Hua Hin

 Hua Hin was the first beach resort in Thailand mainly because the King at the time built a summer palace in the area, It became a place to visit for the rich and famous of Bangkok due to its Royal connections and is now a destination, not only for foreign tourists but also for Bangkok's hoi polloi, especially at weekends. 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, we were in the habit of holidaying in Phuket and did so for many years, except for 2004, the year of the tsunami when for some unknown reason I persuaded the family to try Hua Hin for a change. They were not that keen when we arrived and they tried to persuade me to move on to Phuket but I held firm and we, thankfully, were saved from the tsunami. 

In the 1920s the railway came to Hua Hin and an iconic, impressive railway station was built together with a Royal pavilion or waiting room for the Royal Family. Changes are now underway as a new dual railway line to the South of Thailand is under construction to replace the current single track. This includes a new elevated station for Hua Hin. 

The Royal Pavilion, Hua Hin

New station under construction, Hua Hin

The old railway station, Hua Hin

The Beach, Hua Hin

We had decided to stay 2 nights in Hua Hin and a visit to Father Teds, an Irish Pub, confirmed we had made the right decision as on Wednesday night the Bangkok Beatles were playing. We have been watching this band play for around 15 years in various Irish pubs in Bangkok and were delighted at the opportunity to see them again so we booked a table. Just as well we did as the place was packed to the rafters.

The Bangkok Beatles in Hua Hin