In the 1920s, when the King of Siam commissioned the building of a royal retreat at Hua Hin, he fundamentally changed the path of this once-sleepy fishing village. Vacationing Thais followed in his footsteps and made this one of the nation's most sought-after getaways. The world's top international hotel chains didn't catch onto Hua Hin's success until the 1980s, and the years to follow saw HOTELS IN Hua Hin and Cha am becoming leaders in Thailand's tourism industry. The opening of Hua Hin Airport gives travelers the option of flying in, even though Hua Hin is only three hours' drive from Bangkok.
The main beach area in Hua Hin features high-rise HOTELS AND trendy resorts, with bungalows and chalets on either side. Life on this crescent-shaped beach couldn't be more relaxing. From a beach chair, calm waters stretch to cover the horizon while Khao Takiap mountain looms in the background. A bus from the waterfront links to a mountaintop temple with commanding views of the resorts in Cha am and Hua Hin as well as the surrounding countryside.