Hua Hin Food Guide: The Royal Resort Town's Best Eats

Hua Hin has been Thailand's royal resort town since King Rama VII built his summer palace here in 1926, and the town's culinary scene reflects both its elevated heritage and its coastal fishing roots. The defining food experience is the Chatchai Night Market, one of Thailand's oldest and most photogenic night markets, where stalls sell fresh Hua Hin seafood — giant prawns, blue crab, sashimi-grade scallops — alongside Thai classics. For the best grilled seafood by the sea, Sang Thai Restaurant on the pier (open since 1946) and the cluster of restaurant boats at the fishing pier serve enormous platters of prawns, crab, and squid grilled over charcoal. Hua Hin is also the home of the best cha yen (Thai iced tea) in Thailand, according to many Thais — look for the orange-painted Cha Yen stalls operated by Chinese-Thai families near the market. Beyond seafood: Cicada Weekend Market (Friday–Sunday, 5–11pm) is an upscale art-and-food market with quality street food and craft vendors; and the restaurant strip on Naresdamri Road near the pier serves everything from fresh oysters to massaman curry. The Night Market on Dechanuchit Road is the budget local favourite, open every evening.