Pak Nam Pran, an uncut diamond
Get Nam Pran
About thirty kilometers south of Hua Hin is the small place Get Nam Pran convenient. Until recently a sleepy village by the sea, but slowly the place is starting to awaken. The real estate dealers have also got their sights on the small place and you can see hotels, condos and villas being built there.
The beach
On the sea side, a wide elongated beach unfolds, which is of course the attraction for the growing number of tourists who have discovered Pak Nam Pran. The nice thing about the place is that the growing interest does not only concern foreign tourists. The Thai is also charmed by the place, as witnessed by the large number of Thai tourists and day trippers.
Pak Nam Pran Beach – Prachuap Khiri Khan
Restaurants
Along the coastal road you will find a reasonable number of restaurants and almost at the end of the road that runs along the sea is the large Ox Seafood restaurant. The restaurant is a popular place for Thai people and you can indulge in many types of fish, shellfish and crustaceans. In addition, the restaurant is very reasonably priced.
The route to it
From Hua Hin follow the road towards Market Village, the famous Shopping Center, and continue towards Kabiab. At the fork do not go to Kabiab but follow the road to the right towards Pran Buri.
Driving further you will successively encounter three traffic lights, after which you turn left at the third. You will eventually, after perhaps asking for the right way again, end up in Pak Nam Pran. The place is not comparable to big sister Hua Hin, but still has a special charm. It is all less touristy and walking on the spacious beach you can enjoy the beautiful view of rocks that emerge from the sea, children playing and the colorful fishing boats that are moored on the beach. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if this place becomes a real popular holiday destination. All the ingredients for a successful future are present. Get there soon before it's too late.
This beautiful region can definitely be explored by bicycle: from the fishing port of Pak Nam Pran to the extreme point of Dolphin Bay, a ride along the coast of approximately 15 km. You can rent bicycles on site. You can also explore the area by ATV (quad bike), there are a number of rental companies along the coast road (1500 bath for 2 hours, including guidance)
It is extremely quiet (except on Sundays) and very varied. There are some luxury resorts but also a number of small family hotels. Many restaurants. South of Pak Nam you have to leave the beach to go around a rock and then you end up in a beautiful bay: Dolphin Bay. At the beginning of the bay, just past the rock, you will see a very small fishing harbor on your left with a number of restaurants leaning against the rock. A beautiful location, friendly people, it gives the impression that nothing has changed here in the last hundred years. Definitely a place to taste extremely fresh fish.
Pak Nam Pran is ideal to combine with the Sam Roi Yot National Park, preferably in 2 days. The National Park is just past Dolphin Bay.
Recommended seafood restaurant : OX along the coast, north of Pak Nam Pran. “Bring your own wine, at no extra cost”. Favorable prices.
You do indeed create a good picture of the atmosphere, but there are a number of facts that are not entirely correct. Sorry I have to improve.
From Paknampran you can indeed cycle about 12 km to the south along the beach for a large part and after you have passed the large rock called “Khao Kaloke” it is another 15 km to Dolphin Bay and in the Thai language this place is called Baan Phu Noi.
If you are still in good shape, this stretch is also recommended to cover by bike and as long as you keep driving south, sometimes you have to go west because there are some rivers and no bridge, most of this route is along the beach.
After this town of Baan Phu Noi, the Samroiyot National Park begins with, among other things, the famous caves.
Incidentally, people are busy rebuilding the roads in this entire area and the pieces that have already been finished look beautiful. For example, there is now even a 4-lane road between Pranburi and Paknampran.
My impression is that more and more foreign expats but also Thais have discovered this area because the asking price for the plots has been rising rapidly in recent years.
In my opinion, the prospects are indeed that a rapid tourist expansion can take place here. Fortunately, it has been decided that at least along the coast it is not allowed to build higher than the maximum height of the trees.
The weekends and holidays are, as already described, very busy and it is very difficult to find a place to spend the night, but the weekdays should not cause any problems.
Dear, where you have to drive here along the coast over rivers without a bridge is unknown to me and I have been living there for 7 years (ban Phu Noi) Now and then you have to swerve for a (little) mountain, but the sea is always in sight . The small harbors are picturesque, and there are mussel beds and crab farms (the latter now closed due to C19] Khao Kalok is also beautiful and loved by windsurfers, and families who climb the mountain there, which give you a beautiful view of the sea and the beach.
The national park starts in Ban Phu Noi with its beautiful boat trips along the mangroves and some worth seeing and beautiful temples. Phraya Nakhon cave is well known, but there is also the Sai cave and a Khao Daeng viewpoint, which gives a nice view over SRY and the shrimp farms. Tip .. if they empty a shrimp pond like this, go take a look, you are guaranteed to take a portion home for free.
Don't forget the Lotus fields, only a ten minute drive (7 km) from the main road.
Look at when Andre wrote…. in 2013. You respond 9 years later and say that you have lived there for 7 years. So it could be that in the two years that you haven't lived there, this situation has changed… haven't you?
It is also a popular outing for us. We live close to Pranburi and are at the beach within twenty minutes. At Khao Kaloke, there is a large wide beach. There are stalls on the street where you can buy grilled chicken, papaya salad, drinks, etc. If necessary, they will bring your order to the beach.
We sometimes go there for a picnic and enjoy the afternoon hours, where you can find shade in front of the large rock.
I already discovered this beautiful area in 2006 (lived from 2007 to 2009) and I give my gestalt training here. During the weekend it can be very busy with the people from Bangkok. If you want accommodation there, I may be able to advise.
.... can this also be reached by public transport from cha-am. or maybe by bike
Everything is possible, of course, if you want it badly enough…
You can go to Pranburi by bus. Or by train. There will probably be transport from there to Pak Nam Pran. But when you arrive there on foot, the town turns out to be very vast. Too stretched out to walk.
Renting a bike on the spot is perhaps the best option. But don't expect a quality bike. I've only seen that 'chinese-bicycles-with-a-basket-front' variant there.
Cycling from Cha-am is of course an option. But then you have already paddled 60 kilometers before you reach your destination. Doable if you tie an overnight stay (or several) to it. Impossible as a day trip.
Last July and August I stayed here either Khao Kalok and that is 4 km further than Pak Nam Pran. For the first time I was bitten by a dog, who was protecting his baby boy. The roads along the beach are being improved at a rapid pace. Too bad I can't post a picture here. I invite you to look in Google Earth. Type Khao Kalok.
I have just returned from a trip to Hua Hin and, on the recommendation of a Belgian friend, visited Pak Nam Pran. It is definitely worth a visit. Beautiful and very extensive beach with a good road next to it. The road next to the beach, a kind of promenade, has been completely renovated in recent years. Going there is no problem. If you drive along Petkassem rd, Paknam Pran is clearly signposted. I did NOT have to ask to get there…. all roads, left from Petkassem rd to the South, lead to the sea ha ha ha ha. I was there last Saturday and it was very quiet. Cool place to visit.
I come there at least once a week and I love it. Wonderfully quiet on weekdays and always have a nice lunch somewhere for little. When I have visitors I take them with me and without exception they wonder why no one knows about this. Too far from Bangkok for holidaymakers who can only travel for 1 or 2 weeks…. I also often drive to Sam Roi Yot beach, which is also great but a bit busier.
Now that I read it again…. where is Kabab located? I think it must be Takiab (yes, Thai for chopsticks).
In recent years, much work has been done on the coastal street of Pranburi Beach. Coincidentally I was there again today. It has only improved in recent years.
Sometimes we drive there in the evening. Then we take a few snacks from home, something to drink and a mat to sit on and then sit on the steps by the sea. You can also get snacks at the food stalls. We do sometimes too.
However, the road to Pak Nam Pran is rather circuitous and actually misdescribed. I'll try to do better...
You do indeed drive south from Hua Hin, on the widened Pethkasem Road. Then you drive to the first traffic light. So not three traffic lights as Joseph Jongen described it. At that first traffic light (to be more precise: the traffic light next to the main entrance of the Thanarat camp. There you drive to the left until the last (and also first) intersection. Turn left again and follow the road. At the end the road turns to the right - you can go straight but then you go back to Hua Hin. You cross the railway, go straight and follow the road. After a while, down the hill the road goes straight but you must turn right. It is the only major road to the right, so take it. You continue this road again ... over the Pranburi river and continue driving .... after a sharp left turn, the road makes a right turn again. do two things: you continue the road and turn left on the main road, or you go straight ahead (past the entrance of the mangrove forest) and drive to the end of the road, where you have to turn right.
Both roads end at the roundabout. If you come from the main road, you have to go straight on, if you come from the road via Mangrovewoud, you have to turn left. You are already in Pak Nam Pran, but you probably want to go to the beach…
You then drive all the way down that road, cross a junction and after a few hundred meters you are already on the coastal road, which you can drive from there all the way to and beyond Kao Kalok.
Highly recommended is the “Very Good Restaurant”. Slightly more expensive than normal, but you also get large portions and especially good food. You can enjoy good Thai and Western food… This restaurant can also be found via Google.
By the way, if you already have Google Maps or another navigation system, you don't even need this route description…
If you want it even quieter, you can continue to Kao Kalok. On the right is a temple, continue the road to the left and on the corner on the left is also a fairly large restaurant with reasonable prices and a sea view.
On the right is Dolphin Bay, which has also been refurbished considerably. You can't drive all the way down that road, because it ends in a dead end. Almost at the end you can turn right, then the first left again, drive off, at the end turn right and left again and then you will already arrive in Saam Roi Yot.
https://www.facebook.com/KhaoKalok/ Sweet memories on Khao Kalok
Nice that this post is being reposted and reposted 😉 .
There are many roads to get there, I turn left at the big Tesco, after that it is a bit more difficult but beautiful road!
Ox I have known for many years, and is very good, but not really cheap what I experience and read above. Well-known Thai movie stars have their picture hanging here, after they demand to eat there for free …
Been to Very Good Restaurant for the first time and great!
The restaurant at the fishing boats was my "secret" place, but I think it has really deteriorated over the years. You can now fish for shrimp yourself there, nice!
Many places have had to close due to Covid measures, but restaurants have also been refurbished during this quiet time, and more have been added. Very Good restaurant is no longer on the Beachroad, but it still exists and the food is still good. The new location is on Google Maps.
I come to Pak Nam Pran by bicycle almost twice a week. We then make a pit stop, past Kao Kalok in the Baan Pal restaurant. There you get just about the best coffee from Prachuab Khirikahn. You can also have a good breakfast there. The staff is a little reserved, but it is still a cozy place, where many cyclists take a break.
On the beach road we became friends with Bee and Emmie, who own a coffee house and Thai massage together. You also get good coffee or a cooling ice cream there. My cycling buddy occasionally has his legs massaged there.
PakNam Pran has now awakened and can be busy on weekends.