Having just returned from Phuket I thought I would compare it to Hua Hin from a purely tourist point of view. I’ve broken the categories down for easier viewing and comparison:

Accommodation:
We stayed in a 3/4 star hotel with pool walking distance from Karon beach, the week spent there was booked on the internet at a rate of 1,500 baht per night. There are fewer options in Hua Hin with these facilities at this price but they can be found, accommodation options in general are better in Phuket but then the place is much bigger.

Admiring an Andaman sunset

Transport:
I drove myself and found that the roads in Phuket are much bigger, more organised and traffic seems to flow better without the bottlenecks and crazy makeshift police barricades that can be found in Hua Hin. That said there did seem to be a greater volume of traffic there, the likes of which Hua Hin only experiences on weekends. Hua Hin is far better for public transport and motorbike taxis, Phuket seems to be overrun with a taxi mafia with fixed inflated prices.

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