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Hua Hin History
Back in the year 1834 before the name Hua Hin was created,
some agricultural areas of the Phetchaburi Province was hit by a severe drought. A group of farmers had to move southwards
until they found a small village which had white bright sandy beaches and a row of rocks along the beach. They settled in
the place and gave it a name Samore Riang which means rows of rock.
Just shortly after World War I, during the reign of Rama VI, the Southern Railroad was
built to give people chances to travel overland in comfort all the way to the Malaysian border. Since then, the spacious beaches
of Hua Hin have enjoyed a solid reputation as "the famous seaside resort of Siam" where visitors could enjoy not only swimming
and fishing, but also golf on the country's first standard course.
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Hua Hin's rise came with the opening of the Railway Hotel, built by Prince Purachatra,
the Director General of the State Railways, after the Southern line was completed. It was an elegant Victorian structure on
the shore with vast rooms, private verandah, fancy fretwork decoration and wi ckerwork chairs in the lounge. There was a formal
garden containing topiary and sand; not far away, an excellent golf course with meticulously tended greens, awaited golf professionals
and amateurs.
Located in Prachabkirikhan province about 281 kilometers south of Bangkok, Hua Hin, which
literally means stone head in Thai, is the oldest beach resort of the country and is still very popular and is a royal beach town
famed for  chic boutique resorts and golfers’ paradise and a royal beach town. Clean white sand, crystal clear water and a
tranquil atmosphere has continued to attract tourists in search of peaceful and relaxing holidays.
Soon afterwards the elite of Bangkok society began flocking to Hua Hin, at first to stay in the
hotel and later in bungalows they built along the beach. One of them, Princess Chumbhot of Nakorn Sawan, recalls that the first of
the holiday residences was called Saen Samran House and belonged to Prince Nares, a son of King Chulalongkorn. Not far down the shore
was a sizeable compound belonging to the Prince of Chanthaburi. Prince Chakrabongse built a complex of bungalows, together with a
Victorian-style gazebo on a scenic group of rocks near Hua Hin Village and this place, later, was selected as a venue in the film
"The Devil's Paradise", as well as the Railway Hotel, which portrayed Phnom Penh's leading hotel in the hectic days just before
that city's fall in the film "The Killing Fields".
Princess Chumbhot was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Rambhai Barni and remembers being part of
a royal party which spent several weeks at Prince Nares' palace in 1926. His Majesty King Prajadhipok was there to plan a summer
palace on the beach, to be designed by one of Prince  Nares' sons and completed shortly afterwards, the palace was named: Klai Kang
Won, which means "Far From Worries." Klai  Kangwon Palace is still an official royal residence and is open to the public on a daily
basis. It is still frequently used by members of the Thai Royal Family.
At around the same time a Scottish railway engineer by the name of O. A. Robins designed
and built Thailand’s first golf course. Opened in 1924 and less than one kilometer from the center of town, the Royal Hua Hin Golf
Course also became a major reason to visit Hua Hin.
In the year 1932 Hua Hin was part of the PranBuri district. Until the year 1949 Hua Hin was
promoted to be in the district of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province. After the building of southern route railway Hua Hin became the
first and most popular beach resort of Thailand.
Nowadays, among the changes and development of the world, Hua Hin's pleasures are still placid,
not all that different, indeed, from those enjoyed by the aristocratic visitors of its past. That's Hua Hin - the charming resort town
with a sense of history and a peaceful but scenic atmosphere. That's beloved Hua Hin - the Royal Land.
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