Hua Hin plays host to back-to-back festivals this month

Jazz comes to Hua Hin big time this month, with a second festival from a different organiser all set to augment the popular Jazz on the Beach weekend held for the last seven years with a brand new event dubbed Jazz in the Town.

Originally planned for June 13 and 14, which would have coincided with CMO's beachside bash, Jazz in the Town was later postponed by a week.

"Hua Hin municipality wanted the two in one," says Ranis Dhamasiri, president of Noesis, first-time organisers of the jazz festival. "I didn't intend for our schedules to clash.

"Due to the increasing number of festival-goers each year, our event will be extended for another five years. Jazz in the Town is divided into two parts, with the Street of Jazz & Food Fair running from June 15 to 19 and featuring nine bands per day and the festival peaking over June 20 and 21 with six or seven bands per day. It will be the first chance for Thais to experience jazz musicians playing in the street," he adds.

"The province took the decision to have more than one jazz festival," says Sermkhun Kuna-wong, chief executive of CMO Group. "And the two have very different artist line-ups."

'Comes down to cost'

This year's Jazz on the Beach features international artists Kenny Garrett, and Mike Stern accompanied by drummer Dave Weckl and bassist Chris Minh Doky, while Jazz in the Town has mostly Thai bands who normally play in Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Hua Hin.

The budget for Jazz on the Beach is Bt25 million while Jazz in the Town is smaller scale at Bt6 million.

"International artists are more popular but also expensive," says Sermkhun.

"It all comes down to cost," Ranis adds.

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Splitting the difference

>> Jazz on the Beach will be held on June 13 and 14 near the Marriott Hotel (look for the big screen).

>> Jazz in the Town will be held June 15 to 21 on Damnoen Kasem Road as part of the Street of Jazz and Food Fair.