Saturday: ASEAN Summit in Hua Hin Traffic Report

Didn't fancy fighting the Summit's first day of traffic so stayed at the house.

This morning did a little drive and it was pretty much smooth sailing. It looks like most folks that would have come from Bangkok have stayed home, which is probably what the authorities wanted.

Was going to try going down the Klong road to Chomsin and come back up Petchkasem but traffic was really backed up, as it usually is so turned around and took the road from the Klong Rd. to Hua Hin Tansamai and headed north on Petchkasem.

The road between the Klong Rd and Petchkasem is now one way heading west--you can't turn off Petchkasem onto Soi 56 so that very narrow road was unusually clear of traffic.

Once we got on Petchkasem, it was like a ghost town. Very little traffic in any of the lanes and the No Parking is strictly enforced. Any shops without parking are suffering.

As we headed north noticed the usual crowds at the Rust Stop so either the ASEAN folks are there or some folks from Bangkok did make it down.

Noticed lots of places to make U-turns along Petchkasem so it seems they've loosened up a bit on that.

Decided to keep heading north just to see how it was and noticed lots of troops and police. Many, many troops on the airport runway, around and above the tunnel.

Cars parked everywhere at the Dusit, even the Polo field.

Few customers at the Essan places near Saep Eli.

Got almost to the Regent/Holiday Inn and decided we'd seen enough police and troops so headed back to Hua Hin.

Never saw a check point and no one gave our vehicle a second look.

Very quiet so expect just the opposite next week.

It will take some time to remove all the traffic cones however, as they are ALL nailed to the road. If they merely rip the cones off the nails and don't either drive down the nail or remove them, there will be many punctures.

UPDATE On ASEAN Traffic in Hua Hin

An UPDATE for this Update:

Was just out at 1600 and at the hospital and a couple of selected intersections north of the hospital, U-turns are now allowed with men in brown watching the ASEAN lane in case it needs to be kept clear. This will make things better.

Reports from around Market Village say that traffic is light and U-turns are still very limited. The placement of the cones, nailed down as they are all the way to the Sheraton, makes 2 lanes very difficult, especially with all the heavy equipment for the construction going on.

More and more locals using the klong road.

First off, folks in Hua Hin aren't getting out much these days. Just too much trouble but FBF sees that there are an increasing number of hits from folks in Bangkok and abroad looking for everything from traffic reports to the status of the Pranburi bypass.

So, FBF has his ASEAN sticker for the car but hasn't seen a check point. The check points must be way out of town,  either north of Cha Am or between Cha Am and the Sheraton.

Once you're inside the check points, it seems you're safe from further stops.

The Pranburi bypass should be clear. One thinks the powers that be would prefer everyone go that route rather than through town. There's probably a check point on the Pa La-u Rd between the bypass and town but can see no reason for any on the bypass itself.

Crossing Petchkasem is allowed at Palm Hills but not again until the hospital. One can now cross Petchkasem to enter the Hua Hin Hospital and to make a U-turn. Not planning on venturing south of there to see where the next crossing is allowed.

Was out Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning and the ASEAN lane is being well used but didn't see any processions. Saw lots of individual limos and hotel shuttle buses but no Range Rovers.

The ambulances and cherry pickers w/water canons are still parked at Bo Fai School and am told that tanks are at Wat Bo Fai but upon clarification it seems the tanks don't have large bore barrels so sound more like APCs than tanks.

If anyone has more detailed news than this, please leave a comment so sent a note and we'll put it up.

No U-Turns In Hua HIn

Now it's getting interesting.  The ASEAN lane is in full force and that means no U-turns.

Should one happen to be at the driving range just north of Soi 10 and wants to go to the Hua Hin Hospital, just a few hundred meters to the south, one needs to drive north to Palm Hills before a U-turn can be made. Once heading south, one cannot turn right across the ASEAN lane in to the hospital but needs to go further south to Soi 35 and negotiate the left turn to the school, a U-turn, and then a right turn at the light at Soi 35 before one can continue back north to the hospital.

There are several men in brown with radios at every intersection but rather than facilitate or assist those trying to save driving several extra kilometers, are strictly enforcing the ASEAN lane and waving people away who try to cross the closed center lanes.

FBF has no idea what it's like south of town and doesn't plan on venturing that way for several days.

ASEAN Summit in Hua Hin Traffic Report

Your intrepid reporter braved the rain storms, Bangkok traffic returning home, and the ASEAN lane this evening just to see how bad it was, or is going to be.

Actually he was delivering Khao Soi to the needy south of Bo Fai but that's another story.

The ASEAN lane now runs south from at least Narasuan Fort, about halfway between Cha Am and Hua Hin all the way through to Khao Takiap. The ASEAN lane is the inside lane, and while the No Parking signs are up for parking on the shoulder, they don't go into effect until the 21st so are ignored, as they probably will be to a certain extent after the 21st.

On the highway, it's not that big a deal--3 lanes are reduced to 2 but making right turns can prove interesting as then one is intruding in the ASEAN lane.

Once in Hua Hin town, 3 at-the-VERY-best lanes are turned into 1 and it really gets interesting at places like Hua Hin Tansamai.

Going north, the ASEAN lane doesn't start (as of Sunday evening) until just north of the Chomsin Rd (Soi 70/55) intersection so it's pretty much good sailing past the market.

This is just Sunday and the festivities don't get started for a few more days.

FBF witnessed at least 60 identical ASEAN vehicles backed up at the PTT station at Soi 6 on Friday evening. The queue extended south past the Honda dealership. This is the last PTT station leaving Hua Hin so if you need gas, smokes or munchies, this is the station to avoid as it's the closest gas station to the meeting site.

FBF makes a TESCO/Villa run tomorrow and will hunker down with his Khao Soi for the duration. Bullshit, we all know he's a keen observer so expect further posts but if you're heading this way, think again and again.

SNAFU: Vehicle Stickers for ASEAN Summit Redux

For those who've already given their vehicle information for the sticker used during the ASEAN Summit, there's been a slight change.

Much of the information given last week was either recorded incorrectly or was misplaced so those who do not yet have their sticker are instructed to take your housing and vehicle information to Hua Hin Vitthayalai School AKA Salesian School, just north of the Market Village Mall. Or, in the case of Bo Fai, there are officials at Klai Kangwon Temple.

This can be done through 16 October and you will get your sticker immediately.

Vehicle Stickers for ASEAN Summit

For those living in Hua Hin, your local sub-district has begun passing out the vehicle stickers to be used during the ASEAN Summit though many will not be completed before Thursday, the 15th.

The stickers may be picked up at the same place you supplied your vehicle registration and residence information.

October Odds & Ends

Plearnwan is now open again and it looks like the back 40 is complete. Haven't been in so don't know if any of the new shops have occupants but now the folks from Bangkok have a new place to bump into each other again.

Just talked to Fred and it looks like the Baja TacoMobile is a go for the first week in November. He wants to wait until the ASEAN Summit mobs have gone and Hua Hin is back to normal before powering up. He promised to call and give us an update as the time approaches.

BKS, the transport people, are the folks with the new minivans between Victory Monument in Bangkok and Hua Hin. They've also started the same service for Pranburi. The stop in Pranburi is just outside the entrance to Tesco Lotus and they have trips in each direction at least once an hour from O Dark 30 until late evening. With this new service, folks wanting to go direct from Bangkok to Pranburi will not have to pass through Hua Hin and the length of the trip should be about the same as the minivans take the bypass rather than the coastal road.

FBF has also noticed that the BKS minivans coming to Hua Hin drop off passengers well south of their office downtown so apparently one can go almost as far as Khao Takiab in one of their vans.

Hua Hin Goes Green for ASEAN Summit in October

The Bernama News Agency posts here that some ten thousand military and police will be deployed to ensure there is no disruption in Hua Hin during the summit.

They go on to quote Anupong:

Meanwhile, Army Chief Gen Anupong Paochinda said the Internal Security Act will be enforced between October 12 and 27 in nine sub-districts of Phetchaburi's Cha-am district and four sub-districts of Prachuab Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district.

The army chief however says he is confident there will be no untoward incident during the regional pact meeting.

In addition:

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban affirmed enforcing the ISA will not disrupt the daily life of local residents.

Regarding traffic during the ASEAN meetings, Suthep said that local residents can travel normally, but a special "ASEAN lane" will be preserved for motorcades of country leaders, senior delegations, as well as media, as they have to travel from their hotels to the meeting venues.

That sounds like a couple of exciting weeks. Ten thousand troops and a few thousand delegates, hangers-on, and press and one less lane for traffic.

Another lane will obviously have to be reserved to check that the local residents have the proper sticker attached to their vehicle, proving that they are indeed local residents.

Stock up on provisions early as this could be as bad as Songkran.  NO reference intended to the activities in Bangkok during the last Songkran.

Train Derailed in Hua Hin

As posted here and increasingly more sites, a passenger train heading north to Bangkok from Trang derailed in at the Khao Tao station in southern Hua Hin district at approximately 0445 Monday morning 5 October 2009.  The Nation is now reporting 7 dead with many injured and many still trapped in the overturned carriages.

Injured are still being taken to area hospitals including Hua Hin and the provincial hospital in Prachuapkirikhan. The Bangkok Post has yet to pick up the story.

FBF has no intention of going to the site or the hospital but passed by the Hua Hin hospital at 0900 and rescue vehicles were still arriving and the parking lot was quite busy.

If I hear anything more that I don't see posted on the mass media, I'll add to this post later.

NOON:

The death toll has reached 10 and trains southbound from Bangkok have been cancelled for at least 24 hours.

As of 1130 there were several ambulances parked on Petchkasem Rd., just north of the Hua Hin Hospital, apparently waiting to take stabilized injured on to Bangkok.

Odds and Ends

Just a few notes that haven't been added to the Hua Hin Pages yet:

Plearnwan, the box of corrugated tin near Soi 40 seems to be closed temporarily for expansion. This is probably why we see more Bkk cars wandering around aimlessly.

I've heard no more news about the ferry between Hua Hin and Pattaya. That really doesn't surprise me but if anyone hears anything new, please let us know.

Transport: The VIP bus between Korat and Hua Hin now has 5 trips each day, starting at 0830 through 2200.

The new minivan service between Hua Hin and Victory Monument in Bangkok is run by BKS and has at least one trip each hour between 0400 and 1900.

Moving the location for the music festival proved to be as big a headache as having it near the railway station. Why they don't do these things at 19 Rai is beyond me.

The ASEAN Summit is coming up in just over a week so make sure you've got the correct color shirt on.

New Mini-Van Service Between Hua Hin and Bangkok and Kanchanaburi

This is one of the lowest low seasons we've seen in Hua Hin in many years but it's getting easier and easier to get to and away from the resort.

FBF hasn't heard any more about the new ferry service but road transport is improving at a steady pace.

There is a new mini-van service between Kanchanaburi and Hua Hin. There are four trips daily for the 3 hour journey (leaving Hua Hin at 0900, 1200, 1500 and 1800). The office in Hua Hin is near Hua Hin Tansamai Shop on Petchkasem (Soi 56) and the van stops in Kanchanaburi at MuBan Jong Charoen which (I am told) is near the main train station in Kanchanaburi. The cost is 220 Baht each way. This should be great news for those wanting to visit Kanchanaburi and the River Kwai but don't want to go through Bangkok.  Hua Hin: 086-623-1828, Kanchanaburi: 083-485-2530.

In addition, there is now another company offering mini-van service between Hua Hin and Bangkok. This company also goes to Victory Monument in the Big Mango. Their office in Hua Hin is very near the original company on Petchkasem Rd. The office is located next door to Top Charoen Optical shop just north of Chomsin Rd (Soi 70). The price is currently 180 Baht each way. The new company starts service an hour or two earlier than the other, something like 0400.

Mini-vans are not known for their luggage space but a small day pack or overnight case shouldn't be a problem.

One more thing. The VIP bus between Hua Hin and Korat continues to add more buses. There are now 3 or 4 trips each day.