Luxury holidays in Hua Hin
Of course, the rest of society followed suit. Enchanted by the feather-soft, white-powder beach, successive monarchs built summer palaces in and around what was once a small village on the Gulf of Thailand’s north-west coast. Since then, Hua Hin has grown into a peaceful paradise of seaside chic, with manicured golf courses, world-class spas, sleek hotels and a smattering of appetising seafood restaurants both here and in smaller neighbour Cha-Am. After enduring the frenetic urban hum of Bangkok, it’s the perfect escape for some lazy beach-based bliss.
When to go
Although it’s drier than much of the country during monsoon season (June–October), this region is best visited from November to March, when it’s sunny by day and often cool at night. Hua Hin, like Bangkok, gets horribly hot between April and May. Even worse than the heat, though, are the traffic jams on Fridays and Saturdays; head to Hua Hin on a weekday and you’ll have the whole place to yourself.