Hua Hin`s history

Hua Hin is and have always been the kings city. A place far from worries. The name Hua Hin actually means "head stone" or "stone head" in Thai, and it refers to the many rocks on the beach near the Sofitel Central.

In the mid 1800's when the first settlers arrived it was called Baan Samor Rieng which means "anchor row" after the rows of anchors left by the fishing boats at low tide. Later the name was changed to Baan Laem Hin or "stony cape village". 

In 1911 they change the name to Hua Hin, a change made by Prince Narate Vorarit. Hua Hin gained city status in 1950 and has today a population of around 75,000 people.

While the beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui were discovered only recently and have since undergone rapid and sometimes destructive development, Hua Hin has already been the favorite for Thai resort for over 70 years.

The resort was discovered in the early 1920s by King Rama VII as an ideal getaway from the sultry metropolis of Bangkok. The tranquil fishing village was turned into the Royal resort and consequently became popular among Siam's nobility and upper-class.

The construction of a  railway line from Bangkok ensured its accessibility and popularity with a wider part of the the Thai public.

But it was the resort's royal endorsement which has given Hua Hin a special character of its very own.

In 1928, King Rama VII built his Klai Kangwon (Far From Worries) Palace which remains until this today an official royal residence. It is still frequently used by members of the royal family and is open to the public for visits.

Hua Hin continued to develop in its own leisurely way, both as a aristocratic resort with the added attraction of an 18-hole golf course, and as a fishing port. The Railway Hotel, today's Sofitel Central Hua Hin, was built by the State Railways of Thailand in 1923 in the architectural style of old Siam.

Many of Bangkok's rich and famous built their own beachfront summer homes to the north and south along the curving sandy bay, enjoying leisurely family weekends in a resort which has maintained its unique identity.