Comparison of the resorts of Samui and Hua Hin in Thailand. Where is the best place to go? How we got a Thai visa in Laos

The idea to go to Hua Hin arose from a simple reluctance to make a transfer at Bangkok airport. Last time I managed to fly to Phuket this way. Either after the night flight I had an incompletely correct perception of the surrounding reality, or perhaps Bangkok airport is really so huge and stupid, but we ran around there with our suitcases quite a bit, looking for our flight or at least a person who could explain the way in clear English.

Yes, there are overland routes from Bangkok to Koh Chang. If you wish, you can get to Koh Samui ( independent travelers They praise a very economical option: a bus to Chumpon, and from there a ferry). But how can you not love yourself, so that after a nine-hour night flight it takes another five or six hours to get to the hotel. No really. We take Bangkok, draw a circle around it with a radius of approximately two hours of transfer, and do not go beyond this circle. The idea of going to the Russian “pearl by the sea,” Pattaya, disappeared immediately. Well, I don’t like this city with crowds of compatriots, on whose faces it is written “the people are ready for debauchery.” Turning, as they wrote earlier, my gaze in the opposite direction, I found two coastal towns at approximately the same distance as Pattaya from the capital: Hua Hin and Cha Am. That's where we'll go.

If you plan a route in my footsteps, please note: we have three variants of spelling the name of the resort: Hua Hin, Hua Hin, and Hua Hin. In English it is written in two separate words. I'll stick with the first option, but remember that the other two are also ours.

Gold in troubled waters

The terrain here, unlike the islands, is more flat, but not at all bald, and there is a lot of greenery. There are fields and salt marshes where healthy salt is mined. The Regent Chalet Regent Beach hotel between Hua Hin and Cha Am was chosen solely because of its dislike of large buildings. The entire hotel is a group of bungalows surrounded by well-groomed tropical vegetation.

Wide sand beach starts immediately outside the territory. There are no sunbeds or umbrellas on the beach in this area, but the hotel sunbeds are really two steps away. Sunbeds are, of course, free. The beaches here are absolutely classic: endless, sandy, uncrowded. The buildings visible along them are mostly not hotels, but condominiums where residents rent apartments different countries. I had already seen complaints about the muddy sea in Hua Hin even before the trip. In the first two days the sea was a little stormy. Then the storm subsided. What to say? There is no crystal transparency of the water. A certain cloudiness is always present. But it's not dirt. In the rays of the sun you can see golden grains of sand dancing in the water. You can swim, which we did all the time. But there are few swimmers on the beach. There are also few annoying traders.

Walking along the beaches, you can find a couple of eateries, as well as masseuses offering Thai massage under a canopy. Everything is clean, tidy, prices are very reasonable. 200 baht for a full massage. In other places I disdain beach massage, but here I enjoyed it.

The only drawback of the hotel was, according to the reviews, the lack of tourism infrastructure, that is, restaurants where you can dine, shops, ATMs. Well there is no way. On the first evening we had dinner at the hotel. To be honest, I wasn't impressed. By Thai standards it is a bit expensive and poor. On the second day we decided to go to Hua Hin for dinner. The minibus from the reception runs on schedule. We ask you to register in advance.

Kings and bazaars of Hua Hin

Along the road on the left is the main attraction of Hua Hin - Summer Royal Palace now reigning Rama IX. But you won't see the palace itself. From the road you can see the park behind a wrought-iron fence. If there are yellow flags on the gates, it means the king is here. But even if the king is in Bangkok, the palace is still closed to visitors.

The central transport hub of Hua Hin is considered to be a small square on which there is a clock tower. The place is called: Clock Tower. The carved Buddhist temple overlooking this square is Wat Ampharam, the main temple of the city and also Buddhist monastery. If you stand facing it, the street, which goes a little to the right to the side, will lead to the sea and to cute coastal restaurants. There is no beach suitable for swimming here. But sitting on the shore with a plate of fried fish is quite possible.

After walking for half an hour along the main street (or taking a few minutes by taxi), you will find the city's largest shopping center, Market Village. If you plan to stay in Bangkok later, there isn't much to do there. And if not, then the range and prices are very decent.

If it happens in the evening, then, walking from the Clock Tower a little back along the road you arrived on, you will see a very busy and brightly lit street on the left. This will be the Night Market. Rows of food and souvenir stalls stretch for several blocks. Great fun. All of Thailand on one street. Mountains of elephants, T-shirts, sundresses, jewelry and other tourist delights. Fish is fried here, roti pancakes are baked, and juices are squeezed out of various fruits. Prices are very reasonable. If you are a fan of Thai street food, you will get a great deal of pleasure for a hundred baht in total. If you want to go out and gain two hundred, you’ll hardly be able to eat it. Unlike similar places, for example, in Bangkok, everything is much cleaner and more decent. No sewer aromas, no ladyboys, no shady establishments. You can go for a walk with your children. At the end of this street is railroad station with the Royal Pavilion, but at night in the dark it is not visible.

There is only one company offering excursions in Russian in Hua Hin. I don’t give contacts because it’s not advertising. If you got here, then you know how to use search engines. I contacted them in advance, there are no representatives and no Russian-speaking staff at the hotel. All excursions are conducted individually. Sightseeing tour in Hua Hin it takes half a day and starts right from the Royal Pavilion at the station, built in the form of a charming carved box.

The next object is Mount Khao Takiab. Hold your bags tightly and leave valuables in the car. Because as soon as you get out of the car, you will be surrounded by a bunch of monkeys. There are hundreds of them here. They don’t climb the mountain itself, but below they simply swarm.

The climb to Wat Khao Lad, located at the top, is quite steep, but easy to navigate. Probably local higher powers are helping. Above, besides the temple, Observation deck with beautiful views of the Hua Hin area. The last point of the program is temple complex Wat Huay Mongkol with a picturesque park and a huge statue of an ascetic monk. The huge black head is especially impressive against the backdrop of sunset.

On the way we stopped at a floating market. If there is not enough time, this item can be safely thrown out of the program. Remake for tourists. Canals, bridges, souvenir shops. It’s quite nice that even though AH!, it’s not.

Pechaburi - city of temples

A very interesting and little-known place to our tourists is located half an hour’s drive from Hua Hin. This is a cave temple and royal palace in the town of Pechaburi. It has the largest number of Buddhist temples per unit area in the country. Three green hills rise above the city. There's a monastery on one, you can't go there. On the second there is a stupa. In principle, you can, but you don’t want to. On the third is the Summer Residence of King Rama IV. (In Thailand, for those who don’t know, all kings are called Rama, adding a serial number to this name). You can get to the palace by cable car. The palace itself suffered somewhat due to the local climate, but retained the elegance of its architectural forms. You can't take pictures inside. From the interiors one can understand that pompous luxury was deeply alien to Rama IV. Everything is simple to the point of asceticism. The most valuable thing is the collection of Chinese porcelain, which includes a significant section of chamber pots.

Below, not far from the palace, is the Khao Luang cave temple. Into a huge cave local residents They brought images of Buddha during one of their wars with the Burmese. It was also built in giant statue reclining Buddha. Beams of daylight shine through the openings in the upper part, giving the cave a fantastic look. The surrounding area is also full of monkeys.

Cha Am and the bikers

Another place in the vicinity of the hotel where we made a foray was the resort town of Cha Am. It takes about 15 minutes to get there by taxi. There is a long sandy beach, along which there are food stalls for any request, from restaurants with aquariums where the future main dishes of your dinner float, to carts of dummy dishes and flimsy tables on the beach, where the most relish is to take off your shoes and sit, sinking your feet into the soft sand. There are a lot of European youth in Cha Am. There are signs all around offering inexpensive guesthouses. There are many bikers of different nationalities. Russians are neither seen nor heard.

Why you shouldn't trust reviews

Having learned from the Internet that there was nothing around our hotel, at first we did not make any forays. But the spirit of the explorer still won. Going to the right of the gate, we found literally 200 meters away several shops, an ATM, a tailor shop and food carts. Even further away are several condominiums with nice restaurants with courtyards and very good Thai food. Encouraged by the success of the first expedition, the next day we went left. We passed the main building of the Regent Beach Hotel. Behind it, literally a five-minute walk, there was a whole street of restaurants, each better than the other, and shops with various beach and souvenir items. Conclusion: you can’t always trust the Internet.

Now about where we didn't get to. Literally half an hour's walk from our hotel was the Royal Summer Palace Marukhataiwan, built at the beginning of the twentieth century for King Rama VI. There is now a museum there. But then we had other plans, then the palace was closed. So, unfortunately, this palace of original architecture made of gilded teak wood on the seashore remained without our attention. Maybe you'll have better luck.

I already have detailed instructions, in immigration. All processes are identical regardless of the city, the only difference can be what kind of queue there will be, and this depends on the season. Nevertheless, I decided to write a short post about my personal experience visa extension in Hua Hin. Let me remind you that I have already written it.

I arrived at 10.50 am and left at 11:30 am with a visa. Everything is very fast! But they say there are also queues. Although there were quite a few people when I arrived, all the seats inside and outside the office were occupied. Perhaps, thanks to the streamlined procedure for accepting documents, now everything happens much faster than before.

There is a photocopier near the entrance, where I made a copy of the passport main page and visa spread (3 baht/1 sheet). It was possible to take a photo for 100 baht, but I already had a photo. After that, I went inside and took an electronic queue ticket. Without a copy of my passport and photo, they didn’t want to give me a ticket. Next, I began to fill out the form, although there was a Thai girl sitting at a table on the street who fills out forms for free for everyone, but she was already busy with someone and I didn’t bother her. While I was filling out the form, my turn came, I barely had time to fill out the form. Therefore, I think there is no need to rush and take a ticket ahead of time.

The immigration officer looked at my Bangkok address on the form and asked where I was staying in Hua Hin. Since I was passing through and didn’t even plan to spend the night, I didn’t stop anywhere in Hua Hin (I lived in Bangkok at that time). In order not to create an emergency situation (suddenly if you are passing through, then go to your friend in Bangkok), I named the first hotel that I remembered in Hua Hin, fortunately I stayed there and even did .

Within 5 minutes after the conversation with the officer, I was given a ready-made passport with a renewal stamp.

Park opposite

Opposite the immigration office there is a small park with a children's playground, exercise equipment, a minimum of trees and an entrance to the sea.

Documents for renewal

From the docks you only need:

- International passport
— Any photo 3x4 or 4x6
— A copy of the main page of the passport, visa page, and immigration card
— Completed application form (there is a sample in immigration office on how to fill it out)
— Warning about liability for failure to notify authorities about a change of place of residence (to be filled out on the spot and, as I understand it, this is a formality)

I was afraid that they would ask for a contract for housing, but they didn’t need it! They didn't ask anything at all.

Opening hours and cost

Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 16:30. Break from 12:00 to 13:00.

The cost of extending a single-entry visa for another 30 days or a 30-day stamp for 7 days is 1,900 baht.

Immigration location map

I came across some confusing explanations on blogs that the immigration office had moved. I don’t know, maybe this is already his new place, but the right point is marked even on Google Maps, which usually lags behind the display.

Another immigration office has also appeared in the Blueport shopping center on the ground floor. There is almost no one there now, since apparently not everyone knows about it yet. So it’s better to go there, they’ll do everything without a queue. Moreover, you don’t even need any documents other than a passport; they will do everything there themselves.

As you know, Russians do not need a visa to Thailand. Upon entry, a stamp is given to stay in the country for 30 days.

However, this option was not suitable for us, and we applied for a tourist visa back in Russia. Its advantage is that with such a visa you can stay in the country for 60 days, and then extend your stay for another 30 days (and another 7, but this is not profitable).

On March 24th, the moment came when our 60-day Thai visa expired, and we needed to resolve this issue.

The procedure is not complicated, you need to come to the immigration office, follow simple steps, pay money, and voila, stay in Thailand for another 30 days.

Where to go?

The immigration office is located here

View in a larger map

Most likely you have a motorbike and you can get there yourself. If not, local taxi drivers will be happy to help you.

Exterior view of the immigration office

Addresses of other offices can be found on the website http://www.immigration.go.th/

When to go?

The office is open weekdays from 9:00 to 16:30, with a lunch break from 12:00 to 13:00.

In our case, the Thai visa “ended” on March 24, but it was Sunday, so we went in advance on March 22. You can see your date in your passport

What to take with you?

Passport
Immigration card
Copies of passport pages (main, visa, stamp)
Completed application form (you can download the application form on the website)
Money (visa extension costs 1,900 baht per person)

But, In fact, you only need a passport, immigration card and money. Everything else can be done right at the door of the immigration office.

Specially trained people will fill out a questionnaire for you, take a photograph of you, paste the photo and make copies right on the spot, for only 125 baht.

Our experience in extending a Thai tourist visa

We arrived at the office at ~9:30, stood in line to “help” among a couple of Cambodians/Myanmarians.

The work took about 15 minutes (long), and in the end we received a package of documents and a couple of extra photos.

package of documents for extending a Thai visa

With the documents we went inside the office, received electronic queue tickets, and went to the officer.

Immigration office in Hua Hin

The female officer scolded me for losing my immigration card and gave me a new one. As a result, we gave a package of documents and money, and we were asked to wait a couple of minutes.

Then they called us (without an electronic queue) and gave us our passports along with the change. Here is the treasured stamp:

We celebrated our Thai visa extension for 30 days at a nearby cafe that brazenly stole the design from Starbucks

Where to go for the winter? Island or mainland? Samui or Ao Nang? Hua Hin or Pattaya? Anyone who is thinking about going to Thailand inevitably faces the question of choosing a resort. And since there are a great many of these same resorts in Thailand, and you usually need to choose just one, I decided to help our readers a little. Namely: to compare the places in which we ourselves managed to live. we lived for 4 months, in - more than 1 month, - 8.5 months. This article will look at different Thai resorts from the point of view of wintering or long travel, but it will also be useful for those who are going on a short vacation.

In addition to Samui, Ao Nang (Krabi province) and Hua Hin, the list of popular destinations for winterers and long-steers includes the resorts of Phuket, Pattaya, Koh Phangan, Koh Chang and the non-resort mainland cities of Chiang Mai and Pai. We will not touch them, since we did not live there. Ordinary tourists also often choose to relax small islands such as Koh Tao, Koh Lipe or the Similan Islands. But, as a rule, long term they do not stay there due to limited space and lack of developed infrastructure.

So, it's time to start comparing Koh Samui, Ao Nang and Hua Hin!

Rental of property

One of the basic needs of a person is a roof over his head. I already mentioned the small ones Paradise islands, which are always full of tourists, but almost no white people live there. The main reason is that the entire infrastructure is tailored for tourists who come for a day, two or a week. There may be no Internet on such an island at all. Products can be imported on passing boats from big land, therefore a large assortment and shopping centers you will never find such islands.

If we talk about Koh Samui (20 by 25 km) - then on almost every fence there is a sign “Rent / For Rent”. Yes, sometimes even in Russian! Housing is available for rent everywhere, and it is quite easy to rent it without intermediaries upon arrival. Of course, if you prefer to plan your vacation in advance, or come for a month at the height of the winter holidays, then early booking highly recommended. In other months of the year on Samui it is impossible to remain without a roof over your head. Moreover, since this is an island, you will always live not very far from the sea. Prices often depend on the distance to popular beaches, and housing mainly consists of one-story houses with 1-2 bedrooms. On the main party beach of Chaweng you can find a condo (apartment), but most winterers live in detached houses or in beautiful fenced villages with well-kept houses. Prices - from 7-10 thousand baht for cheap tie-style houses with one bedroom; from 13-15 thousand baht for more decent two-bedroom houses; from 30-50 thousand for beautiful villas on the mountain overlooking fabulous beaches and impenetrable jungle.

Ao Nang in terms of choice of real estate, it is slightly inferior to Koh Samui, since it is one small town, and on Koh Samui there are several settlement areas. In Ao Nang there are also special villages for visiting farangs with housing starting from 15 thousand baht, and you can also rent an ordinary Thai house at a price of 5-7 thousand baht. There are also villas on the mountain in secluded nooks - from 30 thousand baht. Real estate costs more the closer it is to the sea. On the plus side, if you have transport, you can look for housing outside of Ao Nang, where, at a distance of 1-5 kilometers from the town, new and new villages are constantly being built with more favorable housing prices than in the city itself.

IN Hua Hine Rental housing is more difficult to find without outside help. Somehow I'm talking about this. Of course, you can always resort to the services of realtors, but if you want to look for housing on your own, then you need to understand a little about the specifics of the royal resort. Pechkasem Street stretches along the coast of the entire city - in fact, it is a route connecting Bangkok and the south of Thailand. There is also a bypass part of the highway, but it is still a very busy highway. The housing that is located on the sea side of Pečkasem are mainly hotels or high-rise buildings where you can rent an apartment. There are very few houses on this side, and they cost much more than their appearance would suggest. The best area Takiab is considered because it is located some distance from the main road, it is cozy and there is a lot of expensive beautiful real estate. Prices for renting a small studio there can be 15, 30, or 50 thousand baht - it all depends on the “coolness” of the complex, the luxury of the decor and the appetites of the owner. As a rule, such complexes have swimming pools, gyms and many other amenities. You can also look for apartments in high-rise buildings located along Pečkasem Street, but they will be noisier and less resort-like. Prices can start from 4-5 thousand baht, but more often from 8-10 thousand baht for a one-room apartment with a bed without a kitchen, and you most likely will not be allowed to cook there, especially with gas. Typically, these apartments are inhabited by young Thais or single pensioners from Europe who eat in cafes and cafes. Most of the decent one-story real estate in Hua Hin is located 2-5 kilometers from the sea, and public transport runs well only along main street Pechkas and other main streets. If you live in such an area, you will need your own transport or have to constantly pay for taxis. A 2-3 bedroom house in a good village will cost 20-30 thousand baht. If for a very long period (from 1 year) and without a pool - perhaps from 15 thousand. Townhouses are also popular in Hua Hin, and their rental prices start from about 10-11 thousand baht. In terms of area, they are larger than cheap apartments, but in terms of the quality of the buildings, you have to be careful. The walls may be cardboard, and Thai neighbors often like to make noise. Europeans live in Hua Hin townhouses much less frequently.

Nutrition

Food in Thailand has been elevated to the level of a cult, so you won’t go hungry even on the smallest island. Especially if you learn to eat Thai food and if you like it. The cost of a Thai dish in a simple cafe can range from 40-60 baht, and it can be quite neutral noodles or rice with meat, a sweetish green papaya salad or fiery tom yum soup. However, the more developed the resort is, and the more compatriots live there, the easier it will be to find the food you are used to. Large resorts also have cafes and restaurants serving Russian cuisine, however, due to the crisis and the decrease in the flow of tourists from the ex-USSR, many such establishments are now going through hard times.

Several times friends and acquaintances brought us gifts from Ukraine and Russia. For example, chocolate, candy, buckwheat, Borodino bread... Almost all of this can be found in Thai supermarkets, but it will be very expensive. The only thing I couldn’t find in Thailand was non-alcoholic beer, but it seems to me that you can somehow live without it. There is also a problem with dairy products - kefir, fermented baked milk and sour milk can only be bought from local Russians, who have put production on stream. But you can’t always find them quickly upon arrival.

On Samui you can easily find cuisine from almost any country in the world. You can always buy fruits and vegetables from farmers from a pickup truck parked somewhere along the road, or you can go to one of several fruit and vegetable markets. You can also buy fish and shrimp there, raw or cooked. If you prefer to cook and eat at home, then several large supermarkets in the center of the island will allow you to stock up on quality and fresh products for the week ahead. Beets, cheese, mayonnaise, pasta, seeds, bay leaves - no problem. Cook borscht at home? There would be a desire! Make dumplings? Fry some pancakes? Again, it all comes down to desire and time. You don’t have time and don’t want to stand at the stove, but dream about cabbage soup with dumplings? Restaurants of Russian cuisine are waiting for you.

IN Ao Nange There are not many Russian restaurants, but there are cafes with a wide variety of delicacies spread out compactly throughout the town. There is a French bakery, McDonald's, pizzeria and much more. It was in Ao Nang that we tried frog and crocodile dishes, and just one dish cost 100 baht. Local fruit and vegetable markets can please you with prices that are 10-20% more favorable than at tourist island Samui, but you are unlikely to achieve significant savings. When we lived in Ao Nang, we had to go to Krabi Town every week big store(about 25 km). But now a Tesco supermarket has been built in Ao Nang, so for many residents this need has disappeared.

IN Hua Hine Most of the products in the markets cost another 10 percent less than in Ao Nang, but again this is unlikely to significantly affect the overall picture. Some fruits and vegetables have seasonal price fluctuations and are also sold cheaper in the areas where they are grown. So on Samui, mangosteens and rambutans ripen in January, but they practically do not reach Hua Hin in the winter months. But pineapples are sold all over Thailand all year round, but only in Hua Hin are they plucked directly from neighboring fields and sold from pickup trucks for 10 baht per kilo. Some fruits ripen in late spring in Chiang Mai, in the north of the country, such as lychees. However, I already wrote a separate large article. =)

Transport

In Thailand, intercity transportation is in perfect order - you can always get from any resort to any other popular city. In addition to a large number of night buses, many can afford domestic flights on cheap low-cost aircraft from Air Asia, Nok Air, Happy Air, Firefly, etc. I would like to warn you against intercity travel on minibuses - very often travel agencies sell tickets for minibuses, but since They don’t have enough passengers for a direct flight, say, Samui - Ao Nang, then they will most likely take you with several transfers. And it’s difficult to fit things in minibuses.

As for movement within resorts, they have their own peculiarities. It is most economical to have your own or rented transport - a car or scooter (motorbike). There are no bike paths in Thailand, and it’s very hot to ride a bike in 30-35 degree heat, so usually everyone chooses either a car or a moped. Please note that in Thailand the traffic is on the left side, so not everyone can drive and not right away. We also have information about traffic in Thailand.

On Samui Songthaew minibuses (a pickup truck converted into a semi-open minibus) travel along the ring road, which are not particularly shy with tariffs, especially in the evening and at night. The trip can cost from 50 baht per person to 500 baht per trip. In the latter case, it is easier and safer to take an ordinary yellow taxi, of which there are a great many on the island. Taxi fares on Koh Samui are measured not in kilometers, but in beaches. If you need to go to a nearby beach, it costs 200 baht. If across one beach - 300 baht. And so on. Perhaps the prices have changed a little over the past 2 years, but I think the approximate order of prices is clear. As a rule, bargaining with Samui taxi drivers is useless. Driving your own car to Samui is not very convenient, since the roads are very narrow and full of motorbikers, including tourists. There are almost no traffic police, so some of them may be in a bad state, especially at night. Riding a bike on Samui is a pleasure, since there is no winter at all, and the active season is short and lasts 2-3 weeks in November. But again, such transport is not suitable for everyone, especially if the family has small children.

IN Ao Nange The roads are much wider, so driving a car is more comfortable. Biking is also very popular, as throughout Thailand, but the distances can sometimes be quite long, especially if you want to explore the surrounding sights on your own. WITH public transport in Ao Nang, everything is also somehow simpler and cheaper. A tuk-tuk (motorcycle taxi with a sidecar) will take you to any point in the city for 100 baht. However, how you negotiate, and depending on what time of day, and depending on what condition you are in. =) It will be more difficult to agree on a cheap trip to some purely tourist spot, such as a hot springs or a nearby national park. There it will be easier to rent a car for one day and go on your own. By the way, in every resort in Thailand there is a small Russian-speaking community with its own group on social networks, where you can find fellow travelers, advisers and just good, decent acquaintances. In Ao Nang this worked very well, and thanks to the group “Amazing Adventures of Russians in Krabi”, for example, we found wonderful travel companions for renting a boat together and traveling around the protected islands.

IN Hua Hine there are city buses and songthaews (open-air pickup trucks) used by both Thais and tourists. The cost of the trip is 10-20 baht depending on the distance of the route. These buses do not go to remote areas where farangs mainly live, so you cannot do without a taxi (150-250 baht around the city) or personal transport. By the way, on the mainland gasoline costs a little less than on the islands, but this is unlikely to allow anyone to save serious money. As for traffic in Hua Hin, the roads are generally good and wide, but the traffic is quite difficult, especially during rush hours. I think riding a bike in Hua Hin is a little more difficult than in Koh Samui and Krabi province as the traffic flow is much more significant and there will be more idiots among more drivers. Although, in general, Thais are polite on the roads, and they treat small mopeds with understanding.

Attractions and beaches

The whole of Thailand is dotted with ancient temples, beautiful forests, lakes, waterfalls and other natural wonders. Tourists spoiled by Tai often say that they are fed up with all this - they say, it is all monotonous: either a waterfall, or a national park, or a lake, or a temple, or a beach - there is nothing else to see. It seems to me that this approach is wrong. The whole world consists of the same things. There are only boys and girls. Day and night. Moreover, the Sun and Moon rise every day, and then they set. In general, we should be happy with what we have. 85% have never been anywhere at all, and many of them would like to see at least one tiny Thai waterfall just to catch a glimpse!

On Samui, like the other islands, everything is really quite similar. This is the essence of the island, that it existed for thousands of years in isolation from the mainland, and therefore there is a certain set of plants and animals, similar rocks, a certain type of relief. In general, there is really little diversity, especially since the territory is limited to only 20 by 25 kilometers of land. I wrote quite a lot about the sights of Samui on this blog, but the main ones are themselves, because each of them is beautiful in its own way. There are also a number of interesting observation platforms, Grandmother and Grandfather Rock, a bird farm, elephant farms in the mountains, several interesting temple complexes, an aquarium and a small zoo on Hua Thanon Beach. A separate attraction can be considered Walking Street with a fair by the lake on Chaweng and neighboring cafes and nightclubs.

IN Ao Nange everything is fine too nightlife and discos, but the beaches there are quite mediocre. Another peculiarity is that every day in Ao Nang there are strong low tides, when the sea moves hundreds of meters from the coast. However, you can always go by boat to its “cave of phalluses”, or take a tour “” (Poda, Chicken, Tab, Pranang) or “5 Islands” (Hong and others). There are also good beaches in the surrounding area. As for land-based attractions, there are many more of them. AND national park, and with a temple and with 1000 steps to sacred mountain, and healing, and Blue Lake with Emerald in the bargain, and a mangrove forest with a river... And even if you have already seen all this, from Ao Nang it will be easier to start to neighboring provinces - to the south to Trang, to the north to Phang Nga or Phuket, or to the neighboring island super -resorts of Phi Phi, Koh Lanta or even Koh Lipe. The province of Krabi itself is considered one of the most beautiful in Thailand, so you definitely won’t be disappointed.

About Hua Hina we can say that it is famous primarily for its status as a “royal resort”. In this town, many Bangkok residents buy dachas where they can go for the weekend. It’s much easier to breathe here than in the capital, and it seems that few Thais swim in the sea. On some of the beaches, Hua Hin nervously smokes on the sidelines, and even his most beautiful beach Sai Noi cannot compare with the abundance of beautiful coves on Koh Samui or the surrounding islands near Ao Nang. At the same time, you can find many attractions in and near Hua Hin: National parks and, with wandering wild elephants, a mangrove forest in , a wonderful panoramic observation deck overlooking the city, an old wooden railway station building, floating markets, an “artists’ village”, “Black Monk”, the recently opened water park “Vana Nava” and much more other. A little north of Hua Hin there is a nice resort village called Cha Am - it also has its own beach, and you can get there by the Hua Hin - Bangkok minibus. But if you have your own transport, you can always go explore the surrounding area - this is also a definite plus compared to the island.

Weather and humidity

The sea water temperature is suitable for swimming in any of the Thai resorts all year round. Only in winter the water can be +23, and in summer it warms up to +28 and above, especially on small beaches.

On Samui The climate is very humid, which causes equipment to become unusable faster, winter clothes stored in the closet, and even my sneakers, which stood peacefully idle on the porch for about a month, became covered in mold. The rainy season lasts only 2-3 weeks in November, but during these weeks it can rain for a week or more without a break. In winter, the air temperature can be +26...28 degrees during the day, and in summer +32. Nights in winter can be cool, especially for a couple of weeks in January - 20 degrees (lower is already a cataclysm by Samui standards). The rest of the year, it’s comfortable to walk at night in a T-shirt and shorts at +24…25.

IN Ao Nange And Hua Hine The climate is continental. That is, less humidity; in summer the temperature is a couple of degrees higher, and in winter a little lower than on the islands. The coldest winter day of our wintering in Hua Hin was +22, and the night was +15. It’s unlikely that anyone would want to swim in such weather and waves. In any case, this disgrace lasts for a couple of weeks, and then gradually becomes warmer. It should also be noted that a fairly strong and cool wind blows in Hua Hin all winter, and therefore Hua Hin is an international kitesurfing spot. This is not the case in Ao Nang or Samui.

Locals

On Samui back in the 1970s there were only a few fishing villages and not a single road. In just 30-40 years, a huge number of Thais and foreigners moved to the island, and together they transformed the island beyond recognition. This has affected both the ecology of the island and the mentality of local residents, who sometimes try to inflate prices, which is generally not typical for Thais. However, this is almost always done unobtrusively and carefully. The most important thing is not to quarrel with Thais over such trifles, and to accept everything with a smile. It is not customary to make a scandal in this country, and the one who shouts is always wrong.

Ao Nange relatively recently gained its popularity among visitors, but many local residents continue to live their lives without being fed by tourism at all. Here you will see more honest and sincere smiles than on Samui, and if you drive 30-40 kilometers inland from Ao Nang, you can meet people who have never seen a white man in their lives.

IN Hua Hine White people are completely lost in the crowd of Thais. This is a purely Thai resort, where even the manager of a small hotel at the reception does not necessarily speak English. At the local markets, almost not a single living soul knows English numerals. That is why in Hua Hin I had to learn to count in Thai. Without this it was difficult to go to the market. If one of the market traders on Samui does not know English, he will hand you a calculator with the required number. In Hua Hin, they will tell you numerals in Thai until you stop. The best thing to do in such a situation is to give the seller some kind of bill, for example, 100 baht. They will always give you change honestly - you will never be deceived there. Over time, you will know approximately how much a bag of cucumbers can cost, and you will give money without questions, and receive change in the same way. It will also be useful to learn to say “thank you”, “how much is it”, say hello and goodbye. But on Samui, it was enough for us to know “hello” and “thank you”. The attitude towards farangs in Hua Hin is very good. They are interested in us, and we have not yet become familiar to them. And white tourists behave on average in Hua Hin much more decently than on Samui, and therefore the Thais see us as decent people, and not half-drunk rednecks in sweaty T-shirts drenched in beer the night before yesterday. Connoisseurs of Thailand will tell you that Hua Hin is not yet the same Thai that can be seen in the north, where no tourist has set foot. Apparently this is true, but it’s still easier to live in Hua Hin. Farang has more infrastructure, a high percentage of educated people who moved from Bangkok and speak English. And this makes Hua Hin convenient, pleasant and understandable. But don’t look for English-speaking people among the farmers at the market - anywhere but there!

Convenience of location

You can get to Samui from Bangkok by bus (10 hours travel + 1.5 hours ferry) or by plane (1-1.5 hours). The disadvantage of Samui Airport is that it is owned by a private company, which does not allow other air carriers there, which slightly affects the cost of flights. Plus international airport is that you can quickly fly direct to any neighboring country, as well as to Hong Kong, Mumbai, Singapore and even the Maldives. If you prefer to travel by land, then you will need 1.5 hours just to get from the island to the mainland. Moreover, ferries do not operate at night. However, in one day you can travel to the border with visa-free Malaysia, or travel by land to Penang or Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia again). This can be done on a large bus, minibus or personal transport. Another disadvantage of the island is that not all rented cars and mopeds can be taken out of the island. This issue must be discussed with the landlord.

In a small Ao Nange there is no airport, but there is one 30 km away, very close to Krabi Town. From this airport you can just as quickly get to Bangkok or to direct flight to one of the neighboring countries. The distance to the capital of Thailand by land is about 800 km, but a large bus starts from Krabi Town. Local travel agencies will be happy to take you from Ao Nang to Krabi bus station for a small surcharge. And in just 10 hours you will be in Bangkok. It will take about the same time to travel by land from Krabi to Kuala Lumpur.

Hua Hin is very close to Bangkok, and from there it’s about the same distance to the border with Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia. It’s generally easy to go to Bangkok - for just 1600-1800 baht you can take a taxi, and for 200 baht you can go by minibus. You will have to spend about 2-3 hours on the road, but that is if there are no traffic jams. As a rule, traffic jams occur in the direction of Bangkok on Sundays and at the end of Thai holidays, or in the direction of Hua Hin at the beginning of holidays or weekends. Hua Hin Airport on this moment does not function, but given the proximity of the capital this is not very important.

Other

As for other evaluation criteria, it seems to me that there are no strong differences between these resorts. Except in terms of infrastructure development and children's entertainment, of course, the small village of Ao Nang will lose to the entire island of Samui or Hua Hin, where up to 100 thousand people live, plus summer residents from Bangkok. In terms of snakes and other reptiles, of course, they are easiest to find in the jungles of Samui, but snakes try not to appear near main roads and settlements. And if you climb into the jungle of Krabi province or the outskirts of Hua Hin, there will be no less living creatures there. And in terms of medicine, I would put Hua Hin in first place, then Samui, and then Krabi Town, adjacent to Ao Nang (there are no serious hospitals in Ao Nang itself). But considering that Samui is an island, and from Hua Hin you can drive to the capital in 2 hours, then, of course, in terms of medical safety it is the royal resort that rules. This was the main reason why we ultimately chose this city for. In terms of general security, Hua Hin will give odds to any other city, since it is located royal residence, and this resort is guarded very seriously. However, adventure can be found anywhere, but for normal and adequate people Thailand is a very safe and friendly country.

And now a few photos from Samui.