The Beaches of Hua Hin first came to the country's attention when King Rama VII built Klai Kangwon, a seafront summer palace just north of what was then a small fishing village, in the early 1900's. Rama VII learned of Thailand's first coup d'état in 1932 while playing golf at the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course.

Once endorsed by the royal family, Hua Hin remained a traditional favorite among the Thais long after the beaches of Pattaya, and Phuket had been taken over by foreign tourist.

During the past 10 years or so the secret has got out: Hua Hin (2001, population around 35,000) is a fairly quiet and fairly economical place to get away from it all. Yet it's less than four hours by train from Bangkok. The private section in Hua Hin have been promoting Hua Hin tourism and developers have moved in.

The train ride down is quick and comfortable. The  fishing-village, while not as evident as in years past, attracts a mix of Thais and older farang tourists who are seeking a comfortable beach holiday near Bangkok, but don't want the sleaziness of Pattaya.

However development is changing things and the fishing fleet is being moved out, along with the town's infamous squid drying piers being replaced by hotels.

This is the dock where we do at Fulay Guest House where we do our Yoga. On our trip this time, we've noticed an air of industriousness along the street by the Sea.

Everywhere you look there is new construction or someone working on improvements to their existing structure. There has been a push to renovate older establishments and restaurants have been modernized to create more of a 'dining experience'. Some are even offering a relatively nice selection of wines.
 
Sofitel Hua Hin has successfully campaigned to have the vendors removed from the beach fronting the hotel, a minus for atmosphere, but a plus for cleanliness. With the arrival a few years ago of the Hotel Mélia (now the Hilton), Hua Hin's colorful vendors are now restricted to a small area near the public entrance to the beach. And apparently a new sewage treatment plant and municipal sewer system have been constructed, and the beach is cleaner than ever.

The main swimming beach still has thatched umbrellas and long chairs; vendors from the nearby stalls will bring loungers, steamed crab, mussels, beer, etc., and there are pony rides for the kids.

There are many places to eat, but some of the best and least expensive food can be food at the Chatchai market. The best seafood to order in Hua Hin is plaa sãmlii (cotton fish or kingfish), plaa kapõng (perch), plaa mèuk (squid), hãwy malaeng phùu (mussels), and puu (crab). The various types of preparation include:

• dìp, raw
• nêung, steamed

• phãophàt, grilled

• râat phrík, sliced, filleted, and fried

• thâawt, smothered in garlic, and chilies

• tôm, fried whole

• yam, roast, in a hot, and tangy broth

• yâang, (squid only)

Anytime of the day is a good time for a meal at Chatchai Market.
They have an excellent Thai breakfast-jók and khâo tôm (rice soups).

Or try some fresh-fried paa-thông-kõ Hua Hin-style (small, and crispy, not oily).
 

A few vendors also serve hot soy milk in bowls. You can break a few paa-thông-kõ into the milk and drink free náam chaa. It is a very local, inexpensive, tasty and filling breakfast.

There is a vast selection of fruits and vegetables, many of which we just do not ever see or eat at home in the US. 
The scent from the freshly cut flowers is intoxicating. The variety hard to imagine as you see exotics like orchids and lotus flowers everywhere. 

  

Hua Hin Railway Hotel....In 1922 the State Railway of Thailand (then the Royal Thai Railway) extended the national rail network to Hua Hin to allow easier access to the Hua Hin summer palace.

 


The area proved to be a popular vacation spot among non-royals too, so in the following year they built the Hua Hin Railway Hotel, a graceful colonial-style inn on the sea, with sweeping teak stairways and high-ceilinged rooms. The hotel hasn't changed much since 1923, except for the addition of electric lighting.

Big-bladed ceiling fans stirred the humid sea air and in the dining room one ate using State Railway silverware, and thick china from the 1920's. Unfortunately, when Bangkok's Central Department Store took over the management of the hotel, they floundered in their attempt to upgrade the facilities failing to take advantage of the hotel's original ambience.

In 1986 the French hotel chain, Sofitel, became a joint venture with Central and together they restored the hotel to most of its former glory. It now bears the awkward name Hotel Sofitel Central Hua Hin, but if you're looking for a historic South-East Asian hotel to spend some money on, this might be it. All of the wood paneling and brass fixtures throughout the rooms and open hallways have been restored.

Here are photos of the outside, the reception, double stairway in the open lobby, an artistic flower petal arrangement in a lotus pot on a table in the lobby, guest rooms over-looking life-size chess set, fountains, and pools with buddha in the foliage, topiary garden (plants sculpted into animal shapes, try and find the elephant), more guest rooms, northern and southern pools.

While the old railway silverware and china have been resigned to antique cabinet displays, the spacious lazy ambience of a previous age remains. Even if you don't want to spend the money to stay here, it's worth a stroll through the grounds and open sitting areas for a little history. It's more interesting in terms of atmosphere than either the Raffles in Singapore or the Oriental in Bangkok (neither have eight-hectare grounds), and somewhere in between in terms of luxury.

Incidentally, in 1983 this hotel was used as Hotel Le Phnom for the filming of The Killing Fields. Also, the State Railway of Thailand still owns the hotel. Sofitel/Central just lease it.

View more photos in Yoga Bound's Thailand Photo Galleries.

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