Hua Hin District (Amphoe Hua Hin)
Hua Hin district is in the middle of what the Thai government is promoting as the "Thai Riviera", the stretch of coastline between Phetchaburi in the north and Chumphon in the south.
In 1834, before the name Hua Hin was coined, some agricultural areas of Phetchaburi province 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 (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 (Rama IX), until health issues forced him to return to Siriraj Hospital 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. After the building of Thailand's southern railway connected the district with Bangkok 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.
Map - Hua Hin District (Amphoe Hua Hin)
Map
Country - Thailand
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Tai peoples migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 11th century. Indianised kingdoms such as the Mon, Khmer Empire and Malay states ruled the region, competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of Ngoenyang, Sukhothai, Lan Na and Ayutthaya, which also rivalled each other. European contact began in 1511 with a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya, which became a regional power by the end of the 15th century. Ayutthaya reached its peak during the 18th century, until it was destroyed in the Burmese–Siamese War. Taksin quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived Thonburi Kingdom. He was succeeded in 1782 by Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, the first monarch of the current Chakri dynasty. Throughout the era of Western imperialism in Asia, Siam remained the only nation in the region to avoid colonization by foreign powers, although it was often forced to make territorial, trade and legal concessions in unequal treaties. The Siamese system of government was centralised and transformed into a modern unitary absolute monarchy in the reign of Chulalongkorn. In World War I, Siam sided with the Allies, a political decision made in order to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless revolution in 1932, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, becoming an ally of Japan in World War II. In the late 1950s, a military coup under Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat revived the monarchy's historically influential role in politics. Thailand became a major ally of the United States, and played an anti-communist role in the region as a member of the failed SEATO, but from 1975 sought to improve relations with Communist China and Thailand's neighbours.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| THB | Thai baht | ฿ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| TH | Thai language |