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Where to stay in Prachuap Khiri Khan – Hua Hin, Pranburi and beyond
Athikhun.suw, CC BY-SA 4.0
Central Thailand

Where to stay in Prachuap Khiri Khan – Hua Hin, Pranburi and beyond

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Hua Hin, Khao Takiab, Pranburi, Sam Roi Yot and Prachuap town compared. Where to stay on the royal coast south of Bangkok.

Prachuap Khiri Khan is a long, narrow province on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand, squeezed between the sea and the Myanmar border. Its best-known town is Hua Hin, a beach resort favoured by the Thai royal family since the 1920s and still popular with Thai families, golfers and long-stay visitors.

Choosing an area

  • Central Hua Hin has the night market, the historic railway station, seafood restaurants on stilts and many hotels within walking distance of the beach.
  • Khao Takiab, at the southern end of Hua Hin beach, is quieter, with a hilltop temple and resort hotels along the sand.
  • North Hua Hin, towards the Klai Kangwon palace and the border with Cha-am, is mostly large resorts and residential areas.
  • Pranburi and Pak Nam Pran, about 30 km south, are calm and stylish, with boutique beach resorts and few crowds.
  • Sam Roi Yot has the national park famous for Phraya Nakhon Cave and its pavilion, plus marshland and quiet beaches.
  • Prachuap town further south is a relaxed provincial capital on a beautiful bay, with Ao Manao beach on an air force base nearby.

When to go

The driest months on this coast are usually December to April. The area is relatively sheltered and receives less rain than many parts of Thailand, so it is visited all year, though October and November tend to be wettest. Thai long weekends bring heavy traffic from Bangkok.

Getting there and around

Hua Hin is about three to four hours by road from Bangkok. Trains on the Southern Line stop at Hua Hin’s historic station, and there are buses and minivans from Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Hua Hin Airport has a limited schedule. Locally, green songthaews run along the main road, and taxis and ride-hailing apps are available.

Where to stay

  • Hua Hin

    Thailand's oldest beach resort. Central Hua Hin, Khao Takiab and the northern resorts compared, plus getting there from Bangkok.

Hotels

Things to do

  • Ao Manao (Manao Bay)

    A clean, calm bay inside an air force base near Prachuap town. How to visit Ao Manao, its history and where to stay nearby.

  • Phraya Nakhon Cave

    The cave with a royal pavilion lit by a shaft of sunlight. How to reach Phraya Nakhon Cave in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.

  • Suan Son Pradiphat Beach

    A quiet, pine-lined beach run by the army just south of Hua Hin. How to visit Suan Son Pradiphat and what to expect.