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Home -> Travel Blogs -> Hua Hin 13 Jun 09 - 22 Jun 09 Pg 2
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As the evening meal is not provided during the 5-precept retreat, we have to go to town for dinner (while doing some walk-around). While I was not able to find any maps denoting the location of the hotel (with respect to the town center), I had thoughts of going for the easy option by just taking the hotel transport (100B or S$4.35 one-way). After figuring out my directions (hotel was actually 10kms south of town), I decided to do it the wyattwang.com way, i.e. by taking a public bus (20B or S$0.87, bus originated from Cha-am) along the main road.

Once a humble fishing village facing the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin's fortune changed forever when King Rama VII decided to build a summer palace named as Wang Klai Kang Won or "Far from Worries" palace (could there ever be a place where we could be really be far from worries?). The town is currently the full-time residence of His Majesty the King of Thailand. As I walked along the touristy streets of Thanon Naresdamri and Thanon Dechanuchit, with the typical tailor shops (operated by ethnic Indians), foot massage parlours and the compulsory night market, Hua Hin reminds me of a watered-down version of the Patong Beach in Phuket. Well, at least there are not that much (or as obvious) of Go-go Bars as compared to the heavyweights of Pattaya and Phuket.

After a 1.5-hour walk around town, I had my dinner at a local food stall (a street parallel of Thanon Dechanuchit where the night market is). In order to make my way back to the hotel, I went back to Thanon Phetkasem (while I alighted when I came here) and waited for the bus. As advised by the girl at the 7-Eleven, I could still make it for the last bus at 7.30pm. Waited till 8pm and no bus came. As the evening session was starting at 8.30pm, I walked to the railway station and got a motorcycle taxi back. That set me back by 100B (or S$4.35). Perhaps I should have bargained.

The evening session usually includes a Dhamma talk complemented with another meditation session. While it would end at about 10pm, I would walk to the beach (after calling Sally) and looked out for any occasional boats passing by the vast sea. Somehow, the sound of the waves hitting the shores was instrumental in helping me to reflect on what I had learned for the past few days.

   
wyattwang.com doing it along Thanon Damnoen Kasem, Hua Hin, Thailand.

Perhaps the new paint job did helped, the Hua Hin train station looked rather new. It is one of oldest railway station in Thailand and its most striking feature is the unique Royal Waiting Room in Thai architectural style (built in the reign of King Rama VI to welcome the King and his entourage).
Just a general shot of the touristy night market located along Thanon Dechanuchit.
A girl was having a dinner by her stall while I waited for my food.
Eating hawker food by the streets is one of the must-do things in Thailand.

Note: From left, beef ball rice vermicelli & Mussel Omelette (both 25B or S$1.09 per serving)
A typical street in Hua Hin - a 7-Eleven is never far away (on the right)!
I thought this was a rather nice photograph taken while I was on my way back to the hotel via the motorcycle taxi.

p.s.: Try to look carefully and observe where I was in the photograph.
The gigantic statue of the Lord Buddha oversees the Gulf of Thailand along the Hua Hin beach.

- impressions of Phra Pang Haan Yad (or the standing Buddha), Hua Hin, Thailand
Interesting water feature at the temple (that was near to the Supatra-by-the-Sea restaurant) as the lady looked rather life-like.
Just a hut facing the vast sea along the Hua Hin beach.
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