Visiting Cha-am

Posted by Party Pete on May 4th, 2009 filed in Beach areas, just visiting, sightseeing

This seaside town has a unique ambience and offers a pleasurable change of pace. Cha-am is charming due to what it lacks, namely a comprehensive tourist infrastructure and crowds of Western holidaymakers like in Pattaya.

The town’s nice beach is divided in two. To the north shops, small hotels and guesthouses cater mainly to European visitors having staked out a small claim, while mostly Thai tourists dominate the southern beach strip. 

If you have ever wondered what the Thai locals do to escape their daily grind of serving food and cocktails or eagerly trying to get you into their noisy tuk-tuks, the answer might be that Thailand’s wage-slaves save some money and head to Cha-am once a year on holidays and weekends.

Domestic tourists arrive here in big, brightly coloured coaches, throbbing with music of the latest Thai pop hits, and filled with holidaymakers who have been dancing, drinking and singing since they boarded the bus at the crack of dawn. These vacationers can not afford to waste one minute of valuable time, since some trips just budget three or four hours of actual beach time.

Located a little farther north is an idyllic fishing village with a tiny man-made harbour that is filled with fishing boats. The village also boasts several outstanding seafood restaurants. 

If a vibrant nightlife, entertainment, a wide range of dining options and excitement are what you’re looking for then Cha-am isn’t the place to be. A 20-minute drive will get you to Hua Hin, which is a tourist hotspot with a well-developed infrastructure. Otherwise, reset the internal clock to Thai time, and appreciate a simple taste of what daily life in the Kingdom of Siam would be like if Western vacationers weren’t here!