Cha Am
 

We are going to Cha-Am next month during a weeklong trip to BKK. I've not been there before. Any ideas on the best way to get from BKK to Cha Am? I'm not keen on flagging down a taxi meter and getting into a 1985 Datsun with no air conditioning or shock absorbers for the 2 hour drive!

Cheapest option by far is to take a 1st class bus from the New New Southern Terminal. Departures to Hua Hin are very frequent, not sure about Cha-am but they're not far apart.

A taxi direct to your destination should be around 2000 baht or so, and nobody's forcing you to ride with the first rattletrap that comes your way on Bangkok's streets, no?

Send email to: roongsayam athotmail.com and ask the price. His company is in Hua Hin. I always use him to go to Hua Hin and assume Cham Am would be the same. Price was 2000 THB. All his cars are new and drivers are careful. He will pick you up at your hotel or airport.

What did you end up doing?

We're doing the same trip, BKK to Cha-Am, in December. We're 2 adults and 2 kids, the youngest is 1.5yrs so he'll need a car seat.

Any thoughts on the best way to go? Will we need to bring our own car seat?

The bus is a good option. The blue buses are the 1st class ones. They have A/C and a bathroom. Buses are quite frequent (usually every hour). I can't remember off the top of my head, but there are usually:

• Bangkok - Cha Am
• Bangkok - Petchaburi - Cha Am
• Bangkok - Ta Yang - Cha Am
• Bangkok - Cha Am - Hua Hin

Just make sure that the driver will stop at Cha Am before you board. :D

I prefer the mini-vans that leave from the Victory Monument. Fare is around 200-250 Baht per person, and they will definitely stop in Cha Am if they have passengers going there. They depart every half hour or so

http://www.tourismhuahin.com/minivan-huahin.php

The minivans to Hua Hin and Cha-Am (and other destinations) leave from the soi (lane) next to the Century Movie Plaza. The fare is 180 baht per person and they leave frequently (I think every half hour).

Here's what the van station looks like.

Here's the layout of Victory Monument.

If you REALLY want to save some money, take a minivan TO Victory Monument. They cost only 40 baht from the airport transport centre and come into the soi next to the Fashion Mall. To get to the soi where the vans to Cha-Am go, you'd have to go up on the walkway, so this is not recommended for people with heavy luggage.

We are going to the Sheraton betnween Hua Hin and Cha Am on Christimas Eve. Anyone who has experience with this service?
huahintaxi dot com

I don't know about huahintaxi, but the buses and minivans should be able to let you off in front of Sheraton. There is big Sheraton sign on the main street where the buses run.

Just took the Minivan to Sheraton Hua Hin, cost THB180 from victory monument, the hotel is by the main road across from a huge outlet mall which they are building currently. Upon arrival, let the guards know that you are checking in and they will send a golf cart over to pick you up, else take a 5 min walk to the lobby of the hotel.

The ride was about 2 hours, the minivans were comfortable, very fast and cheap. A very good option if you are travelling light.