Cha-Am blog by onlychaam

Our goal with onlychaam.com is to provide useful and up to date information, so we try to update the site as often as possible.

The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about Thailand has been updated, with fresh information concerning the visas. It seems that back to back tourist visas are now allowed again, but remember that the laws here can change quickly. Nok Air stopped its flights between Bangkok and Hua Hin, so we updated our information about the means of transportation available to get to Cha-Am. The plane was not an interesting solution anyway, too expensive and taking too much time. We added a short explanation on how to use the buses if you want to go from Cha-Am to Hua Hin, Phetchaburi or Bangkok. For expats living here, we also added new shops and services on the “where to?” page. If you know some other places worth mentioning, please share your tips!

Finally, we added some more hotels to our selection. The Tara Mantra hotel (next to the Long Beach hotel on north Cha-Am) and the Yai Ya resort (not far from Hua Hin) are both brand new and luxurious hotels. We haven’t gone inside yet, but they look quite impressive and they get very positive feedback from travellers. We also went to see the Thai Bamboo resort and had a nice chat with the owner, who told us he had some writers among his customers. I can understand why, as the resort is like a haven of peace in Cha-Am countryside.

Almost all the hotels that are listed can be booked directly through our website. It’s safe and straightforward, with great customer care and low prices. We chose r24 as a provider, because they are trustworthy (it is a service of Sawasdee) and they have the lowest prices on the market. When you compare the prices, always be careful about the taxes, as some websites do not include them in the prices they show. At r24 the taxes are always included in the price, as it is clearly mentioned. Also make sure you check the recent travel reviews that are published on r24 or other websites like Tripadvisor.

Unlike Bangkok or even Hua Hin, there is hardly any traffic jam in Cha-Am. It can happen, though, especially at the end of a week-end or holiday, or during Songkran, like a few days ago. Days like that, you can easily spend twenty minutes just to go up Narathip road, from the beachfront to Phetkasem road. You also have to bear with the drivers who speed up the left lane (the one that should be reserved for turning left in the direction of Hua Hin) and cut in just when the traffic lights turn green.

So, here is our tip: to avoid Narathip road, go south along the beach or on Chaolay road, until you see a sign indicating Phetkasem road on your right. Take this road and you will arrive on Phetkasem road, just in front of Cha-Am Forest Park. Turn right (assuming you are going to Bangkok), and if you see that there is some more traffic jam at the traffic lights, turn left just before the footbridge, drive in the direction of the fresh market, then turn right through the parking lot and right again when the street ends. Then go straight and turn left (free left turn) on Phetkasem.

Bon voyage and drive carefully!

Songkran is coming! On April 13-15 we will be celebrating the traditional Thai New Year, with of course a lot of water, talcum powder and flower shirts. Whether you like it or not, you will probably get drenched at every street corner! It’s a lot of fun, but just be careful if you drive a vehicle, as a lot of accidents happen each year.

So, what will happen in Cha-Am? The festivities will start on April 13th, in front of the “Tesaban” building (this is close to the train station). At 7:30am there will be a blessing ceremony (“tak-bat song-nam phra”), and the official opening ceremony will be held at 1:00pm. A procession will start from the Long Beach hotel and go to the Tesaban, where some traditional games will be organized (like sack racing). Starting at 7:19pm, at the same place, you can enjoy a comedy show and some look tung music. Of course there will be shops everywhere, selling food and various things. Not sure about alcohol, as there will probably be a ban during the festival, mostly to limit the risks of drunk-driving.

If you’re worried about getting wet, please note that it should be limited to April 13-15 on the beachfront. But “mooban Cha-Am”, which is the part of the town around the market and behind the railway line, will celebrate on the 17th.

If you have never experienced the Songkran Festival, we have some advice for you. First, unless you hide in your hotel room or your house during three days, you will get wet. Very wet. So you should dress accordingly, and do not carry any important papers on you, or any device that is not waterproof. If you need to carry your passport or credit card or any important papers, keep them stored in a plastic pocket (easy to find as there are plenty of them for sale). Same for your phone, digital camera, etc. If you get stopped by Thai people and they pour water on you, please react gently: they are just wishing you a happy new year and plenty of luck! Last but not least, as we said before, better avoid driving, especially a motorbike and especially if it’s a rented bike and you are not comfortable with it yet.

We are happy to announce that we have put online an interactive map of Cha-Am. As far as we know it is the first one on the net! We focused on the main services that are useful both to tourists and expats, that is hotels, restaurants, banks, post offices, official services like Immigration or Transportation, and all various shops and services that we mention on Onlychaam website.

The map is very easy to use: with your mouse you can move left or right and up and down, and you can zoom in and out. To find a particular place, you can browse the list on the left, which is arranged thematically and alphabetically. To get more information about a place, click on its marker. If it is a hotel, for example, you will see a picture of the hotel, and clicking on it will lead you to a page with more pictures, details, travel reviews, prices and online booking.

We will try our best to keep this map up to date and to add more places. If you think of a place that we forgot, should it be a hotel, a restaurant or a shop, please tell us and we will add it with pleasure. And of course, if you find any mistakes, please contact us so that we can correct immediately. Thank you for your feedback!