Cha Am, Thailand

The town of Cha Am, in Petchburi Province, is steeped in history. It was here that one of Ayutthaya's greatest king stopped over with his troops, dismounting to admired the view and clean their riding saddles - hence the resort's name derived from the Thai word cha-an, "the saddle".

Later on, it was the building of the railway line down to the Malaysian border during the early years of this century which turned Cha Am and its neighbor, Hua Hin, from tiny fishing communities into a royal resort. That immense sweep of beach on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand proved irresistible to Thailand's aristocracy, and beautiful beach-side houses began to appear along the coastline.

And ever since, although luxury hotels and condominiums have taken the palace of aristocratic beach houses, Cha Am have retained an air of style of elegance, located on the sunrise side of the Gulf of Thailand, Cha Am is well established beach destinations, with full facility. But unlike Pattaya on the opposite side of the Gulf this resort provides a quieter more relaxed retreat amid surroundings which present a typical Thai ambience.

It’s well suited for families or for those who wish simply to escape city bustle.