Hua Hin, an important town of Prachuab Khiri Khan province, is well known as Thailand's oldest seaside resort, which attracted Thai kings and aristocrats in days gone by. Hua Hin is still popular nowadays for its lovely beaches, waterfalls, valleys and caves.
The provincial capital is a fishing port with a superb location beside beautiful curving bays and amongst steep mountain outcrops. About 100 kilometres to the north of Prachuap Khiri Khan is Hua Hin, Thailand's first beach resort which is renowned for golf and spa. Between Hua Hin and Prachuap Khiri Khan are Pranburi with many boutique resorts and Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park with soaring peaks, numerous caves and exotic bird life.
Hua Hin is 281 kilometers south of Bangkok, Hua Hin, which literally means stone head in Thai, is the oldest beach resort of the country and is still very popular. Clean white sand, crystal clear water and a tranquil atmosphere has continued to attract tourists in search of peaceful and relaxing holidays.
The town was originally known as Ban Samoe Rieng, or Ban Laem Hin (Stony Point Village). The construction of a railway station in the city as part of the Southern Railroad in the reign of King Rama VI resulted in making Hua Hin stand out from many quite fishing villages. In addition, the construction of a Summer Palace of King Rama VII totally transformed the village into a high-society resort town for royalty. Even today, the Royal Family continues to reside at the Palace for part of the year.
Hua Hin's consequence came with the opening of the Railway Hotel (known today as the Sofitel Central Hotel), an elegant Victorian-style resort hotel, and also the countrys first standard golf course. A cluster of royal and high-society residences gradually became more visible resulting in the transformation of the whole village into the first seaside resort of the country, where visitors could enjoy swimming, fishing, and golfing in the country's first standard golf course.
Today, Hua Hin is a well-established beach destination with word-class facilities coupled with a true sense of Thai hospitality. Despite its expansive growth and development as a luxurious destination, the splendor of Hua Hin remains intact. Remaining content in itself, Thailand's oldest seaside resort has never sought international recognition. It has continued to provide a peaceful and relaxed sanctuary in a picturesque environment that comes with a true sense of historical identity.
Geography
Prachuab Khiri Khan, a central coastal province, is situated some 281 km from Bangkok, and has an overall area of 6,368 sq km. The province is long and narrow in shape, squeezed between the Gulf of Thailand to the east and Myanmar to the west. The total length of Prachuab Khiri Khan from its northern-most tip to its southern-most point is about 212 km. At its narrowest, it is only 11 km wide from the sea to the border with Myanmar.
The province borders Phetchaburi to the north, Chumphon to the south, the Gulf of Thailand to the east and Myanmar, where the Tanaosi mountain range forms the border, to the west.
Climate
There are 3 seasons in Thailand – hot, rainy and cool. But the period of each region is influenced by differently regional factors.
Hot season in Hua Hin is in March – June. Average temperature is 29 Celsius with high humidity. The day is clear and open and the tide is quite high. You can windsurf and sail in the afternoon.
Rainy season in Hua Hin is in July – October. It is partly cloudy in the morning then cooler in the night with average temperature of 28 Celsius. Rain doesn’t happen everyday but if it does, it will last only 10-20 minutes. It is not often for heavy rain like in other part of the country. The sea is quite calm in the morning and the tide is lower than in summer.
Cool season in Hua Hin is in November – February. There is cool wind in day and cooler in night with average temperature of 26 Celsius. The sun shines all day but not as strong as I hot season. The tide turn in November is high. The winds help with surfing thanks to bigger waves.
Festival
Hua Hin Jazz Festival This is held every June and is a world class event. The three day festival stretches from the railway station down to the beach with markets, vendors, 3 Jazz stages and local hotels offering their finest cuisine. Sponsored by Heineken the Hua Hin Jazz Fesival is a must, not just for those Jazz enthusiasts but for music lovers everywhere.
Kings Cup Elephant Polo The month of September brings the always entertaining elephant polo tournament organised by the Anantara Resort & Spa. Teams from across the globe converge on Hua Hin to climb aboard their ten tonne steeds and do battle. The week long competition climaxes with the final game for the coveted Kings Cup.
Hua Hin Food Festival
This annual event gives local Hoteliers a chance to show off their culinary skills. Held at the end of November the week long festival gives you a chance to sample some of the regions fine cuisine including arguably some of the best seafood in the world.
Hua Hin Golf Festival This competition is usually held in August. It attracts golfers from all over to come and compete on the world class golf courses in Hua Hin. With high stakes and great prizes this is a must for the golfer.
Post and Telephone
Hua Hin has full fledged postal services next to CAT on Damnern kasem opposite City beach Hotel. International calls can be made from CAT and yellow telephone booths around town.
Hua Hin tourist police
Their office is located at the end of Damnoen Kasem Road just before you get to the beach. While the Hua Hin tourist police do not have the same authority as the government police they are very approachable and will assist in all matters for visitors to Hua Hin.
The Hua Hin tourist police station is currently being rebuilt, they can be reached by phone on 1155.
Hua Hin Police and Immigration
The Hua Hin police and immigration center is also located on Damnoen Kasem road, opposite the CAT telecom office and Post Office. The Hua Hin police station can be reached on 032-511027. Emergency numbers are: 191 (police), 195 (crime), 199 (fire). The Hua Hin immigration office is a sub division of Singkhon in Prachuabkhirikhan, they can issue visa extentions, 90 day reports and re-entry permits, call 032-513574 to reach them.
Hua Hin, an important town of Prachuab Khiri Khan province, is well known as Thailand's oldest seaside resort, which attracted Thai kings and aristocrats in days gone by. Hua Hin is still popular nowadays for its lovely beaches, waterfalls, valleys and caves.
The town was originally known as Ban Samoe Rieng, or Ban Laem Hin (Stony Point Village). The construction of a railway station in the city as part of the Southern Railroad in the reign of King Rama VI resulted in making Hua Hin stand out from many quite fishing villages. In addition, the construction of a Summer Palace of King Rama VII totally transformed the village into a high-society resort town for royalty. Even today, the Royal Family continues to reside at the Palace for part of the year.
Today, Hua Hin is a well-established beach destination with word-class facilities coupled with a true sense of Thai hospitality. Despite its expansive growth and development as a luxurious destination, the splendor of Hua Hin remains intact. Remaining content in itself, Thailand's oldest seaside resort has never sought international recognition. It has continued to provide a peaceful and relaxed sanctuary in a picturesque environment that comes with a true sense of historical identity.
Prachuab Khiri Khan, a central coastal province, is situated some 281 km from Bangkok, and has an overall area of 6,368 sq km. The province is long and narrow in shape, squeezed between the Gulf of Thailand to the east and Myanmar to the west. The total length of Prachuab Khiri Khan from its northern-most tip to its southern-most point is about 212 km. At its narrowest, it is only 11 km wide from the sea to the border with Myanmar. 
Hua Hin Jazz Festival
Hua Hin Food Festival
