Hua Hin unsuitable for “Casino”
Chamnan Puengioh
Ph.D Rungroj Siluaengsawat, the General Manager of Hua Hin Grand Hotel and the independent academians of Prachuap Khirikhan Province, revealed that the province, from Hua Hin to Bangsaphan Districts, requires a master plan or a public vision of each district in the next 20-30 years, issued by the central government. If possible, the protective measures and infrastructures would be more meaningful to those investors. It would indicate the whole system of the province, such as waste water management from hotels and houses and traffic systems in & out of the city. To perform things like that, it must firstly be clear in academic systems and municipal laws.
Prachuap Khirikhan Province is located in a beautiful landscape; its whole area is sandwiched between mountains at the back and the ocean at the front, with southern main road and rail in the middle. Especially the Hua Hin District, it has been an ancient resort town since 1932. At that time the royal family and government officials were interested in building a house on the beach, and King Rama VII of the Chakri Dynasty had the Klaikangwon Palace built for summertime, so that made foreigners (most of them were English and American), who worked in Thailand, also interested in visiting here as well. This has given Hua Hin the name “Queen of Tranquility”
Ph.D Rungroj Siluaengsawat
In 1987, Hua Hin was rapidly developed, a lot of hotels, guesthouses and other businesses were mushrooming, so that enabled Hua Hin to experience plenty of problems continuously solved by the Municipality. At the moment the numbers of foreigners especially from Scandinavia and Europe has rapidly increased more and more, due to the good weather and it is believed that when patients spend their time here, they will recover sooner because the Hua Hin environment is regarded as the best one for them.
Ph.D Rungroj also added that Hua Hin in its form is such that a “legal casino” brought by whoever was definitely not suitable because Hua Hin is said to be the place of “nobleman” with its traditions, ancient sites, fishery, agriculture and so on. Therefore a casino wasn’t eventually agreed upon for tourism purposes.
If it was allowed, there would be a lot of unavoidable problems, such as crimes and social problems, which must be endlessly solved by the local and national governments. The Government must firstly consider the suitability and capability of the area before developing anything. Hua Hin, Pranburi and Bangsaphan Districts should be developed as the center of local and agricultural products and for recreational attractions for Thai and oversea patients instead. If these mentioned things could be pushed forward, it would raise a lot of long-lasting and permanent incomes for the locals due to the fact that everyone participated in these businesses, which are better than an immoral business like casino!
In the case that the Government would intend to set up a casino, it is suggested that it should be located at a distance from the city center, without lifting it up as a selling point for tourism. Good examples are in Las Vagas, USA and Melbourne, Australia. Tourists, who desire to gamble in these two countries, must verify their passport if it is expired and the time limit is also important. However, most of them gamble for relaxation, not as an occupation as with Thais. Finally, when facts are known like this, it is extremely disagreeable to locate a “Casino” in Thailand at all.
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