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. 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.
In August 2016, there were four bomb blasts in Hua Hin over a period of 24 hours. Two people died.
Hua Hin has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). 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.
Hua Hin District is divided into seven sub-districts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 63 administrative villages (muban).
There is one town (thesaban mueang) in the district:
There is one sub-district municipality (thesaban tambon) in the district:
There are five sub-district administrative organizations (SAO) in the district:
The quality of the waters of the Gulf of Thailand off central Hua Hin were rated "fair" in 2015 by the Pollution Control Department. 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...."
Hua Hin District is bordered by:
Hua Hin Airport (HHQ) has no scheduled flights.
There are buses from Bangkok and other major cities direct to Hua Hin and others which pass through en route to other destinations north and south.
Hua Hin Railway Station is on the southern rail route originating in Bangkok and ending in Singapore. Trains run through to the south of the country and link directly with Malaysia.
Hua Hin is linked by highway to Petchburi and the rest of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Central Bangkok and Suvarmabhumi airport are just under three hours drive, or longer, depending on traffic conditions.
A passenger-only ferry service, Hua Hin to Pattaya, began operation on 12 January 2017 and is operated by Royal Passenger Liner. By road, the journey takes five to six hours. The ferry shortens travel time to about two hours, subject to sea conditions. The ferry cruises at 27 knots on the 113 km journey across the Gulf of Thailand with a maximum passenger capacity of 150 persons. Larger ferries carrying up to 260 people may be added to the service later. Ferries capable of carrying vehicles are projected for 2020.
The preferred mode of getting around town and surrounding areas. Hua Hin also has an abundance of tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis.
Golf in particular is becoming especially popular, with Hua Hin increasingly being recognized as one of Thailand's premier golfing destinations. The town hosted its first Asian tour event in 2009 at the new Black Mountain course, while other first class courses in easy reach include Majestic Creek, Royal Hua Hin, Banyan, Palm Hills, Lake View, and Springfield. There are several driving ranges.
Hua Hin has very good kite boarding conditions with shallow, warm waters. There is a northerly east wind from October–January with wind ranging from 15–25 knots. From February–May Hua Hin has a southerly thermal wind that gusts to 15–20 knots in the afternoon. There are good conditions for kite surfing in both of these seasons.
Hua Hin and Cha-am host a number of tertiary education institutions such as Silpakorn University, Suan Dusit Rajabhat (Hospitality) University, and the Petchaburi Technology and Agricultural University. Webster University Thailand has a campus in Hua Hin and a branch in Bangkok.
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