🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you come to Hua Hin just for the beach and then head home, you've missed half the good stuff — because one of the town's real charms is its markets, and you can browse them all day. Get up early for curry-over-rice and congee at Chatchai Market, set in an old building nearly a hundred years old. Come evening, move over to the art markets, Cicada and Tamarind, which sit side by side out in the Nong Kae area. Or if you'd rather keep it simple in town, the night market runs every day. We've sorted out what each one does best and when it opens, because several only open on weekends.
Cicada Market — the artist craft market
Cicada Market (its Thai name means "cicada") is in the Nong Kae area, near Khao Takiab. It's an art-focused night market that's laid out more attractively and neatly than your average market. The draw is handmade work straight from artists and designers — paintings, leather goods, silver jewelry, clothes, homeware, right through to quirky handmade pieces you won't find anywhere else. In the middle of the market sit two white buildings, the Cicada Art Factory, which rotates exhibitions of work by up-and-coming artists.
Another corner a lot of people love is the amphitheatre, with live music and performances almost every night it's open — easy to sit, listen and eat at the same time. And if you'd rather make something yourself, there are craft workshops on and off, like painting, ceramics and jewelry-making — good for kids or anyone into handiwork.
- Open days — Friday, Saturday, Sunday (and long weekends); closed Monday to Thursday
- Hours — roughly 4:00 PM–11:00 PM (Sundays often wind down earlier, around 10:00 PM)
- Entry — free, no gate fee, and there's a car park
- Food zone — there's a separate food court with Thai dishes, pad thai, curry-over-rice and grilled food, through to pizza, sushi and halal options
Insider tip
Some craft stalls only show up on certain weekends, and stalls close early if it rains. If you're coming mainly to shop for handmade work, get there in the early evening, around 5:00–6:00 PM, while every stall is set up and stock hasn't sold out.
Want more out of Prachuap Khiri Khan? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Tamarind Market — the eating market next to Cicada
Tamarind Market is very close to Cicada — just a few minutes on foot or a short drive — so a lot of people pair the two in one night. The difference is that Cicada leans toward art and shopping, while Tamarind is all about the food. The vibe is laid-back, there's live music, and the food stalls are a bit cheaper, with seafood, grilled dishes, made-to-order food, pizza, desserts and fresh juices. It's better suited to settling in for a long meal than to browsing the stalls.
- Open days — roughly Thursday/Friday through Sunday, plus long weekends (check their page first if you're coming midweek)
- Hours — roughly 5:00 PM–11:00 PM
- Known for — a big food zone, plenty of seating, live music and easy prices
- Best for — people who come for a proper dinner first, then stroll over to Cicada
Chatchai Market — the historic morning market in town
Chatchai Market sits along Phetkasem Road in the middle of Hua Hin. It's an old market built back in 1926, during the reign of King Rama VII. Its signature feature is a row of seven connected arched roofs, a nod to Rama VII, and it's been a town landmark for nearly a century. This is a morning market, open from before dawn until late morning or early afternoon, with all the breakfast staples — curry-over-rice, congee, pork-blood soup, old-style coffee, soy milk, and patongko (Thai dough sticks) with steamed buns from an old shop that sells small pieces at easy prices. Sleep in and the best stuff may already be gone.
When to go
To catch everything while the famous shops haven't sold out, get there before 9:00 AM. Parking in town in the morning is hard to find, so if you're staying near the town center it's easier to walk over.
Hua Hin Night Market — an in-town night market, open every night
If your dates don't line up with the weekend when Cicada is open, the Hua Hin Night Market is the option that runs every night. It's on Dechanuchit Road where it crosses Phetkasem Road, right in the town center, stretching about 300 meters. It starts buzzing from the early evening, around 5:00–6:00 PM, and runs until midnight. It's known for street food and seafood — fried mussel omelet, pad thai, grilled seafood, pork satay — plus desserts like roti, khanom krok and ba-bin, and coconut ice cream. There are several famous stalls people happily queue for, and it's the easiest market for visitors to walk to because it's right in town.
Seafood zone
Fried mussel omelet (hoy tod / or suan), grilled prawns, grilled squid — seafood stalls with tables to sit and eat, from around ฿80–150 a plate depending on the ingredients
Desserts & snacks
Large ba-bin with young coconut, loaded coconut ice cream, roti, khanom krok — around ฿20–50
Souvenirs & gifts
Hua Hin T-shirts, jewelry and little odds and ends — browse as you eat your way along
How to make the most of Hua Hin's markets
- Morning — Chatchai for curry-over-rice, congee and patongko, before 9:00 AM
- Evening Saturday/Sunday — dinner at Tamarind, then walk over to Cicada to shop for crafts and catch live music (the two sit side by side)
- Weeknights — the in-town night market, open every day and easy to walk to
- Getting there — Cicada/Tamarind are out of town near Nong Kae, about 15 minutes from the center, so you'll want a car, motorbike or taxi; Chatchai and the night market are in town and within walking distance of each other
Plan a full eat-and-explore trip around Hua Hin and Prachuap
See the Prachuap travel guide →