How Is The Tourist Situation In Hua Hin

[SamuiMole]

I have spent the last few days in Bangkok and I have to say , its the quietest I have known in years. I am due to spend xmas & new year in Samui to finish off my holiday and was wondering whether it is worth spending a few days in Hua Hin on the way down or is it just as quiet there ?

Any advise greatly appreciated !

[siam4ever]

Hua Hin is the best it's been in years. Not much traffic and not so many annoying tourists. The New Year should bring the usual Bangkokians though. Let's hope it all stays this way!

[dsfbrit]

saim4ever, I dont think you are entering into the 'spirit' of the OPs question. Mind you I live in Pattaya and there are not many 'annoying' tourists here this year either

What is your definition of 'quiet'? The bars aren't full??

If thats the case I too was in Bangkok this week meeting some friends over from the UK and found it very 'quiet'.

I too am planning to spend some time in Hua Hin over the next few weeks. I am bringing some friends down before the New Year. I went to the 'freelance' bar near the Park hotel near Nana to show them the girly scene in Bangkok. It was quite full, which surprised me after the comments I had heard in the press.

Have you been to Hua Hin before? If its bars you are after then there are not that many there anyway.

By the price of the hotels (the hotels still seem to be the same price), you would think the place was quite busy? I think its surprising if the tourist numbers are down significantly.

Samuimole, have you noticed and change in hotel prices for Hua Hin???

[theoldgit]

I was quoted over 5000 Baht for the Hilton for a single night this week, I am sure there must be be more reasonably priced places.

edited for typo

Edited December 14, 2008 by theoldgit

[hhfarang]

I have spent the last few days in Bangkok and I have to say , its the quietest I have known in years. I am due to spend xmas & new year in Samui to finish off my holiday and was wondering whether it is worth spending a few days in Hua Hin on the way down or is it just as quiet there ?

Any advise greatly appreciated !

Hua Hin has always been a "family" holiday destination so it doesn't resemble the nightlife places in Bangkok, Pattaya, Samui, or Phuket. There are still plenty of places to have a drink and lots of great restaurants. It is quieter this year if you're thinking of "western tourists" as in foreigners from the UK, Europe, Australia, and North America because of the global financial problem. It is still packed on weekends and holidays with families down from Bangkok. I stay home at these times because there is so much traffic and never a place to park!

[johnnyk]

I was in Pattaya recently and now in HH and things are relatively quiet. Nothing wrong about this as it reduces the drunken yob factor.

The plus side is you can always get a seat at your favourite eating or drinking place and reservations are not a necessity at most hotels.

Xmas is close at hand so many people choose to stay close to home in normal years anyway.

But this isn't a normal year in any way so the financial humpty-dumpty will cut into traffic severely. Big worries about home and job certainly pushes a holiday in the sun down the necessity list so this is one expense many will forego this year.

For those who have decided to have a winter break but haven't booked yet, the Thai political circus will send them elsewhere because of the pain in the anus factor. There's no danger here on the ground but too many people watch the news or have friends with horror stories.

[JimsKnight]

Fairly quiet yet waaay too many families here, it's like the Spain of the East the way it's going

The bintabans quiet and so are the bars.

[PeaceBlondie]

Fairly quiet yet waaay too many families here, it's like the Spain of the East the way it's going

The bintabans quiet and so are the bars.

If Soi Bintaban is quiet, and the bars, there cannot be enough tourists to count.

[sabaijai]

Just back from Hua Hin, seemed very quiet and the locals agreed, much quieter than usual for this time of year.

[theoldgit]

Stopped off in Hua Hin on Monday, as a previous resident of Hua Hin I was really shocked how quiet it was. Spent a while walking round the night market, the beach road and even Soi Bintaban, most of the bars and restaurants were deserted, surely at this time of the year they should have been packed. This might be good for visitors seeking a seat at their favourite establishment, but how long will they survive. I noticed that there were a fair number of bars for sale, and the staff in the establishments looked bored to tears.

I noticed that there were a fair number of rooms for rent in the sub 1000 Baht price range, though the Hilton, whilst also deserted, were still asking over 5000 Baht for a walk in rate. I actually booked into Buffalo Bills Tavern on the beach road, had a great room at a more than fair price, with a massive balcony and sea view. The included breakfast saved me even more, as I didn't need to eat for the rest of the day.

[bomber]

Stopped off in Hua Hin on Monday, as a previous resident of Hua Hin I was really shocked how quiet it was. Spent a while walking round the night market, the beach road and even Soi Bintaban, most of the bars and restaurants were deserted, surely at this time of the year they should have been packed. This might be good for visitors seeking a seat at their favourite establishment, but how long will they survive. I noticed that there were a fair number of bars for sale, and the staff in the establishments looked bored to tears.

I noticed that there were a fair number of rooms for rent in the sub 1000 Baht price range, though the Hilton, whilst also deserted, were still asking over 5000 Baht for a walk in rate. I actually booked into Buffalo Bills Tavern on the beach road, had a great room at a more than fair price, with a massive balcony and sea view. The included breakfast saved me even more, as I didn't need to eat for the rest of the day.

what did you pay for your room,does buffalo bill have a website or phone no.

[hhfarang]

Stopped off in Hua Hin on Monday, as a previous resident of Hua Hin I was really shocked how quiet it was. Spent a while walking round the night market, the beach road and even Soi Bintaban, most of the bars and restaurants were deserted, surely at this time of the year they should have been packed. This might be good for visitors seeking a seat at their favourite establishment, but how long will they survive. I noticed that there were a fair number of bars for sale, and the staff in the establishments looked bored to tears.

I noticed that there were a fair number of rooms for rent in the sub 1000 Baht price range, though the Hilton, whilst also deserted, were still asking over 5000 Baht for a walk in rate. I actually booked into Buffalo Bills Tavern on the beach road, had a great room at a more than fair price, with a massive balcony and sea view. The included breakfast saved me even more, as I didn't need to eat for the rest of the day.

what did you pay for your room,does buffalo bill have a website or phone no.

It's called Ye Olde Buffalo Tavern and you can find some phone numbers at the bottom of this page...

http://www.huahinmedia.com/buffalo-tavern.php

[sharecropper]

I spend Christmas every year in Hua Hin - a welcome break from Pattaya. I called our usual hotel last night, knowing very well it would not be full. The conversation went like this:

" I would like a standard room for 5 nights. Do you have"

"Have."

"How much"

"2,000 baht"

"That's 200 baht more than you usually charge me!"

"Ok can give you for 1,600 baht".

I guess they're not as busy as usual, but I am really looking forward to a nice, relaxed, quiet visit to Hua Hin.

Edited December 18, 2008 by sharecropper

[SBACM]

Visiting Hua Hin today from Chiang Mai

Today Saturday the place is fricking packed with Farangs not speaking english most likely Fins or swedes droping a ton of money!!!

definitely not dead

Chiang Mai was a morgue-and dead when I left never seen it slower

Hua hin is cashing In---

Good for Hua Hin!!

[FarangFatal]

Saw alot of flack jackets at the nigth market! And, Book A Zine had a new novel... Shooting on Soi Bad Sip Bad.

Hua Hin got hurt as botha vacation and retirement destination...too bad as things should have been better! Lovely place, just lovely but.......