Hua Hin was Thailand's first beach resort with much of its success attributed to the railroad completion in 1911, making the 190 km. journey from Bangkok relatively easy. Hua Hin became a popular retreat for Thai royalties and Bangkok's affluents. King Rama V built a summer palace here, the Klai Klangwon (Far from Worry), which is still used by the Royal Family today, though opens to the public when not in residence. King Rama VI also commissioned a nine-hole golf course in Hua Hin.