Hua Hin for a holiday yes or no.

[irlguy1]

Hi guys and girls.

Thinking of trying a few new places with the family this year as well as heading back to Phuket. Any recommendations for Hua Hin accommodation and best way to get there?

Thanks

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[angsta]

Get there from where?

[craigt3365]

I'll leave a link here in the travel forum, but you might get better replies if this is in the Hua Hin forum. So, let's move this topic over there.

Topic Moved.

[irlguy1]

Get there from where?

Meant to say get there from Bangkok.

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[A1Str8]

Yes.

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[hhfarang]

There is a direct bus service from the airport to Hua Hin. It's a private bus company and the bus is medium sized (but a bus, not a minivan) and people say it is comfortable. There is more information on another thread or if you will be coming direct from the airport let us know and someone will find the info for you if you can't locate it. If you're staying in Bangkok and want to come to Hua Hin later, then you basically have five ways to get here, private taxi (around 2k baht), public minivan (it's been a while but I think around 200b pp), big bus (I think also around 200 baht), train, and maybe air (air service is off and on and I don't know which it is right now). Hua Hin is only 2.5 to 3.5 hours by car, minivan, or bus depending on traffic and where in Bangkok you originate. Private taxi will pick you up at your hotel, minivans leave from a couple of places in the city so you have to get there (one is at a major MRT (skytrain) stop. Big buses, other than the airport bus, leave from the southern bus station and you have to take a taxi ride to get to it (make sure you take an express air conditioned bus and not one that stops at every wide spot in the road). Trains stop a lot and take twice as long to get here and depending on the class, cost more than buses and minivans.

As far as accommodation, Hua Hin has hundreds of places to stay all the way from backpacker style to 5+ star hotels. To recommend a hotel members would need to know what you expect in comfort and amenities and what your price range is. I suggest you search a couple of the big hotel booking sites (I think ThaiVisa sponsors one) that give descriptions, photos, location, price, and customer reviews. Bear in mind that many hotels that say they are in Hua Hin are actually several kilometers north or south of town and transportation can be expensive here so if you want to spend a lot of time in central Hua Hin pay particular attention to the location of the hotel.

Edited January 10, 2014 by hhfarang

[ToneG]

Get there from where?

Meant to say get there from Bangkok.

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I'd say yes for a family. i've used the Mini-Bus a few times from Victory Monument. I think last time was 180 bht. Taxi is about 2000

so may be worth paying for that if there's a few of you. Didn't take much longer on the bus and stops right in the centre by the Clock Tower.

agree with others about where to stay if you want to be in the centre don't go further south than Soi 84 (even side) or 65 (odd side) otherwise it's Taxi home. Never stayed North side. One time I stayed at Narawan Soi 94 nice little hotel but miles out. Pity I'd stay there again if it was nearer the centre.

Edited January 10, 2014 by ToneG

[DavidMavec]

I thought it was very crowded, beaches not too nice, really not too great overall. I would go with Koh Chang as a nice beach to visit near BKK.

[Alwyn]

NO

[stevehaigh]

agree with prev two posts. beaches are very dirty, sea is discussing, bar girls are old and skanky, there are many better places.

[UKJASE]

Hua hin is cool.... it has a bit of everything.

good for a family as lots of shopping centres, markets, restaurants, beaches, outdoor activities etc etc, but does not have the seedy underbelly that pattaya has, and no protestors like up in bangkok at present

[watcharacters]

To each his own but me and the wife decided we didn't want to return there again after one visit.

We were lucky to arrive in the first place in the 15 passenger van/bus we took to get there. The driver clearly had a death wish and while I'm OK with that I didn't want to join him at that time.

I've certainly no ax to grind but I do agree with many of the above sentiments.

[lucjoker]

Was there a few years ago (with wife and 2 kids)

lost 2 hours looking for a hotel near the center and near the beach,

nothing clean below 4000 bht/night

Turned the car and went to Cha Aam :lovely room ,big ,new,ac, 800bht/night

on the beach road!

They dont have a beach road in Hua Inn !

We loved it !

[PETERTHEEATER]

agree with prev two posts. beaches are very dirty, sea is discussing, bar girls are old and skanky, there are many better places.

?.......and what, exactly is the sea discussing? The political divide?

[PETERTHEEATER]

agree with prev two posts. beaches are very dirty, sea is discussing, bar girls are old and skanky, there are many better places.

?.......and what, exactly is the sea discussing? The political divide?

[nongsangcity]

not a great holiday destination.....big long beach....not the best......sea well below average not very clean and full of green slime and plenty of very sharp rocks just under the water........bars last time I was there all closed at midnight....women if that's what you are looking for a 3 out of 10..........very very over hyped....stick with Phuket or koh samui or something similar..........

[thepanom]

Yes go to Cha-am !!!

[pasak]

agree with prev two posts. beaches are very dirty, sea is discussing, bar girls are old and skanky, there are many better places.

What is the sea discussing? The skanky hookers? Anyway I agree with you, it is a trashed place and has been so for years. But people continue to arrive in these places... Hua Hin, Pattaya and Phuket etc... in their droves.

[hellodolly]

Was there a few years ago (with wife and 2 kids)

lost 2 hours looking for a hotel near the center and near the beach,

nothing clean below 4000 bht/night

Turned the car and went to Cha Aam :lovely room ,big ,new,ac, 800bht/night

on the beach road!

They dont have a beach road in Hua Inn !

We loved it !

+1

Yes go to Cha-am !!!

+1

[SpoonZie]

i've been coming to Hua Hin Every year from november to april, and i work at The Kitesurfing School opposite market village

Transportation:

1. Bus from Bangkok straight to hua hin (there is a big bus that runs from bangkok airport to hua hin) (lots of room for luggage)

2. Minibus from Victory monument to hua hin (this is also an option but only runs during the day. from around 6am to 6/7pm (minibus so no room for large luggage)

3. Taxi to hua hin. i know of taxi's you can get from Bangkok airport to Hua hin for 1800 baht. if you need help booking it give me a poke on the forums.

Accomodation:

you can find anything from 500 baht a night up to 2000 / 3000 baht a night. depends on what your looking for and for how many people

What to expect in Hua Hin:

on the beach, there are thai people selling horse rides up and down the beach. and also alot of kitesurfers on the beach.

the night life is very quiet in hua hin, one or two nights of drinking and you will of explored most of the bars in hua hin.

there is one large shopping center (Market Village, with plenty of shops, beach access is on opposite side of the road)

if you want any other advice / information just let me know.

[SpoonZie]

i've been coming to Hua Hin Every year from november to april, and i work at The Kitesurfing School opposite market village

Transportation:

1. Bus from Bangkok straight to hua hin (there is a big bus that runs from bangkok airport to hua hin) (lots of room for luggage)

2. Minibus from Victory monument to hua hin (this is also an option but only runs during the day. from around 6am to 6/7pm (minibus so no room for large luggage)

3. Taxi to hua hin. i know of taxi's you can get from Bangkok airport to Hua hin for 1800 baht. if you need help booking it give me a poke on the forums.

Accomodation:

you can find anything from 500 baht a night up to 2000 / 3000 baht a night. depends on what your looking for and for how many people

What to expect in Hua Hin:

on the beach, there are thai people selling horse rides up and down the beach. and also alot of kitesurfers on the beach.

the night life is very quiet in hua hin, one or two nights of drinking and you will of explored most of the bars in hua hin.

there is one large shopping center (Market Village, with plenty of shops, beach access is on opposite side of the road)

if you want any other advice / information just let me know.

[john fogerty]

Yeah, stay away from Hua Hin. We've got enough tourists here at the moment as it is.

[Watertoy]

Yes - the Bus direct from Suvanabumi Airpost to Hua Hin near Soi 96, costs 305 Baht per Adult. I have a Condo which is available for rent and is a 3 minute walk from where the Bus arrives. It is also 500 metres from the beach and a short walk to the Market Village Shopping Centre.

Taxi's to the Golf courses are between 300 to 400 Baht each way.

[DarloKnight]

I love Hua Hin been going for family holidays since 2006 will be back in February stayed in high end hotels Sofitel and Small Thai hotels, now rent a beech side apartment much better when have a teenager. Love the shopping and beach good the further down to monkey mountain. Seen a lot if changes in the last 8 years but still love it, hopefully I will still have the same opinion when we arrive in February. We always get in touch with a private company for transfers from Bangkok to Hua Hin worth the money for a large luxury car.

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[SPIKECM]

I gave some negative comments about Hua Hin and my post got taken off. So, you're not getting a balanced picture here I fear. Hua Hin isn't anyone's idea of Thai paradise. Cha-Am is like Blackpool, but warmer. You're also very likely to be severely ripped off by the beach vendors. I hate the place but I will refrain from using the s*** h*** word so that this gets through the censors.

[craigt3365]

Your previous post was removed from view as it was over the top and used foul language. We don't allow that in this forum. We also don't allow public comments on moderation. FYI.

I've been to soooo many beaches, I'd hate to try to count them. Hua Hin does not have the best beach in the world. But it's OK. And yes, I've been to Blackpool.

You must have had a bad experience with the beach vendors there. I've been several times and never had a problem.

[Hardened Spanker]

Your previous post was removed from view as it was over the top and used foul language. We don't allow that in this forum. We also don't allow public comments on moderation. FYI.

I've been to soooo many beaches, I'd hate to try to count them. Hua Hin does not have the best beach in the world. But it's OK. And yes, I've been to Blackpool.

You must have had a bad experience with the beach vendors there. I've been several times and never had a problem.

So it seems that everyone agrees that Hua Hin's a dive full of skanky hookers but is Cha Am paradise or Blackpool...confused?

[SPIKECM]

Cha Am is no one's idea of paradise. No one's. It is bad, but in a different way bad. Strangest place in Thailand to me. It just doesn't fit into the country. It belongs to somewhere else. I reckon Lancashire UK myself.

I know friends from the UK who have been to Hua Hin and loved it. I think though it is the tourist hotels they like and if they haven't been to Thailand before, then this country is always a pleasure for any first time (but maybe not Cha-Am).

Samui now is not what is used to be and neither is Phuket. I steer clear of all the south now myself. Pattaya for all its negatives can be more like the real Thailand, but definitely not for the uninitiated. Just go off the main tourist areas. Real Thai food and real charming Issan people. They're not all "skanky hookers".

Your previous post was removed from view as it was over the top and used foul language. We don't allow that in this forum. We also don't allow public comments on moderation. FYI.

I've been to soooo many beaches, I'd hate to try to count them. Hua Hin does not have the best beach in the world. But it's OK. And yes, I've been to Blackpool.

You must have had a bad experience with the beach vendors there. I've been several times and never had a problem.

So it seems that everyone agrees that Hua Hin's a dive full of skanky hookers but is Cha Am paradise or Blackpool...confused?

Edited January 13, 2014 by SPIKECM

[SPIKECM]

Maybe someone can clarify the cost of a deckchair on the beach. From my recollection they wanted 200 baht each. That was 800 baht for 4. If we ordered food, that came off, up to 800 baht. I just though that was a rip off. I don't know what they want for a donkey ride, but the last time I was there, I saw no one on them so I can only surmise that they had priced themselves out of the market.

That wouldn't happen in Chiang Mai but the beaches in Hua-Hin are better I admit. They do have ponies at Chiang Mai Night Safari though and they have plenty of business.

Hua Hin is an easy drive from Bangkok and it is about the same from Chiang Mai as Pattaya, so this its attraction for me. For people flying from abroad for a holiday, I think it would be a big mistake to go to Hua Hin or Cha Am. It would be a big disappointment is they had been to Samui or Phuket before. That is mainly what I am saying.

Your previous post was removed from view as it was over the top and used foul language. We don't allow that in this forum. We also don't allow public comments on moderation. FYI.

I've been to soooo many beaches, I'd hate to try to count them. Hua Hin does not have the best beach in the world. But it's OK. And yes, I've been to Blackpool.

You must have had a bad experience with the beach vendors there. I've been several times and never had a problem.

Edited January 13, 2014 by SPIKECM

[hhfarang]

Hua Hin was a wonderful relaxed and quiet family destination 8 to 10 years ago with just enough night life to make it interesting, but has gradually grown (sometimes seems like exploded) into a very busy small city that now has traffic and parking problems rivaling Bangkok (especially on weekends and holidays). It is expensive, probably in the top three or four places to visit in Thailand in that category. It has a beach, but not as nice as the beaches further south and the water is murky, dirty, and sometimes dangerous due to sharp barnacles on submerged rocks and to jellyfish. It's proximity to Bangkok has caused thousands of condos to seemingly spring up overnight in both Hua Hin and nearby Takiab which are mostly weekend escapes for wealthier Bangkok Thais. The property market has exploded so that land that was 500k baht per rai (in some near central locations) when I moved here is now going for 20m per rai so only the very rich can afford a nice home with a decent sized garden anywhere near the center of town or ocean. There are a few nightlife areas but nothing like Pattaya, Samui, Phuket, or Bangkok so I guess it's still more of a family destination than those. Crime has also risen in recent years, but it is still safer than those other places too. It's a golfer's paradise if you have lots of money as the golf courses are tourist priced. One thing where Hua Hin actually excels is in variety of food for a Thai city of its size. Good cheap Thai food can be found everywhere and almost every kind of western or other Asian food is available as well in all price (and quality) ranges.

So Hua Hin may be a great place to visit or the worst vacation you ever had depending on your expectations. It sure is crowded with Scandinavian tourists or seasonal residents at the moment so some people like it. As far as the expat population is concerned, it is mostly a retirement destination for Scandinavians and U.K. pensioners with a smattering of Canadians, other Europeans, Australians, and a few from the U.S.

If you've never been here before, I wouldn't plan an entire holiday here but a three day side visit from Bangkok would let you know if you like it or not for a longer visit later.