Shopping in Hua hin

Hua Hin has many local markets, the most popular one being the night market in the center of town. It opens daily from around 6pm till late and offers all sort of food, clothing, and wooden carving for tourists. This market is visited by many tourists and therefore prices are a bit higher that other local markets.

1) Chat Chai day market is just along from the night market and is mostly undercover. Here you can buy fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat at local prices. It is fun to stroll around the dim aisles that make up the market complex.

2) The weekend market at the Grand Hotel runs from Thursday to Sunday and offers something different again. Here you can shop for clothes, books, plants, toys, pets and tropical fish. This is another evening market starting at around 6pm.

3) Possibly the best and the largest market in Hua hin is at Pae Mai on Tuesdays (across the railway next to the driving range). This one gets very busy and is extremely popular with the locals, here you can get anything; fresh produce, clothing, motorcycle accessories, electrical appliances, tools, household items and much more. It is well worth a visit. 4) In the Khao Takiab area there is sea food market open daily early in the morning. You can buy here fresh or ready cooked food.

Cicada Market

It is one thing to talk about how different things are in Hua Hin today: new restaurants, new hotels, new houses, new shops, new people, busy, high-energy street and a thriving night market. But to gauge just how much has changed, step out to The Cicada Market inside The Venue at Suan Sri (next to Sasi Dinner Theatre and The Hyatt). It's a whole community featuring culture, art and dynamic activities with open and clean spaces in the area bounded by tropical trees. So come along, explore and experience the Cicada Market on October 3rd. The venue will be hosting four market activities : Art a la mode, Art of Act, Art indoor, and Art of Eating. Here's a run-down: Art a la mode : Browse and shop among a trendy and diverse selection of fine arts & crafts, accessories, antiques, books, secondhand goods, etc. Art of Act : The Amphitheater, a performance stage, will offer “One Funk Two Skas Cicada Concert”. Meet the Swiss band The STARCH which has a highly energetic music style described as a fusion of funk, rock, jazz and hip hop. The Starch will be performing with two Thai Skas band: Madagascar 11 Circle and The Superglasses Ska Ensemble. Art of Eating : The area features grilled food stalls. You don't have to bring dinner and visitors can choose from a very large menu. No-one need go hungry. Art Indoor : the house studios zone, is designed to put visitors directly in the path of the workshop area. The workshop in October will be “Look Hua Hin Through Lens.” Here you can meet and mix with local buffs to swap ideas. Also, individuals who love snapping pictures are welcome to enter the “Colorful of Cicada” competition. Just remember to bring your own camera! The Venue is Suan Sri, Khao Takieb, Hua Hin Hours: Every Saturday 3 pm to 9 pm (15:00 hrs to 21:00 hrs) The first Cicada Market will take place on 3rd October. Contact: Mr.Chanat 081-880-4004 For more information, please go to www.cicadamarket.net Email: [email protected], [email protected] Call: 081-880-4004 Fax: 032-536-987

Shoppping Malls and Supermarkets

Hua hin market village

There are two big shopping malls in Hua Hin. but most of the shops are small and privately owned. Many of these are located along the roads near the Sofitel and Hilton hotels.

Local Shops

For local handicrafts, the Hua Hin Bazaar, about 100 meters west of the beach, should be your first stop.There are hundreds of items in the shops with everything from shells and wood carvings to dried fish. All along Naresdamri Road up to Chomsin Road there are shops and tailors and restaurants. There are several silver shops on Chomsin Rd. There are many tailor shops in Hua Hin offering very competitive prices on western suits and dresses made from a wide variety of cloths. Suits can be made in 24 hours and the prices are very competitive. The recently opened Rashnee Silk Village on Naebkehard road is worth a visit. The place re-creates the ambience of a traditional Thai silk weaving rural village, there is a history of silk display, silk making processes and a general effort to increase awareness about Thai silk and its origins. On the way back to Bangkok it is worth to stop at one or both factory outlets near Phetchaburi. You can buy there mainly cloths produced on export to Europe at discount prices.

PlearnWan: A Shopping Trip & Travel Destination in Hua Hin

The meaning of Thai words plearn ('enjoy') and wan ('yesteryear'), PlearnWan shows visitors the old style of a small commercial district that you would have experienced in Thailand many decades ago, before the development of modern-style commercial complex. Visitors will be charmed with the captivating old-fashioned shopping experience at PlearnWan.

Visitors will walk through the exclusive wooden entrance, which gives you the feeling of an old time. When you step in, it’s like you step back in time.

PlearnWan is located in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, it offers visitors about everything you can imagine the kind of store you might wish to see, including boutiques selling clothes, a beauty salon, food stalls, a massage centre, a jewellery outlet, as well as record stores and restaurants. Visitors will be definitely awaken the memories of the past through the passionate setting.

Back in time

Visitors will feel relaxed and lively by a live band performing at PlearnWan close to the entrance. PlearnWan Coffee awaits you, all prepared using old-fashioned methods, there is a range of beverages available for you to select. The Chai Lai Boutique (Chai lai means 'pretty') is just nearby, visitors can buy colorful clothes here, the shop provides a period feel, adding to the sentimental ambiance.

The outlet that sells snacks (khanom) and plastic toys of old days, is the most attractive shop that gains attention from visitors. This shop offers a complete range of classic Thai snacks which are hardly find today.

Classic period

PlearnWan has given classic Thai names to its several outlets such as a barber shop called Lert Samantan, it was once a popular Thai word of being ‘cool’, a bakery outlet called Porn Kam Warn, it literally means ‘serving sweet bites’, it is a beautiful phrase. These Thai words are now no longer popular in use.

Late last year, PlearnWan launched a second phase and received an extremely positive response among sensational visitors. A number of restaurants that provide two small food courts are among the new additions.

A Ngaan Wat (or a traditional temple fair, generally provides numerous stalls and a Ferris Wheel), as well as an area that designs as an arrangement of nang klang plaeng (or open air cinema) are also found at PlearnWan. There are free movies available including comedies, romances as well as thrillers, are shown here on Fridays and Sundays at 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm. Visitors can check out the schedule at PlearnWan's official website to get an idea of what's coming up (http://www.plearnwan.com).

PlearnWan opens from:

Monday - Thursday from 10 am - 10 pm
Friday from 10 am - midnight
Saturdays from 9 am - noon
Sundays from 9 am - 10 pm

A paradise place to stay

Piman PlearnWan (Piman literally describes as heaven) offers a mid-range accommodation option for interested visitors to stay over for a night or two.

The glamorous and old-style setting is perfect for those who wish to bring themselves into pleasant remembrances. The rate is 3,200 baht (US$98) per night for two persons, including breakfast and snacks, which are available throughout the day in the property's lounge area.

For further information, contact Tel: +66 (0)3 250 331. To make a reservation at Piman PlearnWan, contact [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Getting to PlearnWan:

Car: From Bangkok to Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, drive on Highway 4. Just before you arrive at Klai Kangwon Palace, you will see PlearnWan on the opposite side of the road. Take the next U-turn and park your car at PlearnWan's free parking lot, which is located near a pedestrian bridge several hundred meters away from the shopping development.

Hua Hin Market Village

Hua Hin Market Village is a big shopping mall in Hua Hin after western style and with western brands. This is the first large-scale shopping and entertainment complex in Hua Hin, and after opening in February 2006 the mall has since then grown in popularity amongst residents and visitors.

Market Village is located on the main Petchkassem Road, south of central Hua Hin past Grand Plaza heading south towards Khao Takiab. Market Village is about 5 minutes from centrums of Hua Hin by tuk-tuk or taxi or 2-3 minutes from Hilton Hotels.

The top floor is the main entertainment floor. It's divided into four main sections:

• The Arcade halls - These halls have lots of arcade games including a stepping stage, House of the Dead etc
• The Cinema - A few movies are shown in English with Thai subtitles, but moast are dubbed
• The Bowling alley - Offers bowling on a limited numbers of courses
• The Main hall with shops - Some Coffeshops and clothstores can be found, but not much

Some Thai youths and tourists are able to spend their whole day here. It is easy to understand why!

Hua Hin Market Village includes everything you find in a big shopping mall back home for example Tesco Lotus, Home Pro, Major Cineplex
  

There are also a lot of small shops and international restaurants (Pizza Company, KFC, Swensson m.fl). A lot of big cloth brands have also stores here. For exsampel Lee, Wrangler, Adidas and Lacoste. This is like going back home in the first class shopping mall you find there, if not better. The prices is anyway better. PS! The restrooms are free of charge and is kept nice and clean. 

The Cicada Market Hua hin

Hua Hin continues to be the 'in' destination among well-off holidaymakers, urban hipsters and international visitors. Cool and chic lifestyles of Bangkok, Hampton, Ibiza, Mykonos and even Marrakech can be spotted, experienced and savoured in this small coastal town. Offering a new vibe of recreations for Hua Hin locals and visitors, the flea market-cum-walking street on a 10-rai-plot of land is a place where they can appreciate art, enjoy a myriad of activities, savour good international food and shop till they drop. Of course, Hua Hin is always at the forefront when it comes to catching worldwide trends. Yet, no matter how dazzling and 'international' it is regarded, Hua Hin is somehow able to retain its humble identity, which keeps the town forever charming. As a seaside retreat, Hua Hin delights its guests with its serene, horse-studded beach that stretches as long as 10 kilometres. As a dining destination, this resort town has more than enough eateries to serve all kinds of gastronomic preferences (this statement might not be accurate if you're in town during a long national holiday).

Yet, as a shopping vicinity, Hua Hin has just started to catch up with shoppers' growing demand recently by welcoming metropolitan malls and stylish shopping centres. This is perhaps after realising that its super famous night market couldn't really handle streams of tourists on a busy weekend.

Adding a new vibe to Hua Hin's shopping scene is Cicada Market at Suan Sri, a 10-rai plot of land at the mouth of Soi Moo Ban Nong Kae on Khao Takieb-Hua Hin Road. This lovely venue is unlike other shopping destinations in Hua Hin with its art-inspired concept and outdoor tropical ambience. Here visitors can stroll around the spacious garden and enjoy a colourful variety of design-oriented goods, a number of art installations and plenty of tasty food under the moon-lit sky among the singing sound of cicadas.

''Every year the number of visitors coming to Hua Hin keeps increasing. Even though the town has an extensive choice of accommodation, it didn't provide enough choices for recreational activities,'' said Sasi-ampai Siriviroj, manager of Cicada Market project.

It is named Cicada Market because the insect, which has been a long-time resident in this garden, represents a healthy natural environment and is also a symbol of distinctive individuals who gather together to create an ideal community of artful lifestyle.''

The market, which operates every Saturday from 3-9pm, is divided into four sections: Art a la mode, Art Indoor, Art of Act and Art of Eating.

The Art a la mode, which occupies most of the space, is a place for selling and trading goods including arts and crafts, clothes, home decorative items, souvenirs and stationery _ brand new and used. This ''flea market with style'' is ideal for those looking for one-of-a-kind art pieces and hand-made clothing and fashion accessories.

A main base for Art Indoor are two lovely white houses in the middle of the garden which serve as fine art galleries catering to art enthusiasts who may come to enjoy photo or painting exhibitions, or other contemporary art displays. Those who wish to have their portraits drawn can also find this service here.

The well-built amphitheatre-style concert ground is a main stage for the Art of Act. Here visitors can find, or even join in, a myriad of performing arts and activities such as music, theatre, story-telling and dancing.

Deep down at one corner of the market garden is a zone dedicated to food. Representing the Art of Eating, it offers an impressive collection of food, snacks and sweets _ local and international. You might want to check out Hua Hin's authentic khao khluk kapi, or rice tossed with shrimp paste, and phad thai. At the same time, you can also sample dishes from the North, Isan and the South, while Japanese treats and Italian pasta are also available.

''We expect to have 150-200 vendors and other entertainment each evening. We hope this market can help serving the growing number of visitors to Hua Hin, while adding more recreational value and generating more income to the local community,''said Sasi-ampai.

Cicada Market is located at the corner of Soi Moo Ban Nong Kae and Khao Takieb-Hua Hin Road. It opens every Saturday from 3-9pm. For more information, please call 032-536-606, 080 650-4334 or visit www.cicadamarket.net