Hua Hin is Thailand’s original seaside resort, about 200 km (124 miles) south of Bangkok on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand: a relaxed town with a long sandy beach, a busy night market, golf courses and a strong royal connection. Its story began when the southern railway arrived in 1911; the Railway Hotel opened in 1922, the same year as Thailand’s first royal golf course, and in 1929 King Rama VII completed the summer palace of Klai Kangwon, “Far from Worries”, which the royal family still uses. Today Hua Hin and neighboring Cha-am draw Thai families at weekends, long-stay visitors in winter and golfers year-round. Come for a gentle beach break, the seafood, the night markets and weekend art markets, the teak seaside palace of Maruekhathaiyawan, the hilltop temples of Khao Takiab and day trips to the caves of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park. Hua Hin is one of the driest places on Thailand’s coasts; the best months are November to April, and the wettest month is October.
Right now in Hua Hin
- Wed23–29°C74–83°F10 mm rain
- Thu23–30°C74–86°F4 mm rain
- Fri24–30°C75–86°F12 mm rain
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Hua Hin at a glance
- Best for: easy beach breaks from Bangkok, families, golf, seafood and night markets, royal history, wellness resorts and long stays.
- How long: 2–3 days for the town and a national park day trip; a week or more for a beach and golf holiday.
- Best time: November to April, with highs of about 30–33 °C (86–92 °F) and little rain; Hua Hin is fairly dry even from May to September.
- Getting there: about 3 to 4 hours by road or train from Bangkok; Hua Hin Airport (HHQ) has limited flights while it is being expanded.
- Getting around: green songthaews along the main road, Grab and Bolt, tuk-tuks, bicycles and walking.
- Fees to know: Khao Sam Roi Yot and Kaeng Krachan national parks charge foreign visitors an entry fee; the royal palaces have small admission fees and strict dress codes.
- Before you go: entry rules, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, money and general safety are in our Thailand travel guide.
Hua Hin’s areas and where to stay
Hua Hin and Cha-am form a 30 km (19-mile) strip of coast, with the old town of Hua Hin in the middle and resorts stretching north and south.
Hua Hin town center
The old fishing town around the railway station, the night market and the seafood piers, with hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bars and the Market Village and Bluport malls. The beach starts right in front of the Centara Grand, the former Railway Hotel. A good base if you don’t have a car.
Khao Takiab and the south
South of town, toward the headland of Khao Takiab, the beach is wider and quieter, lined with resorts, condominiums and beach restaurants. Khao Tao, further south, has small coves and fishing boats.
North Hua Hin and Cha-am
North of the center, big resorts stand on the beach near Klai Kangwon Palace; Cha-am, about 25 km (16 miles) north, is a Thai-style resort town busy with Bangkok families at weekends, with seafood stalls under the casuarina trees and the Maruekhathaiyawan Palace.
Pran Buri
About 30 minutes south, a quiet stretch of coast with boutique beach resorts and a pine-lined forest park, popular for weekend getaways and kitesurfing.
Top things to see in Hua Hin
Hua Hin railway station
One of Thailand’s prettiest stations, with a red-and-cream wooden building and the elegant Royal Waiting Room built for the royal family’s arrivals. Trains still stop here on the southern line; come in the late afternoon for photos.
Maruekhathaiyawan Palace
A summer palace of golden teak built in 1923 for King Rama VI on the beach between Cha-am and Hua Hin, with airy pavilions on stilts linked by long covered walkways and opening onto the sea breeze. It is one of the most beautiful buildings on the coast; dress modestly, and check opening days before you go. Klai Kangwon Palace, the royal residence in Hua Hin, is not usually open to visitors.
Khao Takiab
A rocky headland at the southern end of Hua Hin beach, with a temple on its summit, sea views and a troop of monkeys (keep food out of sight). A tall standing Buddha faces the sea from the cliff at its foot.
The night markets
The Hua Hin Night Market on Dechanuchit Road, open every evening, is famous for its seafood grilled to order and its souvenir stalls. On weekend evenings, the Cicada Market, an open-air market of crafts, art, live music and food stalls, and the neighboring Tamarind Market are among the most enjoyable markets in Thailand.
The beach
Hua Hin’s main beach runs for about 5 km (3 miles) from the town center to Khao Takiab, with soft sand, shallow water and pony rides. The sea is calm most of the year and good for families, though not as clear as on the islands; kitesurfing and windsurfing are popular when the wind blows. See our guide to beaches.
More classic sights
- Wat Huay Mongkol: a temple park with a giant statue of the revered monk Luang Phor Thuad, about 15 km (9 miles) west.
- The Hua Hin fishing pier: wooden seafood restaurants on stilts over the water in the old town.
- Pala-U waterfall: a tiered waterfall in the forest of Kaeng Krachan National Park, about 1.5 hours west, best in the rainy season.
- Monsoon Valley Vineyard: a hillside vineyard that makes Thai wines, with tastings and a restaurant.
- Sam Phan Nam floating market: a built-for-visitors market of wooden walkways and stalls over a lake.
Other sights
- Hua Hin Railway Station
Peaks and mountains
- Khao Takiap
Palaces
- Maruekhathaiyawan Palace (Mrigadayavan)
Other things to do in Hua Hin
Food and drink
Seafood is the reason many Thais come to Hua Hin: grilled squid, blue crab, horseshoe crab eggs, steamed fish with lime and chili, and spicy seafood salads at the night market and the pier restaurants. The town also has a wide range of international restaurants for its long-stay residents, and the Cicada Market’s food court is a good place to graze. Try the local coconut and pineapple desserts, and the rich custard (sangkhaya) on toast at the old coffee shops.
Golf, wellness and water parks
Hua Hin has about a dozen championship golf courses within half an hour of town, including the historic Royal Hua Hin Golf Course beside the railway. It is also one of Thailand’s wellness centers, with long-established destination spas, and families can spend a day at the Vana Nava water park.
Festivals and events
The Hua Hin Jazz Festival takes over the beach in late May or June, in honor of the late King Bhumibol’s love of jazz. A kite festival, beach polo and a marathon fill the calendar in the cooler months. Songkran in mid-April and Loy Krathong (November 24 in 2026) are celebrated on the beach and at the temples.
Day trips from Hua Hin
- Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park: limestone mountains, marshes and the famous Phraya Nakhon Cave, where a royal pavilion stands in a shaft of sunlight in a collapsed cavern, about an hour south. The climb to the cave takes about 30–45 minutes on a steep path. According to the national parks department, the Tham Sai and Tham Kaeo caves and the Khao Daeng viewpoint close every year from June 1 to 30, and the Tham Khao Joob Gan cave is closed temporarily until further notice.
- Kaeng Krachan National Park: Thailand’s largest national park, a UNESCO World Heritage forest of hills, birds and waterfalls, about 1.5 hours west.
- Phetchaburi: an old royal town with the hilltop palace of Phra Nakhon Khiri, cave temples full of Buddha images and famous desserts, about an hour north.
- Bangkok: about 3 to 4 hours by road or train. See our Bangkok guide.
- Prachuap Khiri Khan: a quiet seaside town with a bay of fishing boats and a hilltop temple full of monkeys, about 1.5 hours south.
Nearby destinations
- Pattaya110 km
- Bangkok145 km
- Ko Samet162 km
- Kanchanaburi168 km
- Ayutthaya210 km
- Khao Yai National Park255 km
- Ko Chang265 km
- Ko Tao276 km
Getting there and getting around
By road, rail and air
Most visitors come by road from Bangkok, about 3 to 4 hours depending on traffic: buses and minivans run from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal and from Suvarnabhumi Airport, and private transfers drop you at your hotel. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has several trains a day from Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal to Hua Hin’s historic station, taking about 4 hours; they are slower than the road but more scenic, and the Royal Blossom luxury train makes special excursion trips. Hua Hin Airport (HHQ), just north of town, has had only limited services; according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the government plans to reopen it to more international flights, with runway and terminal upgrades targeted for completion by the end of 2026.
Around Hua Hin
Green songthaews run along Phetkasem Road, the main road, between Hua Hin, Khao Takiab and Cha-am for a small fare; flag one down and press the buzzer to stop. Grab and Bolt work in town, and tuk-tuks charge set prices for short trips. The town center is walkable, bicycles are a pleasant way to explore the beach roads, and a rental car is useful for the national parks; you need an International Driving Permit along with your license.
When to go and how long to stay
Hua Hin sits on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand, in the rain shadow of the Tenasserim Hills, which makes it one of the driest places on the Thai coast. The table uses the 1991–2020 normals of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) for its Hua Hin station, as submitted to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): average daily highs and lows, total rain, and days with at least 1 mm of rain.
| Month | Average high / low | Rain (days with 1 mm or more) | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30 °C (86 °F) / 23 °C (73 °F) | 25 mm (1.0 in), 1 day | Dry, sunny and breezy; peak season for long-stay visitors |
| February | 31 °C (88 °F) / 24 °C (74 °F) | 14 mm (0.5 in), 1 day | The driest month; kite and golf events |
| March | 32 °C (90 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 50 mm (2.0 in), 2 days | Warm and dry; calm sea |
| April | 33 °C (92 °F) / 26 °C (79 °F) | 46 mm (1.8 in), 3 days | Hot; Songkran brings Bangkok crowds |
| May | 34 °C (93 °F) / 26 °C (79 °F) | 96 mm (3.8 in), 8 days | The hottest month; some showers; Jazz Festival season begins |
| June | 33 °C (92 °F) / 26 °C (79 °F) | 82 mm (3.2 in), 9 days | Mostly fine; good value |
| July | 33 °C (91 °F) / 26 °C (78 °F) | 90 mm (3.6 in), 10 days | Mostly fine, with short showers |
| August | 33 °C (91 °F) / 26 °C (78 °F) | 67 mm (2.6 in), 10 days | Mostly fine; a good choice when the Andaman coast is wet |
| September | 32 °C (90 °F) / 25 °C (78 °F) | 130 mm (5.1 in), 11 days | Wetter, with afternoon storms |
| October | 31 °C (88 °F) / 25 °C (77 °F) | 250 mm (9.9 in), 13 days | The wettest month; heavy downpours |
| November | 31 °C (87 °F) / 24 °C (76 °F) | 73 mm (2.9 in), 4 days | Drying out; windy days; Loy Krathong |
| December | 30 °C (86 °F) / 23 °C (74 °F) | 12 mm (0.5 in), 1 day | Dry and pleasant; busy around Christmas and New Year |
Hua Hin gets only about 940 mm (37 in) of rain a year, about half as much as Bangkok, and much of it falls in September and October. From May to August, when the Andaman coast is in its monsoon, Hua Hin usually stays fairly dry, which makes it a good beach choice at that time of year.
Weather month by month
3 days in Hua Hin
Day one, the railway station, the old town and fishing pier, and the night market for dinner. Day two, Maruekhathaiyawan Palace in the morning, the beach, and the Cicada Market in the evening (Friday to Sunday). Day three, Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park and Phraya Nakhon Cave, or Pala-U waterfall and Monsoon Valley Vineyard.
A week or more
Add golf, a spa day, Phetchaburi’s palaces and caves, and a few lazy days in Pran Buri.
Where to stay in Hua Hin
- Town center: hotels, guesthouses and restaurants within walking distance of the station and night market.
- North Hua Hin: big beach resorts close to town.
- Khao Takiab: quieter resorts and condominiums on the wider southern beach.
- Cha-am: a Thai-style beach town with good-value resorts.
- Pran Buri: boutique beach resorts for a quiet escape.
Prices rise on Thai long weekends, when Bangkok families drive down, and from December to February, when long-stay visitors arrive; weekdays from May to October are the cheapest.
What a trip to Hua Hin costs
Prices are approximate, for October 2026, converted at about 33 baht to the US dollar.
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Songthaew ride along the main road | about 15–30 baht (about US$0.50–1) |
| Grilled seafood dinner for two at the night market | 600–1,500 baht (about US$18–45) |
| Street food or noodle dish | 50–100 baht (about US$1.50–3) |
| Round of golf, including caddy | 2,500–5,000 baht (about US$75–150) |
| Train from Bangkok, one way | about 100–500 baht (about US$3–15), depending on class |
| One-hour Thai massage | 250–450 baht (about US$7.50–14) |
| Mid-range hotel double | 1,500–3,500 baht (about US$45–105) |
| Beachfront resort | 4,000–12,000 baht (about US$120–360) |
Practical tips for Hua Hin
- Royal sites: dress modestly at the palaces, with long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders, and behave respectfully near Klai Kangwon Palace.
- Weekend crowds: book hotels early for Thai holiday weekends, and visit the Cicada Market early in the evening.
- Monkeys: at Khao Takiab and Prachuap, keep food and shiny objects out of sight.
- Long stays: Hua Hin is popular for winter stays, but your stay must match your visa exemption or visa.
- Cannabis and vaping: cannabis flower needs a Thai prescription, and e-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand.
- Help: the Tourist Police (1155) speak English, and the TAT Contact Center (1672) answers tourist questions.
Safety
Hua Hin is one of Thailand’s calmest, safest resorts.
- Jellyfish: box jellyfish have occasionally been reported off Hua Hin and Cha-am, mainly in the rainy season and after storms. Swim where notices and vinegar stations are posted, wear a rash guard, and call 1669 if stung; don’t rub the sting or wash it with fresh water.
- Sea conditions: the sea is usually calm, but strong winds, especially from about November to February, can raise waves and currents; obey any flags and swim near others.
- Road safety: Phetkasem Road, the main highway through town, is busy and fast; cross with care, and wear a helmet on a scooter.
- Heat: drink plenty of water and use strong sunscreen, especially from March to May.
- Hiking: the climb to Phraya Nakhon Cave is steep and slippery after rain; wear good shoes and carry water.
- Emergencies: call 1155 for the Tourist Police (English spoken), 191 for the police and 1669 for an ambulance.
What to pack for Hua Hin
Swimwear and a rash guard, sunscreen, a hat, sandals and walking shoes for the national parks, smart-casual clothes for resort restaurants, long trousers or a skirt for the palaces and temples, and a light rain jacket in September and October. Thailand uses 220 V; sockets take both flat two-pin and round two-pin plugs.
Hua Hin travel FAQ
How far is Hua Hin from Bangkok?
About 200 km (124 miles), or 3 to 4 hours by road or train.
What is the best time to visit Hua Hin?
November to April, when it is dry and sunny; Hua Hin also stays fairly dry from May to August.
When is the rainy season in Hua Hin?
Mainly September and October, with October the wettest month; the rest of the year is fairly dry.
Is the sea in Hua Hin good for swimming?
Yes, it is shallow and usually calm, though not as clear as on the islands; watch for jellyfish notices in the rainy season.
Can I visit the palaces in Hua Hin?
You can visit Maruekhathaiyawan Palace, the teak seaside palace near Cha-am, with modest dress; Klai Kangwon, the royal residence, is not usually open.
What are the best markets in Hua Hin?
The nightly Hua Hin Night Market for seafood, and the Cicada and Tamarind markets on weekend evenings for crafts, music and food.
How do I get to Phraya Nakhon Cave?
Drive or take a tour to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, about an hour south, then walk about 30–45 minutes up a steep path from Laem Sala beach.
Is Hua Hin good for families?
Yes. The beach is calm and shallow, and there are water parks, markets and family-friendly resorts.
Can I take the train to Hua Hin?
Yes. Several SRT trains a day run from Bangkok to Hua Hin’s historic station, in about 4 hours.
How many days do I need in Hua Hin?
Two or three days for the town, markets and a national park; longer for a beach or golf holiday.
Plan your trip
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🇹🇭 Useful Thai phrases for Hua Hin
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Sources · last reviewed 4 October 2026
Researched and last reviewed on 4 October 2026. Hua Hin’s royal and railway history, the Hua Hin Airport plans, the Royal Blossom train, the Jazz Festival, jellyfish areas, cannabis and e-cigarette rules and the Tourist Police: the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT); Khao Sam Roi Yot closures: the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation; climate normals: the Thai Meteorological Department via the World Meteorological Organization’s 1991–2020 normals; Loy Krathong date: the 12th-month full moon from the US Naval Observatory; exchange rate: the US Federal Reserve. Distances, journey times, fares, palace opening details, sight descriptions and typical prices are general references or estimates, flagged for checking. Prices and hours change, so check the official sites before you go. For entry rules, money and general safety, see our Thailand travel guide.
Also: TMD normals 1991–2020, Hua Hin (climate)
Data: Weather: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0) · Sea temperature: NOAA CoastWatch · Rates: ECB · Costs: World Bank ICP and price levels · Wikidata (CC0)