Hua Hin Night Market: Travel Guide (4.2★)

A street of iced seafood and souvenir stalls

Every evening at 6pm a single street in central Hua Hin turns into a market. It is one straight run of stalls down Soi 72, also called Dechanuchit Road. The street starts near the Clock Tower junction on Phetkasem Road.

Seafood restaurants line the front of the street. Their prawns, crabs and whole fish sit on beds of crushed ice, and plastic tables spill out beside the displays. Behind them are rows of stalls selling:

• T-shirts, beachwear and elephant-print trousers
• Souvenirs, carvings and soap flowers
• Snacks like grilled skewers, roti and mango sticky rice
• Foot massage on reclining chairs

This is one of the most-reviewed places in Hua Hin and consistently well rated. Don’t expect a secret. Expect a crowd.

Timing your evening

The market opens at 6pm and runs until midnight, seven days a week. Try not to arrive between 7pm and 10pm on a weekend. That is when the walkway packs shoulder to shoulder and the best seafood tables fill up.

Getting there right at 6pm puts you ahead of the weekend rush. On a weeknight you can come later with less pressure. An hour covers browsing. Allow two if you’re sitting down for a seafood dinner.

Getting to Soi 72

The market is right in the middle of town, so most central hotels are within walking distance. Hua Hin Railway Station is a short walk inland. Its red-and-cream royal waiting pavilion is worth a look before dark.

Green songthaews run up and down Phetkasem Road. Tell the driver “Talat To Rung” (night market) and get off at the Clock Tower. If you’re coming by taxi or tuk-tuk, agree the fare before you get in. In the evening the tuk-tuks don’t use meters.

Ordering seafood and bargaining the stalls

At the seafood stalls, point at what you want on the ice. The price is by weight. Before anything goes on the grill, ask for it to be weighed and priced. Then say how you want it cooked:

• Phao: grilled over charcoal
• Nueng manao: steamed with lime, chilli and garlic
• Phat phong kari: stir-fried with egg and curry powder

Prices are written on the menu boards or given on request. Confirm the total before you sit down, not when the bill arrives.

Pay for food and clothes in Thai baht cash. Small notes are much easier than large ones. At food stalls the price is fixed. At clothing and souvenir stalls, a little polite haggling is normal, especially if you buy several items. Keep it light and smile. If the price doesn’t move, walk on, because the same trousers turn up three stalls later.

Tipping isn’t expected at the snack carts. At sit-down seafood restaurants, leaving your small change is a common courtesy. For a foot massage, a small tip for the therapist is customary. When you’ve finished a snack, look for the bins near the carts. The street is narrow and gets cleared fast at midnight.