[Jimbo1964]

Each to their own. I was there a couple of weeks ago with the wife and we enjoyed our time there. No crazy drunken tourist to worry about, not as sleazy as Pattaya, fairly good beach, good resorts, seafood was good and being off season, the prices reflected that. The worst part was getting out of Bangkok.

[moontang]

Could someone give me tips on a good and kind of cheap way to get to HH from the west side of BKK..near MRT Purple?  Last time I did van from VM..and that is no longer an option.  Mo Chit if I have to, but I hate to go in the opposite destination from my destination.  Thanks!

[Hummin]

3 hours ago, moontang said:

Could someone give me tips on a good and kind of cheap way to get to HH from the west side of BKK..near MRT Purple?  Last time I did van from VM..and that is no longer an option.  Mo Chit if I have to, but I hate to go in the opposite destination from my destination.  Thanks!

What is your budget? 

Grab taxi about 2 400,-

«My» taxi driver 1 800,-

buss from airport 

280? 

Train about the same

 

There is no way I sit in a minivan again. Horrible crazy suicidel drivers is my experience. 

[moontang]

Would like to do it for a few hundred...even DM is kind of opposite direction..and heavy traffic both ways...would consider train from Bang Su, but years ago it was about 4 hours.

[djayz]

On 6/2/2018 at 10:05 PM, 55Jay said:

Sounds like a great time to visit, actually.

Sounds like the best time to visit to me 

[tideout]

I'm curious, what are the dates for the "quiet season" in Hua Hin? Is it very different from Pattaya?

[moontang]

15 minutes ago, tideout said:

I'm curious, what are the dates for the "quiet season" in Hua Hin? Is it very different from Pattaya?

I think it is a higher high season, jan-feb, and a lower, low season in HH, because it attracts a lot of people, like scandanavians, escaping their harsh winters.  Indian, Chinese,Arab tourism is more evenly spread out.

[tideout]

15 hours ago, moontang said:

I think it is a higher high season, jan-feb, and a lower, low season in HH, because it attracts a lot of people, like scandanavians, escaping their harsh winters.  Indian, Chinese,Arab tourism is more evenly spread out.

Thanks Moontang,

Interesting seeing the various changes in tourism in SE Asia. Here in Vietnam, more Chinese tourists ("overrun" is the term often heard) and HCM proper is seeing a slow rise in those who recently left Thailand - Nigerian working girls, workers from India in restaurants and while I haven't seen it myself, apparently there are new arrivals from the "cleanup" of a redlight zone in Jakarta (no details). Hard to really say what the reality is with people coming in and out so much.

[moontang]

31 minutes ago, tideout said:

Thanks Moontang,

Interesting seeing the various changes in tourism in SE Asia. Here in Vietnam, more Chinese tourists ("overrun" is the term often heard) and HCM proper is seeing a slow rise in those who recently left Thailand - Nigerian working girls, workers from India in restaurants and while I haven't seen it myself, apparently there are new arrivals from the "cleanup" of a redlight zone in Jakarta (no details). Hard to really say what the reality is with people coming in and out so much.

The Chinese are mostly to blame for ruining Chiang Mai.  They have really crippled Sukumvit, too.  Selfies and shopping malls, and changing baby diapers in the food courts.  Apparently, many visa rejects are finding themselves more welcome in Vietnam, as opposed to Camodia, which has also been overrun by Chinese.  I know the Viets and Chinese hate each other, but can't let a simple war get in the way of a tour bus.

[tideout]

16 hours ago, moontang said:

The Chinese are mostly to blame for ruining Chiang Mai.  They have really crippled Sukumvit, too.  Selfies and shopping malls, and changing baby diapers in the food courts.  Apparently, many visa rejects are finding themselves more welcome in Vietnam, as opposed to Camodia, which has also been overrun by Chinese.  I know the Viets and Chinese hate each other, but can't let a simple war get in the way of a tour bus.

Sad to hear about the overload on Sukumvit. Yes, for better or probably worse, a lot of new arrivals to SE Asia are dropping into Vietnam. We are seeing the rise of begpackers as well as everyday grifters and 60 y/o teenage alcoholics as well. The visa process has been open ended to put it mildly. "Business visas" are easy to get through agents etc..... The general assumption here is it will go on until or unless it cuts into the budgets of local scammers. The influx of Chinese in particular is a real sore spot for "Saigonese" folks.....as you know or can imagine - lots of "history" on that front here.

[moontang]

I am starting to lean towards Cha-am for the upcoming beach trip.  Rates are good in HH, but always seems kind of pretentious...and last time I was there I had to really hunt for real Thai food, with real Thai prices...

[ukrules]

4 hours ago, tideout said:

I'm curious, what are the dates for the "quiet season" in Hua Hin? Is it very different from Pattaya?

It gets busy for a couple of weeks around Christmas and New Year, at that point it starts to taper off, from the end of March it's like a ghost town until December again.

[tideout]

Gotcha ????

[swissie]

All relative. Any tourist-spot can never be called "dead" when compared to a zillion of mid-sized towns upcountry, not affected by tourism. Those mid-sized towns really go dead after sunset. Compared to this, even Hua-Hin on a slow day (night) comes across as "exiting". All relative.

[ChakaKhan]

Zed is dead man, Zed, Is dead....

[Damrongsak]

I remember Cha Am being pretty quiet back in 1977.  Our Peace Corps group spent a couple-three days there on the beach in a small bungalow-motel place right on the beach.  Had fun partying on the beach in the evening, chasing the Bu Lom - the wind crabs that would scurry about.  They even had a baby elephant that would wander around.  It would come into the office/lobby and steal fruit from the basket on the counter.

 

When I get back there, it's going to be in a quiet place.  We have a house on the Loei Riviera.  It's on the edge of town, overlooking a swamp.  We have our own private "Banana Beach".

 

 

 

[tideout]

3 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

I remember Cha Am being pretty quiet back in 1977.  Our Peace Corps group spent a couple-three days there on the beach in a small bungalow-motel place right on the beach.  Had fun partying on the beach in the evening, chasing the Bu Lom - the wind crabs that would scurry about.  They even had a baby elephant that would wander around.  It would come into the office/lobby and steal fruit from the basket on the counter.

 

When I get back there, it's going to be in a quiet place.  We have a house on the Loei Riviera.  It's on the edge of town, overlooking a swamp.  We have our own private "Banana Beach".

 

 

Charming looking place.

[dougiemac57]

On 6/2/2018 at 8:59 PM, ukrules said:

Yes, it's pretty quiet right now, it has been for about a month - since about the start of the low season.

Can't get that action in Hua Hin for some reason

[geriatrickid]

Hua Hin is always in motion. Keep in mind that HH is the  weekend and 2-4 day vacation destination for  Bangkok's wealthier demographic. These people form the core segment of tourism and  visit 12 months of the year. The peak holiday season is  December until April and that's when the  most foreign visitors arrive. Because the farangs are not there does not mean that the influx of Thai visitors on the weekends stops. The main areas are almost always busy on weekends.  This is the tourism characteristic of HH. It has to be able to handle the large influx on the weekends, which means that weekdays in  low season can seem  "dead" when it is not. HH is one place where the hotel rates can increase 25% on weekends at the hotels and guest houses which serve Thais.

HH is somewhat unique compared to  other popular tourist destinations because it can draw on Thais 12 months a year. Ayuthaya is an another example.

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

Hua Hin is always in motion. Keep in mind that HH is the  weekend and 2-4 day vacation destination for  Bangkok's wealthier demographic. These people form the core segment of tourism and  visit 12 months of the year. The peak holiday season is  December until April and that's when the  most foreign visitors arrive. Because the farangs are not there does not mean that the influx of Thai visitors on the weekends stops. The main areas are almost always busy on weekends.  This is the tourism characteristic of HH. It has to be able to handle the large influx on the weekends, which means that weekdays in  low season can seem  "dead" when it is not. HH is one place where the hotel rates can increase 25% on weekends at the hotels and guest houses which serve Thais.

HH is somewhat unique compared to  other popular tourist destinations because it can draw on Thais 12 months a year. Ayuthaya is an another example.

There were layoffs at one of the massive word brand name hotels not so long ago according to someone who works there.

 

Just a handful of rooms containing guests, 100's of staff.

 

 

It's no longer viable.

[moontang]

I heard five Rai for 450 while ago...almost a bad thing if you are looking for Thai fun...but not a ghost town, by any stretch.

[ed strong]

On 11/14/2018 at 10:00 AM, ukrules said:

It gets busy for a couple of weeks around Christmas and New Year, at that point it starts to taper off, from the end of March it's like a ghost town until December again.

ghost town??

 

Ive been there on most months of the year and there's always people around.

 

[ukrules]

10 minutes ago, ed strong said:

ghost town??

 

Ive been there on most months of the year and there's always people around.

 

Not many, I've seen various bars / restaurants go out of business over the past 6 months.

 

There's plenty of places to rent right now, some of them have been empty for a long time - more than a year.

[Easy Come Easy Go]

17 minutes ago, ed strong said:

ghost town??

 

Ive been there on most months of the year and there's always people around.

 

Not compared to years past, if you've lived in HH for a number of years, you cannot deny the lack of tourism set against how it used to be. I too have see restaurants come and go so fast it's crazy. If I had money to invest in a business here, it wouldn't be the food game that's for sure 

[ed strong]

6 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Not many, I've seen various bars / restaurants go out of business over the past 6 months.

 

There's plenty of places to rent right now, some of them have been empty for a long time - more than a year.

I think pretty much every bar is for sale even if there is no formal advertising that states so. Just ask everyone seems to struggle but that doesn't mean its dead just perhaps oversubscribed slightly.

[ed strong]

1 minute ago, Easy Come Easy Go said:

Not compared to years past, if you've lived in HH for a number of years, you cannot deny the lack of tourism set against how it used to be. I too have see restaurants come and go so fast it's crazy. If I had money to invest in a business here, it wouldn't be the food game that's for sure 

not saying tourism hasnt declined just saying that its not a ghost town for 8 months of the year.

 

Murphy's bar has been for sale for over 8 years with no takers so far.....