Pattaya vs Hua Hin
The short answer
They cost about the same day to day โ Pattaya $30โ75, Hua Hin $28โ65 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in NovโFeb, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way โ see how we work these out.
| ๐น๐ญ Pattaya | ๐น๐ญ Hua Hin | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $30โ75 | $28โ65 |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $1.50โ3.50 | $1.50โ3 |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $35โ90cheaper | $43โ90 |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $0.30โ1cheaper | $1โ3 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | โ $450 | โ $460 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds โ the full lists are on the guides themselves.
๐น๐ญ Pattaya
Thailand's original beach resort town, 90 minutes from Bangkok โ brash nightlife on one strip, family-friendly beaches and day trips a short ride away on the other.
- Hops Brew House$$Nightlife
- Mantra Restaurant & Bar$$$Restaurants
- Tiffany's Show$$Cabaret & shows
- Gulliver's (Red Car Bar)$Nightlife
- The Glass House$$Restaurants
๐น๐ญ Hua Hin
Thailand's original royal seaside retreat, and the closest real beach to Bangkok โ a calmer, more local alternative to the big island resorts, with a long night market and a low-rise, unhurried pace.
- Cicada Market$$Markets
- Sang Thai Seafood$$Restaurants
- Elephant Bar$$Nightlife
- Hua Hin Night Market$Markets
- Luang Ja Seafood$$Restaurants
Practicalities
| Pattaya | Hua Hin | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Thai. English is very widely spoken given decades of tourism โ arguably the easiest Thai city to get by in without any Thai at all. | Thai. English is common โ Hua Hin has long drawn Bangkok weekenders and a sizable retiree/expat community โ though less universal than in Phuket. |
| Tap water | Don't drink it โ bottled water is sold everywhere, often free at hotels | Don't drink it โ bottled water is sold everywhere |
The same in both:
- Currency
- Thai baht (เธฟ). US$1 โ เธฟ35
- Time zone
- ICT (UTC+7)
- Power
- 220V; outlets take most two-pin plugs (A/C hybrids)
- Emergency
- 191 police ยท 1669 ambulance ยท 1155 tourist police (English)