The small resort community of Hua Hin is situated on a picturesque curving bay of the Gulf of Thailand, and has been a favourite of Thai tourists for decades. Although its popularity with western tourists has increased by the year, it’s still frequented more by Thai nationals than foreigners. The main reason for this is that Hua Hin has long been a popular holiday destination for members of Thailand’s royal family.

New Year’s Day: on 1 January there’s a range of activities on offer to welcome in the New Year from the uniquely Thai traditional festivities to typically Western traditions. As the sun comes up, Buddhist monks welcome the dawn and the faithful make merit by giving alms to monks.

Hua Hin’s airport is located just three miles (five kilometres) north of the city. Four flights per day are operated by SGA Aero from Bangkok to Hua Hin, with a flight time of just over 30 minutes. The Hua Hin Airport is also conveniently located for tourists heading to Cha Am resorts. Flights are competitively priced in comparison to other forms of transportation.