I was reading this thread in the Pattaya forum and people over there are saying how quiet it is.

I think it is really busy in Hua Hin at the moment, far busier than last year, where the high season was pretty much non existent.

We've just had friends over from the UK so have spent the past three weeks doing the tourist thing in Hua Hin and Bangkok and everywhere we went seemed pretty busy.

The night market in Hua Hin and Cicada market were packed on the nights we went, the beaches were busy, as were places we went in Bangkok.

Is it just me or is Hua Hin busy right now?

Maybe I'm missing something, but to me HH is no where near as busy as last year. Mind you, I live down Takiab way and the restaurants etc are no where as full as they were last year. Business owners also complaining to me that it is quiet. On speaking to one restaurant worker, she stated a lot of her Scandi regulars have headed to Vietnam this year. Cicada & Night Markets are very popular tourist spots, so they are always busy no matter what, especially at this time of year.

I was there over Christmas, yes the Markets were busy but the majority were Thais, Market Place, the food court was busy but again mostly Thais, Bars, very quiet.

Obviously this is anecdotal but my general impression is that tourist numbers in HH are sharply down and it‘s most apparent during the day.

Areas and restaurants such as those around the central wat are almost vacant over lunch in my experience. Those same places were hives of activity only 2 years ago at lunchtime. Also seen a line of massage parlours that were once busy, now shut down. The old mall on the corner up to the rail station is only a shell now and there‘s no sign of a reopening in progress.

On the sois running away from the Hilton it was hard to get by a couple of years ago. Yet I recently ate lunch there and there was hardly anyone about. Once generally heavily frequented restaurants were almost, and in some cases totally, empty, including my once very popular eatery.

The road down to the beach between the Hilton and the Centara was also once constantly bustling. Recently the foot traffic I saw was very thin.

I‘ve noticed that things seem to come to life at night. Where I was yesterday on Soi 94 close to the rail crossing for instance was absolutely thumpin‘. However 94 itself back down towards the main drag was running out of steam around 9.30ish.

Places like Cicada are of course focal points and the weekends are as unpleasantly packed as ever.

There aren‘t any herds of Chinese tour buses around either like I read about in Pattaya.

Occasionally I‘ve seen a troop of 3 or 4 of them thundering down Petchkasem. But although I‘ve seen a few Chinese tourists wandering around they aren‘t the package tour variety.

The package species seem to get bedded down out of town. They presumably spend their ,holiday‘ hurtling from one place to the next on breakneck sightseeing tours, in top heavy, garish double deckers with nightmarish, earthquake karaoke systems that presumably batter them numb and render them receptive for the high pressure sales outlets they get fed and watered at. Kind of mass aural waterboarding.

Maybe I'm missing something, but to me HH is no where near as busy as last year. Mind you, I live down Takiab way and the restaurants etc are no where as full as they were last year. Business owners also complaining to me that it is quiet. On speaking to one restaurant worker, she stated a lot of her Scandi regulars have headed to Vietnam this year. Cicada & Night Markets are very popular tourist spots, so they are always busy no matter what, especially at this time of year.

must be just you. It is the best ever. Could not find parking in Market village . Bars and small farang restaurants were not doing so well because we are getting better class of tourists who are frequenting the more up market spots

Great reports...

Interesting to know as well.

Gamini, an alternative point of view might be that people are discovering the food markets on Soi 88, 94 and Pala U Rd. These are very busy with a wide choice of food and cheap drinks. My feedback from the local restaurants are that they are struggling. Bars are doing OK, but only with regular customers, not many new faces!

Maybe I'm missing something, but to me HH is no where near as busy as last year. Mind you, I live down Takiab way and the restaurants etc are no where as full as they were last year. Business owners also complaining to me that it is quiet. On speaking to one restaurant worker, she stated a lot of her Scandi regulars have headed to Vietnam this year. Cicada & Night Markets are very popular tourist spots, so they are always busy no matter what, especially at this time of year.

must be just you. It is the best ever. Could not find parking in Market village . Bars and small farang restaurants were not doing so well because we are getting better class of tourists who are frequenting the more up market spots

Getting fed the same food and alcohol at inflated prices and think they are hiso.Sad snobs.

Maybe I'm missing something, but to me HH is no where near as busy as last year. Mind you, I live down Takiab way and the restaurants etc are no where as full as they were last year. Business owners also complaining to me that it is quiet. On speaking to one restaurant worker, she stated a lot of her Scandi regulars have headed to Vietnam this year. Cicada & Night Markets are very popular tourist spots, so they are always busy no matter what, especially at this time of year.

must be just you. It is the best ever. Could not find parking in Market village . Bars and small farang restaurants were not doing so well because we are getting better class of tourists who are frequenting the more up market spots

This is what I experienced too, almost 45 minutes to get a parking space in town the other night because it was so busy.

I'm not sure about a better class of tourist as such but it just generally seems much busier to me.

The open air eating place on Soi 88, which typically attracts cheap charlie expats absolutely packed most nights. As was the Hilton Sky bar when we were there the other night.

I've only been in HH 3 years but I think this is the busiest I've seen it.

Umm ... here is my 1 Baht's worth.

Been living in south Hua Hin for 3 years.

Christmas - New Year period was busy.

But, this is probably the quietest I have seen it in 3 years. Yes, things have picked up in the last 4 weeks, but not up on this time over the last couple of years. Some businesses in the night market area have been laying off staff due to lower than expected business.

I visit Hua Hin Market Village daily, and have not had any problem getting a car park, even on the New Year long Thai holiday. Speaking to some of the people in business in Hua Hin MArket Village, everyone is complaining about less business than last year, and probably the year before, and some are not making any profit at this time, but are locked into contracts.

went down soi 80 last Friday and it was that quiet you could've shot a gun thru it.

Next day went to Market Village and it was seriously busy - struggled to find a place to park the bike busy.

Admittedly it was childrens' day.

But then again HH is Bangkokians first choice as a beachside destination.

They tend to leave Pattaya to the falang.

They had first choice - and got it right.