Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

Cha-am is a seaside resort about 29 km north of Hua Hin, just across the border in Phetchaburi province. Along a roughly 5 km long beach promenade, fish restaurants, beach chair vendors, and low-rise hotels line the shore. It's a popular weekend getaway for middle-class Thai families from Bangkok. As a result, Cha-am has a very different atmosphere than Hua Hin: you'll find more picnic blankets and inflatable pool floats than beach clubs, and the prices reflect this. The water is shallow and calm, ideal for children.

During the week, it's almost empty and very relaxed here. On weekends, especially Thai holiday weekends, the parking lot is full, the sun umbrellas are packed together, and the sandy beach is overcrowded – which has its own charm, but doesn't exactly make for a peaceful day at the beach. The Cha-am night market on Wednesdays and the Premium Outlets on the way back to Hua Hin offer some evening entertainment, and the restaurants in Hua Hin can be reached in half an hour.