Beach Walks - Now & Then

[Big Boy]

4. Marakesh to Barai

I’m getting into unfamiliar territory now. We used to walk to Barai most evenings with the dogs, but then it became too far for the oldest dog. So, not a total stranger, but no longer regular, and it all looks different in daylight anyway.

Photo 1

OK, so we start with a bit of ‘same old’ – not any change on this one.

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Photo 2

This is another ‘distance’ photo, looking towards Khao Takiab. Obviously, the beach has not become any cleaner since the last installment. When I did this walk back in 2014, I was inexperienced at Hua Hin Beach walking, and didn’t realise how far in the water came on the Southern stretch. After having to climb on a lot of walls and trespass through gardens, I’d learnt my lesson. However, looking towards Takiab, this was my first indication that even though I was walking at low tide, the beach ahead was very narrow.

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Photo 3

Another photo with very little change. There are a few more people around compared to when I started the walk a couple of days ago because it’s a bank holiday weekend, but still not the numbers TAT would have us believe.

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Photos 4 & 5

The first major change on my journey. We’ve established the place on the right hasn’t changed, but what has happened on the left? The photo doesn’t do it justice. I don’t know if it was the light, but as I approached, it looked like something out of a space age movie. I was very impressed. Even now, I am not really sure what I was looking at. From the front view, it looked like 6 apartments, joined by a common roof, with large passageways in between each. It definitely looked a lot better to the eye, than my snaps will ever do justice to. If anybody has more information, I’d be interested to hear.

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Photo 6

Back to minimal change again. However, one thing I’ve noticed missing from several photos in the 2018 series are the little white posts. I’ve no idea what they were, but I presume they are some sort of indicator regarding where you are on the beach.

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Photo 7

Somebody has closed the windows, and a few curtains have appeared in the windows, but very little difference to what appears to have been a new build in 2014.

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Photo 8

Slightly less sand in 2018 (we’ll actually see as we approach Khao Takiab this loss of sand gets reversed). Apart from the sand issue, again no change.

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Photo 9

House is basically the same, but somebody has installed some ornamental lampposts either side of the steps since 2014.

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Photo 10

Chiva Som. Again, little change.

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Photo 11

Really from this point South, there seemed to be a major trend of refurbishment or re-build. In this one, although obscured by the green sheeting, you can make out that a 2 storey building has replaced the bungalow that did stand to the left of the lane. Also further up the lane, a very ‘square' building has appeared.

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Photos 12 & 13

The buildings are the same, but the massage tables have moved to the other side of the ramp.

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Photo 14

Condominium Baan Chai Talay. Again. No change.

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Photo 15

Gazebos and beach furniture gone, but the building is just the same.

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Photo 16

The Hyatt has morphed into the Hyatt Regency, and they’ve installed some nice gates that wouldn’t really stop anybody. Outside of that, no change.

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Photo 17

The Barai Spa. Somebody has taken the sign. They have planted and maintained a nice hedge on the right, and there is now a handrail all the way onto the beach.

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Next week’s installment Barai to S’mor Spa.

[Big Boy]

5. Barai to S’mor Spa

I mentioned in last week’s installment that I had looked down the beach, and was surprised how narrow the sand was looking to the South, considering I was walking at low tide. My shoes were knackered i.e. the soles had dropped off. If I had to walk on the slippery walls it would become treacherous i.e. my Crocs had no grip.

As I approached what I call the corner on the beach, I was enthused to see a lot more sand than my previous walk. My enthusiasm would be short lived, which when coupled with the angle of the sun, made taking photos very difficult with my point and shoot camera.

Photo 1

The corner on Hua Hin Beach. Not really obvious until you get there, but a definite change in direction here. Noticeable at this point was the newly installed hand rail to guide you down to the beach. It was also a little rocky at the corner, but the rocks have gone – the depth of sand here has increased dramatically.

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Photo 2

A ‘distance’ photo looking South, but along the line of the sea wall. Again, the level of the sand is much higher in 2018. The 2014 boulders are buried under the sand.

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Photo 3

A fairly similar photo, but the 2014 photo shows evidence of the entrance to the beach having been blocked for the bungalow. That entrance seems to be open again.

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Photo 4

There’s definitely a lot more sand in 2018. I wonder if this beach café has taken advantage of the clearance of sun beds and umbrellas from the beach. They now have a neat line of sun beds on the wall.

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photo 5

The Wora Bora Hotel. This one was of particular interest to me because it has featured in a recent Thai series that Mrs BB was addicted to every morning. The stars of the series would be having lover’s tiffs on the beach at Suan Son, then they’d turn around and be looking at a beautiful mansion with lovely sculptured gardens. It was really puzzling me where it was. A trick of the camera, especially as if you turned around on the beach, you would see the wall, not a mansion and gardens. Mystery solved . The height of the water on the beach was now preventing me capturing similar angles. Again, a massive increase in the height of the sand on the beach.

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Photo 6

At this point, I should have given up the walk because I had to climb slippery walls, and wearing skeleton Crocs, I was foolish to continue. However, Khao Takiab was within reach, and I decided I could do it. Several times I thought I was going for a swim, and maybe my GoPro would have been more appropriate.

Balancing high on the wall, and my arms outstretched above my head, I basically captured this unchanged image of this condo. I was probably keeping the locals very amused.

However, even using my best contortionist skills, most of the photos I took for the next 600 yards or so were binned .

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Photos 7 & 8

Just 2 more condos that looked the same.

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Photo 9

A ‘distance’ photo looking South. I would estimate that from this point onwards about 50% of properties to Khao Takiab were being rebuilt or refurbished. Many, I couldn’t capture. There were a few new nice looking resorts that weren’t in locations captured in 2014.

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Photo 10

Taken in similar places, but showing that it was futile trying to get similar angles – I basically gave up at this point, and concentrated on not sliding into the sea.

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Photo 11

The last photo taken balancing on the wall. Same angle was impossible, but you can see the tower is undergoing major refurbishment.

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Photo 12

Angles are completely different now. A lot has been added to the simple building captured in 2014. I guess the main feature here is the amount of washed up debris on the beach.

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Photo 13

Same building, different years, but again, a lot more sand in 2018.

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Photo 14

This little beach restaurant has intrigued me. Always busy when I’ve gone past, but no clue regarding a name, so wouldn’t have a clue what I was looking for from road side. They’ve a set of nice gates, and these are only the 2nd No Smoking signs I‘ve noticed since leaving the Hilton. I’m sure there will have been more, but I never saw them. At this point I’d just been quite a distance ‘very’ close up to the wall as well. I’m wondering whether they mean No Smoking on the beach, or inside the café. The sign does mention the 100,000 Baht fine, so I guess it is referring to the beach.

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Photo 15

Back to the ‘same, same but different’ photos. The 2014 photo has one of those white posts again. I’ve expanded on the original image of the post, but it doesn’t really help. Does anybody know what it is? More importantly, where have these posts gone, and why?

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Photo 16

The satellite dish is just a stump, so that was a costly storm. The position of the sun forced me to take this from a different angle, but basically the same photo.

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Photos 17, 18 & 19

Again, same subjects, different angle, no change.

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Photo 20

I was quite taken aback by this one. I missed the surfboard initially, and could see similarities, but everything had changed. I assume, because it’s the same as the surfboard that used to be on the main road, this is/was S’mor Spa. I can only apologise that my photo doesn’t show more of the changes here.

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Next week’s installment S’mor Spa to Khao Takiab.

[hhinner]

BB, I think the white posts that you mention are high water markers of the marine department showing the boundary of coastline under its remit.

[Big Boy]

That sort of makes sense, so looking at it the other way, it marks the boundary of the beachfront property. I wonder why the posts have been removed.

[STEVE G]

Photo 14, your intriguing restaurant, is Madame Green's seafood, one of the best around if you're into local food. They have a car park but it's not that easy to find, it's down a narrow lane next to a retro style two storey shop in Khao Takiap. They do an excellent mixed seafood Tom Yum but don't go at the weekend because all the Bangkokians know about it.

[PeteC]

Ref photo #1 and 2, you need to name that point something. Cape Barai, Cape Hua, Cape Hin? Pete

[STEVE G]

Ref photo #1 and 2, you need to name that point something. Cape Barai, Cape Hua, Cape Hin? Pete

That's actually Khao Takiap Pete, although people generally use the term for the community attached to it, apparently it means "chopstick rest hill", so the locals tell me anyway!

[caller]

Photo 14, your intriguing restaurant, is Madame Green's seafood, one of the best around if you're into local food. They have a car park but it's not that easy to find, it's down a narrow lane next to a retro style two storey shop in Khao Takiap. They do an excellent mixed seafood Tom Yum but don't go at the weekend because all the Bangkokians know about it.

Beat me to it and the last time I went, there was a sign where the small soi is. Parking can be tight!

[STEVE G]

.....the last time I went, there was a sign where the small soi is.

That would be great, I first went there from the beach and when I tried to visit again from the road, I totally failed to find it, I had to walk back to it along the beach and walk down the small soi from that end to discover where it came out!

[huahinjim]

Ref photo #1 and 2, you need to name that point something. Cape Barai, Cape Hua, Cape Hin? Pete

Surely Cape Croc?

[PeteC]

Surely Cape Croc?

Winner!

[Big Boy]

[Big Boy]

6. S’mor Spa to Khao Takiab

The final leg of the Southern journey. The beach was a little wider here, but the sun was positioned very badly for taking similar photos. I’d have to take care not to produce silhouettes.

Photo 1

We start off with a similar photo, but the blue roofed construction to the left of the condo is no longer there. Additionally, the left hand sea wall has been raised a few feet.

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Photo 2

Quite a large complex. The only noticeable difference being the new wall (with square holes – I’m sure there will be a technical name) built on top of the sea wall. I actually remember taking the original photo, trying to incorporate the Buddha images on the hill behind.

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Photo 3

The ‘distance’ shot to Khao Takiab. It’s getting very close, and I’m relieved to see it’s beach all the way to the end now. Ugly cranes in the skyline above the gap.

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Photo 4

Is somebody shy? Too many photographers taking photos of their garden? I’m not sure what’s going on here. You can see through the green sheet to see it’s exactly the same as it was in 2014.

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Photo 5

Another one of those white posts in the 2014 photo. Also evidence of a lot more sand in 2018. The palm trees are missing from the front of the garden, but essentially the same house.

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Photo 6

New fence posts with lights on the top now, but outside of that, no change.

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Photo 7

No change here.

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Photo 8

Apart from a few missing fence slats, this one is the same also.

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Photo 9

Another white post (boundary markers maybe?). Apart from the missing post, no change.

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Photos 10 & 11

No change

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Photo 12

The bar roof is looking a little weathered, but still basically the same.

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Photo 13

The final ‘distance’ photo of the rock (not so distant any more). We can now see the base of the rock looking quite naked to the right of the standing Buddha. It was a hive of activity there before , but now everything has been ‘restored to nature’. ‘Restored to nature’ to allow the construction company replace a few gazebos selling trinkets and a restaurant with huge condo complex. Progress I guess.

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Photo 14

I’ve already mentioned the future. Replacing the sun beds, umbrellas and trinket sellers that made Khao Takiab a quaint holiday resort for every visitor with a huge condo complex for a few, who might visit weekends if there’s a bank holiday.

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Photo 15

Supatra-by-the-Sea. Not much has changed here, but looking behind, the reclaimed land will become a huge concrete jungle soon.

I’d be interested to know how that piece of Hua Hin central reservation ended up there. I know we had a bit of flooding a few weeks back, but really? Back in my youth, we used to move police bollards – that central reservation would have taken some serious shifting.

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Photo 16

A final look at holiday Khao Takiab, and the concrete that replacing it. I hope the fishing village beyond survives.

So that was the walk from the Hilton to Khao Takiab. I was expecting a few changes, but being a long established seaside resort, not that many. I was unable to document the main area of change due to unexpected high water – I wonder if it was any coincidence that the greatest area of refurbishment was the area where the water was so close to the buildings.

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Next week’s installment should have been The Hilton to the Palace. However, very high low water levels are making that walk impossible at the moment, so I will skip leg 7 for now. Next week will look at leg 8, the Palace to Queens Park.

[Nereus]

I’d be interested to know how that piece of Hua Hin central reservation ended up there.

I think that you will find that they are just hollow PVC construction, just like a water tank. In fact, they are designed to be filled with water once placed in position.

[Big Boy]

Still a long way to travel from the centre of Hua Hin