4 nights in Bangkok.

For Bangkok residents, the options for weekends away are almost unlimited. Whether it be wandering through the wats at Angkor, sipping chablis in Saigon, or busting sanctions in Burma, Bangkokians are spoilt for choice.

But sometimes the traditional options are still the best. Since the Bangkok-Singapore railway opened in the 1930s, Hua Hin has been the first port of call for Khon Krungthep looking for a dose of fresh sea air. But these days, the venerable resort boasts more than cheap seafood and famous mango sticky rice. There’s now just enough to see style-conscious escapees from the City of Angels through three nights and two days without letting the hip quotient slip. Here’s your schedule for your next visit.

Friday: fabricate an afternoon meeting with a client in Bang Na, from which you won’t be returning. Hop into the car, blast over the Rama 3 Bridge, and make the run down the coast, stopping only to buy salt and fresh limes from the vendors along the road to cut into your frozen margaritas. Hit the royal retreat by 5pm. Settle in, have a swim, take a walk along the beach.

Friday night: spend the evening at Let’s Sea, quite possibly the most beautiful seaside restaurant in Thailand. Get there before sunset. Concrete, wood, straight lines and great cocktails right on the shore will get the night off to a good start: superb Thai food, from the sea and elsewhere, will make for a satisfying continuation.

Saturday night: Staying with the modern Thai theme, book a seaside table at Supatra’s. The famous Bangkok riverside restaurant now has a sibling, and it’s just as good, with just as beautiful a setting.

On Sunday afternoon, Hua Hin empties and the road back to the capital clogs up with tanned weekenders making their way back to the grind. You, however, are smarter than that: you’ll be remaining to enjoy the quiet Sunday night atmosphere at the modern al fresco Japanese restaurant attached to the Sofitel. The crossroads location gives you a ringside seat to watch the laid-back Sunday night crowd as you slurp up your soba or snack on your sashimi, and is perfectly positioned for the short after-dinner walk to the gelateria for a single cone of Amaretto ice cream.

Monday morning sees you up at dawn for a run along the beach, a final seaside breakfast, a quick shower and a jump back into the car. Early morning traffic from Hua Hin is light, and you’ll easily be back at your desk by normal time before the boss finishes reading the paper and sets out for his daily rounds.

Repeat often for best results: the four-nights-in-Bangkok, three-in-Hua-Hin weekly schedule does wonders for stress levels and skin tone while still allowing you to hold down your job with a five-day working week.