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Hua Hin ( th, หัวหิน, ) is one of eight districts (''
amphoe An amphoe (sometimes also ''amphur'', th, อำเภอ, )—usually translated as "district"—is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Groups of ''amphoe'' or districts make up the provinces, and are analogous to countie ...
'') of Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the northern part of the
Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...
in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
. Its seat of government, also named Hua Hin, is a beach resort town. The district's population was estimated at 65,983 in December 2019 by the Bureau of Registration Administration in an area of . By road, it is south-southwest of Bangkok. Hua Hin district is in the middle of what the Thai government is promoting as the "Thai Riviera", the stretch of coastline between
Phetchaburi Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (''buri'' meaning "city" in Sanskrit). It is approx ...
in the north and
Chumphon Chumphon ( th, ชุมพร, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Chumphon Province and Mueang Chumphon District. The city is about 463 kilometers (288 miles) from Bangkok. As of 2005 it had a population of ...
in the south.


History

In 1834, before the name Hua Hin was coined, some agricultural areas of
Phetchaburi province Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is one of the western or central provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. In the w ...
were hit by severe drought. A group of farmers moved south until they found a small village that had bright white sand and a row of rocks along the beach. They settled there and gave it the name ''Samore Riang'' (''Samo Riang''), which means 'rows of rocks'. In 1921 the director of the state railway, Prince Purachatra, built the Railway Hotel close to the beach. Prince Krom Phra Naresworarit was the first member of the royal family to build a group of palaces at Ban Laem Hin, called Sukaves, and gave the beach next to his palace the name "Hua Hin". King
Prajadhipok Prajadhipok ( th, ประชาธิปก, RTGS: ''Prachathipok'', 8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941), also Rama VII, was the seventh monarch of Siam of the Chakri dynasty. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and ...
(Rama VII) liked the place so much that he built a summer palace there which was later named ''Klai Kang Won'' ('far from worries'). From 2004 until 2006 it was the full-time residence of
King Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
(Rama IX), until health issues forced him to return to
Siriraj Hospital Siriraj Hospital ( th, โรงพยาบาลศิริราช; ) is the oldest and largest hospital in Thailand. It is in Bangkok on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Thammasat University's Tha Phrachan campus. It is the ...
in Bangkok, where medical facilities and physicians were closer at hand. In 1932 Hua Hin was part of Pran Buri district as a minor district (''king amphoe''). In 1949 Hua Hin became a separate district of
Prachuap Khiri Khan Prachuap Khiri Khan ( th, ประจวบคีรีขันธ์, ) is a town in western Thailand. It is the capital of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and is on the coast at one of the narrowest stretches in Thailand, only from the border ...
. After the building of Thailand's southern railway connected the district with
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
along with various destinations en route, Hua Hin became the first and most popular beach resort in the country. Over the five year period from 2014–2019, the number of Thai and foreign visitors to Hua Hin has risen six percent per year. In August 2016, there were four bomb blasts in Hua Hin over a period of 24 hours. One person died, 20 others were injured. In the aftermath of the bombing 90 security cameras were installed and are monitored by the Tourist Police. Another 60 cameras are monitored by the municipal office. There are plans to install several hundred more.


Climate

Hua Hin has a
tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Aw''). Historically, temperatures are very warm to hot throughout the year, with only small variations. The year begins with the
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
(December–April), before the monsoon arrives in May. Rains ease somewhat from June to August before the heaviest rains begin in September and continue through November.


Administration


Central administration

Hua Hin district is divided into seven sub-districts (''
tambon ''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...
s''), which are further subdivided into 63 administrative villages (''
muban Muban ( th, หมู่บ้าน; , ) is the lowest administrative sub-division of Thailand. Usually translated as 'village' and sometimes as 'hamlet', they are a subdivision of a tambon (subdistrict). , there were 74,944 administrative mu ...
s'').


Local administration

There is one town (''
thesaban mueang Thesaban ( th, เทศบาล, , ) are the municipalities of Thailand. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities not included in the ''thesaban'' system. The mu ...
'') in the district: * Hua Hin (Thai: ) consisting of sub-districts Hua Hin and Nong Kae. There is one sub-district municipality (''
thesaban tambon Thesaban ( th, เทศบาล, , ) are the municipalities of Thailand. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities not included in the ''thesaban'' system. The mu ...
'') in the district: * Nong Phlap (Thai: ) consisting of parts of sub-district Nong Phlap. There are five sub-district administrative organizations (SAO) in the district: * Hin Lek Fai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Hin Lek Fai. * Nong Phlap (Thai: ) consisting of parts of sub-district Nong Phlap. * Thap Tai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Thap Tai. * Huai Sat Yai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Huai Sat Yai. * Bueng Nakhon (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Bueng Nakhon.


Environment

The quality of the waters of the Gulf of Thailand off central Hua Hin were rated " good to fair" in 2016 by the Pollution Control Department.


Boundaries

Hua Hin district is bordered by: *North: Cha-am district,
Phetchaburi province Phetchaburi ( th, เพชรบุรี, ) or Phet Buri () is one of the western or central provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ratchaburi, Samut Songkhram, and Prachuap Khiri Khan. In the w ...
. *East: Gulf of Thailand *West:
Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
(Burma) *South: Pran Buri district, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.


Transport

Hua Hin is served by road, rail, and sea routes. The main station is
Hua Hin railway station Hua Hin railway station is a train station located in Hua Hin Subdistrict, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, and is located from Thon Buri railway station and 850 m (0.5 mi) from Hua Hin Beach by Damnoen Kasam Road. It is a class 1 ...
and it is the northernmost station in the district. Smaller stations are also located in the area including
Nong Kae railway station Nong Kae railway station is a railway station located in Nong Kae Subdistrict, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Prachuap Khiri Khan. It is a class 3 railway station located from Thon Buri railway station. 2007 rail accident On 1 ...
which is closer to Khao Takiap, Suan Son Pradiphat Railway Halt, close to Suan Son Pradiphat Beach and Rajabhakti Park as well as
Khao Tao railway station Khao Tao railway station is a railway station located in Nong Kae Subdistrict, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Prachuap Khiri Khan. It is a class 3 railway station located from Thon Buri railway station. 2009 rail accident On 5 ...
. , work is underway on the construction of double tracks from Bangkok's
Bang Sue Central Station Bang Sue Grand Station ( th, สถานีกลางบางซื่อ, , ; ), also known by its ceremonial name Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station ( th, สถานีกลางกรุงเทพอภิวัฒน์, , ...
to
Chumphon Chumphon ( th, ชุมพร, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Chumphon Province and Mueang Chumphon District. The city is about 463 kilometers (288 miles) from Bangkok. As of 2005 it had a population of ...
. Trains will travel the route at up to 160 kilometres per hour. The new tracks—due to be completed in 2022—will enable trains to travel the Bangkok–Hua Hin segment in "two to three hours" according to a
State Railway of Thailand The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) ( th, การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย, abbrev. รฟท., ) is the state-owned rail operator under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport in Thailand. History The SRT was ...
(SRT) spokesman. As a comparison, , SRT's Train 44 travels from Hua Hin to Bangkok's Bangkok Railway Station in three hours and thirty-three minutes (02:22–05:55). Plans for
high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines ...
from Bangkok to
Surat Thani Surat Thani ( th, สุราษฎร์ธานี, ) is a city in Amphoe Mueang Surat Thani, Surat Thani Province, southern Thailand. It lies south of Bangkok. It is the capital of Surat Thani Province. The city has a population of 1 ...
which would serve Hua Hin en route, have been shelved due to lack of investor interest. Khao Takiap, at the southern end of Hua Hin Beach separating Hua Hin and Suan Son Pradiphat Beaches There is daily ferry service between Hua Hin and Pattaya. In November 2018, Hua Hin deputy chief Chareewat Phramanee confirmed the ferry service, suspended due to low tourist numbers during low season, would be up and running again for high season between Hua Hin and Pattaya, a 2.5 hour journey on a catamaran with a maximum capacity of 340.
Hua Hin Airport Hua Hin Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานหัวหิน) is an international airport serving Hua Hin District in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand. Airport upgrade In August 2018 the Department of Airports announced tha ...
is in Hua Hin District.
AirAsia Capital A Berhad, () operating as AirAsia (stylized as ''airasia'') is a Malaysian multinational low-cost airline headquartered near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia operate ...
serves the airport with a direct flight to
Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...
. In August 2018 the Department of Airports announced that it will spend 3.5 billion
baht The baht (; th, บาท, ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. Society for Worldw ...
to upgrade Hua Hin Airport over the next five years. The number of travellers using the airport is expected to increase by tenfold, to three million a year, in that time frame. The upgrade is part of the "Riviera Thailand" and Southern Economic Corridor projects. The work at the airport will take four to five years. It includes enlarging the existing passenger terminal, building a second one, expanding hangar space, and widening the runway from 30 to 45 metres.


Education

Hua Hin and Cha-am host a number of tertiary education institutions such as Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital,
Silpakorn University Silpakorn University (SU.) ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร; ) is a national university in Thailand. The university was founded in Bangkok in 1943 by Tuscan–born art professor Corrado Feroci, who took the Thai name S ...
, Suan Dusit Rajabhat (Hospitality) University, and the Petchaburi Technology and Agricultural University.
Webster University Thailand Webster University Thailand (WUT) is an international campus of Webster University from Webster Groves, Missouri, US. The US-based non-profit university established its international campus in Thailand in 1999 with an undergraduate campus near ...
had a campus near Hua Hin,but ceased operations on December 31st, 2021. The Rajamangala University of Technology also has a campus in the vicinity, the Rattanakosin (Wangklaikangwon Campus).


See also

* Ko Sai (Islands off Hua Hin) * Cha-am district


References


External links

*
Thai PBS video พินิจนคร (Season 1) ตอน หัวหิน: หัวหิน...เส้นทางตากอากาศสายประวัติศาสตร์ [Pinijnakorn (Season 1) Hua Hin...historic resort route]
(Thai) {{Authority control
Hua Hin Hua Hin ( th, หัวหิน, ) is one of eight districts (''amphoe'') of Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Its seat of government, also named Hua Hin, is a beach resort town. The district ...
Hua Hin Hua Hin ( th, หัวหิน, ) is one of eight districts (''amphoe'') of Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Its seat of government, also named Hua Hin, is a beach resort town. The district ...
Cities and towns in Thailand