Hua Hin Beach Resort - Plearn Wan

Hua Hin Beach Resort is a favourite destination among Thais. Unlike Pattaya, Hua Hin is fairly unknown to foreigners or farangs. Located 200 kms south of Bangkok, this is a popular weekend getaway with journey ranging from 2.5 - 3.5 hours depending on traffic conditions. Anyone who's lived in Bangkok can attest to the heavy traffic on the expressways leading into and out of the city!

In addition to the refreshing seabreeze, cooling waters, fresh seafood, there is much to do in Hua Hin if one wants a different scene. Our friends took us to Plearn Wan. It is described as a “Center of joy and happiness ... stop the past in order to tell the various tales of Hua Hin in the past ... toward present” on its website. It's actually a huge wooden complex designed based on the old wooden shops in the past, with shops and stalls selling food, souveniers, etc.

Highly popular with the local tourists (colourful buses, MPVs and cars fill the parking lot beside Plearn Wan on weekends) due to the cutesy shops and numerous photo opportunities (Thais love photography), it really is quite fun walking around the shops, snapping away and deciding which yummy desserts to try.

I highly recommend the soft love letter made on the spot. You can choose from a couple of different flavours - yam, banana, etc. Absolutely delicious!


Who can resist one of Thailands most famous desserts - mango sticky rice ("kao niao mang muang")?


Mini crispy pancakes with a choice of fillings - shredded coconut, sweet corn, taro, kaya (coconut jam), etc, etc.


Have some ice cold local coffee to accompany dessert, very similar to Malaysia's local coffee. I thought that the use of the rafia string to hold the paper cup was quite clever!


Watch a local artisan at work as he fashions a horse from candy...


Admire old and current photos of the royal family. It is very common to see shops hang pictures of the royal family from various eras. The Thais highly revere the king. This particular shop in Plearn Wan had quite a good selection of prints for sale.


I was told that in the evening, the look and feel of Plearn Wan is quite different from the day. Unfortunately, time did not permit for us to make a return visit at dusk. Still, we had a pleasant time roaming the "streets" of Plearn Wan, experiencing a little bit of "old" Thailand.