Hua Hin District

Hua Hin District (Thai: หัวหิน, IPA: [hǔə hǐn]) is one of eight districts (amphoe) of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Its seat of government, also named Hua Hin, is a beach resort town. The district's population was estimated at 63,091 in December 2017 by the Bureau of Registration Administration[1] in an area of 911 km2. By road, it is 199 km south-southwest of Bangkok.

Hua Hin

หัวหิน
District
Hua Hin
District location in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province
Coordinates: 12°34′7″N 99°57′28″E
CountryThailand
ProvincePrachuap Khiri Khan
Area
 • Total838.9 km2 (323.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-12-31 est.)
 • Total63,091
 • Density101.44/km2 (262.7/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code77110
Geocode7707

Hua Hin District is in the middle of what the Thai government is promoting as the "Thai Riviera", the stretch of coastline between Phetchaburi in the north and Chumphon in the south.[2]

History
Hua Hin Beach

In 1834, before the name Hua Hin was coined, some agricultural areas of Phetchaburi Province were hit by severe drought. A group of farmers moved south until they found a small village that had bright white sand and a row of rocks along the beach. They settled there and gave it the name Samore Riang (Samo Riang), which means 'rows of rocks'.

In 1921 the director of the state railway, Prince Purachatra, built the Railway Hotel close to the beach. Prince Krom Phra Naresworarit was the first member of the royal family to build a group of palaces at Ban Laem Hin, called Sukaves, and gave the beach next to his palace the name "Hua Hin". King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) liked the place so much that he built a summer palace there which was later named Klai Kang Won ('far from worries'). From 2004 until 2006 it was the full-time residence of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), until health issues forced him to return to Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, where medical facilities and physicians were closer at hand.

In 1932 Hua Hin was part of Pran Buri District as a minor district (king amphoe). In 1949 Hua Hin became a separate district of Prachuap Khiri Khan.[3] After the building of Thailand's southern railway connected the district with Bangkok along with various destinations en route, Hua Hin became the first and most popular beach resort in the country.[4] Over the five year period from 2014–2019, the number of Thai and foreign visitors to Hua Hin has risen six percent per year.[5]

In August 2016, there were four bomb blasts in Hua Hin over a period of 24 hours. One person died, 20 others were injured.[6][7][8][9] In the aftermath of the bombing 90 security cameras were installed and are monitored by the Tourist Police. Another 60 cameras are monitored by the municipal office. There are plans to install several hundred more.[6]

Climate
Hua Hin Beach

Hua Hin has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). Historically, temperatures are very warm to hot throughout the year, with only small variations. The year begins with the dry season (December–April), before the monsoon arrives in May. Rains ease somewhat from June to August before the heaviest rains begin in September and continue through November.

Climate data for Hua Hin (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 33.4
(92.1)		 35.1
(95.2)		 35.6
(96.1)		 38.3
(100.9)		 37.7
(99.9)		 37.5
(99.5)		 38.7
(101.7)		 37.8
(100.0)		 38.0
(100.4)		 36.4
(97.5)		 34.0
(93.2)		 34.5
(94.1)		 38.7
(101.7)
Average high °C (°F) 29.9
(85.8)		 31.3
(88.3)		 32.4
(90.3)		 33.6
(92.5)		 33.6
(92.5)		 33.4
(92.1)		 33.1
(91.6)		 33.0
(91.4)		 32.4
(90.3)		 31.0
(87.8)		 30.3
(86.5)		 29.5
(85.1)		 32.0
(89.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.0
(78.8)		 27.2
(81.0)		 28.4
(83.1)		 29.6
(85.3)		 29.3
(84.7)		 29.0
(84.2)		 28.6
(83.5)		 28.5
(83.3)		 28.0
(82.4)		 27.4
(81.3)		 26.9
(80.4)		 25.8
(78.4)		 27.9
(82.2)
Average low °C (°F) 22.2
(72.0)		 23.3
(73.9)		 24.6
(76.3)		 25.8
(78.4)		 26.0
(78.8)		 25.9
(78.6)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.5
(77.9)		 25.0
(77.0)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.0
(75.2)		 22.5
(72.5)		 24.6
(76.3)
Record low °C (°F) 16.2
(61.2)		 18.0
(64.4)		 17.8
(64.0)		 22.3
(72.1)		 22.5
(72.5)		 22.9
(73.2)		 22.0
(71.6)		 22.8
(73.0)		 22.3
(72.1)		 20.5
(68.9)		 18.0
(64.4)		 14.9
(58.8)		 14.9
(58.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 11.8
(0.46)		 15.3
(0.60)		 53.9
(2.12)		 46.4
(1.83)		 108.9
(4.29)		 78.9
(3.11)		 93.0
(3.66)		 71.2
(2.80)		 120.4
(4.74)		 246.2
(9.69)		 101.2
(3.98)		 7.9
(0.31)		 955.1
(37.60)
Average rainy days 1.3 1.2 2.7 4.0 13.1 14.0 15.1 15.1 16.2 16.5 6.9 1.2 107.3
Average relative humidity (%) 71 73 73 73 74 73 73 73 77 80 74 67 73
Mean monthly sunshine hours 266.6 245.8 275.9 240.0 195.3 153.0 117.8 114.7 108.0 145.7 189.0 263.5 2,315.3
Mean daily sunshine hours 8.6 8.7 8.9 8.0 6.3 5.1 3.8 3.7 3.6 4.7 6.3 8.5 6.3
Source 1: Thai Meteorological Department[10]
Source 2: Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department (sun and humidity)[11]

Administration

Central administration

Hua Hin District is divided into seven sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 63 administrative villages (mubans).

No. Name Thai Villages Pop.[12]
01.Hua Hinหัวหิน-45,905
02.Nong Kaeหนองแก-15,286
03.Hin Lek Faiหินเหล็กไฟ1613,638
04.Nong Phlapหนองพลับ1010,758
05.Thap Taiทับใต้1412,765
06.Huai Sat Yaiห้วยสัตว์ใหญ่1107,053
07.Bueng Nakhonบึงนคร1204,752

Local administration

There is one town (thesaban mueang) in the district:

  • Hua Hin (Thai: เทศบาลเมืองหัวหิน) consisting of sub-districts Hua Hin and Nong Kae.

There is one sub-district municipality (thesaban tambon) in the district:

  • Nong Phlap (Thai: เทศบาลตำบลหนองพลับ) consisting of parts of sub-district Nong Phlap.

There are five sub-district administrative organizations (SAO) in the district:

  • Hin Lek Fai (Thai: องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลหินเหล็กไฟ) consisting of sub-district Hin Lek Fai.
  • Nong Phlap (Thai: องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลหนองพลับ) consisting of parts of sub-district Nong Phlap.
  • Thap Tai (Thai: องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลทับใต้) consisting of sub-district Thap Tai.
  • Huai Sat Yai (Thai: องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลห้วยสัตว์ใหญ่) consisting of sub-district Huai Sat Yai.
  • Bueng Nakhon (Thai: องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลบึงนคร) consisting of sub-district Bueng Nakhon.

Environment
Hua Hin Beach, from Marrakesh Resort

The quality of the waters of the Gulf of Thailand off central Hua Hin were rated "fair" in 2015 by the Pollution Control Department.[13]:54 But, the report noted that "...the main tourism areas, namely Cha–Am Beach, ... and Hua Hin Beach, ... should be consistently monitored, since enterococci [fecal] bacteria levels exceeded the standard...."[13]:59

Boundaries

Hua Hin District is bordered by:

Hua Hin Railway Station

Transport

Hua Hin is served by road, rail, and sea routes.

The main station is Hua Hin railway station and it is the northernmost station in the district. Smaller stations are also located in the area including Nong Kae railway station which is closer to Khao Takiap, Suan Son Pradiphat Railway Halt, close to Suan Son Pradiphat Beach and Rajabhakti Park as well as Khao Tao railway station.

As of 2019, work is underway on the construction of double tracks from Bangkok's Bang Sue Central Station to Chumphon. Trains will travel the route at up to 160 kilometres per hour. The new tracks—due to be completed in 2022—will enable trains to travel the Bangkok–Hua Hin segment in "two to three hours" according to a State Railway of Thailand (SRT) spokesman.[14] As a comparison, as of November 2019, SRT's Train 44 travels from Hua Hin to Bangkok's Bangkok Railway Station in three hours and thirty-three minutes (02:22–05:55).[15] Plans for high-speed rail from Bangkok to Surat Thani which would serve Hua Hin en route, have been shelved due to lack of investor interest.[16]

Luang Pu Thuat, Wat Huay Mongkol
Khao Takiap, at the southern end of Hua Hin Beach separating Hua Hin and Suan Son Pradiphat Beaches

There is daily ferry service between Hua Hin and Pattaya.[17] In November 2018, Hua Hin deputy chief Chareewat Phramanee confirmed the ferry service, suspended due to low tourist numbers during low season, would be up and running again for high season between Hua Hin and Pattaya, a 2.5 hour journey on a catamaran with a maximum capacity of 340.[18]

Hua Hin Airport is in Hua Hin District. AirAsia serves the airport with a direct flight to Kuala Lumpur.[19]

In August 2018 the Department of Airports announced that it will spend 3.5 billion baht to upgrade Hua Hin Airport over the next five years. The number of travellers using the airport is expected to increase by tenfold, to three million a year, in that time frame. The upgrade is part of the "Riviera Thailand" and Southern Economic Corridor projects. The work at the airport will take four to five years. It includes enlarging the existing passenger terminal, building a second one, expanding hangar space, and widening the runway from 30 to 45 metres.[20]

Education

Hua Hin and Cha-am host a number of tertiary education institutions such as Kasetsart University Veterinary Teaching Hospital,[21] Silpakorn University, Suan Dusit Rajabhat (Hospitality) University, and the Petchaburi Technology and Agricultural University. Webster University Thailand has a campus near Hua Hin,[22] as does the Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin (Wangklaikangwon Campus).

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gollark: I mean, it never has, but still.
gollark: Even the PotatOS krist miner could do so, even.
gollark: Which ones, even.
gollark: More mining power basically just means you try random (sequential maybe, but hash functions are meant to be such that it's irrelevant) hashes faster. But which one turns out to work is random.

See also

References
  1. "THAILAND: Regions and Major Cities". City Population. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  2. Theparat, Chatrudee; Morrissey, Gregory (5 March 2018). "Thai Riviera". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  3. ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง ยกฐานะกิ่งอำเภอหัวหิน อำเภอปราณบุรี จังหวัดประจวบคีรีขันธ์ ขึ้นเป็นอำเภอ (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 66 (24 ง): 1644. 26 April 1949.
  4. Wong, P. P. (1 April 1998). "Coastal tourism development in Southeast Asia: relevance and lessons for coastal zone management". Ocean & Coastal Management. 38 (2): 89–109. doi:10.1016/S0964-5691(97)00066-5.
  5. "Brisk condo sales outlook for Hua Hin". Bangkok Post. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  6. Satyaem, Chaiwat (5 August 2019). "Hua Hin urged to install new security cameras". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  7. "Thailand bomb blasts target Phuket and Hua Hin tourist spots". BBC. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  8. "Tourist hub horror". Bangkok Post. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  9. "Thailand bomb blasts: Eight explosions in Hua Hin, Phuket kill four and injure 20". The First Post. AFP. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  10. "Climatological Data for the Period 1981–2010". Thai Meteorological Department. p. 22. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  11. "ปริมาณการใช้น้ำของพืชอ้างอิงโดยวิธีของ Penman Monteith (Reference Crop Evapotranspiration by Penman Monteith)" (PDF) (in Thai). Office of Water Management and Hydrology, Royal Irrigation Department. p. 85. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  12. "Population statistics 2015" (in Thai). Department of Provincial Administration. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  13. Thailand State of Pollution Report 2015 (PDF). Bangkok: Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Thailand). 2016. ISBN 978-616-316-327-1. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  14. Hongtong, Thodsapol (10 June 2019). "SRT planning new double track route". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  15. "Timetable and Fares: Hua Hin to Bangkok". State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  16. "Three high-speed train projects shelved due to lack investor interest". Thai PBS. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  17. "Route Time Table". Royal Passenger Liner. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  18. "Hua Hin ferry service back again for high season". The Thaiger. Phuket. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  19. "Regular flights begin at Hua Hin airport". Bangkok Post. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  20. "Hua Hin airport due for upgrade, Ratchaburi could get small one". The Nation. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  21. "Veterinary Hospital Hua Hin". Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  22. Webster University Thailand

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