traffic

[Chas]

Now that this topic has been wrestled back on topic . . .(thanks WL!)

First of all, Hua Hin already has a "Walking Street" . . . it is called the Night Market. What you are describing . .having the street open for deliveries during the day and closed to vehicles at night happens there daily. Does anyone know how that got started or remember when it wasnt a "walking street"? There are small hotels there which seem to deal OK with not having taxis drive up to their entrances when the market is open so that should not be a major factor ( Yes, I know it isnt perfect and you can not walk the length of it without dodging at least one idiot on a motorcycle. )

I also dont get what making the area a pedestrian zone has to do with the temple. Binta is already "a farang-dominated soi of girlie bars next door to the temple." As well, the idea that it will become more dangerous than now doesnt hold water IMHO. Dodging drunken people is not as dangerous as dodging vehicles driven by drunken people. Of course, I am working with the Pattaya "walking street"model in mind here.

But I would be shocked if the town fathers ever get beyond decorating the streets with lights and lanterns ( which they actually do very well) into improving the infrastructure of Hua Hin in any way including setting up a pedestrian street or area. (Still no parking, no alternative road to Petchkasem, etc etc.)

[Super Joe]

From my experience it has always worked well and became organized very quickly. The road is open to traffic from about 0600 to 1700 or 1800 hours.

Agree Pete, Walking Street works just fine. Phuket (Soi Bangla) is a death zone though. Think it's 4am that is opens to traffic again and taxis, tuk tuk's etc are lined up on the beach road end, it's one-way, and race like hell to get in the prime position at the opposite end where many clubs are. Now 4am is still peak time for the revellers and first couple of times we saw it it was hilarious, (but seriously dangerous) as people not expecting it were jumping onto the pavements like kangeroos in a bush fire.

Agree there's no real reason/justification for traffic down Binterbaht from say 18:00 to 06:00 hours.

Just touching on the bars moving issue, agree with WL's post but spoke to an established Thai karaoke bar owner, those that go will all know her, she said they having to close at 2am cos Sofitel complaining about the noise, killing business.
Can't see Sofitel giving up on that one, its more than your usual 'pay old bill fee and you can open late again'.

SJ

[STEVE G]

Making Bintabaht a pedestrian area is such an obviously sensible idea, certainly from our point of view, that you have to wonder why it's never been done.
Perhaps certain property owners in the area don't want it, or maybe it's just the fact that it would be basically for Farangs as Thais don't generally get excited by the prospect of walking anywhere.
Certainly my partner won't be very happy if she has to walk to the Bintabaht Somtam stall from JW's instead of jumping on the Honda Wave.

[Big Boy]

Certainly my partner won't be very happy if she has to walk to the Bintabaht Somtam stall from JW's instead of jumping on the Honda Wave.

How very Thailand. TIT

[PeteC]

"Thais walking anywhere..." as it applies to a Walking Street idea is a key factor. When Walking Street wasn't in Pattaya, it seemed constantly filled with young Thai men on motorbikes trying to impress whoever by speeding through. (Farangs on Harleys also ) It also attracted the Thai boyfriends of the working damsels who would hang about everywhere, usually sitting on their bikes at curb side or some side ally. They may still be there somewhere, but not as obvious as before. So, it does appear that taking the option of their ride away from them, they have decreased in number making the area safer for the tourist. Pete

[Wanderlust]

Just touching on the bars moving issue, agree with WL's post but spoke to an established Thai karaoke bar owner, those that go will all know her, she said they having to close at 2am cos Sofitel complaining about the noise, killing business.
Can't see Sofitel giving up on that one, its more than your usual 'pay old bill fee and you can open late again'.

SJ

SJ,
Thats an interesting one, as all the karaokes are now completely enclosed and fairly sound proof I think, so the noise must be coming from the other establishments there, although the Sofitel isn't close enough, I wouldn't have thought, for it to be an issue for them. If that persists though it will close that area down though, which would be a shame; however I believe some places are going to open in Soi 102 from the same people who bring you the karaokes in the Night Bazaar....

[mr lonely]

I really cannot see there being any relocation of Binta type bars away from te town centre, it wouldnt make any business sense at all, the town centre is the obvious place for it.
Soi 80 is only just in walking distance from the centre and 102 too far away to attract the kind of numbers needed to be viable.
there are a couple of small bars opened just after the railway line on 102 but look like Thai bars, no sign of any karaoke type places as yet.

[Super Joe]

SJ,
Thats an interesting one, as all the karaokes are now completely enclosed and fairly sound proof I think, so the noise must be coming from the other establishments there, although the Sofitel isn't close enough, I wouldn't have thought, for it to be an issue for them.

They are soundproofed but trouble is they have double sliding doors which are constantly being opened. You're right about other establishmentsas Caddy Shack 2 has the music well loud.
I wouldn't mind betting all the comng and going of tuk tuk's, cars and bikes at the 'beach road' entrance is a lot to do with it too. Probably a storm in a tea cup and be back to normal soon, if not already!?!?

On the Bintabaht pedestrian thing I reckon they haven't bothered as it's only bikes that are a danger at night, the odd car or tuk tuk that's daft enough to go down there can't go faster than about 5mph. And motorbike accidents don't seem to count over here

Cheers,

SJ

[Paderborn]

I really cannot see there being any relocation of Binta type bars away from te town centre, it wouldnt make any business sense at all, the town centre is the obvious place for it.
Soi 80 is only just in walking distance from the centre and 102 too far away to attract the kind of numbers needed to be viable.
there are a couple of small bars opened just after the railway line on 102 but look like Thai bars, no sign of any karaoke type places as yet.

I agree with these points regarding soi 80 & 102,
Soi 80 even with some small hotels in the vacinity does not seem to do much trade, even in the high season. Both tourists and expats seem to prefer going into the town centre.

On Soi 102 there already been a bar closed due to loud music being played. The Tessabahn environmental people went round and interviewed residents about the problem of excessive noise. Then the place was closed.
So not much point locating this type of entertainment there.

Hua Hin does seem short of a good music/entertainment bar, to cater for more of a mixed crowd, this would be a welcome change from either the beer & pool bars, or the extra loud boom boom music complete with "welcome" bar girls!....everybody needs a change every now & then
Cheers paderborn

[Khundon1975]

I really cannot see there being any relocation of Binta type bars away from te town centre, it wouldnt make any business sense at all, the town centre is the obvious place for it.
Soi 80 is only just in walking distance from the centre and 102 too far away to attract the kind of numbers needed to be viable.
there are a couple of small bars opened just after the railway line on 102 but look like Thai bars, no sign of any karaoke type places as yet.

This bar and restaurant in 102 is due to open soon from the looks of things. I don't think the residents will allow loud music there though.

[bill]

saw this in pattaya. closed busy soi going into walking street by placing 3 foot tall 18 inch wide[english 749mg] plastic barriers at both ends of street. they were sloted into ground. taken out during day it was a perfect way to control traffic.

[mr lonely]

the bar in the picture posted by khundon1975 is really quite small and looks kitted out to be just a bar, certainly not fitted or bug enough for karaoke unless they take a couple of shop fronts either side.
Cannot see loud music bar opening there

[Khundon1975]

the bar in the picture posted by khundon1975 is really quite small and looks kitted out to be just a bar, certainly not fitted or bug enough for karaoke unless they take a couple of shop fronts either side.
Cannot see loud music bar opening there

Mr Lonely

Thank heaven for that.

The Tessaban seem to be on the case where noise pollution is concerned in 102, not sure why, maybe a couple of councillors live down there!

I know of at least one high ranking cop who lives there and he is friends with the Governor of Prachuap Kiri Khan, so maybe it was him that put an end to the loud music. I know he likes the quiet life when he comes for the weekend.

I like karaoke, so does my father in law, but not when it goes on all night and keeps everyone awake.

All the 38 shops in the blocks are sold, so don't think they will be available for conversion to a bigger bar.

Back in 2000 there was a Thai style bar (lots of palm thatched shacks etc) and occasional karaoke used to go on there.
It was also a sort of recycling centre for beer cans, mountains of them.

Maybe they were HHAD members empties.

[Korkenzieher]

I have had the same conversations regarding Sofitel complaints about the noise, so can confirm the issue is live.

The Hilton also complains that the music from one certain bar keeps their guests awake - and that the considerably worse racket from their own disco does not. Their angle is to improve road access to the hotel by having the entire complex swept away.

Sofitel is the main antagonist, because it sits on government owned land, and the bars also sit on that same block of land. Sofitel basically reckon they can use that connection to have the area shut down and re-developed if they apply enough pressure. I have a Sofitel contact.

Whether the Sofitel and the Hilton are conspiring together in this case is unknown, but seems possible, since both are angling ultimately for the same thing.

[Korkenzieher]

@ MrLonely,

Allegedly the relocation argument is that the bars are a deterrent to 'family tourism' in the town centre. It seems there is an argument for re-developing the lot as kind of 'Market Village 2'. The argument has been floating around for a while. Given that plenty of nice restaurants and the like are already at MV, I'm not sure why bunging a few more in town would encourage people to come the extra KM from the Hyatt, say, just to eat in the shadow of the Hilton. Look at how many of the restaurants in Satukarn Square did well, and that is just across the (admittedly busy) road.

It seems to me, that the Night Market and MV adequately cater for the vast majority of the 'value' tourists, who in any case aren't coming to Thailand right now, and when they do often perfer (have to stay) on resort most evenings with their kids. The bars cater for the largely single male golfers and travellers. Moving the bars out isn't going to make these people suddently want to spend their evenings in Starbucks, and all that will happen is that such bars that exist, will become crowded with SaiLai girls, just like the Soi 5-7 Sukhumvit area. Either that, or the centre will become a ghost town, as happened in Udon, until they realised and built the quite awful 'Night and Day' specifically girlie bar complex.

On pedestrianising - I certainly agree with some here who suggest that Bintabaht, Selakem and Poonsuk could be improved by restricted access at night. Taxi access to the Sukulwilai et al could be dealt with, I'm sure. The top road is trickier though, because of the Hilton, as I mentioned in the above post.