An Ill WindBORDER CONFLICT IN THE EAST HITTING NEARBY TOURISM, BENEFITING HUA HIN?
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An Ill Wind

BORDER CONFLICT IN THE EAST HITTING NEARBY TOURISM, BENEFITING HUA HIN?

The flare up of hostilities on the Thai-Cambodian border is headline news worldwide, and is subsequently impacting tourism to Thailand, notably to the island of Ko Chang, but anything thought to be within reach of Cambodian rockets, with recent information putting their range as being up to 130km from the border. Many tourists are either choosing to cancel their trip to Thailand completely, with anyone booked for the threatened area being forced to change their plans as they are unable to obtain travel insurance due to their own government’s strong advisories; however some are choosing to alter destination, with Hua Hin becoming a prime destination alternative. Hua Hin is, of course, a long way from the conflict, being over 500km, as the crow flies, from the fighting, and nearly 1000km by road.

Posts are frequently appearing on social media with requests for advice, recommendations and questions from tourists in this position, so Hua Hin could become an unexpected beneficiary of the sad situation, much like it did in 2004 when another disaster hit the south west of Thailand, with the devastating tsunami that struck Khao Lak, Phuket, the Phi Phi Islands and most of the coast in that area. Tourists and locals fled north, and as with now, yet to arrive tourists changing their plans, with Hua Hin a major destination for many of them, packing out the town (as it was then) for weeks. It became a true ‘getaway’ then, and, while on a smaller scale, is destined to become one again, as a real safe haven for everyone.

The hope is, of course, that the fighting will subside quickly and not flare up again, but based on statements coming from both sides, this doesn’t seem particularly likely right now, but even if it does, foreign governments are unlikely to lift their advisories any time soon, thus leaving tourists a hard choice to make; cancel what may be a trip of a lifetime for many, or try and find an alternative at short notice. With it’s easy access from Bangkok, and plenty of accommodation options across the whole area, Hua Hin, Cha Am, Pranburi and other nearby destinations can hopefully accommodate the late bookings, and offer the comfort, safety, entertainment, facilities and relaxation they crave.

Above: US President Trump is making efforts to restart the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia

The latest news from the border has not been encouraging, with a 63 year old civilian man, identified as Don Patchapan, killed by rocket strikes in the heart of a residential area near a school in Sisaket province’s Kantharalak District, and dozens more reported as being injured. Some elderly and ill civilians have also died during evacuation of the areas, with an estimated half a million people displaced in Thailand due to the fighting. The Thai Navy has now also got involved, with a warship trading fire with guns based in Cambodia’s southwestern province of Koh Kong, and discussions on a blockade of Cambodia were due to be held this week, focusing on fuel and critical supplies.

The tensions between the two countries have also become evident on social media, with any news story on the conflict seeing arguments between accounts claiming to be from one or other country lambasting the other as the aggressor, and the animosity between the countries has a very long history, with flare ups in the same border area occurring every few years with regularity. A large part of the problem stems back to the early 1900s when the French were major colonial players in the region, and at one point tried to formally decide and get agreement on where the border between the two countries lies, but a combination of failed diplomatic efforts, poor mapmaking and vested interests led to the border never being fully agreed, and the conflict now is in one of those disputed areas.

Featured image: The beautiful island of Ko Chang, unfortunate casualty of the conflictHeinz Albers, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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