Hua Hin is Thailand's original beach resort. Starting late in the nineteenth century, it was visited with increasing frequency by the Siamese royalty. The arrival of the railroad in the 1920s opened Hua Hin to a wider audience. The charming Victorian-styled Railway Hotel was built soon after. Today, the hotel has become the Centara Grand Beach Resort and is a rare opportunity to experience the feeling of a bygone era.
Hua Hin Beach on a busy weekend
In 1926, King Rama VII built a summer palace that he named Klai Kangwon, which means "far from worries". The name is somewhat ironic, when you consider that the King was in residence here when the 1932 revolution to overthrow the absolute monarchy started in Bangkok. The current King now spends much of the year at Klai Kangwon.
The rapid development that many other Thai beach resorts experienced over the last 25 years mostly passed Hua Hin by. As a result, Hua Hin has appealed as a family destination with very little of the sleaze that seemed to follow the development of other beach resorts. However, you will find the big hotel chains in Hua Hin, which these days is attractive as a get-away from Bangkok that is more relaxed than Pattaya.
The challenge of getting to Hua Hin is one of the reasons it is not as developed as many of Thailand's other beach resorts. Many would say that's a good thing. There have been a few attempts over the years to offer flights to Hua Hin from Bangkok, but these have never proved successful. A few five-star hotels can still arrange it, but otherwise you'll either have to go by road or rail.
There are a number of hotels and resorts in and around Hua Hin. There are many up-market accommodations, in keeping with Hua Hin's more patrician reputation. However, many of these are quite competitively priced, so a trip to Hua Hin is a real opportunity to pamper yourself. Aside from The Oriental in Bangkok, the Centara Grand is the only colonial styled hotel surviving from the early twentieth century. Built in 1923, the Centara is truly Thailand's first 'resort' hotel.
There are not very many sights within Hua Hin itself. This is very much a place to relax, sit on the beach, and maybe play a little golf. The Klai Kangwon ("far from worries") palace is the only real point of interest in the city, but it is only open to the public when the royal family is not in residence, and in recent years, His Majesty has chosen to spend most of his time here, far from the noise and pollution of Bangkok.
The Thais divide the year into three seasons: the cool season, hot season, and rainy season. For most westerners, this translates to "hot," "really hot," and "really hot and wet." Temperatures rarely drop below 25° C (70° F). See the banner below for current conditions.
Historical Weather Patterns for Hua Hin Hua Hin has very constant temperatures with average highs and lows varying by less than five degrees over the course of the year.
