The Royal Railway

South of Bangkok, the resort town of Hua Hin boasts nine golf courses, two major shopping malls, a summer palace, and a vineyard called Monsoon Valley. With a long strip of sand ideal for kite surfing, in addition to a plethora of notable seafood restaurants, Hua Hin has long been a popular retreat for Bangkokian weekenders.

It wasn't until 1921 that Hua Hin emerged onto the tourist map, when the Bangkok–Malaysia rail line (today's Southern Line) began operations, opening up the Malay peninsula to Bangkok residents for the first time.

Nowadays, there are nine daily southbound trains that depart from Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station. It takes around three and a half hours to get to Hua Hin. The journey is certainly worth it, particularly as the train departing at 3:10 p.m. wins window-gazing views of the tropical sun melting into the rice fields as you roll between the crumbling temples of Phetchaburi and the seaside town of Cha-Am.

A new elevated station has replaced the old Hua Hin stationhouse and royal pavilion, which still stands trackside and is associated with the royal family, who have vacationed on the gulf coast for over a century. The old station house was built by Prince Purachatra Jayakara (former commander of the Royal State Railways of Siam) in 1926 in the Thai-Victorian style. In 1967, Colonel Saeng Chulacharit (former minister of the State Railway of Thailand) coordinated the relocation of the pavilion from Sanam Chandra Palace, which is located about 55 kilometers (about 34 miles) outside of Bangkok.

After photographing the vintage station, it's a short cab ride to the waterfront where, amidst a string of high-end hotels, sits the five-star Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas, dating back to 1922. Originally called The Railway Hotel, this landmark property maintains its railway age charm with the "colonial style" Railway Restaurant and The Museum, a regal café located in the original wing of the hotel that has been decorated with antiques, including photographs of the cast of "The Killing Fields" (1984), which was partially filmed on the hotel grounds.