Pattaya or Hua Hin, which city is better?

Hua Hin and Pattaya are two popular weekend beach holidays close to Bangkok. Hua Hin is around a 3 hour train ride south west of Bangkok. And Pattaya is around 2 hours drive south east of Bangkok.

In this article, I will compare Pattaya and Hua Hin, based on their locations, accommodations, shopping, nightlife, food, and attractions. Having travelled extensively around Thailand and visited both Hua Hin and Pattaya, I hope to give you some good recommendations based on my personal experiences.

If you’re looking for which city is better to visit, Pattaya and Hua Hin, keep reading!

Is it better to stay in Pattaya or Hua Hin?

I personally prefer visiting Hua Hin than Pattaya. It has a quieter atmosphere with a better food scene. In addition to the beaches, Hua Hin is close to many national parks and natural attractions where I can go hiking, exploring the cave, waterfalls, and mangrove forests.

I had a good time exploring Pattaya. I like to explore the beaches, visit the seafood market in Wong Amat Beach, eat street food at Jomtien Night Market, and boat trip to Coral Island.

Generally speaking, Pattaya is the better option if you want a party, lively nightlife, and boat trip to Koh Larn. Hua Hin is a better location for those who want a bit quieter atmosphere, trendy night markets, and many opportunities for mountainous activities like hiking, elephant safari, or visiting waterfalls.

Pattaya is more popular than Hua Hin, so it is often more crowded and tourists. It is also a bit closer to Bangkok, which is more convenient for tourists visiting Bangkok and then taking day trips to Pattaya. Hua Hin offers a more local atmosphere.

My top pick accommodations in Pattaya:

My recommended accommodations in Hua Hin:

Location & How to Get There

Pattaya is located in the eastern Gulf of Thailand, around 150 south east of Bangkok. Hua Hin is located on the western Gulf of Thailand, around 200 km south west of Bangkok.

The most common way to get to Hua Hin from Bangkok is by train, bus, and private taxi. There is an airport but it just has direct flights to Chiang Mai.

The most popular way to get to Pattaya from Bangkok is to take a private taxi, shared minivan, and buses. There is a train connection between Bangkok and Pattaya but not as frequently as taking buses.

Pattaya also has an airport, but most people prefer to fly into Bangkok Airport then take additional road transport to get to Pattaya.

You can take a bus from Hua Hin to Pattaya, which is around 5 hours drive and costs around 500 baht. There used to be a ferry crossing between Hua Hin and Pattaya but currently it is not running.

Accommodations

There are a wide range of accommodations for all budgets in both Hua Hin and Pattaya. These places are home to both international brand 5-star resorts and budget hotels.

I personally think Hua Hin generally has cheaper accommodations than in Pattaya. Within a similar amount of money, I can find better quality hotels in Hua Hin.

Both cities are popular tourist destinations, so always make sure that you book well in advance. In the high season from November to May, accommodations are in high demand and more expensive than the low season.

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Beaches

Both cities have good enough beaches with long coastline. They are great for swimming, enjoy watersport activities, taking a leisure walk, and watching the sunset. Pattaya has the advantage of being close to Coral Island, so you can easily take day trips to this island for more white sandy beaches.

Kitesurfing and horse riding are popular activities in Hua Hin Beach. In Pattaya, it is jet skiing, parasailing, and banana boat rides.

All beaches in the two cities have stunning views. In Hua Hin, you can have nice views of the coastline at the Wat Khao Takiap and Big Standing Buddha.

The views of the skyscrapers can be seen at every corner of Pattaya Beach and Wong Amat Beach. There are several viewpoints on the hill behind Bali Pier offering stunning views of the whole Pattaya Beach.

Nightlife

Both Hua Hin and Pattaya have good nightlife scenes with many bars, restaurants, night markets, and shopping malls. The nightlife in Pattaya is more vibrant and wild. Pattaya, without a doubt, is the winner if you’re after a party hard nightlife.

Pattaya Walking Street is an iconic nightlife destination in Pattaya. The short street located on the southern part of Pattaya Beach is packed with nightclubs, beer bars, sport bars, and adult shows.

Hua Hin has more laid back nightlife compared to Pattaya. Major places to go for nightlife are Soi Bintabaht, Soi 80, Soi 94. Additionally, you can check out cool Night markets such as Hua Hin Night Market, Cicada Market, and Tamarind. They offer food, crafts, and live performances.

Shopping

Both cities are good places for shopping. They have a wide range of big modern malls and markets. You can find almost everything from typical Thai souvenirs to international products.

Tamarind Market Hua HIn — Tamarind Market Hua Hin

If Hua Hin has Market Village Mall and Bluport Shopping Mall, Pattaya has Terminal 21, Central Pattaya, Central Marina, and the Avenue Mall. These malls have a mix of local and international shops, food courts. They are also great escapes on hot days.

In terms of night markets, Hua Hin has more trendy markets like Cicada, and Tamarind market. These places are excellent for looking for handmade crafts, artwork, and design items.

The Hua Hin Night Market is unique for its huge section of sea food restaurants where you can enjoy a meal while watching the food being prepared.

The night markets in Pattaya are usually night markets as you see in many parts of Thailand. There are souvenir stalls and food sections in places like Thepprasit Night Market, Jomtien Night Market, or Pattaya Night Bazaar.

Food

Both cities have good food scenes. They offer both local Thai food, international dishes, and seafood. There are street food stalls at the night market and foot courts in the malls of each city.

I found that Hua Hin has more authentic local restaurants than in Pattaya. You can find delicious, reasonably priced food in the places where the locals go.

Cultural Attractions

Both Hua Hin and Pattaya have some local cultural attractions such as temples to explore. Famous temples in Hua Hin are the Wat Huay Mongkol, Khao Takiab Temple, Wat Khao Tao, and Wat Hua Hin.

In Pattaya, you can visit the Sanctuary of Truth, which is a massive hand-carved wooden temple by the sea. This is Pattaya’s most iconic cultural landmark. The building has a mixed Thai, Khmer, Chinese, and Indian architectural influence.

Day trips

There are several day trips from each city. Hua Hin is surrounded by nature where you can explore mountains, caves, waterfalls, and scenic viewpoints. Pattaya is best for Island trips.

From Hua Hin, you can head south to visit Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park and its famous Phraya Nakhon Cave. On the way you can explore Khao Kalok Beach & View Point, Pranburi Beach, Pran Buri Forest Park, Khao Tao Beach, and Wat Tham Khao Tao.

To the west and north of Hua Hin, you can go hiking at Pa La-U Waterfall or Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park. These are great destinations for hikers and nature lovers. If you’re lucky, you can spot wild elephants crossing the road on the way to Pa La-U Waterfall.

In Pattaya, you can take day trips to Coral island and Koh Phai. These islands are just around 30-60 minutes from Pattaya, offering more beautiful peaceful beaches than the beaches on the mainland. To the south of Pattaya, you can check out Nongnooch Pattaya Garden and the Mountain Buddha.

Getting Around & Transportation

My scooter in Hua HIn — My scooter in Hua Hin

Both Hua Hin and Pattaya are popular tourist destinations, so there are plenty of taxi, tuk tuk, and riding shares services to help you to get around. There is a shared Baht Bus that takes you to major tourist places in each city.

Grab, InDrive, and Bolt are widely available, but I feel there are more taxi gangs in Hua Hin. The minimum drive I experience from a local taxi driver and Grab Taxi is around 100 baht.

I rented a scooter to explore Hua Hin because in my opinion it is more spread out than Pattaya. The distance from Hua Hin Night Market/ train station to Hua Hin Soi 91 is 2km, to Tamarin Night Market is 4.5km.

In Pattaya, I was more active, walking from Pattaya Beach to Wong Amat Beach, then using a Grab Bike to get from Pattaya Beach to Jomtien.