Welcome to Hua Hin - Thailand's Golden Crown
Enchanting Hua Hin emerged as Thailand's first beach resort in the 1920's and continues to be a favored Royal retreat and a popular tourist destination.
Today's visitor to Hua Hin will discover a wealth of ambiance and old world charm along Hua Hin's 5 kilometer white sand beach front. World class resorts, spas, golf courses and dining have made Hua Hin a truly world class destination.
Getting to Hua Hin
By Road
From Bangkok,
the drive is approximately 3 hours on highway 35 (Thon Buri-Pak Thao route)
via Samut Songkhram (be sure to take SAMUT SONGKHRAM)! Turn left to Highway No. 4 (Phetkasem
Road) via Phetchaburi and Hua Hin to Prachuap Khiri Khan, a total
distance of 281 kilometres.
By Rail(See Details)
There
are several trains departing daily from Bangkok to Hua Hin. Most leave Bangkok in the early to late afternoon and arrive
in Hua Hin about fours later. A 2nd class seat on an air-conditioned
Express train is less than $6 and may be purchased up to 90 days in
advance at main railway stations. Tel: Hua Hin Station Office,
Damnoenkasem Rd. (032) 511-073 Website: www.railway.co.th
By Bus(See Details)
Air-conditioned
buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok every 30 minutes
between 5:00AM and 22:00PM for Hua Hin. The journey takes about 3 hours
and costs 128 Baht. The air-conditioned bus terminal in Hua Hin is at
the Siripetchkasem Hotel on Srasong Rd, near Dechanuchit Rd, and buses
leave for Bangkok every 40 minutes daily between 3:00AM and 21:00PM.
Tel: (032) 511-654, 512-543. There are also nightly air buses to other
cities in southern Thailand. Most depart Hua Hin around 22:00PM and
fares range from $22 to Phuket or Koh Samui to $26 to Hat Yai.
By Air
SGA offers direct flights to Hua Hin. Read Article: Bangkok Hua Hin Air Shuttle Launched. Price: Round trip is 5,600 baht.
Website: www.sga.aero
See also: Bangkok Airwaysfor others flight routes in Thailand.
Van
Major hotels such
as the Dusit and Sofitel have daily vans from their hotels in Bangkok
to their hotels in Hua Hin. These usually leave Bangkok after lunch and
take about 2.5 hours to reach Hua Hin. Prices vary but are around
$20/person.
Taxi
Some Bangkok
taxis will travel to Hua Hin for $40-60. The trip takes about 2.5 hours
and allows you to see a bit of the countryside if your time in the
Kingdom is limited. These taxis are best arranged at the Don Muang
airport or by your hotel in Bangkok. area.
Thailand’s oldest seaside resort is a great place to visit or live in.
by Philip Bryan
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Born in London, I grew up in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe where my parents had a ranch. I went to boarding school in England, university in Rhodesia and London, worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for about 10 years, lived in Japan for 14 years and then moved to Hua Hin, Thailand in 2005.
I now work as a lecturer at a local college and help my wife with her consultancy business. I also do some freelance writing, editing and web design work.
I am 50 years old and live with my Japanese wife, Akemi, our son, Harry, and our dog (also from Japan) Shandy.
Introduction: Hua Hin, situated 225km/140 miles south of Bangkok, is Thailand’s oldest seaside resort. Its charms were first recognised by a recent ancestor of His Majesty King Bhumibol, Thailand's deservedly much-respected monarch.
Back in the early 1920s, King Rama VII decided that this was an ideal place to escape the heat and stress of the capital. To underline this, the palace that he built here was named 'Klai Kang Won', or 'Far From Worries'. To enable him and his family to reach here without too much trouble, a railway was built to link Hua Hin with the capital.
Hua Hin's royal connection has saved it from becoming as touristy as Pattaya and has allowed the town to retain more of its Thai character.
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Being a tourist town (soon to be upgraded to city status), English is becoming more common but you should not expect it to be too well known, especially in non-tourist businesses and out of town.
Climate: Hua Hin is located in one of the driest provinces in the kingdom. There are three basic seasons: the cool season (Nov-Mar), the hot season (Mar-May), and the rainy season (Jun-Oct). However, don’t let those terms mislead you.
The cool season is cooler but not cold. A jacket or sweater is rarely if ever needed. This is the peak tourism season, when most of the town’s hotels are full and the streets seem to have as many farang (foreigners) as locals.
Similarly, the rainy season is not five months of solid rain. An average rainy season day is sunny and warm in the morning, overcast in the early afternoon and wet later. The rain, though often torrential, is usually short.
On the other hand, the hot season is precisely that – hot! It regularly rises above 40c/104f, although it is a lot more comfortable than Bangkok – which is why the royals first came here.
Getting here: There are four ways of reaching Hua Hin from Bangkok. They are, in order of speed:
1) By Plane:
SGA Airlines operates a shuttle flight between Bangkok's Don Muang
Airport and Hua Hin's small airport. Flying time is 50 minutes and
there are four flights each way each day.
2)By car/taxi: You can take a taxi for around 3-4,000 baht. Approximate journey time: two and-a- half to three hours.
3)By bus:
Air-conditioned buses leave Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal every 30
minutes between 05.00 and 22.00. Buses leave for Bangkok every 30-40
minutes between 03.00 and 21.00. Approximate journey time is three
hours. There is also a minibus service that links Hua Hin with downtown
Bangkok, convenient for the Victory Monument Skytrain station. Cost (in
2006) 130 baht.
4) By train: There are several trains
between Bangkok and Hua Hin each day. Due to there being only a single
track for much of the route, the journey takes four hours or more.
Getting around: Public transport is extremely limited here. To get around Hua Hin, you have a choice of:
1) Air-Conditioned Buses:
Except for minor deviations, virtually every local bus (including those
linking Hua Hin with Bangkok or with the south) runs along the town’s
main thoroughfare (Petchakasem Road). Other than the high-speed
blue-and-white bus to Bangkok, most buses have no designated stop - you
just stand beside the road and hail it when it comes in sight. You then
board and pay the conductor at your seat. Use these buses to reach
outlying beaches or neighbouring cities like Petchaburi or Pranburi.
Fares usually start from around 30 baht.
2) Non-air conditioned buses:
Easily distinguished by their bright orange colour, these generally
cover smaller distances and except in the rainy season (when the
windows are closed), can be much cooler than the more expensive a/c
buses. These are stopped in the same, hailing manner, and you pay the
conductor in the same way. Fares usually start from around 20 baht.
3) Song Thew:
These 'buses' are better described as being remodelled pickup trucks,
and are certainly the cheapest way of travelling within the town.
Easily spotted with their pale green chassis, these buses
start/terminate at main market and run either north to the airport or
south to the quiet but developing suburb of Khao Takiab. Frequency is
roughly twice an hour (more at peak times) between 6am-6pm, and the
cost 10 baht, paid to the driver when you get off.
4) Tuk-Tuk:
These small, converted minivans are about the only door-to-door taxis
available in Hua Hin. You can hail them on the road if you wish, but it
would be easier to either call one of the Tuk-Tuk services and have
them collect you, or go to one of their 'ranks'. The fee is completely
negotiable but shouldn't be more than around 100-150 baht within the
town, regardless of how many passengers there are.
5) Motorcycle taxi:
Motorcycle taxi drivers will take you anywhere within the town for a
negotiated fee. This is generally a safe and fast way to travel, for if
the driver should act/drive badly, you can report him to the town
authorities, using the number/colour of his vest and the place where he
picked you up. The price entirely depends on distance and your
negotiating skills, but can be as little as 15 baht up to around 100
baht for longer or late night journeys.
6) Hire car: There
are no metered taxis in Hua Hin and so the only public cars available
are rental cars. There are some car hire firms here but it is generally
cheaper and safer to hire a car with driver, which can be done by
phoning one of the many local taxi firms. These can be useful for
visiting more than one place for a day's shopping, sightseeing, etc.
The fee depends on distance, time and negotiations, but should be
around 800 – 1,300 baht for a full day's hire.
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To travel south to Phuket or beyond (including Malaysia), you can choose between express buses, the train or hire cars. There is a very comfortable and affordable sleeper train going to Butterworth in Malaysia, from where you can catch a ferry to Penang or another train to Kuala Lumpur and beyond.
If you do feel adventurous and decide to drive, an international licence is useful. If you convert your own driving license into a Thai one, take a Thai with you – the process isn’t difficult but bureaucrats rarely speak English.
Safety: Thailand is safer than most Western countries. What’s more, due to the royal presence, Hua Hin is safer than most of Thailand. The royal connection means more police and security forces, and as a tourist destination, the authorities are eager to keep the foreigners happy.
Accommodation: Hua Hin has a wide range of hotels, ranging from international chains to local guesthouses. Rooms can be hard to find in the cool season, especially around Christmas/New Year. For longer visits, you might also consider renting a condo or house.
Property: Buying a place for retirement or investment is becoming increasingly common, and can be divided into two categories, condos and houses. A foreigner can buy a condo legally and easily, but as many condos are only used on holiday weekends, etc, living in one can feel a little lonely midweek. Buying a house is more complicated. Officially, foreigners cannot own land but don't let this deter you too much – I live in a house that I own.
If you are interested in having a house, you can either lease one (for an initial 30-year period, extendable up to 90 years) or buy one through your own company, which needs to have Thai partners.
Health care: Hua Hin has two main hospitals. The oldest and most ‘foreigner-friendly’ is the San Paulo, located downtown. It does have many English speaking doctors but can be slightly expensive by local standards. The other is the presently still under construction Hua Hin Hospital, a government establishment recently upgraded to serve our royal residents - the top floor will be reserved for the Royal Family. The remaining floors will be open to the public and the doctors will be the best in the Kingdom. With an investment of millions of dollars, this is supposed to become a world-class medical facility. However, for serious medical problems, many local foreign residents prefer to be moved to Bangkok. Good health insurance is a must.
Visas: Thailand’s visa regulations are both complex and inconsistent. However, basically the situation is as follows:
1)Tourist:
Many countries (including the UK) can get a tourist permit on arrival,
which allows someone to stay here for a period of up to 30 days. Some
sources claim that since October 1st, this can now be extended for a
period not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of
first entry. However, don’t take this as rock-solid reliable!
2) Work:
you need both a non-immigrant visa (apply before leaving your home
country – formal job offer required) and a work permit, obtained
locally from a separate ministry. You can come here as a tourist and
look for a job but then you will probably have to go aboard (Penang or
Singapore, for example) to get the correct visa.
3) Retirement:
If you are over 50 years of age and have either a lump sum of 800,000
baht or an income from aboard (pension, etc) of not less than 65,000
baht, then you can get a non-immigrant visa "o-a" or retirement visa.
However, rich or poor, you can’t get one if you’re under 50 and so you
have to choose between establishing a company to get a work-type visa
(good local help essential), getting a part-time job (teaching, etc),
or using a tourist visa, which will mean regularly leaving the kingdom.
You can get a visa through a Thai spouse but you have to prove that you
can support your spouse – without your working in Thailand! This means
a pension or investment income, etc. Local, qualified advice is
essential for anyone contemplating a long-term stay.
4) Permanent Residence:
If you have resided in Thailand for three years on consecutive one year
visas with no defaults like overstays, you may apply for permanent
residency. However, numbers are limited and only 100 nationals from
certain countries have the opportunity to apply. The process can
involve interviews so a good local lawyer is a must. Residency allows
an alien to avoid the yearly visa renewals, and an alien with permanent
residency status will be eligible to apply for Thai citizenship after
10 consecutive years under this classification.
Overview: Don’t let all that talk of red tape, etc, put you off – Hua Hin is a great place to visit or live in. What makes it so nice? Well, being a seaside town, most visitors naturally head for the beach. Now although Hua Hin's five kilometre long white sand beach may not be world class, it is very nice, pretty clean and pretty safe. What’s more, there are plenty of lovely, unspoilt beaches just outside town.
Hua Hin also has some very nice restaurants, mostly seafood but including other cuisines, both Thai and foreign. A major attraction for many is cheap and uncrowded golf. There are several golf courses in the vicinity of Hua Hin, including The Royal Hua Hin, Thailand’s 1st golf course. Away from the beaches, there are other places of interest, such as Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park, Kaeng Krachan National Park (Thailand’s largest national park), Pala U (the region's most scenic waterfall) and Phra Ratchaniwet Marukkhathaiyawan (a wooden beachfront palace).
And if you get too homesick, there’s even a local Tesco (selling HP sauce and Lipton tea) and several places that will serve you a ‘Full English Breakfast’, complete with PG Tips!
