The history of Hua Hin points to the 1920’s being the most important era as the beginning of contemporary Hua Hin.
Our research, with information from multiple sources, points towards 1922 as a red-letter year for Hua Hin being recognised as Thailand’s first resort and holiday location.
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 which previously had been destroyed by the Burmese army. They settled there, establishing a fishing industry and gave it the name Samore Riang (Samo Riang), which means ‘rows of rocks’. The name was later changed to Hin Riang, then Lam Hin, which means, ‘stone cape’.
Rail travel from Bangkok commenced in 1911, with the opening ceremony of the southern railway line connecting Siam to British Malaya taking in place in 1916.
Completed in 1926, Hua Hin railway station was designed by a team of Italians led by Ferdinando Canova and built by Chinese labourers. The most striking structure here is the splendid royal waiting room, a free-standing wooden pavilion of classic Siamese proportions which was originally located at Sanam Chan Palace in Nakhon Pathom; it was moved here during the reign of King Rama VI (1910-25).
A new dual track rail line with a new railway station is now under construction.
After the rail line was established, members of the Royal Family and some nobles acquired land there to build their holiday homes.
HRH Prince Nares Varariddhi (1855-1925), the 17th child of King Mongkut (Rama IV), the Minister of Public Works during the reign of HM King Rama V, could truly be considered as a founding father of modern Hua Hin.
He was the first person in the Thai Royal Family to recognise this unrivalled beauty and built a residence on the southern end of Lam Hin Village. He also built a number of houses and bungalows which he made available to relatives and friends.
Prince Nares is also credited with conferring the name Hua Hin to the beach which had become a preferred resort destination for Thai royalty and nobility. Later, that name was used to refer to the entire beach area before becoming the name of the Hua Hin district and city.
By 1922, Hua Hin had become a popular resort town as a direct result of the construction of the railroad and scenic beach houses.
The holiday home and property of Prince Nares has been handed down to subsequent generations with the Laksasubha Hua Hin Resort developed from Prince Nares’ holiday home, now owned and managed by Mom Laksasubha Kridikon, the great great granddaughter of Prince Nares.
Mom Lak can recall her childhood at the property being visited by the late King Rama IX, sailing there for afternoon tea and attending the wedding of her mother at the property with Queen Sirikit.
Built before 1923 during fishing Village times, the Hua Hin Lighthouse may be seen offshore from the town beach area. It was later improved to become a warning sign and an observation point to warn about rocks offshore.
Fishing boats and boats of all types are prohibited from the coast to the lighthouse. This lighthouse is under the supervision of the Marine Department. There is also a story that local people in Hua Hin may go to the lighthouse area after a cremation ceremony. The family then scatter the ashes of the deceased into the sea nearby.
In 1921 during the reign of King Rama VI, a royal command to build a European standard hotel, led to the Railway Hotel or Hotel Hua Hin being built, with foreign experts being contracted for its design and construction.
The hotel was opened in 1923, also as Thailand’s first hotel management and hospitality school. The hotel welcomed a new generation of guests under the name Hotel Sofitel Central Hua-Hin in 1988, followed by the management changing to the Centara Group with a name change to the current Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin.
King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) liked the area so much that he built a summer palace in 1926. It took 3 years (1929) to complete the construction. King Rama VII and Queen Rambhai Barni went with their courtiers for the first time in 1930. It was named Klai Kang Won (‘far from worries’).
Mrigadayavan Palace has long harmoniously cherished both Thai culture and its natural setting overlooking the Royal Coast of Thailand. With a centenary due in 2024, the site joins a number of other reasons why this could be a regional centenary year.
Mrigadayavan Palace was commissioned by His Majesty King Vajiravudh, or King Rama VI, ruler of Siam from 1910 to 1925, to serve as his seaside residence during the latter years of his reign, choosing the secluded beach to construct the Mrigadayavan Palace in 1923.
King Rama VI made preliminary sketches for the seaside palace, and Italian architect Ercole Pietro Manfredi (1883 – 1973) implemented his designs and oversaw the construction of the palace. Combining Thai and Western architectural influences, the palace’s 16 teak buildings integrate into their natural setting and exist in harmony with the environment.
King Vajiravudh visited the completed palace during the summer of 1924 for three months, and then two months in the summer of 1925, after which His Majesty passed away
The Royal Hua Hin Golf Course is considered to be Thailand’s first golf course. It is stated that construction commenced in 1919 however some sources state that royal permission for the construction was given in 1923.
The inauguration ceremony of the initial nine holes was presided over by His Majesty King Vajiravudh the Great (Rama VI) on June 28th 1924. The Course was completed in 1928 during his reign as King Prajadhipok (Rama VII).
A Scottish Railway Engineer who was working on the new railway line is accredited for the Course design. He is described as Mr A. O Robin (also referred to elsewhere as O.J. Robin and A.O Robins).
The Western Seaside Resort Development Act of 1926 was established with a council to consider the shortage of clean water due to the increasing residential density of Hua Hin and tourism’s rapid growth.
The council was a legal entity to develop Hua Hin to a leading international seaside resort town. Its projects involved infrastructure such as roads construction, electricity, water supply, school and hospitals.
In 1932 Hua Hin was part of the Pranburi District. In 1949 Hua Hin became a separate district of Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The Hua Hin airport was originally established for military use and named “Bo-Fai Airfield”. In 1954, it was designated as licensed aerodrome. In 1961, the name was changed to Hua-Hin Airport. In 1963, the airport changed from being under the command of the Royal Thai Air Force to the Department of Civil Aviation.
International flights are anticipated under the Phoenix-plan to become a fully fledged international airport. This development may well auger the beginnings of a new chapter in the history of Hua Hin as the city truly becomes open to the world.
