Guide to Hua Hin: where to go beyond Bangkok

I love Bangkok and so do many Singaporeans – Just a 2 hour flight away, I’ve visited Bangkok multiple times for its fabulous Thai food and cheap shopping. But if you’re looking to see more of Thailand beyond the city, consider taking a few days to head down south to Hua Hin, a quiet beach resort town along the Gulf of Thailand with some lovely coasts and unusual sights including a tropical wine vineyard and a royal train station. Here’s my guide to Hua Hin with a list of what I thought are cool things to do in Hua Hin.

Last Updated on 2 March, 2023

I first visited Hua Hin in 2017 to review a hotel which is no longer there. I visited nearby Cha am (post coming soon) in 2023 for another hotel review and popped by Hua Hin and updated this post accordingly.

What is Hua Hin famous for?

Hua Hin is popular for its laidback beaches, but it also gained popularity as a favoured destination by Thai royalty in the last couple hundred of years. The late Thai King Rama 9 lived here for a few years before moving back to Bangkok, and other Thai Kings before him had their summer palaces built here as well.

Random fun fact: according to some of the Thai people I spoke to, the late King had a special love for two things: stray dogs and jazz music, which is something you’ll notice in Hua Hin: there are very few stray dogs or animals wandering around, and that’s why there is an annual jazz festival held in Hua Hin. 

Things to do in Hua Hin

Hua Hin Station

Thailand’s most beautiful train station

Hua Hin is home to a little railway station reputed to be one of the most beautiful in all of Thailand as well as one of the oldest in the country. You can’t miss the striking red, white and yellow facade built in the traditional Thai architectural style along with the now-iconic Hua Hin sign.

It’s definitely worth dropping by Hua Hin Station whether you ride the train in or not. Make sure to check out the Royal Waiting Room used by Thai Royals, a special pavilion that they had transported specially from the Sanam Chan Palace

Hua Hin Station [Google map]

Hua Hin Beach

Sun, sand and kites

Located on the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin is a seaside resort that is thankfully not as overrun with tourists as other more popular spots like Phuket, though it can get crowded during Thai holidays as it’s popular among the locals. Many hotels have lovely beachfront locations with direct beach access, or you could always go to the public Hua Hin Beach.

For those into water sports, Kiteboarding and Kitesurfing are popular here because of the consistent winds, and you’ll find many places to learn around the main Hua Hin Beach area.

Hua Hin Beach [Google Map] is about 5 mins drive or 10 mins walk eastwards from Hua Hin Station.

Monsoon Valley Vineyard

Visit a tropical vineyard with elephants

Thailand may not be your traditional wine-producing country, but there exists several vineyard in Thailand, and you can find one right here in Hua Hin. Previously known as Hua Hin Hills, Monsoon Valley Vineyard produces what is known as new latitude wines, a name given to non-traditional wine producing countries like Colombia, India and Algeria.

Head out of downtown Hua Hin and spend the day exploring Monsoon Valley vineyard – have a scenic lunch in the main Sala Wine Bar and Bistro overlooking the vineyard and do some wine tasting here.

You can also take a tour of the vineyard and see one of the few wineries in the world that actually has elephants wandering around in it! Our guide told us that this area in Hua Hin is traditionally known for working with elephants, and this is probably the only vineyard in the world I know of that has elephants in. You can buy some food to feed the elephants. They do offer elephant rides which I personally don’t recommend, but I could see that the elephants (30-40 years old) were well treated and well cared for.

If you rather not travel out of downtown Hua Hin, Monsoon Valley does have a wine bar about 10 minutes walk from Hua Hin Train Station where you can try and buy their wines [Google map].

Monsoon Valley Vineyard [Google map] is located about 40 mins drive west wards from Hua Hin Station. Open 9am – 630pm (till 8pm from Nov-Mar).

Hua Hin Night Market

Thailand is always good for street markets, and Hua Hin is no exception. Hua Hin Night Market is a typical Thai night market filled with tourist souvenirs and street food stalls. It’s a nice place for a post-dinner stroll, but there are also a bunch of seafood restaurants in the vicinity if you want to grab a meal.

Hua Hin night market stretches along a single street about 2 blocks – it’s not very large or sprawling but does have a good variety of food and stalls.

Hua Hin Night Market [Google map] is located 7 mins walk north from Hua Hin Train Station. Open daily 6pm-12 midnight.

Cicada Market

If you are in Hua Hin on the weekend, you have the option of heading over to Cicada Market further down south from the Hua Hin Station area in Khao Takiab. This is mostly a craft and design market, but also sells art pieces and has many food stalls and live entertainment.

Generally this market feels a little more hip and catered towards the western audience, but it’s nice if you like more curated design or just less crowded spaces as a whole. A note that for some of the food stalls, you may need to exchange money for coupons for purchase.

Cicada Market [Google map] is located in Khao Takiab about 5-10mins drive south of Hua Hin Night Market depending on traffic. Open on weekends Fri-Sun 4-11pm.

Tamarind Market

Right next door to Cicada Market is one that concentrates solely on food – Tamarind Market has rows of food stalls selling a mix of Thai fare and more international food, as well as lots of outdoor seating. There is a smalls tage as well with live music, and you can get alcohol here as well.

Tamarind Market [Google map] is located to the south, right next to Cicada Market. Open on weekends Fri-Sun 4-11pm.

How to get to Hua Hin

Hua Hin is about 200km+ south of Bangkok along the gulf of Thailand.

By driving

The fastest way to get from Bangkok to Hua Hin is by car which typically takes roughly 3-4 hours depending on traffic conditions. A private car charter from Klook [affiliate link] from either Suvarnabhumi Airport or downtown Bangkok to your destination in Hua Hin will cost around S$90-S$150 for a typical car/van, worthwhile if you are travelling with a small group.

By train

Trains from Bangkok’s Bang Sue Grand Stationto Hua Hin Station take around 4-5 hours with prices ranging from S$6-$21 depending on class.

BY BUS

There are mini vans or large coaches from Bangkok or Suvarnabhumi Airport that take roughly 4 hours with prices ranging from S$8-S$28 depending on location, type of bus and timing. Check Roong Rueng Coach or Busonlineticket for more.

Want to explore lesser seen spots in Thailand? Why not check out Amphawa or Khanom,  see all my Thailand posts.

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Novotel Phuket Resort Review – Surin or Karon?