AWOL – For The Expat In All Of Us!

AWOLonline was the website supplement for the free AWOL weekly newspaper which was distributed in and around the Hua Hin area in Thailand every Friday from 2008 to 2018. The newspaper reached the 450 issues and nine years in circulation milestone in October 2017. Unfortunately the printed paper had to cease publication on 30th March 2018 due to the Thai authorities not renewing the work permit of the Managing Editor, rendering us unable to continue in print.

The site continues now but with a broader range; in February 2023 we removed the need to register and login to do anything on the site, although we are encouraging visitors to subscribe to our occasional email updates, and are gradually moving towards a less local focus with our content, but there will always be a place for anything connected to Hua Hin, as it was, and still is, our home.

For those of you who have never been to Hua Hin, it is a seaside resort about 3 hours drive south from Bangkok, and was the official residence of His Majesty King Bhumibol who passed away in 2016.

Hua Hin has a large and growing number of expatriates from many countries who either live there permanently or for extended periods every year, as well as a thriving tourist sector and many major hotels, although it still retains the feel of a working Thai town rather than just a resort.

North of Hua Hin, about 20 minutes away is Cha Am, a more Thai resort than Hua Hin, but that too has a growing number of expats making it their home, preferring its slightly more sedate style.

South of Hua Hin is Khao Takiab, which is rapidly becoming the place that many Hua Hin residents will head to for both day time beaches and night time entertainment, and again many expats are making it their home.

AWOL was distributed widely in these areas, aimed at a readership of English speaking expats and Thais. It was the only English language weekly publication for the area. The website will continue, offering information and links to local sports, such as golfpool and darts, that expats and local residents partake in, making AWOLonline the essential portal for the Hua Hin area and beyond. Additional content featured is our Entertainment section, which keeps you up to date with the latest film releases and movie news, as well as featuring reviews and coming soon information; and our Football section, focusing on the English Premier League. If you are a fan of games and puzzles, have a go at the chesscrossword and Sudoku puzzles which you will find in our Entertainment section.

If you have only just discovered AWOL you can still read every issue we ever produced by going to our chronological gallery of back issues, which you can download in PDF format or read online. You can also read these issues on our Issuu page.

If you have any questions or comments about us, or would like to advertise, contribute or collaborate, please either send us an email; or use the Contact Us button at the top of every page.

Welcome to AWOLonline – for the web surfer in all of us!