- Hua Hin on the western seashore

Every tour operator in Thailand lures customers with promises of fascinating excursion to Pattaya, referred to as "Asia's Fun City, on the eastern seashore of the Gulf of Thailand. Of course it is very attractive with its fantastic cabarets and hectic nightlife, sort of Patpong on the beach. It is also attractive for golfers with more than a dozen courses in the neighboring, some of them being designed by Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, Pete Dye or Gary Player. But due to that special appeal at less than two hours drive from Bangkok, it is mainly overcrowded.

Is that the reason why H.M. King Rama VI built in 1926 the Klai Kangwon Palace at Hua Hin on the opposite side of the Gulf of Thailand? Who knows! Anyway many palaces have been erected on that western coast by the members of the Royal Family to escape the Bangkok's steamy summers.

- What to see

The Peninsula which stretches to Singapore is shared by four countries, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The western coast is the Thai part of the Peninsula shared with the Burmese.

It is a string of beautiful resorts with golden (and clean) beaches, all kind of accommodation, great local food and easy access via highway or the Singapore railway which stops in Hua Hin at the old station restored in its lovely original 1920s appearance.

First appreciating its hunting grounds, the Royal Family discovered also the pleasures of the golden beaches of the region thus being the pioneers of the first seaside resort of Thailand.

Nowadays Hua Hin (which means "Stone Head" referring to the boulder at the end of the main beach) is not only a fisher village. It has become a modern seaside resort with high-rise hotels and apartment blocks. But it still remains a touch of the ancient original character, mainly in the surroundings of the Stone Head. There the fisher village is intact and one can get special good seafood on stone tables decorated with painted tiles (it is better to go there with Thai speaking people to get the best and most tasteful Thai recipes of fresh fished seafood).

At Hua Hin, walk, cycle or horse ride along the long beaches. Waterski, sail and fish nearby the Singto Island. But forget the cabarets and bars. It's a place for people who treasure early nights. And golf.

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