Beach Walks - Now & Then

[Big Boy]

This week's installment will be the last for a while. The height of the low tides at this time of year makes continuing the walks with any purpose impossible. I will aim the resume my journey in Feb 19.

So, stage 7, Chinese Temples to the Royal Palace was impossible, but I did manage to squeeze in the Royal Palace to Queens Park element in before giving up.

Royal Palace to Queen’s Park

After the disappointment of the 7th leg, postponed due to the tide being too high, I by-passed that stage today, and moved on to leg 8. The Royal Palace to Queen’s Park, which is the shortest leg of the journey to Cha-Am. It is just 2,000 footsteps long. For this leg, it starts off with a walk South to the edge of the Palace exclusion zone. I wasn’t taking photographs, so I counted the steps for something to do. It was exactly 1,000 steps South.

The most striking thing about this walk was the cleanliness of the beach. Hardly any rubbish.

Photo 1

The sign at the Northern edge of the exclusion zone. There was a lot less sand this time, revealing rocks where there was sand previously. The guard house roof looked a little shabbier, but no real change.

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Photo 2

Not much change here.

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Photo 3

Somebody has had a massive makeover. The 2018 property is hardly recognizable as the 2014 property. There was also a smart new access stairway to the beach.

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Photo 4

As part of the above makeover, the sea wall has also been upgraded.

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Photo 5

A nice sea defence, but definite evidence of wear and tear since 2014.

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Photo 6

Another stretch of sea defence, which this time, has definitely stood the test of time. However, if you look at the white fence centre of picture, that has not fared so well.

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Photo 7

Another house that has had a bit of a makeover. The outer fencing has been replaced with glass fencing.

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Photo 8

Not much has changed on this one.

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Photo 9

The crazy world of Hua Hin beach. Here, there is significantly more sand in 2018. So much that the drainage vent in the sea wall has been buried by the sand.

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Photos 10 & 11

A big change along this stretch, where Seen Space has been built. However, the only real difference visible from the beach are all of the umbrellas in the swimming pool area and a few small buildings.

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Photo 12

A large house, but outwith the fact the tree has leaves in 2018, there isn’t much difference.

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Photo 13

Basically, a decaying beachfront property has decayed a little more. I’ll be honest, I had a quick flick through the 2014 photos before I left to see what I should expect. I’d convinced myself this would either have been a complete makeover, or it would have fallen down. As it was, nothing had changed apart from looking even shabbier.

I guess the newly planted palm tree in 2014 didn’t fare so well.

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Photos 14 & 15

Another property which has benefitted from a huge makeover. Also the topsy turvy world of Hua Hin beach. How much less sand is there in 2018?

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Photos 16 & 17

The Imperial Hotel. I don’t see much change, apart from an ugly vent having been attached to the side of the hotel.

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Photos 18 & 19

I’m not sure if this is an extension to the Imperial Hotel built on waste land, or whether it’s a new hotel in it’s own right directly next door.

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Photo 20

This one is a complete mystery to me. Where has the 3rd house gone?

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Photos 21 & 22
This was another mystery, where has the yellow house gone? I could not locate its previous position exactly, but it wasn’t there today.

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Photos 23 & 24

I can’t see any substantial change here.

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Photo 25

Baking School, Hua Hin. The building has always been there, but this is the first time I’ve seen it (or anything else for that matter) called Baking School, Hua Hin. Does anybody else know what goes on there, other than the obvious?

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[Photos 26 & 27[/u]

Looking at Queens Park from the beach. On the left there’s a neat little waterfall onto the beach. The downside of which means there’s a little stream to wade through if travelling South. My personal opinion is the waterfall is a great improvement.

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So, my walk is taking an enforced break for a few weeks. All being well, the series will recommence in Feb 19. Have a good Christmas and a great New Year guys

[STEVE G]

Cheers BB, I haven't walked that stretch for about ten years since we moved away from Soi 16.

[PeteC]

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Something lighter for a change, even though the photo was taken from yet another Covid article which seem to be endless.

Regardless, name that location?!

[KhunLA]

Hyatt Regency

[PeteC]

Correct. A section of it named the "Prince Roy" per the photo.

Edit: The photographer is apparently named Prince Roy, not the outdoor section of the hotel.

[Big Boy]

HaHa that photo sort of explains why I abandoned my walks. I just couldn't find suitable tide states to allow me to walk with enough beach.

If that is the Hyatt Regency (thinking the hotel opposite Thai Watsadu), the sea wall has improved a lot from my earlier walk. From memory, lot of the sea wall had collapsed in many places when I was there (or is it an Agoda photo? ). I certainly don't recognise that stretch from when I did the walk, but my memory isn't what it used to be.

[KhunLA]

I verified my 'guess' via Gmaps / Hyatt / and there own 360° posted July 2020
http://tiny.cc/7ipxtz

[PeteC]

Per other photos at that link, their huge swimming poll is right behind that wall. No wonder they made it robust to keep the sea out of it when there are storms and super high tides.

[Big Boy]

HaHa that photo sort of explains why I abandoned my walks. I just couldn't find suitable tide states to allow me to walk with enough beach.

If that is the Hyatt Regency (thinking the hotel opposite Thai Watsadu), the sea wall has improved a lot from my earlier walk. From memory, lot of the sea wall had collapsed in many places when I was there (or is it an Agoda photo? ). I certainly don't recognise that stretch from when I did the walk, but my memory isn't what it used to be.

Sorry, my bad, I was thinking of the Regent Hotel.

How embarrassing, I used to walk to the Hyatt Regency every night with my dogs for a few years, yet I still wouldn't have recognised it from that photo. I realised my mistake when flicking through the photos at the link, and was wondering why Khao Takiab was featuring.

[STEVE G]

Obviously it´s a year since I´ve done it but when I'm there, I walk the beach virtually every day and the Hyatt is about as far as you can get in nearly any tide state. I always try to walk the whole beach both ways so you have to resort to tide tables and a flexible schedule, or getting wet!

[Stargeezer]

So are you allowed to walk the beach these days? Any changes since 2018?
I seen a car dash camera trip through Hua Hin and see that the high speed rail
was coming along quite well. Lots of places closed and the city looking a bit ghostly
with the pandemic. I hope things will look better when we all get our shots and can start
back to a bit of normal again.

[KhunLA]

So are you allowed to walk the beach these days? Any changes since 2018?

Were the beaches ever closed ? Or just groups (protesters ) assembling anywhere ?

Been on the beaches HH & S. off (Gulf & Andaman) and haven't noticed any restriction enforcement, as people strolling on, though very few after the morning exercisers are done, since C19 started. Same in the evening after work hours. People always out & about enjoying surf side.