Hua Hin is a playground of Bangkok’s elite.
It was an uninhabited stretch of coastline until 1834 when a group of farmers in Phetchaburi province to the North were hit by a drought and found a small village here.
In 1921, when this train line was being built, a Railway Hotel was built close to the beach, and Prince Krom Phra Naresworarit build the first of a series of royal palaces built around here. Once the southern line was built, it became a popular beach resort for the upper crust of Bangkok seeking to escape the city.
Considering the town’s Royal Patronage, Hua Hin has avoided a lot of the grimier sides of Thai tourism, making it a great place to visit with families, and still a preferred respite for Bangkok’s upper class. There are is an annual jazz festival in June, a vintage car rally that ends here in December, and a kite-flying festival every when the monsoon comes. Its also a golfer’s paradise, with 7 courses within 30 minutes drive, including right next to the station.
If you want to stretch your legs and are happy to get the next train, take a walk from the station away from the coast up on the hill on the other side of the golf course. Khao Hin Lek Fai park offers nature, monkeys, and a good view of Hua Hin and the coastline.
