BluePort - Hua Hin is Getting Too Much

[JustNo]

I've been living within Hua Hin 95% of my last 7 years or so, and it has changed somewhat in that little time, no doubt it has changed a hell of a lot over the last 20 or 30 years. 

Blueport opened today and wow, the amount of people flocking there is insane. Petkhasem Rd is jammed enough on weekends, but this is ridiculous. I have a feeling that the town planners have not really taken into consideration the traffic and logistics of moving these people around, they simply wanted a big new shiny shopping mall somewhere to sell their products and hoard their banknotes, Thai magpies.

On top of this, within the next 3 years a central shopping plaza is going to be built, a great huge thing actually. 

My point is this; I recently returned from Laos a country that I cherish and love for various reasons such as it's laid back nature, relaxing lifestyle and reserved people to name a few. Don't get me wrong I have always loved Hua Hin, but it sure as hell has lost a lot of its peaceful appeal and nature. Being stuck in traffic is becoming more of a problem here and it is only going to increase with said central plaza I mentioned above. As I said I really feel like nothing has been done, I mean a big fat zero effort on directing and organising the traffic in and around Hua Hin in relation to Blueport opening. I personally feel that I may move soon because this town is not what it used to be, and it is reminding me more and more of a congested part of Bangkok with a beach with each passing week. As well as the recent rise in crime and the bombings! A rise in people coming here will result in a rise in crime, and the BiB have done sweet FA under the face of it to address this. 

So I may be looking at maybe Prachuap town in the near future i.e. less than 1 year, or maybe just pack up and move to Laos. 
tl;dr - Anybody else have feelings or opinions on how this town has changed, and how shoddily the traffic and town planning has been undertaken? 

[juehoe]

I came to Hua Hin in 2008. I am living in Khao Tao, where many things has changed, too.

Everything has its up and downsides. The infrastructure and possibilities are far more better now. The new major seem to me more competent than the old one. So the traffic is better regulated, but still need improvements and especially more enforcement by the police.

Some of the infrastructure is still behind the development (as usual in Thailand).

The new Blúport Mall will distribute the people more and there is more completion in some area. The new Gourmet shop will compete with the Villa Market and hopefully will bring better products and lower prices.

The downside is that both Blúport and Market Village are very close and on the same side of the street. I assume, that the traffic jams will be less, when the opening phase is over.

Anyway, we often avoid to go to town on weekends - or we know when there is chance for less traffic. So we often go to Market Village on Sunday late afternoon, when all the Bangkok Thais have left.

An additional Central Plaza is remounted since years. The Central group is currently building a big Robinson south of Petchaburi. So we will see, if the also will build a Central Plaza in Hua Hin?

With all downsides, the development is good for expats who are living in Hua Hin. There is just no more need to go to Bangkok...

[ukrules]

I went down to Bluport this afternoon, the traffic was heavy. I did some shopping and then came home.

 

Interesting to hear that they're going to build the Central shopping plaza - do you know where this is going to be located ?

[pcliff069]

Go Bluport. It is gr8 to see developments like these. And at any rate little you can do if you don't like it other than make sure the door doesn't bang you on the ass on the way out

[JustNo]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

I went down to Bluport this afternoon, the traffic was heavy. I did some shopping and then came home.

 

Interesting to hear that they're going to build the Central shopping plaza - do you know where this is going to be located ?

 

Somewhere outside the airport and before the Venice attraction; my gf works in a band over at Market Village so hears about this stuff 

[JustNo]

2 hours ago, pcliff069 said:

Go Bluport. It is gr8 to see developments like these. And at any rate little you can do if you don't like it other than make sure the door doesn't bang you on the ass on the way out

My main issue is the traffic and poorly it is being managed, the roads are hell as it is and the layout is way outdated fir such a large scale project. It makes doing the simplest errand in town a nightmare around weekends. Like I said Thais are true magpies, go after the shiny thing and think of consequences later

[JustNo]

3 hours ago, juehoe said:

I came to Hua Hin in 2008. I am living in Khao Tao, where many things has changed, too.

Everything has its up and downsides. The infrastructure and possibilities are far more better now. The new major seem to me more competent than the old one. So the traffic is better regulated, but still need improvements and especially more enforcement by the police.

Some of the infrastructure is still behind the development (as usual in Thailand).

The new Blúport Mall will distribute the people more and there is more completion in some area. The new Gourmet shop will compete with the Villa Market and hopefully will bring better products and lower prices.

The downside is that both Blúport and Market Village are very close and on the same side of the street. I assume, that the traffic jams will be less, when the opening phase is over.

Anyway, we often avoid to go to town on weekends - or we know when there is chance for less traffic. So we often go to Market Village on Sunday late afternoon, when all the Bangkok Thais have left.

An additional Central Plaza is remounted since years. The Central group is currently building a big Robinson south of Petchaburi. So we will see, if the also will build a Central Plaza in Hua Hin?

With all downsides, the development is good for expats who are living in Hua Hin. There is just no more need to go to Bangkok...

Yea nothing is black and white, you are very correct there. I can see the good and the bad in this situation too, but for me personally it seems to be weighed up heavier on the con side of things. Many people will be able to deal with the larger influx of cars and bikes, the chaos on the roads, but I simply cannot. I know this town very well so know many side streets and short-cuts to places, but even with this knowledge it still get crazy at the weekends. I live way out in Hin Lek Fai around BanSilipin way in one of the fairly new housing projects, but I do have to take my gf to work at Market Village and soon to be at Blueport! 

The central plaza is not going to be that central lol, as I mentioned in a previous post it is set to be towards the airport which will draw people to the other end of the town which is good. We shall see, I have felt this way about Hua Hin for maybe 2 years now and it gets worse as time goes on. I really like it here and am hesitant to move, but I think inside I really want to. I am also pretty young at 28 years old and maybe a decade ago would have loved to live in Phuket or koh Samui, but I have flipped to the polar opposite and want a very laid back life, also where there are few farang it seems lol. So I would prefer somewhere like Prachuap town or even a sleepy village in Laos. I speak both languages fairly well which helps I guess.. 

[pcliff069]

My main issue is the traffic and poorly it is being managed, the roads are hell as it is and the layout is way outdated fir such a large scale project. It makes doing the simplest errand in town a nightmare around weekends. Like I said Thais are true magpies, go after the shiny thing and think of consequences later

I'm out of town at the moment so missed yesterday's opening. The crowd would have been out of all proportion for what will become normal. I think that having two major shopping centres within a click of each other will assist rather than hamper things. We live off Soi 102 and am looking forward to checking it out later this month
It gives us an alternative to Market Village.
I do agree with you that traffic conditions and flow need improvement but these are major and expensive projects.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

I think additions like Bluport are great for the town, and great for us expats as is it gives us so much extra choice.

 

As for the traffic, stay clear of Bluport and surrounding roads at the weekends, especially Sunday, and perhaps when the schools are finishing and the traffic isn't really an issue. Go to Bluport early mid week and you can almost have the whole place to yourself. 

 

The traffic at and around Market Village on a Sunday used to be pretty bad too dont forget and we still managed, so it isn't only since Bluport has been built there have been traffic issues

 

Hua Hin is certainly changing though. It's changed a lot in the 3 years I've lived here. But then hasn't every major destination in Thailand changed a lot? Thailand is changing. Some will call it progress, others will not. 

 

Personally, I like the changes being made in Hua Hin currently. Ask me again in 10 years, and maybe my opinion will have changed but for now, no complaints from me. 

 

I heard rumours a year or so ago that a Central would be going in the new large tower block/hotel/condo, call it what you will, that is being built behind Vana Nava waterpark, but it was just that, rumours, not heard anything since.

 

Anyone have any more info?

 

A Central AND Bluport could well be overkill. 

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

On ‎01‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 8:50 PM, JustNo said:

My main issue is the traffic and poorly it is being managed, the roads are hell as it is and the layout is way outdated fir such a large scale project. It makes doing the simplest errand in town a nightmare around weekends. Like I said Thais are true magpies, go after the shiny thing and think of consequences later

Just stay in the north and you move outside the traffic areas. If you don't frequent bars and don't need to be in malls every day the north is the area to live in. You are close to Makro and Villa market at Index, for your daily shopping needs. We only go into town once every 2 weeks on average.

 

Bluport is great but it will only have people over the weekends. We were there today (12/10) and the number of people was down from previous days. We also went to Market village today and the numbers are close to normal. They made a mistake at Bluport by not having a Big C and not enough restaurants. People are going to Market village for Tesco and the variety of food.

 

As for your bigger question, we went through the same process as you. If you are investing in land don't do it outside HH. If you are thinking of buying a family property, then Prachuap is okay. You must think of medical services which are not up to standard outside HH (Prachuap only have a government hospital). Think of the lack of Villa markets, Makro, a big Tesco etc. If you stay in Prachuap you must think about the time you will spend on the road to buy things you can't get and in case of a medical emergency what you will do. For an ambulance to fetch you in Prachuap and bring you to HH can take up to 5 hours (if the government hospital don't have an ambulance available one must come from HH or Pranburi). We decided in the end to stay.

[mike324]

well Thailands traffic problem and urban planning hasn't change for the past 20 years, sure won't change in another 10-20 years also

We can only hope for public transportation such as skytrain to decrease the amount of cars on the road, or make it easier to get to nearby places if you live close to one of the stations

[nofarang]

I agree in many parts with the thread starter. Hua Hin has grown to fast in recent years. The private sector has invested heavily but public infrastructure is lagging behind in a dramatic way. Main problem is the traffic situation. There is virtually only one road going into Hua Hin, either from the north or from the south. Last year the Khlong road which runs parallel to the Petchkasem Road has been widened and improved in a surprisingly decent way, but the use of it is minor.

 

 

As the local government is unable to improve the traffic situation I have seen now they put up small road signs luring the traffic to the bypassing highway. A bitter confession of helplessness and inability.

 

 

Although the three lane Phetkasem Road crossing Hua Hin entirely from North to South could be big enough to accommodate the normal traffic load the recently applied road markings constrict the traffic flow at some parts deliberately to only one lane – the work of a lunatic. Another stupid fool build about two years ago a concrete central reservation which equals in width to one single lane. Protests from the local people of this sheer nonsense did not bring any relief to the situation.

 

 

There is more to say to traffic and roads but I do not want to overstretch the thread. A respected foreign resident of Hua Hin and Thaivisa member did a survey here on Thaivisa not so long ago about the content and comfort of living here but the outcomes haven’t been published (or I missed them) as well as the opinions from the local government and the comments from her Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn who was intended to see them as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

I spent some time in Cha'am which I enjoyed but Hua Hin always seemed too congested - too tight in many ways... even the beach was small, at least in the area near the Hilton...

 

And that was 15 years ago - - I am sure it has become progressively more crowded every year. I too would opt out for Prachuap...

[Krataiboy]

Am I the only old fart left standing who could do without yet another monument to mindless, resource-sapping materialism?

 

I thought most of us travelled thousands of miles to get away from the consumer conveyor belt and find a  simpler, more laid-back life.

 

I wouldn't touch Bluport with a barge pole - and definitely not in the company of a Thai partner whose appetite for consumables is invariably in inverse ratio to her ability to pay for them.  

 

 

[geriatrickid]

I am happy that Bluport is finally open, and I appreciate that it will be crowded for the next 3 months. Unfortunately, this   big  property will come at a tremendous cost;

1. Traffic: As everyone  has noted, the ingress and egress roads are inadequate to manage the traffic volume. In any well planned urban setting there would be new traffic lights installed to help manage the traffic. I didn't see any the last time I was by. It is foolish to simply wave ones hand and to dismiss the  traffic chaos that will ensue in early eveneing and on the weekend. people flee Bangkok on the weekend for Hua Hin because they want a break, not because they want to sit in traffic.

 

2. Death and Injury:  I don't think we will have to wait very long for our first road fatality in front of BluPort. People will be run down crossing the street to get there and will be hit when they try to walk in front of the cars making the trun into BluPort.

 

3. Economic Cost:  Yes, it's understandable that the merchants in Market Village and other retailers on the strip will feel the impact. Such is life. Those retailers didn't worry about the impact they had on the other retailers when they first arrived, so I  am not shedding tears over them, but many will lose business and probably close.  However, there will be a cost to the condo owners who built along the strip. The noise and traffic will make life miserable for anyone  facing the road. look at the Mykonos, Rocco etc. and you will understand. Consider the difficulties the hotels will face; DVera, G Resort etc are all decent facilities, but they have rooms that face directly onto the road. Look at the Intercontinental. Even the brand new Marriot will have side effect traffic issues. Oh sure, the hotels of Bangkok  are often located in busy areas. The difference though is that they are not marketed as beach resorts and they are built to withstand the noise with double and triple glazed windows. Some of the condos and hotels on the strip were built before Market Village was even there. I would anticipate that the resale  value on some of these condos will nose dive.

 

On the plus side,  the condos and hotels situated behind BluPort will receive a much needed  value boost as close proximity to a modern higher end  facility is a big selling point. 

 

The big downside is that the  busy Petk. is going to  act as a community killer just as major thoroughfares  around the world have done. The community will be divided by an unfriendly roadway that acts as a barrier, blocking the easy flow of people across the street. Businesses will suffer, and tourists will be angry when they cannot get to the beach easily or when they cannot   get to Market Village, the market, or BluPort easily. There will need to be  traffic slowing and traffic  smoothing devices installed or the impact is  not going to be pretty.

 

 

 

[HerbalEd]

On 10/1/2016 at 6:33 PM, pcliff069 said:

Go Bluport. It is gr8 to see developments like these. And at any rate little you can do if you don't like it other than make sure the door doesn't bang you on the ass on the way out

Anyone ever tell you that you are very rude?.

[ukrules]

I drove past Bluport one day last week (midweek) and there was no extra traffic, no queue on the road, nothing.

 

I went there on opening day as I figured it will never get any worse than that and I got in, no problem. It was busy.

 

I'm sure it will be busier at weekends though.

[pcliff069]

Anyone ever tell you that you are very rude?.

You thinking of my brother Rodney? [emoji2] [emoji2] [emoji2] [emoji2]

[neeray]

On October 1, 2016 at 9:47 AM, JustNo said:

 

Somewhere outside the airport and before the Venice attraction; my gf works in a band over at Market Village so hears about this stuff 

Maybe the Venice "so called" attraction would be better turned into a shopping mall.  It sure wasn't very interesting when I was there in high season a year and 9 months ago. Basically, an unattractive attraction. Other patrons seemed to be as confused as my Thai gf and I were in discovering what the attraction was. 

But Hua Hin, we did not find any traffic problems or feel unsafe (crime). 

That may be different now. 

[JKfarang]

I've lived in HH for almost 3 years and decided to join this forum today to add my 2 cents to the OP's topic for what ever it's worth.  I agree with most of the other posts concerning traffic congestion, etc.  In my opinion, HH has already been over developed.  New condo developments continue to be built while some built only a few years ago look as though many units have yet to be sold.  And a few older complexes on the beach in the Khao Takiab area just south of town look almost abandoned (considering the lack of unit lighting on a nightly basis for the duration of the 2 years I lived in that area).

 

As another post stated, I too have learned some of the back roads to avoid Petchkasem but most are very narrow with barely enough (or not enough) room for 2 vehicles to pass one another going in opposite directions.  Combined with the serious lack of parking in most areas (for those who have cars like myself anyway) and several intersections with no traffic lights but definitely in need of them, I believe that the livability of HH will continue to diminish.

 

Fortunately, I am retired and not a condo or property owner so can certainly see myself considering a move to another area at some point.  For now, I'll just try to "grin and bear it".

[Retiredandhappyhere]

It does seem as if little thought is given to infrastructure when allowing huge developments to take place and not only in Hua Hin.  Traffic is of course a major problem in Hua Hin, but where is the clean water coming from, and waste water going to,  for example, for the 6000 condos built at "The Energy" complex between Hua Hin and Cha-am?  We have had months of water cutoffs in the recent past, and although, thankfully, this problem for us at least (slightly North of the town) was resolved, can we expect a repeat of the water shortage when all the new condos come on stream. (pun unintended!)? 

 

The improvement to the canal road between Hua Hin and Cha-am is very welcome, but after a year or so  after the dual carriageway section was built behind Venezia and close to the Palm Hills Golf Club, substantial sections have already been re-tarmaced, following the development of large pot-holes.  From what I can see, the newer section further North towards Cha-am now under construction is being built with exactly the same specification, (basically tarmac on compacted soil), so we can expect all the equipment to be back again in about a year's time, particularly after heavy rainfall.

 

Better planning in all areas is required if Thailand is to move forward.

[pcliff069]

First chance today to have a look at Bluport and it is a very impressive shopping complex. At the end of the day it will not be going away for a long time. Traffic for us is not an issue as it is only a short stroll away. The mix of people was probably 90-95% Thai / Falang. To me the complex has been designed more to the hiso end of the Thai and tourist markets. Whether this mix works in the long term who knows?