First
The Mayor's audience included a very distinguished guest Pol. Lieut. General Chaiyan Maklamthong, Deputy Commission-General, who was taking a break in Hua Hin from his important responsibilities in Bangkok. The surprised V.I.P. guest was given a place of honour in the group photograph of the distinguished V.I.P. guests.
After a photo call for the media present the V.I.P. guests enjoyed a sumptuous Sofitel buffet lunch hosted by the principle promoter of the exhibition, Mr George Mastronikolis, Managing Director of Regal Thailand Group. As the VIPs sat down to lunch visitors had an opportunity to visit the exhibitors� stands. Particularly well attended in the first hour were the large Bangkok Bank stand and the Rene Philippe Law Company stand. In both cases senior advisors were available to answer questions.
Bangkok Bank fielded charming English speaking Assistant Vice President Ms Vichittra Kulsomphob and Rene Philippe himself was ready and available to answer any queries. The property projects present were the focus of much interest. But at this point in the proceedings browsing homebuyers were inquiring about the after lunch presentations.
There has been much comment in the media recently about the legal issues associated with purchasing land and houses. Concern has been expressed in many quarters about the unscrupulous manner in which some foreign homebuyers have been badly advised on property purchase here. The presence of the municipality and the involvement of the exhibitors in this exhibition were based on clear legal ownership and the attendees were very interested to hear the presentations by the Vice Mayor and by Rene Philippe.
Mr Somboon Chartkijcharoen, Vice Mayor of Hua Hin municipality, began his presentation by talking about the aspiration of the municipality to make Hua Hin a "paradise city" which would appeal to family centred developments. He described the city�s ongoing beautification and landscaping program. Initially this has been focused on the scenic attractions like the railway station but the program�s scope has now been expanded to include the painting of buildings on major roads and the improvement of parks.
The vice mayor then described the new geography of Hua Hin as it develops rapidly. The current building regulations ensure that there will be no more high rises beside the beach. He likened the shape of Hua Hin to a long thin strip beside the sea no more than 4km across but 22km long from north to south. With more and more land development taking place on the west side of Hua Hin the municipality has started studies to construct a bridge across the railway line for the expected increase in traffic.
As the city has grown very rapidly the municipality has been working to resolve the ongoing traffic problems. The new traffic lights are working but more infrastructures will be needed to cope with the growth in traffic. To alleviate traffic congestion a proposed new road is to be built parallel to the railway line. The project will be supported by a government budget that is expected to be granted next year. The road itself should be completed by 2008 or 2009.
The municipality is also planning to upgrade the city water system. Of particular interest to the city�s residents will be the proposed tap water system. The municipality is already in discussions with banks for the financing of this project and the construction could start as soon as 2008.
In order to enhance Hua Hin�s environment, particularly on the beach the current waste water treatment system is also to be extended. Mr Somboon concluded his remarks by stating that the municipality hoped that Hua Hin would be seen in the future as an ideal location for a second home and the perfect place for retirees from other countries who wished to come to Thailand. The applause at the end of his remarks showed that Vice Mayor charmed his audience with his clearly spoken English and highly organised style of delivery.
Later in the afternoon Rene Philippe made a presentation on the way to legally purchase property in Thailand. There was a lively discussion with the audience on this subject. The laws and regulations concerning foreigners purchasing property in Thailand have recently been very much in the news. It seems that in the past some homebuyers have received very poor advice and this newspaper would strongly recommend that anyone planning to purchase property here should seek the advice of a properly qualified lawyer.
There are legal ways to own property in Thailand but without proper legal advice potential buyers could run into very serious problems. We have reprinted Rene Philippe�s article from our previous edition as it covers all the points that he made in his presentation very well.
The following companies and organizations occupied stands for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Property companies
1. Villa Maris, in Huay Yang, Prachuab Khirikhan
2. Oriental Beach, in Cha-Am
3. Golf Village, in Hua Hin
4. Golf Villas Prestige, in Hua Hin
5. Crystal View, in Hua Hin
6. GreenScape, in Hua Hin
7. Palm Hills, in Cha-Am
8. Springfileds, in Cha-Am
9. Boathouse, in Hua Hin
Other exhibitors
1. Stamford International University
2. Bangkok Bank
3. Rene Philippe
4. The Rock Boutique Resort
5. Regal UPVC
6. Hua Hin Municipality
7. Hua Hin Today
Our readers will probably have already seen TV reports or heard about this exhibition on local radio stations. The exhibition was covered by the national press as well as our local news organizations. An interesting translated article by Mr George Mastronikolis appeared in Thai newspaper, Post Today, speculating on the growth of the foreign buyers in Hua Hin.
On the last day of the exhibition Hua Hin Today surveyed both the exhibitors and some of the visitors who were looking for a property to buy. The feeling was very positive and it seems that there is as yet no sign of the property development boom in Hua Hin slowing down. Sales were made, and more importantly, potential buyers and sellers had an opportunity to listen to the important information in the presentations. It appears that Hua Hin�s development into a Paradise City is continuing.
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