Hua Hin Changes Railway Links Prices And Tourism

In Hua Hin, for instance, one thing I’ve noticed that wasn’t here a while ago is the railway line that runs from Hua Hin railway station all the way up to Bangkok and beyond. There are actually concrete pylons that run side by side next to the railway lines.

And I’ve just found out that these pylons are actually going to be a high speed railway link from mainland China through Thailand all the way down to Malaysia, which is going to bring a huge influx of Chinese tourists into Thailand, and I’m guessing down to Malaysia. Apparently, this train is very, very high speed, supposedly reaching speeds of 300 miles per hour or more. And that’s one of the big changes I’ve noticed.

And just general infrastructure around here, if you’re familiar with Hua Hin, you’ll know Soi 94. It’s just off Phetkasem Road, on the other side of the main dual carriageway to the more familiar five star hotels like the Hilton. And basically, I stay on Soi 94 because it’s a little bit cheaper and a little bit quieter.

You can rent a motorcycle down here. I rented one for six days. It cost me 150 baht a day. They gave me a 50 baht discount, which won’t change my life, but anyway. I’ve got a motorbike, so travelling isn’t an issue. I don’t have to hang around waiting for taxis. And as I say, Soi 94 is a cheaper option.

A Surprising Change in Hua Hin’s Nightlife

And something that’s one of the changes I’ve seen last night, I really wasn’t expecting to see in Thailand. I mean, in the UK, for instance, without wishing to sound like an old fuddy-duddy, the young people these days have lost all respect for older people, parents, grandparents, and authority. They just don’t care anymore.

And that’s one of the things I really like about Thailand. They still have the old family values. They respect their parents and their grandparents. The family is a nucleus that is very, very important. In the West, that’s gone years ago, as far as I can see, especially in the UK, and I’m guessing in other parts of the Western world.

So last night, I’m not staying in the Narrow this time. I’m staying at the Arowana Hotel. It’s just next to the railway lines. But what I like about the Narrow end is that opposite there, there’s a couple of good restaurants. One in particular used to be called Joel’s. It’s just changed hands, and it’s called Pat’s.

So I’m sitting there right next to the road, and there are two elderly couples walking down the street. They’ve just been to dinner, or they’re on the way to dinner. They must have been anywhere between 65 and 73, I’m guessing. They were very respectable-looking elderly couples, two of them, and very nice. They look like they wouldn’t say boo to a ghost and wouldn’t bother anyone.

So they’re walking down the street, close to the side of the road, to keep out of the way of the traffic. And a pickup truck comes down the road, with the window open on the passenger side. A young boy, again, I’m guessing about 20, is in the passenger seat. He has one of these plastic cups full of either Coca-Cola or Sprite, or even water, I don’t know. But as he went past the older couples, he actually threw his drink over them. Which, you know, that’s the sort of thing I’d expect to see in the UK, not in Thailand. And I’m just wondering, is this the way things are going? I mean, is it going more like the West in Thailand?

Western Style Shopping and Services in Thai Cities

If you go to the heart of any city in Bangkok, or here, it’s no different. If you go to Market Village, they’ve got everything you find in the West there. But these smaller street vendors, you know, you’d go there and you’d eat traditional Thai food, prawns, fried rice, that sort of thing, but they’re all advertising steak and pizza. So it’s going very westernized.

As you know, the Thai baht is very, very strong now. I have noticed a lot less visitors in Hua Hin.

A lot of people make videos claiming that Thailand’s expensive. I don’t necessarily think it’s more expensive. It depends where you are. But generally, if you live like the Thais do, out of the main tourist areas, it isn’t particularly expensive. It’s just that the Thai baht is extremely strong at the moment.

When I was here in March, I got 41 baht to the pound. When I arrived, I changed a hundred pounds and got 36. I believe it’s 37 now, so it’s gone up a baht. But it’s really crushing people. It’s not just the UK pound. It’s the American dollar and the Australian dollar. So people are feeling the pinch, and I think they’re sort of thinking about alternative destinations.

Baht Exchange Rates and the Return of Chinese Tourists

So what other changes have I noticed since I’ve been here? I was here in March, and it’s now October, so we’re talking about six months. Obviously, the biggest change is the exchange rate. As I say, when I came in March, it was 41 to the pound. It’s now 36 or 37 to the pound.

The other big change I’ve noticed is that it is much, much quieter. We’re coming up to high season in a couple of months, but even so, rainy season is just about finished. It generally ends at the end of October. But I’ve been very, very lucky. I’ve been here for a week, and there hasn’t been any rain. I think in Bangkok we had a couple of nights where it rained, but in Hua Hin, nothing at all. It’s been good weather and very enjoyable. It’s just quiet, you know what I mean.

You go down to Soi 80. If you’ve never been to Hua Hin before, Soi 80 is, keeping it polite, one of the entertainment areas. It’s a long street of bars. Whenever I’ve gone down in the past, there have been quiet bars and bars that are a bit busier. They’re just all quiet. The restaurants are quiet. Frankly speaking, I don’t know how they’re surviving. I mean, let’s hope it picks up for them.

I have heard rumours that the Thai baht will, let’s not say crash, but basically, other currencies will improve against the Thai baht. It’s just a rumour. Whether it will happen, I wouldn’t hold my breath. But hopefully it will. I mean, obviously, if the Thai baht became weaker, then obviously it would attract visitors back. But with the train line going in from China down to Malaysia, I mean, that’s going to bring a lot of people in from China and a lot of money with it. There’s a lot of rich Chinese around these days, and they do want to travel.