Having previously written a lot about Hua Hin, perhaps now would be a great time to write about how you get from Bangkok to Hua Hin and back again.
For the uninitiated Hua Hin is either the 3rd place in the world to retire, or a shit version of Soi 6 in Pattaya…….
What the Hua Hin?
I wont go crazy into an explanation on Hua Hin other than that it is a beach town and popular with retirees. If you are looking for the rough and tumble of Thailand you will not find it here, with it in general being one of the more expensive, but safer places that you can visit in Thailand.
So, why come here? Its a few hours from Thailand and aside from Pattaya offers the closest beach to the capital. No matter who you are you can only spent so much time in Bangkok…
You can read my hanging in Hua Hin guide here.
How do you get from Bangkok to Hua Hin
Getting from Bangor to Hua Hin will mean driving for just under 3 hours, taking a bus for just over 3 hours, or taking a train for, well however long it takes (usually 4 hours).
I have personally always gone for the train here, with cost and duration being very much a question of class.
The worst you can do here is get a seat, which is like second class, this costs $10, but is boring as hell. Above this is sleeping class for $20, where comfy seats get converted into beds, while the bottom end of the scale is 3rd class. This involves open windows for AC and open carriages where you can go to smoke. Overall very civilized at a cost of $2.
Eating on the train from Bangkok to Hua Hin
I take the train a lot in Thailand usually from Bangkok to the border of Cambodia, which is again by third class. I love a lot about this journey, one of the which is the food.
Now this is not fine dining, but this is street food dining on a train. Hawkers get on with ready made meals, cured eggs, meat on a stick, sticky rice, as well as super cold drinks, sell their wares and then get off at the next stop. There is something brutally capitalistic about this I love and have enjoyed in many places, such as on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
And as for Hua Hin to Bangkok – same same, but different….
If you like taking trains then join me on the YPT Ultimate South-East Asia adventure.