Hua Hin Beach

Prachuap Khiri Khan province’s capital, Hua Hin, is located 281 km. south of Bangkok. The old town was abandoned during the fall of Ayutthaya in the 1760s and a new settlement was established in 1845.

Hua Hin is one of Thailand’s most popular seaside resorts among overseas visitors as well as Thais. Located on the sunrise (west) side of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin lies some 200 km. or a three-hour drive southwest of Bangkok and is renowned as Thailand’s most traditional beach resort. It was here, in the 1920s, that King Rama VII built a summer palace, thus creating a vogue among high society for Hua Hin as a favourite retreat from Bangkok’s summer heat. Today the Royal Family continues to reside at Hua Hin for part of the year.

Hua Hin is noted for its traditional fishing port with many seafood restaurants, and a splendid sandy beach which starts from a rocky headland next to the port and curves gently for some 3 km. to its southern point where Buddhist temples surmount hilltops. Hua Hin is a well-established beach destination, with full facilities. But in contrast to Pattaya, the long-established resort on the opposite shore of the Gulf, Hua Hin provides a quiet, relaxed retreat amid surroundings which preserve a typical Thai ambience. Hua Hin is thus well suited for families or those who wish simply to escape the city bustle.