Pattaya or Hua Hin: which place suits you?

Pattaya and Hua Hin are on the Gulf of Thailand and are popular places to spend the winter. Pattaya has high-rises, shopping centres and a lively nightlife; Hua Hin is the country’s oldest seaside resort and much quieter.

Pattaya beach promenade in the evening with palm trees, a curved bay and high-rises in the background

PattayaBeach city close to Bangkok

Curved sandy beach of Hua Hin in warm evening light, with a green hill and a golden temple at the end of the bay and fishing boats in the water

Hua HinQuiet seaside resort on the Gulf

Pattaya and Hua Hin compared

	Pattaya	Hua Hin
Region	East	South, Gulf of Thailand
Character	Beach city close to Bangkok	Quiet seaside resort on the Gulf
Best time to visit	November to February, driest from December to February.	December to April, when it is usually dry.
Getting there	Buses direct from Suvarnabhumi Airport and from Bangkok, about 120 kilometres, plus trains to Sattahip	Bus from Bangkok in about three hours, train in three to four hours, direct bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport
Rain over the year	JJanuary: 16 mm, dry FFebruary: 14 mm, dry MMarch: 53 mm, dry AApril: 64 mm, changeable MMay: 148 mm, changeable JJune: 119 mm, changeable JJuly: 97 mm, changeable AAugust: 98 mm, changeable SSeptember: 205 mm, rainy season OOctober: 216 mm, rainy season NNovember: 72 mm, changeable DDecember: 8 mm, dry Pattaya station	JJanuary: 12 mm, dry FFebruary: 15 mm, dry MMarch: 54 mm, dry AApril: 46 mm, dry MMay: 109 mm, changeable JJune: 79 mm, changeable JJuly: 93 mm, changeable AAugust: 71 mm, changeable SSeptember: 120 mm, changeable OOctober: 246 mm, rainy season NNovember: 101 mm, changeable DDecember: 8 mm, dry Hua Hin station
Highlights	Sanctuary of Truth, a huge temple building made entirely of carved wood Swimming day trip to the island of Koh Larn Jomtien Beach as a quieter alternative to the main beach	Kilometres of sandy beach from the town to the hill of Khao Takiab Khao Takiab with temples and a view over the bay Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park with limestone cliffs and caves

dry under 60 mm
changeable 60 to 150 mm
rainy season over 150 mm

Bars: rain per month from January to December. Weather figures: Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), climate averages 1981 to 2010, rounded. All monthly figures are on the weather page: Pattaya and Hua Hin.

How to decide

Choose Pattaya if you …

want a short ride from Suvarnabhumi airport: the bus to Jomtien costs 158 baht and takes about two hours.
want some action in the evening: on Walking Street the clubs open between 20:00 and 22:30, plus there are shows and rooftop bars.
want to go to an island for a swim: the ferry to Koh Larn costs 40 baht each way.

All about Pattaya →

Choose Hua Hin if you …

prefer live music and markets to clubs: most bars close between midnight and 1 am, and there are the Tamarind Market and the Cicada Market.
want to count on little rain until April: in Hua Hin little rain falls from December to April.
play golf: the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course here is the oldest golf course in Thailand.

All about Hua Hin →

Frequently asked questions

How do I get there from Bangkok airport?

For both, Roong Reuang buses leave from level 1, exit 8 at Suvarnabhumi airport. To Jomtien near Pattaya the trip costs 158 baht and takes about two hours; to Hua Hin, stopping in Cha-am, it costs 361 baht and takes around four hours (as of October 2026).

What does a flat for the winter cost?

In Pattaya (as of 15 October 2026) a 1-bedroom flat costs 12,000 to 26,000 baht a month in the centre and 10,000 to 18,000 baht outside it. In Hua Hin it is 12,000 to 31,200 baht in the centre and 8,000 to 20,000 baht outside.

When does it rain least?

In Pattaya, December to February are the driest, and September and October the wettest at over 200 millimetres. In Hua Hin little rain falls from December to April; the wettest month is October with around 246 millimetres.