Prachuab – the provincial capital of Hua Hin

A teacher’s eye view from Monte Webb, English Teacher at WECI, English and Computer Institute

In May, I moved to a small town about 80 kilometers south of Hua Hin called Prachuab Kiri Khan to open the second branch of WECI. Prachuab Kiri Khan is the hub of all the government offices for the province. Since moving here I have met and befriended a number of people in high places. What I find most refreshing about them is that they are just like everybody else I’ve met. I was invited to a birthday party for my friend Mr. Foo. While there a couple of gentlemen came in and I found myself being introduced to the new Governor of the province and his Deputy Governor. Life always seems to offer something new almost every time I turn around.

Living in Prachuab Kiri Khan is very different from Hua Hin. Life here is much slower and seems to be much more family oriented. They have similar open air markets and similar shopping but on a lot smaller scale. This is truly rural Thailand. They have 3 main beach areas. There’s Ao Prachuab Beach, Prachuab Beach and Ao Manoa Beach. It seems that the most popular amongst the Thai people is Ao Manoa. It is the home of the 53rd Air Wing of the Royal Thai Air Force.

There’s a small shrine on the top of the highest mountain near the sea that houses the footprint of Buddha himself. The hike takes anywhere from one to two hours depending on your ability and how often you stop to enjoy the absolutely breathtaking view. From the top you can see forever. When I made the climb, I got to watch a rainstorm roll in from over the mountains to the east. I was so high up that the rain never quite made it up there but I could watch it fall on the towns and villages below. Before the rain came, the Air Force was conducting flight training and the planes would circle the mountain and come in for their landings. From this vantage point you could actually look down on the aircraft.

There’s another temple here on “Monkey Mountain”. It has 399 steps to reach it from the street entry below. One of the oldest hotels and restaurants was once the summer home of HRH King Rama IV. Much like Hua Hin, there’s some spectacular scenery and fishing here. The nightlife however is limited to a few small pubs and restaurants plus the beaches for family style gatherings. Don’t let it’s small town exterior fool you though.

There are at least 8 different schools and 3 colleges located within a 3-kilometer radius of the city center. There’s also a train station and bus terminal for traveling to the north or south for sightseeing trips. Life here is very laid back and cheaper than our sister city to the north. So, whatever your preference is you can find it in the southeast of Thailand.