As much as people like to bemoan the crowds (still paltry when compared to Florida or France or even Pattaya), few beaches in Thailand are as broad, soft and accommodating as 8km-long Hat Hua Hin. By day, horses roam the sands with their jockeys, looking for children to take on short rides; rented jet skis churn circles in the water; banana boats speed past with screaming teens in tow; and kitesurfers dot the skies from November to April.
At night, karaoke crooning can be heard from the occasional seaside restaurant and the waters light up with fluorescent green-tipped ships, fishing for squid attracted to the color. For some people in search of real peace and quiet, this may seem like a bit too much activity. But for others in search of beachy fun (and things to do as a family) relatively close to Bangkok, there are few places around that beat Hua Hin.
At the crack of dawn (around 6am), monks start strolling the beach, granting blessings to people who offer them food to make merit. If you are so inclined, you can make an offering too, as long as it’s in a portable bag – Buddhism dictates that monks can’t be picky about what food they are given. Women must make sure not to touch the monks but only the offering bowl. You can then receive a blessing from the monk, which is received with your hands in a wai (palms-together Thai greeting) and your head bowed.
A number of kitesurfing (and kiteboarding) schools operate on the beach, including KBA Kitesurfing School (facebook.com/kitethailand; 1hr lesson 2200฿), which is open year-round, Surfspot Hua Hin (surfspotthailand.com; 6hr class 7900฿) and Efoil Thailand (efoilthailand.com; 1hr 3500฿), which focuses on a sailing/surfing hybrid called windfoiling. All rent out equipment if you are more experienced.
DIY kind of people can rent their own jet skis (30 minutes around 700฿) on the beach or take a banana boat ride (15 minutes for up to five people 500฿). As for horseback rides, they can cost between 400฿ for 20 minutes up to 1000฿ for an hour, but photos will cost 50฿ extra per person.
