Pranburi, about thirty minutes south of Hua Hin, is a promising beach area on the Gulf of Siam. Although it is not as popular as Hua Hin, nor as easy to get to as Pattaya, it offers reasonable resorts, beautiful beaches, nice views, and a very relaxed atmosphere.
Pranburi is a coastal city on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand, about 20 miles south of the popular resort town of Hua Hin, it has become increasingly popular with local tourists and international visitors over the past decade. Like Cha-am to the north, it is much less developed than Hua Hin, so while there aren’t as many amenities, there aren’t as many crowds either.
The beaches of Pranburi are much prettier than those of Hua Hin and Cha-am, in terms of cleanliness, development and view, and could even be a contender for one of the best beaches in Thailand. If the beach is important to you and you want to go somewhere relaxing, choose Pranburi over Cha-am. It is worth the extra trip from Bangkok.
Getting around Pranburi
Downtown, urban Pranburi is a bit inland from the beach and that’s really the only area where you’ll be able to find public transportation. On the coast itself, resorts and bungalows are spread out, so you will need to organize a car or motorcycle if you want to explore the larger area. It is also possible to bike around Pranburi if you are only visiting the beaches along the coast.
Get to Pranburi
Pranburi is about 20 miles south of Hua Hin and is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from the capital, depending on traffic. To get there, you can either take one of the daily trains from Bangkok’s Hua Lumpong Station and then take a taxi or car to Pranburi, drive directly from Bangkok, or take one of the many private and government buses that go from Bangkok to Pranburi from the Southern Bus from Bangkok. Terminal. There are also private minibuses that make the journey from Bangkok to Pranburi on a daily basis. These are managed by various companies, as are airport transfers, and can be arranged with your hotel or resort.
Where to stay
Pranburi has an interesting mix of posh and high-end beach resorts, with more and more opening every day, and some more mid-road, family-oriented hotels and resorts a little further south to along the coast. The high-end Pranburi resorts in the northern part of Pranburi tend to cater to a jet-setting crowd (or at least a crowd of aspiring jet-setters), though they are more intimate and much less expensive than similar properties in Phuket or Samui. Mid-priced accommodations, closer to the national park, tend to cater to local and foreign families and retirees from northern Europe.
For those who want to have a hard time, it is also possible to stay in the national park and rent a tent to camp on the beach or stay in one of the bungalows in the park. If you are interested in staying in Khao Sam Roi Yot, check out this guide to staying in Thailand’s national parks.
What to expect
Pranburi Beach is one of the most beautiful in the area. Thanks to the scattering of small islands and rock formations off the coast, the view from the beach is very beautiful. The sand is dark and a bit thick, but there are a lot of palm trees.
Pranburi doesn’t have a large, bustling central beach area like you’ll find in Hua Hin or any of the other very popular beaches and islands in Thailand. In fact, much of what happens in Pranburi involves hanging out on the beaches or swimming in the pool at your resort. There are scattered local restaurants and bars attached to the resorts, but other than that it’s a fairly quiet and peaceful area. It’s a great place to go with kids or if you don’t want to do more than read a book and swim in the ocean. If you are looking for a party, Pranburi is probably not the right beach for you
To do
Other than walking on the beach or swimming in your resort pool, which could easily take up all your time when in Pranburi, there isn’t much else to do. Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, just off Pranburi, is one of the beautiful beach national parks in Thailand. The name means “three hundred peaks” thanks to the many small limestone mountains in the park. There are also beautiful sheltered beaches, swamps, caves, and trails and areas for bird watching. Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park is a very easy drive from Pranburi and although it is not a huge park, it is an easy place to spend a full day.
