Tourist information about Cha-am (Thailand)

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General information about Cha-am

Cha-ama Beach — Cha-am beach is very "Thai"

Cha-am (Cha-Am, Chaam) is a small town and a popular beach resort on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, 160 kilometers south of Bangkok (Cha-am on the map of Thailand). In many popular sources on the Internet, Cha-am is attributed to Hua Hin as one of its districts, but in fact it is a completely independent resort and a city 25 kilometers from Hua Hin.

Cha am is very popular with Thais as a place to relax on weekends, especially among residents Bangkok. There are also foreign tourists here, but they are much less than the rest resorts of the coast of Thailand. The main advantage of Cha-am is its cheapness and the availability of a large number of budget accommodation options, so it is a great place for budget travelers rather than neighboring Hua Hin. Moreover, prices here are lower not only for hotels, but also for other tourist services, meals, souvenirs. What's nice is that tourists here pay as much for everything as the locals, without additional surcharges.

Cha-am is less well-known and popular with mass tourists than neighboring Hua Hin. It simply gets lost in the shadow of Hua Hin's popularity, which is why many people perceive it as a quieter neighborhood or suburb. The situation here is much calmer, the infrastructure and the amount of entertainment is less. And the size of the Cham is several times smaller than Hua Hin. Although the rest here is calm, without frills, at the same time there is everything for rest.

Main street of Cha-am — The main street of Cha-am is very deserted on weekdays

Night life there are almost none here, except for a few bars, restaurants and cafes. Everything closes at midnight according to a local law passed in 2013. After the adoption of this law, many bars and clubs simply closed, and nightlife became even less. The bulk of evening entertainment here is concentrated on the streets of Soi Bus Stop (also known as Entertainment Street) and on the main road Narathip Road. There are also several restaurants and bars right on the beaches.

As for the attractions, there are no attractions in the tourist zone itself. But there is a lot to see in the vicinity, and you can successfully capture interesting places in the direction of Hua Hin, and see the city of temples of Phetchaburi. In general, if you rent a transport, you can spend more than one day traveling to interesting places in the district.

Shopping in Chaam is poorly developed. There is not a single large shopping center here, only small shops with the most necessary and markets. Of course, you will buy traditional tourist souvenirs and essentials here, but for something more or less serious you will have to go at least to Hua Hin, and preferably to Bangkok.

Weather in Cha-am, tourist seasons

You can relax in Chaam all year round. However, the high season and the low season stand out.

Cool season (high season) falls on November-February. This is the best time to relax in Chaam. There is almost no rain at this time, the weather is moderately cool by local standards, i.e. not too hot.

Hot season (temperature season) lasts from March to May. At this time, you can also have a great rest and sunbathe in the Chaam, the only drawback of this period is sometimes unbearable heat.

Rainy season (low season) lasts from June to October. A lot of precipitation falls during the rainy season, but this, by and large, does not interfere with rest, since the rains are short-lived, and the sky is almost always clear. The maximum rains fall in October. Which is good, at this time the prices for vouchers and hotel accommodation may decrease.

Seasons in Cha-am by month:

Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec

* the best time to visit;
acceptable time to visit;
not recommended time to visit

Current weather in Cha-Am and forecast

How to get to Cha-am

Cha-Am is located on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand about 25 kilometers north of Hua Hin and about 200 kilometers south of Bangkok. They get here, most often, by bus or taxi. Although Hua Hin Airport is located nearby, it accepts very rare flights from Hat Yai and Chiang Mai. You can also get there by train.

By taxi

A taxi from Bangkok or Bangkok Airport will cost from 2000 baht (see currency of Thailand, exchange rate).

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By bus or minivan

All buses going from Bangkok and the airport south to Hua Hin go through Cha am. Similarly, buses from the south (Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, etc.) in Bangkok will take you to Cha Am, which is just a stop on the way of these routes.

There is no bus station here, and passengers are dropped off at the stop at the intersection of the main road Tanon Phetkasem and Narathip Alley near the 7/11 store (bus stop on the map of Cha-ama). From there, the beach and the bulk of the hotels can be reached in 20 minutes on foot.

From Bangkok Airport you can get there by bus, which goes to Hua Hin. They are sent to 7:30 , 9:30 , 13:30 , 16:30 and 18:30 , 3 hours on the way, the cost is 305 baht. Tickets are sold on the ground floor of the airport at exit 8, where you will also be escorted to the bus. To clarify information about the current schedule and cost, please visit the carrier's website http://www.airporthuahinbus.com /

From Bangkok minivans go from the north bus terminal of Bangkok Mor Chit. Large regular buses to Cha Am (Hua Hin) from Bangkok depart from Bangkok South Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) approximately every 20-30 minutes, cost from 170 baht. But the inconvenience is that it is very difficult to get to the southern terminal, the metro does not go here.

Chaam to Bangkok minivans depart from four places at once:
- From the stop at the intersection of the main road Tanon Phetkasem and Narathip Alley near the shop 7/11
- From the office opposite the Family Mart store across the street Narathip Alley at the intersection of the main road Tanon
- From the office on Narathip Alley street towards the beach near the market
- From the office from Soi Bus Stop Street (main bar street)
From Hua Hin buses depart from the main bus station, and you can also board them right on the main street of the city. These are big orange or white buses. The fare in them is 50 baht, 30 minutes to go. Similarly, you can get there by minivans. In Chaam, these buses and minivans make a stop at the bus stop at the intersection of the main road Tanon Phetkasem and Narathip Alley at the 7/11 store.

From Pattaya can be reached by minivans with a transfer at the Morchit bus station. Without a transfer from Pattaya can be reached by minivans for 400 baht departing from Soi 10 on South Street (South Pattaya Rd).
By train

This is the cheapest way to get to Cha Am from Bangkok, but also the longest. The train runs for 4 hours, costs 40 baht for the cheapest third class. Keep in mind that the local railway station is called Ban Cha Am, and it is this station, and not just Cha Am, that you need to look for in the train schedule. The station is located about two kilometers from the city center.

From Bangkok daily from the station Hua Lamphong only 2 trains return here daily: at 09:20 and 15:35. There are three daily trains from Thon Bury Station in Bangkok: 07.30, 13:05 and 19:30. You can always check the schedule and cost on the website https://www.railway.co.th

Transport to Cha Am

There is almost no public transport here. The city is small, and you can move on foot.

For trips to the sights, you can use a taxi or rent a transport. Renting a motorcycle will cost from 150 baht per day.

To drive a car in Thailand, tourists no longer need to obtain an international driver's license (IDP). On May 1, 2021, the long-awaited event finally took place - Thailand ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which it initially joined back in 1968. And now in Thailand, theoretically, it is possible to manage rented transport using ordinary Russian rights. However, so far in Thailand there has not been a practice of adopting national VUS on the roads by police officers, therefore, in order not to finish off our rightness every time, we still recommend that you additionally issue an IDP. For more information about renting a transport in Thailand, read here.

The cost of renting a car in Thailand starts from 1000 baht when booking for a short time, and reaches 500 baht when booking for a long time. It is best to search and book a car for rent via the Internet using the search form and price comparison from different rental companies:

Beaches of Cha-am

Cha-am is favorably distinguished by the presence of a large number of budget hotels from Hua Hin. You can find a double room with air conditioning from 400 baht. The largest concentration of inexpensive gests in the center. There are also expensive hotels with their own territory and beach, they are located mainly a couple of kilometers from the center on the coast to the south and north of the center.

As for the quality of the beaches, they are even cleaner and less crowded here than in Hua Hin, but not as wide and long. Large crowds of tourists come here only on weekends or on big holidays, and most of them are Thais.

The most crowded and developed place on the beach is the central part (the center is Narathip Alley Street). There are sun beds, water activities, meals. What's bad is that in the center there is a busy road right along the coast, like in Pattaya. If you want to find a quieter place, then move away from the center, preferably to the north, behind the pier.

Hotels in Chaam

You can find and book accommodation in Cha-Am on these sites or through the search form. All sites have a Russian interface and Russian-language customer support, a lot of reviews from real guests.