Hua Hin Post Office/Telephone Calls: The post office is located on the Damneoenkasem Road right beside the phone station. You can also make international telephone calls here by purchasing a calling card. To call overseas from Hua Hin dial 001 plus the country code followed by the required number minus the first 0. There are private telephone booths with English instructions and internet machines. The internet machines here can be difficult to figure out unless you are familiar with them, so best to stick to the internet shops/cafes. You will be able to make calls from all the Hotels, although this will be expensive. Calling cards are also available at mini marts throughout Hua Hin. Generally, if you buy the 100 baht card, it will last quite a long time. The cards can be purchase for either local or international calls Hua Hin Police Station: Thailand is one of the friendliest and safest destinations in the world. However, in case of a mishaps or assistance contact the tourist police at Tel: 1155. The main station is located on Damnernkasem almost directly across from the Post Office. Internet: There are many internet cafes and outlets in Hua Hin. Rates are quite inexpensive. The News Café, located close to the beach is a favorite among many international tourists. It serves a selection of coffees, teas and cold drinks plus light desserts and sandwiches with 2 computers available for rent with internet. Standard rate here are 40 Baht per half hour. If you’re looking for internet service with good air con try the German Bakery. The machines are faster but rates are a little more expensive. Although it is a bakery there is no coffee served inside but there is an adjacent outdoor restaurant for after you’re finished. Electricity: The standard electricity supply in Hua Hin is 220V, 50 cycles. If you need adapters or voltage converters for any international plugs they are available at hardware stores, or try the downtown shopping center across the street from Stars Bucks. You could also try some of Supermarket on the way back from the beach. They will often carry a small selection. Mini Markets: There are a number of stores in the downtown core or close to the beach that sell the tourist essentials. The Supermarket chain has a cross section of goods ranging from electrical adaptors, photo development, sun tan lotions, cigarettes, alcohol and light groceries. There are many throughout town. Shopping Centers: In 2005/2006 Hua Hin opened two major shopping centers much to the delight of shoppers. These are Index on Phetchkasem Road and Market Village Mall across from the Marriot Hotel and Big Kiang. These are in additional to the tried and turn shopping center down town that return visitors to Hua Hin are used to. Index carries a great variety of kitchen and bath supplies and have a well stocked appliance and electronics shop. Here you will find a wide range of products including kitchen cupboards, major appliances and furniture, dishes and the accessories that foreigners are used to having in their kitchens and bathrooms. Also pre-made window curtains, shower curtains, bedding and gardening furniture and supplies can all be found here. The sale’s staff on the main floor seem to be very helpful and organized. Furniture sales on the second floor, however I found to be a little disappointing. It can take a long time for a sale to be completed upstairs, despite the large number of staff. Also to add to the frustration unless you order large ticket items there are additional charges for delivery that are not the norm in customer friendly Hua Hin. Index also seems to be a little inflexible with their delivery times as well even when larger items are ordered. The upstairs in my opinion definitely seems a little more targeted towards cash and carry on the less expensive items. If you’re buying furniture such as wardrobes, end tables and shelves and can’t load it up in the car and deliver it yourself, consider buying at Winner’s across the street and a little bit down towards the airport. Winner’s customer service and delivery as far as my experience has shown has never been a problem. The opening of Market Village Mall in March of 2006 created a huge stir in Hua Hin, with shoppers checking it out before it had even officially opened. With the second Star Buck’s opening here, I believe, it has put Hua Hin on the growth potential map. The shopping center is complete with a huge Tesco Lotus grocery store, a well-equipped Home Pro, and numerous restaurants and clothing stores. Upstairs are lots of phone sellers, sports related clothing shops, and there are even theatres, karokee and bowling areas on the top floor to keep the teenagers busy. The main draw here seems to be the Home Pro, the grocery store and the numerous restaurants, which often keep the parking lot a little too full. For those who don’t like crowd a morning visit around 10 when it open is definitely worth considering. At first glance, the Tesco Lotus seems to be well equipped but I think right now the food section is not yet fully geared towards the western shoppers. No shortage of Thai buyers though, which make the place quite busy and hard to maneuver a cart in. Afternoon shopping, especially can be a little frightening. Although the quantity of goods are definitely there, the selection, and the quality seems to be a little lacking, for foreigners, except in the area of sausages. Until such time as the Tesco Lotus tailors it’s goods to western shoppers, presently I think more variety in the food section can be had at the grocery store along the canal road, the shopping center downtown and the wet market. Although shopping between the different locations seems to be a bit of a nuisance. The hardware goods that can be found at Tesco Lotus can often be a much better price than similar items found at Home Pro. We found power washers, tools and pumps for draining pools at prices far below that of Home Pro. Pre-made window curtains and shower curtains are sold here as well, with almost as much variety of Index and I suspect a more competitive price. So do some comparative shopping before you buy. The Hua Hin Shopping Center downtown has a well stock grocery store, and so it is often busy. There is a small selection of vegetables, fruits and frozen meats- mostly handy for it’s great selection of canned goods and staples foods. They also carries a bit of hardware type items like mops, dishes and brooms etc. A lot of clothing, shoes, luggage and purses can also be found upstairs at much better prices than the individually owned shops outside that surround the shopping center. Furniture Shops: Hua Hin has a number of furniture stores spread out across the city. One of my personal favorites is Wolf Luxury Furniture, who carry a nice stock of beautiful wooden and bamboo home and garden furniture plus gas barbeques. Very friendly service and they also will help you with arranging custom curtains. I found the only downside is the store is a little out of the way and justifiably a little pricey by Hua Hin standards. Regardless it is well worth a look for those seeking quality furniture. You certainly won’t be disappointed. Don’t’ forget to include Big Kiang and Winner’s when you’re visiting furniture shops. Regular visits here will be sure to turn up some beautiful pieces and accessories at a very reasonable price. The smaller shops along the main highway will carry lower end/inexpensive pieces of furniture, such as plastic lounge chairs, patio sets and wooden garden furniture. So when you are driving be sure to have a passenger watching and earmark the location for you for a future shopping trip. Drive further down the street passed the Market Village Mall and you will find some smaller shops that sell wicker/rattan and wooden garden furniture. Since we have not bought anything here though, we can’t really tell you much about the prices. There is also a local business, who take orders for custom wicker/rattan furniture. This store is located a little outside of Hua Hin. You generally must select your furniture from a book of photos, and waiting time can be up to 8 weeks. Your visit will no doubt include a tour of their facilities and display examples of the quality of their work. Index has a variety of medium to higher end furniture on their second floor, and Market Village Mall at the present time have a limited selection of furniture, but are starting to carry more and more as the months go by. You will find some beds outside of Home Pro but these do seem quite expensive. Some of the couches located in vendor stalls inside the mall though, did seem to have a competitive price, so keep an eye open for promotional furniture pieces. Western Breakfasts: A buffet breakfast is included with many of the hotel rooms. They tend to be geared more towards local tastes but will often include a small selection of cereals, breads, juice and fruits for the westerners. If you tire of the menu there are a couple of places in town that will serve a more typical western breakfast though the sunny side up eggs are still pretty hit and miss. Restaurants: There is a wide selection of both international and local food available in Hua Hin at fairly inexpensive prices. Japanese, German, Italian, Canadian, Chinese and Indian as well as Thai Restaurants, Star Bucks and Burger King are scattered through the city. International food is significantly more expensive compared with Thai restaurants but none- the-less still quite a bargain. The recent opening of the Market Village Mall has added a lot of new choices in restaurants. Prices range greatly here from low cost KFC to the more expensive and very western Sizzlers Steak House. Also on the favorites list, is the Japanese Fuji restaurant and when taking out your Thai friends, MK with it's steamboats is high on their favorites list. Tours: Many of the standard tours can be booked at the hotel, or through the car rentals that congregate on the streets just outside the hotels. However, their prices can be about 20% - 40% higher than booking through the tour agencies that are located throughout Hua Hin. There is generally no hurry to book the tours as they are frequent and many but as most can be day trips it is best to review the schedule soon after your arrival for planning purposes. The Night Market: Beginning in the late afternoon many hawker stands and impromptu market begin to spring up. These vendors will often negotiate more than the daytime vendors along the beach. There is also a selection of local foods if you’d like to try something different. The night market is generally in full swing after 6 PM. Hua Hin has 2 hospitals – San Paolo (private) and the General Hospital (public). Although there have been reports of both good and bad experiences in these hospitals, generally it is agreed that if there is an option a private hospital in Bangkok may be your best choice. As is the case with most small town hospitals at least from a Western perspective these hospitals at present can do little more than act as a high scale first aid station stabilizing emergency conditions, until transport to Bangkok is possible. Funding at this point in time, just doesn’t allow for the staffing requirements at the hospitals needed to guarantee consistent quality standards - but that’s not to say that the situation can’t improve with sufficient funding. Rumor is that plans for hiring more, experienced doctors are now underway. In addition to this, the 24 hour accident and trauma units are gearing up to handle any emergency. There is also a dental facility on site. New technology equipment is suppose to soon be installed and hopefully this plus other plans which are presently being drawn up will finally give the people of Hua Hin, the medical services a town of this size requires. Realistically these could well be the changes needed for a more effective hospital in Hua Hin’s near future. In Thailand when a patient is hospitalized, it is common custom for family members, friends or a companion to stay with the patient most of the time. Rooms in private hospitals usually provide sleeping space for at least one companion per patient. There are usually no set visiting hours and at least in the case of private rooms, there is 24 hours access. Common opinion is that private hospitals generally require a deposit before admission of approximately 20,000 Baht and the submission of a passport. However, according to law and medical ethics, no doctor in theory will refuse to attend to any patient in an emergency situation – advance payment or not. If a credit card is used - generally, a deposit will not be necessary. San Paolo International Hospital: (032) 532 576 - 85. This is a private hospital. It is located downtown, on Petchkasem Road just before the Grand Hotel. The hospital is open 24 hours. Hua Hin General: (032) 511 743, or 032 520 401 This is a government run hospital. It is located near the close to the town airport. Hua Hin International Polyclinic: The Clinic is generally open from 8am to 9 pm. Some of the services they provide are x-rays, ultrasounds, laboratory, dental clinic and physical examinations. Most hotels can arrange for a doctor to visit you but house calls are at a premium. The address is for the Polyclinic is 40/5- 7 Petchakasem Road with the phone number: 032 516 424, and 032 516 425. Optical Centers: There are many optical centers in Hua Hin and many have a wide selection of frames and equipment to check eyesight. Thirpurai Optical is one such shop. It is located at 3326 Naresdamri Road quite close to the Hilton Hotel. Hua Hin Chiropractic Center: Run by Dr. Frederick Borchers (an American Chiropractor) with 25 years of experience, this clinic was established in Hua Hin three years ago. The center is location at 27 Chomsin Road. Tel: 032 514 393. Pharmacies: If you find you need a prescription renewed while in Hua Hin, it will be easy to have it filled without a visit to the doctor – just ask the Pharmacist. Pharmacies are easy to find in Hua Hin and scattered throughout the downtown core. Many generic drugs are sold in Thailand, with varying quality, so for the safest results best to stick with the brand name drugs whenever possible. Also, although it may be tempting don’t try to diagnosis and prescribe your own medication even if it is quite easy to do in Thailand. Best to see a doctor for diagnosis, if you are ill enough to need medication. School & University: There appears to be a few options for schools and universities in Hua Hin. Although, at this point we are still investigating services, quality and which facilities they provide. For those who would like to race ahead on the investigation, below is some of the quick information we have come across. We will update this with more comments once we have done some more exploring. Somtawin School 032 530 384 – 5 Kindergarten and children from 6yrs to 12 years. Thai and English programs Wangklaigungwon School 032 521 012 – 7 Hua Hin School 032 511 399 Junior high school from 13 years to 18 years Salasian School 032 532 351 also known as Hua Hin Wittayalai Students from 4 to 15 years of age Stamford University 032 520 789, 520 790 – 1 Appears to offer mostly Hotel, Airline Service and Management Service Degrees and certificates but still investigating. Ratchamongkhon University 032 572 284 – 5 Webster University 032 456 161 This university from their website sounds very promising, with what looks like nice facilities and a range of courses from business administration, to computer science, psychology etc. (http://www.webster.ac.th/academics/index.htm) Misc. Items: Aviva Home Insurance & Bupa Health Insurance - available at One Stop Business Center Soi 23 (Observer) Rentokil Pest Control: With an office in Hua Hin http://www.rentokil-initial.co.th Basic Services: Power Board of Hua Hin: 032 512 215 or 032 513 165 Communication Authority of Thailand (Hua Hin): 032 511 351 Local Water Supply: 032 511 677 Cooking Gas: Shell Cooking Gas: 032 511 144 or 032 515 620 Water Delivery: 01 637 4051 or 032 535 437 Feel free to send me emails with your questions, comments and concerns and we will answer your emails as best we can. |