The popular beach resort town of Hua Hin in Thailand has been the main attraction for expats and vacationing families due to its attractive beaches, tranquil ambiance, golf resorts and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Moreover, this town enjoys an elevated status since the highly respected Thai Monarch’s royal residence is situated here (and so is mine!) With approximately 80,000 people and a high all year round influx of tourists, it is evident that this family friendly enticing destination has a lot to offer in terms of sight-seeing, shopping and activities.
Perhaps the one place that is inevitably visited by anyone who comes to Hua Hin is the famous Chat Chai Night Market. Essentially there are about 5 night markets in Hua Hin but the Chat Chai night market is the main one, being centrally located between the Petchkasem Road and Dechanuchit road near the railway line. For the most part, the night market is a stretch of street that goes straight down for about 200 meters with stalls selling their wares flanking both sides of the street. The market begins to get set up at around 5 p.m. and the shops start to dismantle at 11 p.m. if not later.
For an avid shopper and passionate foodie like me, the night market presents a wonderful array of items that invite my attention. Here one can find stalls selling swimwear, women’s apparel, men’s t-shirts, the famous Thai ‘elephant pants’ and everything neon to suit your Thai holiday mood! This is also a great venue to shop for souvenirs as well as tiny pieces of arts and crafts to take back home for all your friends and family (who are undoubtedly envious that you get to visit this piece of paradise in Thailand!) My personal favorites among the artifacts are the wooden Buddha statues, the Hua Hin refrigerator magnets, little ‘tuk-tuks’ made of beer cans and the brilliantly carved ashtrays. It is also worthwhile to check the stores selling CDs/DVDs of various kinds. These are the ones that contribute towards the trendy vibe of this market while giving us a glimpse of local Thai culture since each of the stores plays their own eclectic mix of Thai pop music or Thai covers of English songs. On most weekends the night market is very crowded since the traders restock with a newer collection of clothing and local handicrafts that are then put on display.
The crowd puller of this night market however, is the smattering of excellent seafood restaurants in the second half of the street. Prices are reasonable and the restaurants are almost always busy! You don’t really have much of a choice but to eat here once the delectable aroma of the scrumptious sea-food hits your senses. To compliment the mouthwatering dishes of these restaurants, there are a few tiny makeshift bars right there on the street where the bartender whips you up a heavenly cocktail for under a 100 baht! You also need not venture out much further looking for dessert because there are a lot of stands selling traditional Thai desserts, the staple mango with sticky rice and the famous ‘Rotee’ or crepe pancakes (yes, you get to choose your own toppings!) In addition to these delicious treats, there are plenty of smoothie stands, fruit stalls and stands selling an assortment of freshly grilled seafood and meats.
The night market is buzzing with life from the second it is set up. Locals and foreigners alike frequent this area, filling it with noise and activity. The popularity of this particular night market stems from the fact that there is something for everyone and for all ages here. For anybody who visits this gem of a sea- side resort town, the Hua Hin Night market is an attraction not to be missed!
/// Written by Richa Neog, Thailand
