Living free and easy in Hua Hin

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This page was last updated on Wednesday 02 July 2008 at 22:58:52 (GMT +7)
 

Hua Hin? That's a common reaction when this lovely town is mentioned, and it is certainly less famous than Phuket or Koh Samui -- but that's surely one of its attractions! However, it is better known in Northern Europe, particularly with family travellers and long-term visitors from Scandinavia.

So what is Hua Hin? Some hick town in the Thai jungle, a south-east Asian nowhere by the sea? Not at all. Hua Hin (Thai หัวหิน)  is a medium-size town with around 41,953 residents (according to the April 2000 census), which swells to over 100,000 at the height of the tourist season. It is the centre of an Amphoe (district) that has 85,000 residents scattered over 839 km². OK, enough of the facts and figures -- what is that makes Hua Hin one of the most popular resorts with Thais, as well as a large number of regularly returning foreign visitors?

From a historical perspective, Hua Hin was Thailand's first real seaside resort. Back in the 1920's, King Rama VII brought the royal family to Hua Hin to escape the heat of Bangkok -- something many 'Bangkokians' continue to do every year! However, the only way of getting here in the early 1900s was by canal boat and bullock cart -- not for the fainthearted! One thing that may have influenced the King when he chose Hua Hin, therefore, may have been the construction of the 'Southern Railway line' just after the First World War. During the preparation for its construction, the railway surveyors were very surprised to find lovely beaches around a sleepy fishing village known as Baan Laem Him (Stony Point Village). 

Anticipating future interest, they built a suitably grand station here which opened on November 25th, 1911. Shortly after this, Prince Nares, a son of Thailand's famous King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V), built a holiday palace by the beach and renamed the village, Hua Hin (Stone Head, referring to the rocks visible from the Hilton beach area). Other members of the Royal family soon followed him down here and as you can imagine, such Royal patronage made the town fashionable with the Bangkok elite. This popularity increased when Prince Purachatra, Director General of the State Railways, decided to build a prestigious hotel here. Sadly, with the usual imagination of railway companies the world over, this new hotel was called ‘The Railway Hotel’, opening on January 1st, 1924. (Now called the Sofitel Central (which may sound like another lacklustre name but reflects the hotel's co-owner, the Central Group), you can still stroll around its grand colonial style buildings or even stay in one of the large airy rooms with magnificent verandas today. You might have seen this hotel already, as it was used as the Phnom Penh hotel in the 1983 film ‘The Killing Fields’!)

Not surprisingly, being a royal resort has helped Hua Hin in many ways. For example, one no longer needs to choose between a train or a bullock cart to get here! Ongoing improvements to the highway from Bangkok mean that the capital is just 3 hours or so away, depending on city traffic. There is also a regular plane service (yes, Hua Hin does have an airport), which can get you here in just 40 minutes. What with this convenience, plus the beautiful Gulf of Thailand and the backdrop of verdant mountains, it isn't difficult to see why this town is becoming more and more popular with non-Thais as a long-term destination and even permanent residence. (For more information on what to see and do here, please refer to our Hua Hin Guide.)

Furthermore, the Hua Hin municipality is striving to improve their town, promoting the ambitiously entitled "Paradise City" project. This programme's goal is to continually enhance Hua Hin's environment, be it cleaner beaches, better parking, more user-friendly officialdom, and a lot more. Such a project is bound to make Hua Hin even more popular with foreign visitors.

OK, so where is Hua Hin?

Please click map for larger image.

Getting to Thailand: Many airlines link Bangkok with every continent on Earth. You can also reach Thailand (and Hua Hin) by international trains from Malaysia. Indeed, Hua Hin is a regular stop for the ultra-luxurious 'Eastern and Oriental Express', which travels between Bangkok, Butterworth, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. From Bangkok to Hua Hin: There are several ways of getting from Bangkok to Hua Hin -- by air, train, bus or taxi. For more details, visit our Transport page. Considered to be in northern South Thailand or southern Central Thailand (depending on who you ask), Hua Hin is at the northern edge of Prachub Khirikhan Province, on the western side of the Gulf of Siam, across from the island of Ko Chang and Trat province. Located near the narrowest part of the Kingdom (it shrinks to just 13km east-to-west in the southern part of Prachuap Khirikhan province), we are a little over 60km from the border with the Tanintharyi Division of Myanmar. We are just over 220km from the capital, Bangkok, and about 65km from the nearest city, Petchaburi. To the south, we're approximately 89km north of the provincial seat, Prachuap Khirikhan, and 420km north of Surat Thani.

But what's so nice about Hua Hin ?

Well, here are just six good reasons we recommend our town.

Climate and environment. Hua Hin is one of the driest places in Thailand, but gets plenty of warmth and sunshine! (See chart below for a climate summary.) What's more, Hua Hin is small enough to be friendly (only around 65,000 residents) but big enough to be convenient -- and access to/from Bangkok is continually improving.

Safety
A few years ago, His Majesty the King moved from Bangkok to Hua Hin, turning it from a royal resort to a royal residence. He presently spends most of the year here, and this has naturally led to increased security and a consequential increase in police patrols, etc. This has attracted more and more retirees, as Hua Hin has become increasingly liveable. Flashy and over exciting it might not be, but relaxed, friendly and quiet, it certainly is.

Convenience
Although still far from large, Hua Hin has plenty of supermarkets and convenience stores, all selling everything you might need for daily life. In addition, 'Hua Hin Market Village', a large (90,000 sq.m.) and highly popular new shopping mall, opened in southern Hua Hin in February 2006. This mall includes a large Tesco-Lotus supermarket, a HomePro store plus boutiques, art and antique shops, and several well known restaurants. Furthermore, Hua Hin has French, Italian, Japanese and other foreign restaurants all over town, plus some of the best seafood in Thailand. There is certainly no need to go hungry here!
(For more information on this, please refer to our Hua Hin daily life page.)

Cost of living
Compared with Bangkok and Phuket, the cost of living (be it daily necessities or property) is pretty low here. Admittedly, Hua Hin's increasing popularity has led to a recent rise in property prices, but this hasn't yet reached Bangkok levels, and even palatial residences are still less than a regular suburban home in most western countries! 
(Please refer to our Hua Hin cost of living page.)

Golf
Hua Hin has the oldest golf course in Thailand, The Royal Hua Hin, originally designed by a Scottish railway engineer by the name of O. A. Robins in 1924. This course is hard to beat for convenience, being right behind the railway station! However, there are many golf resorts within an easy distance of the town centre, including one designed by Jack Nicklaus. What's more, green fees and caddy costs are remarkably cheap and there is rarely any need to book or wait -- just turn up and play!
(Please refer to our Golf Guide.)

The beach
Hua Hin's beautiful Shirahama beach runs for a beautiful 5 kilometres, including a stretch that is literally a few metres from the heart of town. What's more, there are several quieter, more secluded beaches nearby, for those seeking a more restful beach experience. Some beaches have cheap but excellent restaurants and shops nearby, but for those who really want to get away from it all, there are plenty where you can expect nothing more than the sea, the sun and your own shadow!
(Please refer to our page on Hua Hin beaches.)

Life in Hua Hin isn't perfect -- but it's close! Come on over and see for yourself!

Still not convinced?
Then just take a stroll through the other pages on this site
and let us show you why we love Hua Hin.

Thanks again for visiting. Please come back soon!

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Town Office
18/4 Amnuaysin Road,
(inside Tanawit Condotel)
Hua Hin, Prachuap Khirikhan 77110, Thailand