Regular features from January 2002 73rd Issue

Dear Ed,
Could the Observer please inform us about payment of caddies in the area? We are on a first visit, staying a longer time and travelling around, with Hua Hin / Cha Am as our base. Do some courses take all caddie ticket money? What is the guideline on payment of a decent caddie, please answer in next Observer. From six fairly reasonable golfers.

Thanks for the letter. The usual practice for the local courses is to give the caddies the major part of the caddie fee, keeping a small percentage for admin purposes. The caddies get paid on the ticket stubbs submitted by the golfer. They obviously get to keep the whole tip, which ranges from 100 Baht up to the thousands if the golfer has had a successful day!

Dear Sir,
I would like to warn your readers to take special care with their cash while playing golf at the Railway Golf Course in Hua Hin. I have just passed a very pleasant vacation playing golf in Hua Hin and Cha Am. However, the trip was slightly spoiled by an incident at the Railway course. I left my purse in my golf bag while I went out on the course and when I finished the round and opened my purse to tip the caddies, I found that Baht 2,000 had been removed from the purse. The theft was quite obvious as I had only just changed a US$50 traveller check on the way to the course and had only two Baht 1,000 bills and some smaller bills after paying the green fees. My male caddy denied point blank that he was responsible for the loss and, since I had no direct proof, although I was very angry, I took no further action after reporting the theft to the management office. Later on I got talking to some local residents who told me that many tourists had been robbed of cash from their golf bags while playing golf at the Railway course. Apparently there is a gang of male caddies working there who regularly steal money from non-Thai speaking tourists. At some point during the round the thief hands the stolen cash over to another caddie passing by on another fairway, so that, nothing will be found on him, if he is searched. Every one who works at the golf course knows who the thieves are, but no action is ever taken against them because they have good connections in the management office and with the local police.
My friends informed me that the Railway course is owned by a prominent Thai family, the Bhirompakdis, who own Singha Beer and are well known for their support of many charities. I hope that one of the Bhirompakdis is reading this letter, since I am sure that once they are aware that this problem exists they will make it a point of honour to clean up this blot on their family's reputation and make the Railway course a safe place for foreign tourists.
Yours sincerely
Astrid Bergen

Things to beware of while staying in the resorts of Hua Hin and Cha Am:
Be very careful crossing the road, especially at stop lights, please note that here, vehicles can turn left even when faced with a red light, a very dangerous junction is the crossroads by Satukarn Square, many times, visitors to town have been hit by motorists turning left in the direction of the sea. As a pedestrian you must look left, right, ahead, above and below, as there are obstructions in all directions.
Please do not encourage the children selling flowers or small items around the bars and restaurants, these children do not benefit from the sale, only their "mothers" who have probably bought or rented these infants. Her Majesty the Queen is trying to stop this trade, and wants all these young children in bed at a reasonable hour, enabling them to attend school.
Although Hua Hin and Cha Am are very safe towns compared to many other places around the world, it is still not a good idea to carry too much cash or valuables on your person, all of the better hotels have safety deposit boxes.
When renting a motorvehicle, check there is adequate insurance cover. If you choose a motorcycle, make sure you wear a crash helmet, for your safety, not just because the police are looking to fine non-wearers. Be very careful on the roads, be aware all around at all times, local drivers have had little or no training before they take to the wheel.
On the beach the biggest danger is of course the sun, even on a cloudy day you are still at risk of sunburn, make sure you wear a high factor sun cream.
From the Sofitel Central hotel south, the sea is clear of rocks, but further north there are some rocks with a covering of shells which can be very sharp, and give a nasty cut to unsuspecting bathers.
On cloudy days there are sometimes jelly fish, large white ones with a nasty sting, the sting is not dangerous, but needs to be kept clean.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - Do not attempt to buy to use illegal drugs while staying in Hua Hin or Cha Am, these crimes are very serious and can and probably will lead to prison terms for offenders.

TURKEY BARRY HITS THE HEADLINES
Barry Stanyer's turkey farm was featured in the Bangkok Post's Outlook section recently with a full page story about the trials and tribulations of raising turkeys in Thailand.
Barry's birds live on the green pastures of his 20 rai small holding and are allowed to roam freely with shelter from the rain or heat. Using the free range system the poultry are stronger and more resistant to disease.
Barry's plan for the coming year is to cross breed his turkey hens with native Thai tom turkeys with the aim of producing tastier meat. If you want more information call Barry Stanyer on 032 575 200.

CRAIG'S DIVE
The headline doesn't relate to Craig Morgan's U-Turn bar just off Soi Bintaban, but to Craig's aim to run more diving excursions to the southern waters, where the sea is clear and the sea life is abundant.
To find out more from Hua Hin's own PADI qualified diver, call in to U Turn, have a beer and discover how you can enjoy the hidden secrets of Thailand's warm waters.

Features January 2002 73rd Issue

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