The Road to Hua Hin – where to stop from the capital to the coast

Driving between Bangkok and Hua Hin can take just two and a half hours if you do it in one big hit, but where’s the fun in that? Here are our favourite stops along the way that break up the drive, but also show you a side to Thailand that you might not expect.

 

Sign up to our free newsletter here for more travel inspiration. You also get your own copy of our travel ebook — it’s on us!

With its pristine coastline and friendly, low-key vibe, Hua Hin is a wonderful place to make the most of Thailand’s culture and beaches that are often hidden behind party crowds and tourist traps.

Perhaps Hua Hin owes it’s relaxed subtle nature to the fact that this region is a favourite summer retreat for the Thai royal family, who have been coming here for over a century. 

While you can drive down to Hua Hin from Bangkok in as little as two and half hours (weather and traffic permitting), and you can even fly into Hua Hin’s chill little airport. 

But as with much of travel, it’s the getting there that makes a destination.

Either hiring a car yourself or – even better – booking a driver to take you south, the road to Hua Hin has plenty to see and do along the way, making a utilitarian drive something much more interesting.

Where to Stop Between Bangkok and Hua Hin

You can either pack your drive full of all these ideas or just cherrypick one or two. We did some of these on the way down and some on the way back to Bangkok, which broke up the drive nicely.

Here’s a map with each location pinned for your convenience. 🙂

Mae Klong Railway Market

About an hour from Bangkok, the Mae Klong Railway Market (also known as Talat Hup Rom – Umbrella-Folding Market – and also Talat Siang Tai – the Life-Risking Market!) is famous for its unusual location.

Seven times a day, the market is disrupted by a train that passes right through the middle of it. The stallholders pull in their displays and awnings to allow the locomotive to roll through. 

Visitors also have to duck inside the stall behind the (very faded) red line that marks where the train reaches. The carriages pass so close, you can high-five the passengers as they lean out the windows of the train.

We recommend going earlier, which is perfect if you’re planning on doing this on your way out from Bangkok.

You can read more about the Mae Klong Railway ‘Knock-Down’ Market in our full story here.

Tham Khao Luang Cave Temple

About 50 minutes from Maeklong Railway Market and only another hour on to Hua Hin, Wat Tham Kao Luang is an underground temple hidden in a massive cave that cuts deep into a mountain on the outskirts of Phetchaburi town. 

Inside the cave, you can see an enormous collection of Buddha images and statues that date as far back as the mid-1300s and the Ayutthaya Period. 

But it’s the hole in the roof of the cave that creates the greatest spectacle. Allowing a beam of sunlight down onto the cave floor, this hole creates the most unbelievable sight surrounded by the gleaming gold of Buddhist icons.

The best time to see the sunlight coming into the cave is mid-morning, which works well with your itinerary – provided you don’t dillydally at the markets!

Read more about this fascinating place in our write-up here.

Pae Yuan Restaurant

One of the most unexpected delights of our Bangkok-Hua Hin road trip was finding Pae Yuan Restaurant.

From the moment you come to the long driveway to the restaurant, you can tell this isn’t your average roadside diner. 

Garages are full of vintage cars and signs, there’s an old train carriage and even a full-size vintage Ferris wheel stands outside the entrance. Guarding the restaurant is a giant statue of the Incredible Hulk.

The restaurant is in an enormous barn-like building, which houses even more eclectic oddments. Down one side is a row of stalls made up to look like shops selling all kinds of things that spark nostalgia. 

Owner Surachai Kaewmak has been collecting these things for decades, decorating his restaurant  that he’s been running since around 2003. 

The restaurant used to be a local primary school, making Pae Yuan Restaurant not only old-school but indeed an old school.

Food-wise, the very reasonably priced menu includes things specific to the area, celebrating Petchaburi’s local dishes, though everything we ate here was delicious.

If you’re here for lunch, make sure you get here reasonably early. It’s a big space, but it fills up with locals and visitors quickly.

Suan Tan Lung Thanom – Uncle Thanom’s Palm Garden

Still a fully functioning farm, Suan Tan Lung Thanom grows toddy palms, where the iconic palm sugar comes from that’s used in many Thai dishes. Petchaburi Province is known for its toddy palm sugar.

Visitors can come here and see how the crops are harvested in the traditional way, with farmers climbing up the tall trees to begin the lengthy, laborious effort of extracting the sugar.

Uncle Thanom, a village headman, started this project to preserve the traditional ways of toddy palm growing. When he sadly died, his son Amnat has continued his father’s work and leads visitors through the process.

You can also buy delicious palm sugar sweets made here on the farm.

We recommend coming to Suan Tan Lung Thanom with a guide who can speak Thai to fully appreciate the experience.

Hua Hin Night Market

Once you arrive in Hua Hin, the fun doesn’t stop there – and neither should your adventure. 

Check in to your hotel and relax, then – once the sun’s gone down – venture out into Hua Hin town. Running around 700m of Dechanuchit Road, Hua Hin Night Market houses hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of things, from food to clothes and souvenirs.

It’s well worth taking your time and perusing the stalls, picking up a snack or two and maybe finding dinner in one of the many restaurants on the street along the way.

As the market gets busier and the street fills with people, you get the chance to slow down and absorb the atmosphere; the colours and sounds of this thronging, happy marketplace.

Hua Hin Night Market’s stalls open at 5pm and close a 11pm.

---

Let Us Guide You Through Thailand

Favourite Stories From Thailand

We love going to Thailand and have plenty to share with you when it comes to the Land of Smiles. It’s such a fantastic destination.

Here are some of our favourite stories and guides from the various trips we’ve had there.