Hua Don beach, adjacent to the pier that hosted the now discontinued Pattaya- Hua Hin ferry service, is a favourite for Thais and foreigners alike. It is one of only a handful of places along the Hua Hin coastline where you can dine with the soft, white sand tickling the toes of your bare feet.
The restaurant owners along this lazy strip of sand were undoubtedly delighted when it was announced that their stretch of beach would be hosting the “Amazing Thailand Fireworks Festival 2022”@ Hua Hin”, which was held from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th June, on the southern side of Khao Takiab, known locally as Monkey Mountain.
When I visited for the first time at around 2pm on Friday, 3 hours before scheduled kick-off, preparations for the festival were all but finished. The main stage was standing tall and proud, the huge marquee over the street vendor’s stalls and the dining area had been carefully erected and secured, the lighting was strung, the fireworks barges carrying thousands of rounds waiting for their moment to shine were safely moored away from the coast, the portable toilets in the carpark were clearly signposted and most importantly, the Insta-worthy spots were strategically laid out. Only the street vendors seemed truly busy, scurrying to finish the final preparation of their stalls and ensuring that signage, menus and merchandise were on clear display.
The seating for the dignitaries attending the opening ceremony was in place and carefully cordoned off from the public area. A troupe of traditional Thai drummers was in final rehearsal, sound checks having been carried out earlier in the morning audible from my home in Khao Tao, more than 5 kilometres away, along the beach.
Clearly, the organisers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Hua Hin Municipality, Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Administrative Organisation and the Hua Hin- Cha-Am Tourism Business Association, had done a fantastic job in preparing the venue for the large crowd expected for this event, which aims to boost the tourism sector in Hua Hin. An event of this scale had not been held since prior to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The timetable for each night’s events and performances included live music from 5pm, featuring renown Thai artists, as well as a traditional drama performance to precede the official opening ceremony on the first night, 24th June. Each night included 2 fireworks sessions, each of 20 minutes duration, and concluded with an hour-long concert, featuring Thai band, Paradox, Burin Boonvisut, a Thai singer or Kratae & Kratai RSiam, a female song/dance duo, depending on the night.
I was lucky enough to visit again on Saturday night, to enjoy both the fireworks and dinner on the beach with friends. It was a happy co-incidence that my friends live 100 metres from Hua Don beach and I was able to park in their building’s carpark, as parking was at a premium, even with the measures put in place by the organisers.
By 6.30pm, the throng on the beach, at least 95% Thai, was looking for fun, food and fireworks. And there was certainly plenty to be found. There was a carnival atmosphere as the sun set. Vendors were selling colourful helium balloons and light-up trinkets for the kids. The food and beverage stalls were doing a roaring trade, the seats at the nearby local restaurants on the sand were filling nicely and you hadn’t been able to secure a table at an adjacent resort’s front row seats for over a week. The Parkinson were on the stage and people were lapping up the sense of freedom that the removal of the mask mandate outdoors, decreed just days before, had given them.
For me, the fireworks were the pick of the night’s events, though the crowd was obviously enjoying the stage events very much as well. As an Australian, I fancy myself as a bit of a fireworks aficionado, having been exposed to arguably the world’s best fireworks over Sydney Harbour each New Year. These ones were certainly colourful and impressive in their design and musical score.
The fireworks on Saturday night did not receive the same natural accompaniment of lightning that heralded their beginning on the first night. But they were so close you almost felt you could reach out and touch them. Those on the beach couldn’t miss, or talk over, the loud explosions as the fireworks opened into a celestial floral display. I loved listening to the excited “oohs and aahs” of children new to the whole experience. Everyone was glad that the evening was being crowned with not one, but two, riotous rounds of fireworks, since 20 minutes is patently not enough.
It remains to be seen how well this event translates into meals purchased in restaurants and occupied hotel rooms, and how positively in impacts on the local economy, but in terms of boosting the flagging spirits of the people of Hua Hin and its surrounds, the “Amazing Thailand Fireworks Festival 2022”@ Hua Hin” is already a winner.
Author: Felicitee Lawrie
Felicitee Lawrie spends as much of her life as she can in Hua Hin, Thailand. She is passionate about exploring the local culture, keen to make contacts among the Thai and expat residents of Hua Hin and in particular wants to learn more about the food culture of this area of Thailand. If she is able to promote local businesses and producers along the way, this is indeed a bonus. Felicitee has also been enjoying her writing in the People of Hua Hin series of feature articles, finding so many local people have fascinating stories to share with her.
