Located about 200 kilometers south of Bangkok, Hua Hin is the oldest beach resort in Thailand. Construction of the southern railway line to the Malay border at the beginning of the 1920s, in the reign of King Rama VI first put Hua Hin on the map, with the royal court and the aristocracy finding the perfect beaches and the relatively gentle climate an ideal retreat from the summer heat of Bangkok.

A railway station and the Railway Hotel were built here, both of them still standing as reminders of a more elegant age. Thailand’s first golf course was laid out at about the same time. The construction of a summer palace by King Rama VII sealed the reputation of Hua Hin as a royal town, and so it remainjs to this day, with the Royal Family residing at the palace for part of the year.

Hua Hin today is a resort destination with a beautiful beach and outstanding natural beauty, but it remains deliberately low profile and instead exudes an air of quality and refinement. This is not a place to visit for anything-goes action, instead offering a peaceful and relaxed sanctuary in a picturesque environment that comes with a true sense of historical identity.

Weather

Hua Hin has one of the lowest rainfalls in Thailand and being a coastal town has cooling sea breezes, so can be visited all year round. There are three seasons, the dry season (March-September), the rainy season (October - November) and the warm season (November-February).

Getting there

Hua Hin Airport has shuttle flights from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, operated by SGA Airlines three or four times per day, the flying time being 45 minutes using a small Cessna 208 aircraft.

Air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal at 20-minute intervals, starting from early in the morning, the journey taking about 3.5 hours.

Travelling by train from Bangkok is an attractive option, as passengers alight at Hua Hin’s picturesque old railway station, but at five or six hours the journey takes considerably longer than travelling by road. There are several train services per day.

Taxi and limousine services operate from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Hua Hin, rates starting from about 2,000 baht. It is also possible to travel by taxi-meter from Bangkok.

Getting around

Walking is an easy way of getting around Hua Hin, as the town itself is compact. Many of the main hotels and resorts are located on the beach, and those further away operate their own shuttles. Tuk-tuks are readily available and cheap, 40 baht being an average fare, and the samlor bicycle rickshaws are a practical and photogenic means of transport. Cars and motorcycles can be hired, as can bicycles.