Soi Bintabaht for a first night out, Soi 94 for a bar crawl, The Sky for the view and Tamarind Market for a band and cheap beer. Hua Hin's nightlife is relaxed, more live music and beer bars than big clubs, and I've ranked this list by what each place is best for rather than by rating.
Hua Hin's nightlife sits in three places. Soi Bintabaht, behind the Hilton, is the old bar street, with beer bars, pool tables and a few bands. Soi 94 and Soi 80, about 2 km south along Phet Kasem Road, are where the bar complexes and the rock bars are, and they're busier than the center now. At the south end of town, The Sky rooftop and the weekend markets at Cicada and Tamarind are a different night altogether, quieter and better for couples.
It's a live-music town more than a club town. Most bars close between midnight and 1, a couple of Thai clubs run until about 4, and a large local beer is about ฿70–100 at a street bar.
Best for a first night out. Hua Hin's original bar street, behind the Hilton, with beer bars, pool tables, a few live bands and late food carts. It's busiest after 9, and some bars have hostesses, so it's easy to walk past those to the ones that don't.
Best for live music every night. The big Irish pub on Damnernkasem Road opposite the police station, with a band from 7:30 most nights, the Bangkok Beatles on Wednesdays, sports on the screens and a full kitchen.
Best for a cocktail without resort prices. A small bar on Dechanuchit Road near the night market, open from 4 in the afternoon until 1.
Where to stay
My pick at each price level in Hua Hin, going by Google's hotel class. Hotels from my ranked list of the 10 best come first, then the best-reviewed. Each button opens the hotel on Booking.com with your dates filled in.
#1Luxury · 5-star
Dusit Thani Hua Hin4.8 (7,383 reviews)
A long-established beachside resort in Hua Hin offering spacious suites, a spa, and extensive family facilities.
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Best for a street-side drink and people-watching. A family-run open-front bar on Damnoen Kasem, the road down to the beach, from breakfast until 11:30 at night.
Best for dancing. A small club on Soi Selakam with live sets, DJs and an LED dance floor, open from 5 until 1.
Best for a beer-bar crawl under one roof. A covered complex of small bars on Soi 94, many of them hostess bars, open from mid-afternoon until 1, with cheap beer and plenty of happy hours.
Best for classic rock. A house band covering the 70s to the 90s near Soi 94, with the set running from about 8:30 to 11:30.
Best for draft beer and the game. Bangkok's Craft and Scruffy's Irish Pub under one roof on Soi 94, open until midnight, with a band on Friday nights.
Best for a late rock set in a small room. On Soi Rung Charoen near Soi 94, open from 6 in the evening to midnight; go early if you want a seat.
Best for jam nights. A classic-rock bar on Hua Hin 88 Road, between Soi 80 and Soi 94, open from late morning until 1.
Best for an expat pub with theme nights. On Soi Mae Kep 2 off Phet Kasem Road, with live bands, DJs and pub food.
Best for the view. Hua Hin's highest rooftop, on the 27th floor of the Holiday Inn Vana Nava, with a glass deck and a view up the coast. It's open from 5 until midnight, so come for sunset, and Cicada and Tamarind are a short walk away.
Best for a cheap night with a band. An open-air food court with a stage, Thursday to Sunday from 5 to 11, next to Cicada.
Best for a weekend night of art and music. Friday to Sunday from 4 to 11, with handmade stalls, an amphitheater and live music.
Yes, but it's relaxed. Expect beer bars, live bands and night markets rather than big clubs. Most of it is on Soi Bintabaht in the center and on Soi 94 and Soi 80 to the south, and most bars close by 1.
Soi Bintabaht, known locally as the walking street or bar street, behind the Hilton. Soi 94 is the other strip, with the WonderLand complex and several rock bars, and Soi 80 near the train station is a smaller row of bars popular with expats.
They're different trips. Pattaya's nightlife is far bigger and runs much later. Hua Hin's is smaller and quieter, with more live music and pub nights, which is why people who want an easy evening out tend to prefer it.
Most bars close between midnight and 1. The Sky closes at midnight, WonderLand 94 and Bar Indigo at 1, and a few Thai clubs such as Huahin Cat Club stay open until about 4.
Father Ted's has a band most nights from 7:30, El Toro Loco and Rock Zone are the rock bars near Soi 94, Woodstock on Hua Hin 88 Road does jam nights, and Tamarind Market has a stage Thursday to Sunday.
Yes, on parts of Soi Bintabaht, on Soi 80 and in the WonderLand complex. Hostesses will ask you to buy them a lady drink, which goes on your bill, so set a limit or walk on. Plenty of bars don't work that way, including the pubs, rock bars and rooftop on this list.
The Sky, on the 27th floor of the Holiday Inn Vana Nava. It's the highest in town and has a glass deck looking up the coast. The Hilton has a 17th-floor rooftop bar in the center too.
