Hua Hin

Hua Hin is a large and popular resort town. At the week-end Hua Hin sees Bangkokians descend in the droves. HRH the King has a palace here and the the capital city of Thailand.

The name Hua Hin roughly translates to 'Head Stone'. A Thai king of old made an astrological pilgrimage to the province here over a hundred years ago also adding to the history.
The railway station in Hua Hin is also worthy of note as it is built during the reign of Rama VI in traditional thai style and is widely acclaimed for being unique in this recard.

Once the Thai palace was built Hua Hin became more popular with thai tourists. In the 1990s Hua Hin started to get a more regular infux of foreign backpackers and tourists. Real estate and property development soon followed and what started as a cottage industry soon has dominated the Hua Hin scene with medium to high-end tourism being sought after in a top-heavy fashion.

Now the backpackers are very few in number, ever since about 2005 there has been a midnight closure of the bars (only the kareoke section stays open a bit later). This meant that the backpackers that used to get off at Hua Hin just rode the train further south to Chumpon to connect with the island hub there.

Meanwhile the samsonite brigade of more elderly tourists mostly dominate the shopping areas and venues of Hua Hin now...

Hua Hin Facts

Founded: 1800s A.D

Population: 51,000 (Approx)

Size (Metropolitan): 15 Sq. Miles

Typical Visa Run Destination: Ranong and then Victoria Point

Seasons and Weather.

The centrally located Hua Hin is, like many of its neighbors, one which is hot and humid. However the coastal geography means it benefits greatly from the westerly winds that blow in from the Gulf of Thailand. The city see's slightly more rain during the wet season but flooding is rarely a problem, especially with the new drainage in place. The wettest part of the year is normally September and the coldest is usually December and January.

Cool Season - October to February. Avg Temp - 26 C

Hot Season - March to May. Avg Temp - 33 C

Wet Season - June to September. Avg Temp - 31 C.

Getting to Hua Hin

Being about 200 km from Bangkok means about 2 to 4 hours drive time, an airport operates flights out of the city but this is usually on an infrequent basis. Minibus' run regular shuttles to Hua Hin from Victory Monument and back to Bangkok from Hua Hin city center.

Hua Hin Ferry

Getting to Pattaya from Hua Hin just got a lot easier.

From November 2010 onwards a passenger ferry service with a capacity of 75 is now running between Hua Hin and Pattaya.
It sets off at 1300 hrs from Hua Hin and runs roughly three times a week. Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays are the days it normally operates.
Be warned that high-winds and adverse weather can change their schedule.
The actual crossing to Pattaya takes roughly 3 hours 15 minutes.