FOR THE EXPAT IN ALL OF US! ISSUE 458 22nd December 2017
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P A N AMA BAR
Good Times Every Night A DJ To Save Your Life
10th christmas
festive greetings to all our readers
•It’s•hard to believe, but this issue marks the tenth year that we have wished our readers a Happy Christmas, hua hin
and those years have seen some quite remarkable changes in Hua Hin, and Thailand as a whole. While not all those changes have been necessarily welcomed, largely they have been improvements, and what was once a small fishing village is now a small and growing city. The last couple of years, however, have been difficult for many western oriented businesses, as tourism from Europe, Australia and the USA has waned in the wake of the military government, a strong baht, rising prices and increased competition from destinations like Vietnam and the Phillipines. Hua Hin has possibly suffered more in this respect than other popular destinations in Thailand, lacking as it does a functioning airport that has any domestic routes, let alone international flights, and a sometimes tortuous journey to and from the Bangkok airports. However, Hua Hin, we believe, still has massive potential, as long as the decision makers, on the whole, make more good than bad choices. There are some fundamentals about this area which make it a very attractive place to live and visit for both foreigners and Thais, including the natural beauty and attractions the area features, the clean sea air, world class golf and sporting facilities on our doorstep, an extremely wide array of eateries to cater to every budget, equally applying to accommodation, both short and long term (with a noticable jump in the number of budget hostels), a nightlife that is slowly growing to provide entertainment for a broader age range, and particularly younger people, as well as the relatively unrecognised world class internet and telecommunications services. Next week we will look ahead to what 2018 may bring, but for now please reflect on the good things we already have, and enjoy a safe and happy Christmas.