Your quick travel guide to Hua Hin

Car Rental in Hua Hin: Driving Thailand’s Original Beach Resort

While you might expect a beach resort to be isolated and homogenous, Thailand’s historic resort is lively, thriving, multifaceted, and simply put, great fun. Hua Hin mixes the pleasures of an island getaway with the convenience of the mainland: driving to Hua Hin is easy, there are numerous sights to see in the area, and shopping for diverse goods is convenient and quick. Rent a car today to travel to and around this exciting and multifaceted city; visiting the 1920s summer residences that put Hua Hin on the map is highly recommended, as are long days on the beach and explorations into Thailand’s gorgeous interior!

Hua Hin is a great place to visit year round. If you love the heat, you’ll want to visit between March and May when the temperatures reach the high 30s Celsius. Bursts of rain will interrupt continuous sun in the rainy season, from June to October. If you prefer cooler days, head to Hua Hin sometime from November to February.

Thai is the official language of Thailand, though younger generations are likely to have some proficiency in English. Road signs are also typically in both Thai and English.

Economic exchange takes place in the Thai baht, which is easily accessible via ATMs throughout Hua Hin. If you are planning on travelling to remote areas outside the city, it is recommended to bring sufficient cash with you, as currency exchange or ATMs will be increasingly scarce.

Hua Hin is accessible via train and road. Even if you drive into Hua Hin, though, visiting the train station, with its traditional Thai architecture, is well worth it. The streets around the train station are also an excellent place to pick up your rental car. Rental vehicles of all kinds are available along the Phet Kasem Road, also known as Thailand Route 4, which intersects Hua Hin north to south and is the longest highway in the country.

While you’ll definitely want to spend some time on Hua Hin’s famous 6-kilometer-long beach and at the nearby Rajabhakti Park, the Sam Roi Yot National Park an hour south of the city is also worth a visit. If Hua Hin is your primary destination in Thailand, you might consider visiting Bangkok over a weekend as well, located just 3 hours to the north – though note that driving in Bangkok is even more challenging than driving in Hua Hin!

Visa Regulations

The inhabitants of over 60 nations are permitted to visit Thailand visa-free for between 14 and 90 days, depending on your country of origin. Double-check which category you belong to before you book your hotel or hire your car.

Driving in Hua Hin

Road conditions are significantly better in Thailand than in neighboring countries, but it will still be necessary to be alert while driving and to drive defensively, as there’s an awful lot taking place on Thailand’s roadways. Hire a car – and also consider hiring a driver – to experience Thailand’s landscape and cultural variety at its most intimate.

Left-Hand Driving

  • Traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road, though you may find that many rental cars are right-hand drive.

Speed Limits

  • The speed limit on motorways is 120 km/h.
  • On highways, the speed limit is between 80 and 90 km/h.
  • In towns, the speed limit is 50 to 60 km/h.
  • Hua Hin is a very popular spot for weekend getaways from Bangkok, so to avoid doubling your travel time to and in the city, travel off of peak hours. If you must visit the city on the weekend, try to leave Bangkok after morning rush hour on Friday, rather than waiting until later in the day, when the roadways will be quite full.

Other Regulations

  1. Parking in Hua Hin is very challenging, as most street sides are occupied by taxi stands or motorcycle rentals, so booking a hotel with off-street parking is highly recommended!
  2. An international driver’s license is required to rent, as many rental agencies won’t lease a car unless you have one, and your insurance will be invalidated without one. You can drive on an international driver’s license in Thailand for a full six months.
  3. It is mandatory to carry both your driver’s license and passport with you whenever driving.

Other Tips

  • Drive defensively in Thailand. Be alert, and use your side and rearview mirrors to keep a good sense of your surroundings, particularly in city traffic.
  • Driving at night, particularly cross-country, is not recommended. Many trucks reserve transport for the nighttime and a lot of locals drive without headlights, making night driving a busy, surprising, and dangerous ordeal. Take pictures of the car you rent when you pick it up and drop it off, and ask your rental provider to write down any damages to the car that he or she can see before and after you rent it. Keep a copy of these documents to avoid any unfair additional charges.