A week in Bangkok... but mainly a Huahin update

For the first time since arriving in Washington DC, work took me to Thailand as part of a team that spent a week  at the end of January with the USAID mission in Bangkok. It was a good week and I think having a local boy being part of the team was an added bonus to staff there. I was able to take team members to various places for introductions to food and culture.

Hotel room view

Which one is the US embassy? (hint: the one that looks like a fortress)

View of the US Ambassador's house along Wireless Road. To the left is the Dutch Embassy and next to it, out of view, is the US Embassy.

Part of the team, sampling the amazing Marian Plum (Mahprang)

Other team members enjoying last dinner together along the river with a view of Wat Arun

Wat Arun

A brief visit with Fern and Fink (friends mentioned previously in this blog!)

The bonus (in addition to being in Thailand for work) was that we had scheduled a week of vacation for the following week, long before I knew I would even be in Thailand. We decided that Andrea would fly out so we could spend a week at the beach in Huahin at Veranda Lodge, our favorite little hotel there that I have been wanting to return to for almost ten years. Full hotel review can be found here. 

Look who showed up!

For readers of this blog who grew up going to Huahin, I thought I would post a few photos of what it is like now. If you remember just a two lane highway and lots scrub land as you walked to the former OMF holiday homes, you might be surprised and disappointed to find a busy Thai town with a six lane highway, malls and outlandish growth including vineyards and sheep farms! Down by Takiep mountain there is a Holiday Inn surrounded by what is billed as Asia's largest water park. And from 10AM-4PM during peak season much of Huahin's beautiful beach is full of generally overweight, mostly European sun worshipers. It's all a little disheartening and if I didn't have sentimental reasons for returning to this beach I probably wouldn't come. 

The good news is that if you are on the beach before 10AM (and we often were as we would watch the sun rise) you might imagine that it is Huahin of old...quiet beautiful, peaceful. And after 4PM, all the beach goers disappear and again the beach is good for an evening walk. One good aspect of hoards of tourists is that the beach is actually better maintained with little garbage to be found. Pony owners pick up pony poop after it is deposited. AND if you really like your beach without masses of tourists, Wednesday is the day to go as that is the day that the government decreed that all beaches are closed - meaning, no beach chairs or sports activities etc - but of course you can go to the beach - just no chairs to sit in and fewer vendors too. 

 We did go down to the mountain and found it really unpleasant and not worth your time. Monkeys still terrorize you at various points but the whole mountain is covered with and reeks of monkey poop. The lighthouse/tower at the top of the mountain is now fenced off so you can't actually get to the top - but the view is still good - if you want to see all the development. It's the one place I would actually advise my tck friends to skip. It's sad. 

Looking north from Takiep

Looking south to Pine Beach (no buildings = military golf course)

But don't skip going to Pine beach or King's beach further south of the mountain. Head to the government army camp with a hotel and cabins that can be rented and again you will find a beach that resembles what you might remember from 30-40 years ago - pine trees (with those little biting pine cones) and amazingly still lots of shells for the gathering. It's good to know that some things don't change. (If you are thinking about visiting Huahin and aren't interested in going into town, consider Suanson Pradipat Resort for all the reasons just listed - and cheap Thai food available too! And views of Lion Island!) 

And of course you can continue further south to either The Pines or Juniper Tree's location at Dolphin Bay. Interestingly (to some) our hotel in Huahin was right next to the last OMF holiday home location (see photo below) - which still sits as an empty lot (I have heard it still belongs to the royal family and this is why it has not been sold. All the buildings are gone but the gate is still there, and some of the trees. I sometimes walk through it and imagine where the old paths were and remember the many good times we had there. It's one of the few vacant lots for miles in all of Huahin.

If you are planning to go to Huahin, you can still take the train, drive yourself and fly (not just from Bangkok, Air Asia just announced 4x weekly flights from KL!) and of course you can take a mini van or bus. My suggestion is not to take the bus from the new Southern Bus Station (as you are halfway to Huahin by the time you get there - not quite, but close and the buses really are not in good shape and they don't run per their schedules.) Rather take the bus straight from Suvarnabhumi and vice versa depending on what time your flight/schedule is. See this link (and you're welcome!)

PS - you can also take a high speed ferry from the base of Takiep mountain to Pattaya - but why would you do that??!

Duncan