Onlychaam.com > Cha-Am > General information > Get there
Cha-Am: general information
How to go to Cha-Am
Assuming you're travelling from Bangkok, you can go to Cha-Am by train, by bus, by mini-bus or by car, or even by plane. We will go over these options in details, so that you can choose the one you like best.
By train
Trains leave from Hualamphong station in Bangkok ten times daily between 8:05 am and 10:50 pm. Whereas most trains stop to Hua Hin, only two trains (9:20 and 15:35 - please check official schedule for confirmation) stop at Cha-Am (respectively at 12:39 and 19:43). If you want to go by train at a more convenient time, you can get off at Hua Hin and go back to Cha-Am by bus or by shuttle bus (click on the schedule to enlarge it):
Hualamphong train station in Bangkok. |
Shuttle bus between Cha-Am and Hua Hin - click to enlarge. |
You can go to Hualamphong station in Bangkok by bus or by taxi, but also with the subway (the MRT), as Hualamphong is a terminal station. This is very convenient during rush hours.
From Cha-Am to Bangkok, the train stops in Cha-Am at 14:28 and arrives in Bangkok at 18.45. You can also catch a train in the middle of the night, at 03:23, and arrive in Bangkok at 8:05. Please check the official schedule for confirmation, and please be aware that the trains in Thailand may not be dead on time.
Click here to locate Hualamphong train station with Google Maps
Click here to see the official railway schedule
Cha-Am train station |
BAN CHA-AM is the exact name of the station |
When you arrive in Cha-Am, walk straight in the direction of the sign that says "Welcome to Cha-Am". You will pass the police station and post office on your left, then you arrive at the traffic lights, the main intersection of Cha-Am. Cross the road and keep on walking straight (you will pass many Thai restaurants on your left), then you arrive at the beach. It's quite a long walk (2 kilometers), so of course you can go by taxi or moto-taxi.
For more information on means of transportation available in Cha-Am, see our page: Getting around
Pros and cons
Pros: the train is safe, cheap, and you can enjoy the scenery. The station in Bangkok can be reached easily.
Cons: only two trains a day stop in Cha-Am, the time may not be convenient, and the trains are not always on time.
By bus
Buses leave from the new Sai Tai (Southern Terminal) station, in Talling Chan, outside of Bangkok. So first you have to go to the bus station, either by taxi, or by bus if you are on a budget. If you live or stay in downtown Bangkok (that is to say the old town, Banglamphu, Khao San Road or Chinatown), then the station can be reached rather quickly, but if you are on Silom or Sukhumvit, depending on the time of the day you can lose quite some time in the traffic.
The new bus station is very nice and offers a whole range of restaurants, shops and facilities (much more, actually, than the disastrous new airport). The buses themselves are quite comfortable (air-conditioned), but the normal buses hardly ever leave on time, as they leave only when they are full or almost full, so you can easily lose an hour waiting at the station. If you want to make sure the bus leaves on time, you have to book a seat in a VIP bus.
Reservations can be made in advance at the station or through a travel agency, but it is usually not necessary. In theory, the buses depart every 30 minutes, from 4:00 am to 10:20 pm.
The new Southern Bus Station opened at the end of year 2007, so if you want to locate it on a map, please be aware that some maps still show the old location (which is a few kilometers away, closer from Bangkok).
Click here to locate the new Southern Bus Station with Google Maps
In Cha-Am there are two bus stations, the first one at the main traffic lights junction (this is the junction between Phetkasem Road and Narathip Road), and another one on the beachfront, at soi Cha-Am South 1.
Pros and cons
Pros: all buses stop in Cha-Am, and there are buses every 30 minutes.
Cons: the normal buses never leave on time, and the Southern bus station may not be convenient to reach, depending on where you stay in Bangkok.
By minibus
Minibuses (or minivans) start from Victory Monument. You can go to Victory Monument by BTS (Skytrain), and the minibuses are just near the station (exit #2). The cost is 160 baht, and it takes a bit more than two hours to reach Cha-Am. The first minibus leaves at 5:00 am and the last one at 8:00 pm. Minibuses leave only when they are full or almost full, so depending on the moment of the day, you may have to wait a little.
Go to Victory Monument with the BTS. |
Exit #2 |
You can see the minibuses from above the station |
The "ticket office" |
From Cha-Am to Bangkok, you can buy a ticket for a minibus at the office on Narathip Road, near the junction with Phetkasem Road (on your left if you come from the beach, between the two photo shops). The last minibus departs at 6:00 pm.
Pros and cons
Pros: cheap and convenient, as Victory Monument can be reached easily by the Skytrain.
Cons: minibuses leave when they are full (or almost full). Buses are more comfortable than minibuses.
By taxi
A taxi from Bangkok to Cha-Am will cost you a minimum of 2,000 baht. There is no reason to choose this option, unless you need to go to Cha-Am directly after you have landed at Bangkok airport.
Pros and cons
Pros: you can go to Cha-Am directly from Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok airport).
Cons: expensive.
By car with a private driver
You can hire a car and a private driver through any travel agency in Bangkok or elsewhere. If you are travelling in a small group, it is a very nice and handy option, as the car can stop whenever and wherever you want, and you can use it at any moment during your stay in Cha-Am. You don't have to worry about directions, driving, getting stopped by the police, etc.
Pros and cons
Pros: no hassle, great confort.
Cons: not the cheapest solution, of course.
By car, driving a rental car
If you consider renting a car, please be aware that driving in Thailand may be a lot different than driving in your own country. You will have to deal with reckless drivers, confusing roadsigns, people or animals crossing the highway, trucks overtaking each others, unpredictable [sic] policemen... You need to have a good knowledge and experience of this country, and also a good deal of patience and "chay yen yen", in order to be able to drive without risking a heart attack every five kilometers.
Please also be aware that the laws in Thailand are getting very tough against drunk driving and phoning while driving.
Click here to see the route in details (indications and pictures of roadsigns)
Pros and cons
Pros: you obviously enjoy more freedom, and you are in control of the driving (or at least you think you are).
Cons: you shouldn't consider driving yourself in Thailand unless you have a good knowledge of this country.
By car, driving your own car
If you already drive your personal car in Thailand, we assume that you have been here for a long time and you don't need our advice conerning driving in Thailand. So we will rather focus on directions, which you may find more useful.
The road from Bangkok to Cha-Am is not particularly nice, but it's not particularly unpleasant either. You can get out of Bangkok by Rama IX bridge, then follow Rama II road for about an hour, until you reach road #4 (Phetkasem) which goes down south. You drive about another hour and you are in Cha-Am.
Click here to see the route in details (indications and pictures of roadsigns)
Pros and cons
Pros: you have the confort and privacy of your own car.
Cons: not that we can think of, provided you like driving and you drive carefully and responsibly.
By plane
There is an airport in Hua Hin, and three daily flights are operated by Nok Air from/to Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi). It's a 50 minutes flight, you fly on a Cessna 208 Caravan (12 seats) and the cost is about 6,200 THB.
Click here to go to Nok Air's website
Pros and cons
Pros: hmmm... it's fun?
Cons: it's very expensive and you don't save much time on such a small journey.
What is the best solution?
It depends on your budget, on where you stay in Bangkok (still assuming that you are travelling from Bangkok), and on how many people you are travelling with. But in any case, the solution which you may find cheap, convenient and quick, in our humble opinion, is to take a minibus at Victory Monument, especially if you stay on Sukhumvit (or Silom). The buses are convenient only if you stay in or near Banglamphu area, but they are more comfortable than minibuses. The train is nice too, if you're not in a hurry.
