Is taking a minibus from Victory Monument in BKK to Hua Hin a good and comfortable way to go or is taking a taxi much better? Thanks

use the Mini-bus if you want it cheap or Taxi if you want comfort, Taxi is B 1,500. I don't know anything really about those Mini-vans, any Thais we know and staff who go down to Hua Hin simply use the express a/con buses from the Southern Terminal for B 180, persoanlly I don't like those small vans, if it gets packed it's not as comfortable as the large a/con buses.

Hi

My wife and I took the bus from the Southern Terminal and it was a bumpy ride but it was cheap Another option is of course to take a train.

Regards
Gard
www.gardkarlsen.com - homepage with trip reports and pictures

We took a minivan to Hua Hin and back in December. James A is right. When they get packed, it's crowded. Plus, if you're large, e.g., 6 Feet or over, there's not much leg room. I had to keep shifting leg positions.

a private car service will charge you about $65...its a great way to go...we went down that way and came back in a mini van...the a/c was not working correctly and when i mentioned it the driver stopped for 20 minutes at a garage and they charged it up...i was pleased with that although not with the stop....it cost $28 for 2 people and they took you wherever you wanted to go in bkk

Third class train is an illuminating experience. The train leaves Hualamphong station at around 12.30 from memory and gets in to Hua Hin at about 16.30. Cost is something like $2.50. Try it!

You've got 10 trains a day from Bangkok to Hua Hin, a couple are 3rd onlt but also plenty with 2nd class a/con, best is the 14.50 and 14.45 both a Express specials with a/c 1st and 2nd (and 3rd) class.

I've taken both the A/C bus from the SOuthern Bus Terminal. ANd a private van.

If it's just two of you or less and you don't mind riding a fairly comfortable bus, take the bus, its cheap fast and fairly comfortable. However, the one thing I didn't like was when I returned to Bangkok it was rush hour. And it took over 2 hours to get from the SOuthern Bus Terminal, which is on the outskirts of ABangkok, back to the hotel. After paying for the bus and for the painfully long cab ride from the terminal into Bangkok, it makes me prefer a private car. Plua paying for a cab ride to and from the bus terminal in both Bangkok and Hua Hin makes the cost differnce between bus and private car less. ANd mentally riding a bus for 2-3 hours fro Hua Hin to Bangkok and then hailing a cab to just sit in traffic for another 2 hours is depressing.

Last time I was there it was with my whole family, so we arranged through my travel agent to have one of those 8-10 passenger vans, that are normally used for tours, to drive to and from Hua Hin. While we still got stuck in the ridiculous rush hour traffic on the way back, it was nice having your own air conditioned van instead of sitting in a hot taxi stuck in traffic for hours, after you get off the bus.

But the bus is fast, cheap and comfortable, but a private car or van is a nice luxury if you don't mind the difference in price and care mainly about the convenience.