This centre, 45km northwest of Hua Hin, cares for over 700 animals, including bears, tigers, gibbons, macaques, loris and birds. There's also an…
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Hua Hin
Thailand’s original beach resort is no palm-fringed castaway island and arguably is the better for it. Instead, Hua Hin (หัวหิน) is a refreshing mix of city and sea with lively markets, good golf courses and water parks, excellent accommodation and an ambience that just keeps getting more cosmopolitan. In fact, many visitors never even step foot on the sand.
By the mid-1920s Hua Hin was a full-fledged resort town for the Bangkok-based nobility – even Kings Rama VI and VII built summer palaces here. There’s still a lot of money swirling around Hua Hin, but it remains a good budget destination: seafood is plentiful and cheap, there’s convenient public transport and it takes a lot less time and effort to get here from Bangkok than to the southern islands.
Explore Hua Hin
- WWildlife Friends Foundation Thailand Rescue Centre & Elephant Refuge
This centre, 45km northwest of Hua Hin, cares for over 700 animals, including bears, tigers, gibbons, macaques, loris and birds. There's also an…
- CCicada Market
Vastly better than the city-centre Hua Hin Night Market, this popular place 3.5km to the south is a fun mix of food, shopping and performing arts. It's…
- WWat Huay Mongkol
Colloquially called the big-headed monk, this statue of the revered Luang Phor Thad is a beloved Buddhist pilgrimage site. The southern Thai monk is said…
- RRatchaphakdi Park
Standing 14m high and weighing in at 30 tonnes each, the beautiful bronze statues of Thailand's most revered kings tower over this park with an impressive…
- BBaan Silapin
Local painter Tawee Kasangam established this artist collective in a shady grove 4km west of town. The galleries and studio spaces showcase the works of…
- PPa La-U Waterfall
Pa La-U Waterfall is located in Kaeng Krachan National Park, but far away from the main park area, about 62km from Hua Hin. Unlike the rest of the park,…
- Hat Hua Hin
Hua Hin Beach is a pleasant, but not stunning, stretch of fine white powder lapped by calm grey-green waves. Remarkably shallow, it's made for strolling…
- Mrigadayavan Palace
With a breezy seaside location 12km north of Hua Hin, this summer palace – Phra Ratchaniwet Mrigadayavan – was built in 1924 during the reign of Rama VI…
- Hua Hin Train Station
Probably the most beautiful train station in Thailand, this red-and-white icon was built in 1926 to replace the original station. It has a Victorian…
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Hua Hin.
See
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand Rescue Centre & Elephant Refuge
This centre, 45km northwest of Hua Hin, cares for over 700 animals, including bears, tigers, gibbons, macaques, loris and birds. There's also an…
See
Cicada Market
Vastly better than the city-centre Hua Hin Night Market, this popular place 3.5km to the south is a fun mix of food, shopping and performing arts. It's…
See
Wat Huay Mongkol
Colloquially called the big-headed monk, this statue of the revered Luang Phor Thad is a beloved Buddhist pilgrimage site. The southern Thai monk is said…
See
Ratchaphakdi Park
Standing 14m high and weighing in at 30 tonnes each, the beautiful bronze statues of Thailand's most revered kings tower over this park with an impressive…
See
Baan Silapin
Local painter Tawee Kasangam established this artist collective in a shady grove 4km west of town. The galleries and studio spaces showcase the works of…
See
Pa La-U Waterfall
Pa La-U Waterfall is located in Kaeng Krachan National Park, but far away from the main park area, about 62km from Hua Hin. Unlike the rest of the park,…
See
Hat Hua Hin
Hua Hin Beach is a pleasant, but not stunning, stretch of fine white powder lapped by calm grey-green waves. Remarkably shallow, it's made for strolling…
See
Mrigadayavan Palace
With a breezy seaside location 12km north of Hua Hin, this summer palace – Phra Ratchaniwet Mrigadayavan – was built in 1924 during the reign of Rama VI…
See
Hua Hin Train Station
Probably the most beautiful train station in Thailand, this red-and-white icon was built in 1926 to replace the original station. It has a Victorian…
Guidebooks
Learn more about Hua Hin
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