Hua Hin

A calm, family-friendly beach town where Thai kings have summered for a century: a long beach, a night market, golf, water parks and the cave temple of Phraya Nakhon in Khao Sam Roi Yot. Easy by train from Bangkok, with Indian restaurants along the beach road. Rains are lighter than on the Andaman coast through the monsoon.

Highlights

• Phraya Nakhon cave pavilion in Khao Sam Roi Yot
• Hua Hin night market
• Cicada weekend art market
• The old wooden railway station
• Vana Nava water park
• Wat Huay Mongkol giant monk statue
• Pranburi forest beach
• Golf on royal-era courses
• Seafood at the fishing pier

Things to do

• Phraya Nakhon Cave hike in Khao Sam Roi YotMorning · 4h
• Hua Hin beach morning & horse ridesMorning · 2h
• Vana Nava Water JungleAfternoon · 4h
• Cicada Market (Fri–Sun evenings)Evening · 2h
• Hua Hin night market dinnerEvening · 2h
• Wat Huay Mongkol & the old railway stationAfternoon · 2h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: November – April

• Songkran (Thai New Year water festival) — Three days of nationwide water fights, biggest around Chiang Mai's old-city moat, Bangkok's Silom and Khao San Road, and Pattaya, where it runs on to about 19 April. Expect to be soaked anywhere outdoors: carry phones and passports in a dry bag. Buses, trains and flights sell out as Thais travel home; book two months ahead.
• Buddhist holy days (Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asahna Bucha) · Visakha Bucha 31 May; Asahna Bucha and Buddhist Lent 29–30 Jul — Candle-lit processions round the temples at dusk, worth seeing in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya. Alcohol may not be sold anywhere, bars included, for 24-48 hours (hotels and airport duty free excepted); the Full Moon Party moves a night.
• Christmas and New Year peak — The most expensive fortnight of the year on the islands: resorts set 5-7 night minimums and compulsory gala-dinner charges on 24 and 31 December, and Phi Phi, Samui and Phuket ferries and flights fill a month ahead. Indian school holidays add to it. Book by October.