Irish kitesurfer a victim of Hua Hin’s perverse tourism drive
Bad weather did not kill the Irish kitesurfer in Hua Hin – as the police have implied – but the buoys installed by the municipal authorities a month earlier.
The buoys were supposedly installed to protect swimmers. How? A week before, under normal weather, a German kitesurfer almost drowned after being entangled in the buoys.
It seems that in an endeavour to promote tourism the local authorities are systematically using the wrong initiatives. While Hua Hin is a popular kitesurfing destination it also seems that authorities are trying their best to discourage the proliferation of this sport.
If authorities and the tourist police want to promote tourism they might start by listening to the tourists and expat residents. Another taboo subject is noise. Hua Hin is popular for its party houses. These are rented with disco lights and karaoke for all-night parties whose loud noise until early morning shatters the neighbours’ peace and quiet. Nothing has been done to correct this situation. Similarly, on Soi 94 there is an open bar with a sound system that’s way too loud. Complaints to the police fall on deaf ears. Each year the sound is getting louder since nothing is being done for the hundreds of residents around who have no wish to listen to this sorry excuse for music.
Clara Holzer
