At the seaside town of Hua Hin I spent three blissful days at the gorgeous Sofitel, the former Railway Hotel (1924), a destination in itself. Little of Hua Hin's original character as a fishing village is left. Most restaurants have adopted Italian or German character with only a few Thai options at the back of the menu; the streets are full of massage parlours, tailors, travel agents and cheap opticians' shops; and the beach seemed rather ordinary. Nevertheless Hua Hin is a pleasant place to spend a couple of days. The market is colourful and contains some good snack stalls.