Visiting Hua Hin in Thailand

Hua Hin is in northern part of the Malay Peninsula, about 200 miles from Bangkok. It is one of the safest and most underrated resorts in Thailand.

This is due to the King (Bhumibol Adulyadej) having his holiday palace in the town, which means there are troops stationed on the outskirts of the town as well as the navy being situated just offshore. However, like any place, you should be sensible and take precautions whether you're swimming or partying. Here are a few things to watch out for:

Bhumibol Adulyadej (The King of Thailand)

And His Wife

King of Thailand

Beautiful Blue Water in The Gulf of Thailand

Man Swimming in the Sea

Swimming In Hua Hin

Watch Out For The Jelly Fish

Swimming: the coastline in Hua Hin is a great place to swim, however watch out for jellyfish which can give a nasty sting.

The Jelly Fish to watch out for are called "Box Jellyfish". Their venom is extremely powerful and stings will be very painful and in extreme cases could be fatal!

They only appear at certain times of the year and signs will be posted up on the beach. Ask at your hotel or at one of the beach restaurants to make sure.

Beware of The Jelly Fish

Ouch!

Jelly Fish Warning on The Beach

Soi Dogs in Hua Hin

Woof!

Dogs: Hua Hin is full of 'Soi dogs' - wild dogs that roam the streets looking for scraps to eat. Most of them are perfectly fine and do not bite (although on the outskirts of town and in the country where they're not so used to passersby they do like to chase you if you're on a push bike - which can be quite scary - trust me, I know!) Even if they are being friendly, though, it's best not to start stroking them as many of them are quite dirty and flea ridden

Sleeping Wild Dogs

Soi Dogs

Sleeping Sio Dogs

Drinking Monkey

Me Giving a Monkey a Drink of Water

Drinking Monkey

Monkeys on Monkey Mountain

Khao Takiab

Monkeys: Monkey Mountain in Khao Takiab is a great place to visit to get up close and personal with loads (literally loads!) of monkeys, but keep a tight grip on cameras, bags, sunglasses etc as these monkeys are complete kleptomaniacs and they're not shy about it!

Whilst there you can buy bunches of Bananas and other local fruit to feed the Monkeys. This is only for the brave and is not suitable for children as they tend to jump all over you.

Thai Mother Monkey and Her Baby

A very Common Sight on Monkey Mountain

Monther Mokey and Her Baby

Driving in Hua Hin

Be careful

Driving: roads in Thailand are notoriously crazy and Hua Hin can be no different. The driving test here is not quite as tough as in the West so many people's driving skills are quite rudimentary. The basic rule of thumb is to give way to larger vehicles and to stay well back from the car or truck in front. The 'police box' roundabout at the top of Soi 70 where the train tracks are is the trickiest spot in town to negotiate but keep calm, be patient and keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. It goes without saying: don't drink and drive. You should always wear a helmet too if you're on a scooter - the police often pull drivers over for a fine if you're spotted without one.

Crazy Thai Traffic

Scooters and Tuk Tuks

Traffic in Hua Hin

Safety First

Safety: like anywhere, pick pocketing and bag snatching happens so keep an eye on your belongings and be sensible about flashing large amounts of cash around, especially in the night markets. There have been stories about the road that runs alongside the railway tracks being prone to bag snatchers on scooters, so ladies, try and wear a bag that has a strap you can wear across your body.