The Railway Hotel is a historic hotel in Hua Hin, Thailand. [1] It stood in for the Hotel Le Phnom in the 1984 film The Killing Fields . The hotel occupies land leased from its owner, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The lease will expire in 2020. [2]
The hotel dates back to the time when Hua Hin itself was evolving into Thailand's first beach resort. [3]
The beauty of Hua Hin was noted by the engineers surveying the southern railway route in 1909. Land was set aside for a station, and when the first section of the line opened in 1911 Hua Hin became a destination where wealthy Bangkok residents built their holiday homes. The southern line to Malaysia was completed in 1921, making it possible to travel between Bangkok, Malaysia, and Singapore by train. [3]
Mr. Alfredo Rigazzi, the State Railways' Italian architect, designed the original building as a luxurious two-storey European-style resort hotel made of brick and wood, in accordance with royal command. The hotel was constructed on State Railways land while existing bungalows were moved a short distance away. The hotel featured 14 bedrooms, a lobby lounge, bar, restaurant, billiards room, wine storeroom, and large verandas, costing a total of 128,366.75 baht, a staggering sum at the time. A veranda surrounded the building, cleverly designed to protect guests from the sun's heat and prevent rainwater from running back along the tiles. The building was remarkably similar in appearance to the Marukhatayawan Royal Residence in nearby Cha-am. [4]
The hotel opened in October 1922 and had its grand opening on 1 January 1923.
King Rama VI commissioned road maintenance engineer A. O. Robins to build a golf course on land opposite the railway station, completing the original nine-hole, 3,000-yard Royal Hua-Hin Golf Course [5] and tennis courts in time to welcome the first hotel guests on 26 October 1922. [4]
"The railway era brought great changes to Siam, as Thailand was then known," says Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts. "There were very few roads into the provincial areas, and places such as Hua Hin were known only to the local population. When the railway was built from Bangkok down to Malaysia, it suddenly became possible for the aristocracy of the day to travel to Hua Hin, and to enjoy the beach and the ocean." [3]
By 1928 the hotel's reputation was international and, in order to accommodate the growing number of visitors to Hua Hin, RSR added a new wing of 13 rooms, built to exactly the same design as the existing building.
After WWII two more guestrooms were added, along with three restaurants, a downstairs bar, and a lobby with a panoramic view of Hua Hin's bay.
In 1988, the hotel was purchased by Sofitel and became the Hotel Sofitel Central Hua Hin. [4]
As of September 2014 it is run by the Central Plaza Hotel Public Company (CENTEL), Ltd. [6] and named the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin.
Prachuap Khiri Khan is one of the western provinces (changwat) of Thailand. It is in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 240 km (149 mi) south of Bangkok. Neighboring provinces include Phetchaburi to the north and Chumphon to the south. To the west, it borders Tanintharyi Region of Myanmar.
Hua Hin is one of eight districts (amphoe) of Prachuap Khiri Khan province in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula in Thailand. Its seat of government, also named Hua Hin, is a beach resort town. The district's population was estimated at 65,983 in December 2019 by the Bureau of Registration Administration in an area of 911 km2 (352 sq mi). By road, it is 199 km (124 mi) south-southwest of Bangkok.
Sofitel Hotels & Resorts are a French hotel chain of luxury hotels based in Paris, France, and owned by Accor since 1980. Founded in 1964 in France, Sofitel quickly developed worldwide to reach more than 200 properties. In 2008, Sofitel became a brand of luxury hotels only, downsized its property count to 89, and created new brands. Sofitel had 130 properties by January 2023.
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Bangkok railway station is a railway station in Pathum Wan, the former central passenger terminal in Bangkok and the former railway hub of Thailand. It is in the center of the city in the Pathum Wan district, and is operated by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Long distance trains moved to the new central station at Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in 2023.
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Chom Dong is a private estate and botanical garden near Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand. It is not open to the public aside from infrequent special events.
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Southern Line is a metre-gauge railway line in Thailand, operated by State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which runs through most of the provinces in the Central, Western, and Southern regions of Thailand. At 1,144.29 kilometres in length, it is Thailand's longest railway line.
Hua Hin railway station is a train station located in Hua Hin Subdistrict, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, and is located 212.99 kilometres (132.3 mi) from Thon Buri railway station and 850 m from the beach. It is a class 1 railway station on the Su-ngai Kolok Main Line of the Southern Line.
Minor Hotels is an international hotel owner, operator, and investor headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand, with more than 550 hotels in over 55 countries across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe, and the Americas. Minor Hotels operates as a subsidiary of Minor International, one of the largest hospitality and leisure companies in the Asia-Pacific region. The group operates hotels under the brands of Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Avani Hotels & Resorts, Elewana Collection, Oaks Hotels, Resorts & Suites, NH Hotels, NH Collection, nhow Hotels, and Tivoli Hotels & Resorts.
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Suan Son Pradiphat is a sand beach in Tambon Nong Kae, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand. Suan Son Pradiphat is regarded as another popular and well-known marine attraction in Hua Hin, it is about 9 km south of town of Hua Hin. Khao Takiab hill bisected between these two areas.
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