General Questions for 1st time visitor

[Infiniti09]

Good day, I happened to run into this site web searching so thought I would sign up....Not sure if this is just for locals etc., but I will give it a shot. I think I have about 150 questions

We are flying into Bangkok on Feb.09 from Canada and also meeting up with another couple there from the a different part of Canada. This is our first trip to Thailand and it has been very testing with everything going on. This was supposed to be a vacation but it has become stressful leading up to our departure

So, we are staying from Feb.09-21 at the Sheraton Hua Hin. In between we are heading into Bangkok on Feb.14-16 hoping to see the city ( hoping is the key word as we can still cancel if need be for Bangkok ) we have plans to go our for a nice Valentines Dinner and spend the day in Bangkok.

A few questions about the Hua Hin area:
- We understand it is a little more laid back and we are o.k. with that indeed. This is our winter vacation away from our jobs so we want to recharge.
- We have a pre-arranged shuttle picking us up from the airport and back on the 21st. We have allowed 6hrs from pickup to departure....will this give us enough time based on the route and any challenges that we might encounter?
- We would like to visit the Wildlife Friends Foundation....is this something you would recommend?
- Hua Hin or Cha-Am ...... what is the difference between both places?
- We understand there is nothing really close walking distance to anything from the Sheraton........we did notice a little restaurant called Chef Cha.....any comments on this place as it is very handy just to get out of the resort for a change if we don't want to go all the way into town.
- Any restaurants / bars you would recommend in Hua Hin / Cha-Am - does not need to be fancy but we would like to casually relax with some good food ( would be nice if they have some western choices if possible )
- How about the best place for the cheapest alcohol
- Is it possible to hire a local driver / vehicle and how much would that cost (preferably a van with 4)
- I understand there is a border crossing into Burma / Myanmar close by.....just for the novelty would like to take a picture if they have something defining the crossing for the novelty?
- What is the best transportation method to/fro our resort to Hua Hin...........and I guess reasonable costs etc., What mode should we use going back at night and what should we be looking at for costs.

Anything else anyone would like to add or provide would be greatly appreciated! We are really looking forward to this trip and really hope everything works out prior to and during our stay! Thanks very much

[oakdale160]

From a fellow canadian. First piece of advice---- Slow down, cool down, this is a vacation not a military operation.

[Big Boy]

Wow A lot of questions to start with. I've put my views in red below (I'm sure others might have different opinions).

Good day, I happened to run into this site web searching so thought I would sign up....Not sure if this is just for locals etc., but I will give it a shot. I think I have about 150 questions

We are flying into Bangkok on Feb.09 from Canada and also meeting up with another couple there from the a different part of Canada. This is our first trip to Thailand and it has been very testing with everything going on. This was supposed to be a vacation but it has become stressful leading up to our departure

So, we are staying from Feb.09-21 at the Sheraton Hua Hin. In between we are heading into Bangkok on Feb.14-16 hoping to see the city ( hoping is the key word as we can still cancel if need be for Bangkok ) we have plans to go our for a nice Valentines Dinner and spend the day in Bangkok.

A few questions about the Hua Hin area:
- We understand it is a little more laid back and we are o.k. with that indeed. This is our winter vacation away from our jobs so we want to recharge.
- We have a pre-arranged shuttle picking us up from the airport and back on the 21st. We have allowed 6hrs from pickup to departure....will this give us enough time based on the route and any challenges that we might encounter?That should be fine. I'm flying soon and have allowed 5 hours, so 6 should give you plenty of time for mishaps.
- We would like to visit the Wildlife Friends Foundation....is this something you would recommend?As a pensioner, I think their costs are a little steep. Probably OK for foreign visitors. It looks like a good day out, but well beyond my pocket.
- Hua Hin or Cha-Am ...... what is the difference between both places?About 15 miles. Hua Hin is great for nightlife, bars and restaurants. Cha-Am seems more geared to daytime visitors, with minimal nightlife.
- We understand there is nothing really close walking distance to anything from the Sheraton........we did notice a little restaurant called Chef Cha.....any comments on this place as it is very handy just to get out of the resort for a change if we don't want to go all the way into town.Never heard of it, so no comment.
- Any restaurants / bars you would recommend in Hua Hin / Cha-Am - does not need to be fancy but we would like to casually relax with some good food ( would be nice if they have some western choices if possible ) I wouldn't recommend either, as everybody has their own tastes. Have a read through the Feeding Time and After Dark forums.
- How about the best place for the cheapest alcohol 7-11
- Is it possible to hire a local driver / vehicle and how much would that cost (preferably a van with 4)Yes, very feasible - just negotiate a price that you're happy with.
- I understand there is a border crossing into Burma / Myanmar close by.....just for the novelty would like to take a picture if they have something defining the crossing for the novelty?You won't be able to cross into Burma. Look here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 718&type=1
- What is the best transportation method to/fro our resort to Hua Hin...........and I guess reasonable costs etc., Most places out that way will have a free shuttle into the town. I don't know if they do, but cerainly worth checking.What mode should we use going back at night and what should we be looking at for costs.Almost certainly you will need a tuk-tuk. Somebody else will have to advise on cost.

Anything else anyone would like to add or provide would be greatly appreciated! We are really looking forward to this trip and really hope everything works out prior to and during our stay! Thanks very much

[Big Boy]

I should have said, for places to visit ideas, have a look at our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/huahinforum . Like the page, and you will receive regular news feeds.

[Dannie Boy]

I've put my comments after BB's in black.

Wow A lot of questions to start with. I've put my views in red below (I'm sure others might have different opinions).

Good day, I happened to run into this site web searching so thought I would sign up....Not sure if this is just for locals etc., but I will give it a shot. I think I have about 150 questions

We are flying into Bangkok on Feb.09 from Canada and also meeting up with another couple there from the a different part of Canada. This is our first trip to Thailand and it has been very testing with everything going on. This was supposed to be a vacation but it has become stressful leading up to our departure

So, we are staying from Feb.09-21 at the Sheraton Hua Hin. In between we are heading into Bangkok on Feb.14-16 hoping to see the city ( hoping is the key word as we can still cancel if need be for Bangkok ) we have plans to go our for a nice Valentines Dinner and spend the day in Bangkok.

A few questions about the Hua Hin area:
- We understand it is a little more laid back and we are o.k. with that indeed. This is our winter vacation away from our jobs so we want to recharge.
- We have a pre-arranged shuttle picking us up from the airport and back on the 21st. We have allowed 6hrs from pickup to departure....will this give us enough time based on the route and any challenges that we might encounter?That should be fine. I'm flying soon and have allowed 5 hours, so 6 should give you plenty of time for mishaps. agree with BB, 5 hours is normally sufficient so 6 should be ample.
- We would like to visit the Wildlife Friends Foundation....is this something you would recommend?As a pensioner, I think their costs are a little steep. Probably OK for foreign visitors. It looks like a good day out, but well beyond my pocket.
- Hua Hin or Cha-Am ...... what is the difference between both places?About 15 miles. Hua Hin is great for nightlife, bars and restaurants. Cha-Am seems more geared to daytime visitors, with minimal nightlife. the Sheraton is a bit closer to HH than Cha Am and HH has much greater variety of everything, but I would still recommend a visit to CA to compare them.
- We understand there is nothing really close walking distance to anything from the Sheraton........we did notice a little restaurant called Chef Cha.....any comments on this place as it is very handy just to get out of the resort for a change if we don't want to go all the way into town.Never heard of it, so no comment. I don't know this restaurant but there are a few in the area now. Just across from the entrance to the Sheraton is a shopping complex called FN which has clothes on one side and a range of Thai speciality foods (a shop not a restaurant) and less than 2 km's towards HH is the Venetia shopping complex, including Villa Market supermarket and a number of restaurants.
- Any restaurants / bars you would recommend in Hua Hin / Cha-Am - does not need to be fancy but we would like to casually relax with some good food ( would be nice if they have some western choices if possible ) I wouldn't recommend either, as everybody has their own tastes. Have a read through the Feeding Time and After Dark forums.certainly in HH there is so much choice it is easy to walk around and find something you like the look of and if it has many customers you can be fairly sure of a good meal
- How about the best place for the cheapest alcohol 7-11
- Is it possible to hire a local driver / vehicle and how much would that cost (preferably a van with 4)Yes, very feasible - just negotiate a price that you're happy with.
- I understand there is a border crossing into Burma / Myanmar close by.....just for the novelty would like to take a picture if they have something defining the crossing for the novelty?You won't be able to cross into Burma. Look here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 718&type=1
- What is the best transportation method to/fro our resort to Hua Hin...........and I guess reasonable costs etc., Most places out that way will have a free shuttle into the town. I don't know if they do, but cerainly worth checking.What mode should we use going back at night and what should we be looking at for costs.Almost certainly you will need a tuk-tuk. Somebody else will have to advise on cost. the Sheraton does offer a day-time free shuttle into HH (every 2 hours I believe) but for getting back in the evening you will need a tuk tuk or taxi - about 200-300 baht

Anything else anyone would like to add or provide would be greatly appreciated! We are really looking forward to this trip and really hope everything works out prior to and during our stay! Thanks very much

[Infiniti09]

Military operation.........Hey, at least it made me laugh!! Thanks so much for all the feedback as it is invaluable for a 1st time visitor in the area. We are very looking forward to our trip - just keeping our fingers crossed that if anything, the airport operates as usual if things get out of hand!

[oakdale160]

Are you locked into your Sheraton booking. If you are interested in going out at night, seeing a little of HH or even C-A the Sheraton is not a good choice, there may be a more remote hotel but I cant think of one. There are 5 star hotels in either an easy walk or a 5 min tuk-tuk ride from the bar and restaurant areas --Hilton and centara are an easy walk. Amari and Hyat in the 5min t-t classification. Sheraton is about a 20-25 taxi ride into HH.

[traveller2]

There is a small cafe at the back of the FN shopping outlet, opposite the Sheraton, which does good thai and european food. I dont know how late its open to though.
Im assuming we are talking about the Sheraton between HH and CA, as theres a new Sheraton just opened at Paknampran, also called Sheraton Hua Hin, ive been informed?
Either way, if you can ride a scooter/motorcycle, why not rent a scooter for a day and go explore? They are relatively cheap to rent. Be sure to obtain an international driving permit before you leave home first, if you like the idea.
Ive got to agree with the other comments given.
Have a great holiday.

T2

[Timb-uk]

Having made the trip between HH and the airport a number of times (all in February) 6 hours is fine - 2.5 to 3 hours, plus an hours contingency for the traffic has always been our plan.
Although we've never been to Cha-am, you've made the right choice with HH. Great beach, good variation of restaurants and excellent nightlife (night markets plus bars).
Like others, no recommendations on restaurants - but if you life fish, try the piers.
Transport tuk-tuks are great......and negotiable .
I'm sure you'll have a great time

[Infiniti09]

Yeah, we are pretty much locked into the Sheraton. In saying that we are really looking forward to staying there - As much as we like the bars and restaurants we also like the peace and quiet so I'm sure we will be fine. We don't mind having to grab a taxi to get back to the hotel if need be. We don't plan on going into Hua Hin every single night either. We will also be going into Bangkok for 3 days in the middle of our trip ( well so far anyway - fingers crossed ) - If you know of any locals with a van that can hold four of us let me know........we might use their services for a day as they could take us away from the tourist traps and allow us to experience the real culture. We are not interested in the pre planned tour trips from the hotel as they are too touristy and we won't get to experience the culture. We kind of like getting off the beaten path a little bit. For example going to a small village where the tourists would for the most part not be around and just sit in the local pub and have a beer with the locals and such. Albeit we need to be with someone we can trust to feel safe etc., of course. Nonetheless, I hope the weather cooperates and I'm sure we will find the area beautiful and enjoy the same! Cheers.

[Dannie Boy]

Yeah, we are pretty much locked into the Sheraton. In saying that we are really looking forward to staying there - As much as we like the bars and restaurants we also like the peace and quiet so I'm sure we will be fine. We don't mind having to grab a taxi to get back to the hotel if need be. We don't plan on going into Hua Hin every single night either. We will also be going into Bangkok for 3 days in the middle of our trip ( well so far anyway - fingers crossed ) - If you know of any locals with a van that can hold four of us let me know........we might use their services for a day as they could take us away from the tourist traps and allow us to experience the real culture. We are not interested in the pre planned tour trips from the hotel as they are too touristy and we won't get to experience the culture. We kind of like getting off the beaten path a little bit. For example going to a small village where the tourists would for the most part not be around and just sit in the local pub and have a beer with the locals and such. Albeit we need to be with someone we can trust to feel safe etc., of course. Nonetheless, I hope the weather cooperates and I'm sure we will find the area beautiful and enjoy the same! Cheers.

The Sheraton is a very nice hotel and it has a great infinity swimming pool. The only downside is that it's a bit out of the way from HH itself, but as mentioned before, they have free daytime bus shuttles. It is of course quite a bit more expensive to eat there but although I can't remember the name, if you walk to the beach and head left, you will find a small hotel with a restaurant within 1-200 metres that serves good food at much lower prices.

[Takiap]

Yes there is a border crossing into Burma which isn't too far from Hua-Hin. The best time to go though is early on a Saturday morning. However, if you go during the week you might well be able to cross the actual border. I done so on two or three occasions without ever running into any problems. Of course things might have changed.

As far as sitting in in a pub with locals is concerned, I think you'll find that the locals don't really have/use pubs apart from the younger generation. Most of the average working class Thais tend to enjoy their beers or whiskey at what we call Mom & Pop shops. I do the same thing and have met so really colorful characters. Most recently a middle aged Thai who can't speaking much English at all, but you'd be surprised how many English songs he can sing and play on a guitar. Have to catch him early though because he usually ends up blind drunk and then he wants to hug and kiss everyone.


Just look for little side of the road shops that have a table or two outside, and you'll almost certainly get company. Personally I would recommend do this more on the outskirts of town. Some that I know of will even whip a BBQ and prepare some food if you supply the essentials. No hiked up prices or services charges, and you get to experience the Thai way.

Another interesting aspect about eating at roadside stalls and/or drinking at local Mom & Pop shops is the fact that they are frequented by one and all. From businessmen to building site laborers, you see the lot. Highly recommended. In fact, I can't even remember when last I sat in a tourist type pub. I've got nothing against tourists or expats, just enjoy the local street level Thai scene more.


Hope you all have a great time.

[Infiniti09]

I am going to throw another question out here that maybe some of you can assist with??
I have had a few posts so please bare with me as we try and organize our plans..........a few more questions...........Bangkok Snake Farm and then.................

We will be in Bangkok and have Saturday Feb.15 to do a few things. First I would like to visit the Snake Farm which I believe opens at 08:30 a.m. on weekends with one show at 10:00 a.m. ? Can anybody confirm this?
We are staying at Four Points Sheraton - any suggestion on easiest way to get down there and if possible directions or where to get off etc., ?? This would be helpful............plus how much time should we a lot to get to this location.
When completed say around noonish, we would like to find a market or something to that effect to do some local shopping and haggling Maybe something with food stalls etc., - would like to experience some of the local culture.
......then is there anyway to get on a boat ( prefer to rent one for ourselves if that is at all possible ) in the area that we are in and work our way through the canals back to the Four Points area or the closest possible area? Is this possible and how / where would we go about doing this?

[PeteC]

Snake Farm Info: A visit to the institute offers you a chance to explore the intensive exhibition about various kinds of snakes as well as to watch snake-handling and venom-milking live demonstrations, both of which require special techniques from experts. The snake-handling demonstration takes place daily (2:30pm on weekdays, 11am on weekends) but the venom-extraction demonstration takes place only on weekdays, at 11am.

Opening hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m., Saturday- Sunday and Public Holidays, 9:30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.

Admission: Adults 200 Baht, Children 50 baht

Contact: Thai Red Cross, Rama 4 Rd., Tel. 0 2252 0161-4, 0 2252 0167 Fax: 0 2254 0212, www.redcross.or.th, E-mail: qsmi@webmail.redcross.or.th

Snake Farm Address: Located near Chulalongkorn Hospital on the corner of Henri Dunant Road and Rama IV Road

http://www.tourismthailand.org/See-and- ... -Farm--115

http://www.saovabha.com/en/snakefarm_service.asp
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Your hotel is on Sukhumvit 15. Personally I would simply take a taxi. Tell the hotel doorman where you're going and you should be there in 30 minutes barring any demonstration disruptions
_________________________

I'll leave the market and boat trip for others. You can rent long tail boats for a trip through the Thonburi canals next to the Shangri-La Hotel down by the river. You won't get any boat that I know of from that area back to near the Sheraton Four Points. Your concierge at the Sheraton will have all the info you need and can help you with arrangements.

[PeteC]

Map of where your hotel is: (Point A) https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=U ... KsBEPwSMAo

Map of where the Snake Farm is: (Point A) https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=U ... I4BEPwSMAs

Map of near where the long tail boats dock: (Next to Point A) https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=U ... KEBEPwSMAo

You can reduce the size of any one of the above to encompass all three locations; your hotel, the snake farm, and the long tail dock area.