Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

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Irish big-kev
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Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by Irish big-kev »

Hi,

How hard is it to drive from Airport to Hua Hin(Directions). Normally get picked up by taxi but looking at hiring a car this trip to drive myself??

Have driven from Buriram to HH many times. But un-sure about getting out of airport and onto freeway heading south.

Once I get past the large Elephant with 3 heads I'm fine

Regards
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Lung Per
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by Lung Per »

Not very hard. If you rent a car, get a GPS to go with it. Piece of cake.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by moater »

Agreed it's not hard, but I would never rent (or buy) a GPS. Anyone with a smartphone already has the ultimate GPS device, all you need is the right app. If you have a data plan on your phone (or don't mind getting one - they're dirt cheap) you can freely use Waze or Google maps navigation with turn by turn voice directions and map display. Doesn't get much better than these.

If you prefer offline navigation you can get one of the many reputable apps including iGO and Sygic.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by Lung Per »

I still prefer the GPS. Smartphone screens are too small for me. If you rent from a reputable rent-a-car company it should be able to provide you with a GPS at a small additional cost.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by PeteC »

The best way to start is with Google maps again. Just enlarge/reduce for study. A GPS as recommended above would be good also. Pete :cheers:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Suvarna ... 12.5683747
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by STEVE G »

I'm the same as Kev, I've always done that journey by bus or taxi but I've just had a look at that route on sygic and it looks easy enough, coming out on the airport access road leads directly to highway 7, Bangkok-Chonburi, where you turn left towards Bangkok and after about 5km, you will hit highway 9 which is the road you've used from Buriram.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by hhfarang »

Believe me, no matter how you do it driving from the airport to Hua Hin is easy. Driving from Hua Hin to the airport is another matter entirely. I've never had a problem driving home, but I've gotten lost every damned time even using GPS trying to drive to the airport from Hua Hin.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by moater »

I believe the average smartphone today has more screen real-estate than the average GPS-only device. The GPS devices just have more plastic around them. Not to mention phablets and smaller tablets, which are really ideal. Couple that with one of those generic device car mounts you can attach to any smooth surface and you have a winner.

The superior resolution, processing power, audio quality, and constant connectivity (which keeps your maps updated and in some apps diverts you away from jams) make it a non-competition.

I use a 5.3" Android phablet since I ditched my GPS and feel my overall navigation experience has been dramatically improved. YMMV :D .
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by m_right »

If you like getting lost or driving in circles you can count on google maps. When my Garmin's battery died I tried google maps and almost threw my phone out the window a number of times. Did a trial of Sygic and it looked pretty good. Now I have my Garmin again and can travel with confidence.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by DSB »

Back to the Op's question, you take highway 7 for a while, and look for the signs to Highway 9. Take the Bang Na turn off and follow to the tollway (missing Bang Na). Keep on highway 9 until Samut Songran, and take highway 35, which should lead to highway 4 and straight to Hua Hin. Should take you about 3 hours.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by moater »

m_right: If you like Garmin you can use it on your phone. All hardware navigators now come in the form of apps as well. My point wasn't to push Google maps (even though personally I never had any issues), it was to pull away from buying GPS-only hardware when you already own much better hardware.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by BMWHuaHin »

hhfarang wrote:Believe me, no matter how you do it driving from the airport to Hua Hin is easy. Driving from Hua Hin to the airport is another matter entirely. I've never had a problem driving home, but I've gotten lost every damned time even using GPS trying to drive to the airport from Hua Hin.
Not totally sure how this is possible?

I've done the drive 10 times in the last few months but even on the first time I didn't need a GPS or Map. There are constant signs for Bangkok on the route.

Getting back to Hua Hin was much harder for me the first time because the signs don't say Hua Hin for a while. Needed a GPS the first time

Doesn't help they've just changed the roads leading from the airport either.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by NOKYAI »

No problem! GPS is great or print out directions/ map. If you feel you are getting lost stop at a petrol station and Ask! I drove from Burinam to HH without a map just asking directions! Thais are friendly and helpful......that's why we live here!
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by Ginjaninja »

I am a frequent in and out visitor (ooh sailor) to Thailand due to work-travel and I quite often jump into an airport taxi when travelling back to Hua Hin. They are always there and I know the price is always 2,600thb. Work pays so I don't care about the cost. I would prefer to take the airport bus as it's far more relaxing, however my arrival times never seem to match the bus departure times. I don't really want to wait 30+mins for a journey that will take an hour longer than a taxi anyway.

So during this recent quick trip back I observed a new automated system used to obtain your taxi.
It's a lot quicker.... but.....
I don't quite get what they have done. Now you queue for one of the multiple computer stations where there is a very nice Thai person who presses the button for you and hands you a ticket with the taxi car rank location (a bit like queuing for a bank teller). You go to the taxi under the large LED rank location, hand the ticket to the driver and tell him where you want to go. On this occasion I jumped into the taxi and was greeted by a friendly driver who stated 2,600thb. Brilliant!
However...
So now the taxi driver tells YOU the price and not the staff working at the little desks at the airport. Do think think this will open up to some abuse by greedy taxi drivers? What about the language barrier when asking where to go...?
So where's the improvement?
Interesting to hear of others experiences..

Yours the cynic.
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Re: Driving from airport (Swampi) to Hua Hin

Post by usual suspect »

I do not have a GPS or a smartphone..& find getting back onto Hwy 9 from Swampy an absolute twat!..all the signs are for local areas only, you peel off 1 Hwy you'll be met by another fork/split almost straight away.. :cuss: Traffic will not let you over to the lane you need to be in..Getting TO Swampy I find easy, but coming back.. :banghead: :banghead:
(Thank f**k for the airport bus.. :cheers: )
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