27 September 2013
Classifieds
FREE weekly issue 2 50
To Hull And Back Hua Hin Golf English Corner Il Duce
five years a look back to the birth of awol
hua hin, THAILAND The very first AWOL was published on 3rd October 2008 at a time of considerable political and economic uncertainty in Thailand and globally; domestically the ousting of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 was still causing repercussions such that our front page was warning that the coming high season could be the worst in memory, and while we can’t claim psychic powers, just a few weeks later the ‘yellow shirts’ occupied Suvanabhumi International Airport causing huge damage to tourism that year. While things have changed since then, there is a strange symmetry between then and now, with the shadow of Thaksin still looming large over Thai politics and a continuing global recession, albeit one that seems to be slowly dissipating. The Hua Hin area though is markedly different in many ways, having gone through and still experiencing an unprecedented building boom, particularly in terms of commercial and retail projects, alongside some major infrastructure improvements. The next five years are likely to see further development, as well as tourist and residential numbers growing, especially once the ASEAN Economic Union begins in 2015. Whether the next five years will also see the often mooted plan to make Hua Hin the capital of a new province encompassing Cha Am and Pranburi come to pass we cannot say, but we can say that even without an official classification the town will be regarded by most as a city within that time frame, and AWOL plans to be around to document it. Thank you to all our advertisers and readers for your support in the last five years - we hope to see you tonight at the AWOL Birthday Party! (see p 20)
Victor
guesthouse open 24/7
Naresdamri Rd. opposite Brasserie de Paris
Rooms/family suites in heart of Hua Hin a/c, lcd tv, dvd player, fridge, free premium wifi, cable TV www.victorguesthousehuahin.com
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