Cha-am is a quiet beach town on Thailand's upper Gulf coast, about 170 km south of Bangkok and 25 km north of the glitzier Hua Hin. It has one of the longest stretches of beach in the country — an uninterrupted strip of pale sand and easy surf running for some eight kilometres — and a laid-back, distinctly Thai holiday feel. Unlike Hua Hin (which fills up on weekends with well-heeled Bangkokians) or Pattaya (which fills up with, well, everyone), Cha-am is primarily a domestic destination: middle-class Thai families on weekend escapes, busloads of office workers on company outings, and a small expat community that has settled for the slower pace.
The beach is the thing. A long palm-lined boulevard (Ruamchit Road) runs parallel to the sand, with seafood restaurants spilling out onto the pavement, deck chairs for rent under striped umbrellas, horse rides, and hawkers selling grilled squid on sticks. It is not sophisticated — in places it is a bit tacky — but it is cheerful, and the seafood is excellent and cheap. Weekdays are peaceful; weekends are busy with Thai visitors. Avoid the peak weeks around Songkran (mid-April) unless you want to be in the thick of the water-fight celebrations.
Beyond the beach, the nearby countryside has a few worthwhile excursions. Mrigadayavan Palace (between Cha-am and Hua Hin) is the summer teak palace of King Vajiravudh (Rama VI), built in 1923 — a breezy, elegant timber building set in sea pines that is open to visitors. Phetchaburi, half an hour north, is a historic provincial town with a handful of interesting temples and Khao Wang, a royal summer palace built on a hilltop by King Rama IV. The enormous Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand's largest, is an hour inland — serious jungle with hornbills, elephants, and occasional tiger sightings.
Cha-am is an easy, cheap alternative to Hua Hin for a few quiet beach days en route south, and most travellers find it a relief after Bangkok. Bus from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok takes 2.5 hours, or take the train to Cha-am station and a short taxi on to the beach.