The 21st Annual Meeting of
Thai Hip & Knee Society (THKS)
and 2019 Asia Pacific Hip Society (APHS)
ABOUT HUA HIN
Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s premier beach resort towns on the Gulf of Thailand, is less than 200 km south of Bangkok, making it one of the most popular weekend getaway destinations for city residents. A resort equally popular with young couples and families, tourists and Thais, Hua Hin is also the location of the King of Thailand’s summer palace, Klai Kang Won, which means “Far from Worries.” Hua Hin features a beautiful, powdery sand beach, numerous seaside seafood restaurants, a lively night market, numerous beach activities, and some great inland activities, not least of which is golfing at some of Thailand’s most renowned courses. Just down the coast at Takiab Bay, visitors can take seaside horseback rides and visit a hilltop Buddhist temple with a spectacular view. Accommodation along the beach and on the streets leading away from the sea ranges from simple guesthouses to luxury resorts, and includes some of the finest spa-retreats in the world. Hua Hin is accessible via train, bus, or car and the seaside community of 60,000 residents is a fine example of warm and welcoming Thai hospitality.
Hua Hin is an Amphoe in Prachuap Kiri Khan Province. Sitting on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is 90 kilometers away from Prachuap Kiri Khan City and borders Amphoe Cha-am of Petchaburi Province.
Hua Hin is one of the top tourist destinations of Thailand from its great amount of attractions and activities – plus it isn’t far from Bangkok. The city has many incredible beaches, mountains, viewpoints, temples, night markets, water parks, and fine diners for you to choose from and enjoy at any time of the year.
Pala-U Waterfall, which is located in Kaeng Krachan National Park, is also a great butterfly watching spot.
Key Tips
- The office of the Tourist Police is located at the end of Damnoen Kasem Road at the entrance to the beach.
- The Hua Hin Police Station is located on Damnoen Kasem Road, opposite to the CAT offices and Post Office. Its telephone number is 1155.
The temple and beach at Khao Tao are just one of the top day trip options from Hua Hin © Alexander Shalamov / Getty Images
Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
Hugging the coastline 40km south of Hua Hin, Khao Sam Roi Yot is visited by Thais in their droves. What draws them here is Tham Praya Nakhon, a spectacular, light-filled cave that houses a meeting hall built for King Rama V in 1890. Once you’ve marvelled at this cave there are many other less-visited caverns to explore, glistening with stalactites and stalagmites, such as Tham Kaew and Tham Sai.
The park is a paradise for bird-watchers too – it sits at the intersection of the East Asian and Australian migration routes and is home to 300 different bird species – and you’ll also find Thailand’s largest freshwater marsh here, as well as sandy beaches accessed by boat.
Kaeng Krachan National Park
Thailand’s largest national park, Kaeng Krachan is nestled surprisingly close to civilisation, its southern edge a mere 35km from Hua Hin, but sees relatively few visitors, especially during the week. In the mornings, a mist hangs over the park, the peaks of the highest hills poking through it, before clearing to reveal a genuine wilderness: an extension of a huge rain forest that stretches deep into neighbouring Myanmar, complete with waterfalls, tangled jungle trails, a lake and two rivers.
All manner of wildlife roams here: elephant herds, wild deer, leopards, even the odd tiger. The animals you’re most likely to encounter are various varieties of monkeys: gibbons, macaques and langurs, as well as over 400 species of birds and countless different butterflies fluttering around. And everywhere you look, the park is bursting with extravagant fauna.
Most of the animals lurk deep in the park, making it best to visit here with both transport and a guide who knows the place.
The magical atmosphere of Phraya Nakhon Cave makes it a worthwhile stop on any tour of the region © goodze / Getty Images
Linger with the langurs in Kaeng Krachan National Park © Prasit Chansareekon / Getty Images
Phetchaburi
A stark contrast with hectic Hua Hin, Phetchaburi is a laidback provincial town jammed with traditional teak shophouses and a staggering number of temples that offer wide-eyed visitors a visible timeline of the different dynasties and kingdoms that have ruled Thailand.
Phra Nakhon Khiri National Park is the place to start your Phetchaburi tour, a royal palace that sits atop a hill with excellent views of the town. Either walk up past the macaque monkeys that infest the place (keep a firm hold of camera bags and don’t bring food with you), or catch the cute tram that chugs up and down the hill. From the top, strike out in almost any direction and you’ll soon bump into temples that date back as far as the 12th century. Must-sees are Wat Kamphaeng Laeng, a relic of the time when the Khmer kingdom stretched deep into Thailand, and the gleaming, all-white Wat Mahathat Worawihan, located in the heart of Phetchaburi’s oldest district whose atmospheric streets are lined with wooden shophouses. End your tour at Phra Ram Ratchaniwet, a stunning art nouveau summer palace built for King Rama V.
HOW TO GET TO HUA HIN
1. How to get from Bangkok to Hua Hin by bus, minibus and train. The details are available at the following link: https://kiwitaxi.com/blog/how-to-get/bangkok-hua-hin/
2. How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Hua Hin by plane. The only direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Hua Hin is operated by Air Asia, which takes roughly 1 hour. The ticket price is 630-1,000 Baht. For more details, please visit the following link: https://12go.asia/en/travel/kuala-lumpur/hua-hin
However, there are many direct flights available from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok through many airlines.
Bus
There are three different bus services that run from or through Hua Hin. The blue air con busses to and from Bangkok, VIP and other a/c buses that head south and the local orange buses that go to Pranburi and Petchaburi.
Read more about Hua Hin buses »
Taxi
There are a number of taxi services in Hua Hin ranging from small tuk-tuk and minivan taxis to full limousines and VIP services.
Read more about Hua Hin taxi »
Train
As Hua Hin is on the main (and only) north-south train line, it is easy to travel up to Bangkok or down to the deep south.
Read more about Hua Hin trains »
Air
Located about a 15 minute drive north of Hua Hin town centre, the airport has had a somewhat chequered past.
Read more about Hua Hin airport »
Car Hire
Hiring a car is a great way to get around town as a family or visit places further afield. There are a number of Hua Hin car rental and Hua Hin car hire services in town but they are not all as reputable as they seem.
Read more about Hua Hin car rental »
Minivan
Unless you’re travelling under your own steam, the usual ways to get from Hua Hin to Bangkok are either by taxi, air conditioned bus or train. There is another quick alternative, however, and that’s by minivan.
Read more about Hua Hin minvan »
Ferry
Ferry services start up and are cancelled just as quick – we have no current info on ferry services from Hua Hin.
HUA HIN IN DETAIL
Hua Hin Police
The police station is situated on Damnoen Kasem Road, opposite the CAT offices and Post Office. Tel 032 511027. Emergency numbers are 191 (police), 195 (crime), 199 (fire).
Hua Hin Immigration
This office recently relocated to the beach road, near 19 Rai Queen Sirikit Park. Until this relocation, the local office was a subsiduary of Singkhon Immigration in Prachuabkirikhan, but the latter has now closed and the staff have moved to Hua Hin. They can issue visa extensions, process 90 day reporting, issue re-entry permits and take initial long-term visa extension applications. More information on Hua Hin immigration can be found here: Hua Hin immigration
Post Office
The main Post Office is on Damnoen Kasem Road, opposite the main police station. Mail back to Europe, Scandanavia and North America normally takes about a week and the postal service is generally reliable. You can set up post restante facilities here. You can also use postal services through some local shopping malls as the main post office often gets very busy.
Overseas telephone
The main Communication Authority of Thailand (CAT) office is on Damnoen Kasem Road just past the Post Office. The building is air-conditioned and they can provide the telephone numbers necessary for you to call home cheaply from individual booths.
Tourist Offices
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) was established in 1960 to promote tourism to the country. The first office was in Chiang Mai and there are now 22 local offices throughout the country. TAT also maintains a presence overseas, now having 15 offices worldwide.
Head Office
Tourism Authority of Thailand
1600, New Petchaburi Road
Makkasan, Ratchathewi
Bangkok 10400, THAILAND.
Tel: +66 (0)2 2505500 (120 automatic lines).
Fax: +66 (0)2 2505511
www.tourismthailand.org
Email address: centre@tat.or.th
Hua Hin Tourist Information
Two tourist centres can be found next to Starbucks on Petchkasem Road and at The Municipal Offices on the south-west corner of Petchkasem and Damnoen Kasem roads. Most of the major hotels will also provide tourist information and details on trips and excursions around Hua Hin.
Congress information
Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa : Phet Kasem Rd, Thambol Cha-Am, Hua Hin District, Chang Wat Phetchaburi 76120 Tel: 66-38-708-000
Registration fees and applicable conditions will be published on
thks.org/thks2019/
Online registration will be available as of February 2019.
Website
thks.org/thks2019/
Contact
secretarythaihipknee@hotmail.com
