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Cha-Am & Hua Hin
The town of Cha-Am, in Petchburi Province, is steeped in history. It was here that one of Ayutthaya's greatest king stopped over with his troops, dismounting to admired the view and clean their riding saddles - hence the resort's name derived from the Thai word cha-an, "the saddle".
Later on, it was the building of the railway line down to the Malaysian border during the early years of this century which turned Cha-Am and its neighbour, Hua Hin, from tiny fishing communities into a royal resort.
That immense sweep of beach on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand proved irresistible to Thailand's arristocracy, and beautiful beach-side houses began to appear along the coastline. In 1926, King Prachatipok set the Royal seal of approval by himself building a summer palace on the beach, which he named "Klai Kangwon" , or "Far From Worries". And ever since, although luxury hotels and condominiums have taken the palace of aristocratic beach houses, Cha-Am and Hua Hin have retained an air of style of elegance, located on the sunrise side of the Gulf of Thailand, Cha-Am and Hua Hin are well established beach destinations, with full facility. But unlike Pattaya on the opposite side of the Gulf these two resorts provides a quieter more relaxed retreat amid surroundings which present a typical Thai ambience.
Both are well suited for families or for those who wish simply to escape city bustle.
Today, Cha-Am and Hua Hin are homes to a magnificent holiday retreat.
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