Prachuap Khiri Khan

Prachuap Khiri Khan: The Land of Royal Beaches and Wild Safaris

Welcome to Prachuap Khiri Khan, the province with the coolest shape in Thailand! Stretching long and thin down the Malay Peninsula (it's home to the narrowest part of Thailand, just 10km wide!), this province is a coastline lover's dream.

Most people know the fancy resort town of Hua Hin, but Prachuap is so much more than that. It’s a place where you can sip cocktails at a royal seaside retreat in the morning and track wild elephants through the jungle in the afternoon. From iconic caves to adorable monkeys, this is the ultimate mix of relaxation and adventure.

Why Prachuap Khiri Khan Rules

A scenic wooden boardwalk stretching across a freshwater marsh filled with green reeds, leading toward covered pavilions with dramatic limestone mountains rising in the background at Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand.

The Prachuap Bucket List: Caves, Elephants & Night Markets

This province is long, so get ready for a road trip of epic proportions.

Find the Magic Light at Phraya Nakhon Cave

Located in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, this is a scene straight out of an adventure movie. After a steep hike (or a boat ride and a hike), you descend into a massive sinkhole cave. Inside sits the exquisite Kuha Karuhas pavilion, built for King Rama V in 1890.

Pro-Tip: Get there before 11:00 AM. When the sunbeams strike the pavilion through the hole in the cave ceiling, the whole place glows like magic. It is breathtaking. ✨

Go on an Elephant Safari at Kui Buri National Park

Want to see elephants being elephants? Kui Buri is the place. It has a near 99% success rate for spotting wild elephants. You hop into the back of a pickup truck with a ranger and drive into the grasslands. Watching a family of wild elephants grazing, playing, and interacting in their natural habitat is a humbling and unforgettable experience. You might even spot a guar (a massive wild bison)! 🐘

Chill in Hua Hin

Hua Hin is the cosmopolitan heart of the province. It’s got a great mix of city and sea.

Hua Hin Railway Station: Visit the most beautiful train station in Thailand, famous for its bright red and yellow Royal Waiting Room.

Cicada Market: A trendy, artsy weekend market perfect for buying handmade crafts and eating delicious food in a garden setting.

The Beach: Ride a horse along the long, sandy beach—it’s a classic Hua Hin tradition!

Meet the Spectacled Langurs at Ao Manao

Drive south to Prachuap city and head to Wing 5 (an active Air Force base that is open to the public). Here you'll find Ao Manao, a stunningly calm bay perfect for swimming. But the real stars are the Dusky Leaf Monkeys (Langurs). With their white rings around their eyes and gentle nature, they are incredibly cute. You can hand-feed them peanuts, and unlike other monkeys, they will gently take the food from your hand! 🐒

How to Get There

Prachuap Khiri Khan is the gateway to the south and super accessible.

By Train: This is the classic way to travel! Trains leave Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Station constantly. The ride to Hua Hin takes about 3-4 hours, and to Prachuap city a bit longer.

By Car/Van: A smooth 2.5 to 3-hour drive from Bangkok to Hua Hin on the main highway.

By Air: There are limited flights to Hua Hin Airport, but driving or taking the train is usually more convenient and scenic.

The Provinces of Central & Western Thailand...

Wat Muang is located in Hua Taphan sub-district, Wiset Chai Chan district. It is presumed that the temple was constructed in the late Ayutthaya Era

Ang Thong

View of the Chao Phraya River looking south from Bang Rak

Bangkok

A golden Buddha statue nestled on a hillside.

Chai Nat

An ancient temple.

Kamphaeng Phet

A serene, hazy view of the long, wooden Mon Bridge in Kanchanaburi, spanning a calm lake where a small boat is cruising. Layers of forest-covered mountains are visible in the background under a soft, warm light.

Kanchanaburi

Macaque monkeys play on the green entrance sign for the ancient stone temple of Phra Prang Sam Yod in Lopburi, Thailand.

Lopburi

A high-angle, scenic view looking along the crest of the massive Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam in Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, with its reservoir on one side and a lush green valley and forested hills on the other, under a partly cloudy sky.

Nakhon Nayok

The magnificent golden stupa of Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, glows against a deep blue twilight sky, with a Buddhist monk in orange robes standing in the foreground courtyard.

Nakhon Pathom

A panoramic view from a high vantage point in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, looking out over a dramatic, forest-covered limestone peak and a vast plain of green and yellow patchwork agricultural fields stretching to the horizon under a blue, cloudy sky.

Nakhon Sawan

A modern cable-stayed bridge with a distinctive pylon topped by a golden, traditional Thai spire, spanning a wide river in Nonthaburi, Thailand. The foreground is filled with green water hyacinths under a clear blue sky.

Nonthaburi

A traditional Thai temple with an orange-tiled roof sits in the middle of a tranquil pond in Pathum Thani, Thailand. A large, ornate Naga serpent statue encircles the structure, its body forming a walkway leading to the entrance. The building and a blue sky are reflected in the water, and the scene is framed by dark green leaves in the foreground.

Pathum Thani

A scenic view of the Wat Pha Sorn Kaew temple complex in the mountains of Phetchabun, Thailand. A massive, white seated Buddha statue and an ornate, golden pagoda are nestled in the lush green hills, with layers of distant mountains visible in the background.

Phetchabun

A white pickup truck with a boat trailer parked on the dirt shore of a large, calm lake in Phetchaburi, Thailand. In the distance, mountains line the horizon under an overcast sky, with dramatic sunbeams breaking through the clouds and shining onto the water.

Phetchaburi

The ancient brick ruins of a temple in Phichit, Thailand, are illuminated by the warm, golden light of sunset, with surrounding trees and a clear sky.

Phichit

A scenic, high-angle view of the patchwork rice paddies in Phitsanulok province, Thailand. The fields, some flooded with water and others a vibrant green, stretch towards a line of dense trees with rolling hills in the background under a cloudy sky.

Phitsanulok

The red brick ruins of the ancient temples at Ayutthaya Historical Park in Thailand, with crumbling walls in the foreground and several towering prangs against a blue sky with clouds.

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya

A long-exposure photograph of a river with milky, flowing water cascading over smooth, dark boulders, surrounded by the lush green trees of a forest in Ratchaburi, Thailand.

Ratchaburi

A riverside view of Phra Samut Chedi in Samut Prakan, Thailand, at sunset. The chedi is brightly illuminated in pink and white, reflecting on the calm water next to a traditional temple and docked boats under a colourful sky.

Samut Prakan

A large, golden statue of a mythical bird stands before an ornate Thai temple in Samut Sakhon, featuring a multi-tiered red and gold roof, all set against a clear blue sky.

Samut Sakhon

A red and yellow train approaches on a track running directly through the center of a bustling market in Samut Songkhram, Thailand. Crowds of tourists stand inches from the track, holding up their phones to photograph the train as it passes the colourful market stalls.

Samut Songkhram

A wide stone staircase with ornate Naga serpent railings leads up to the magnificent golden Mondop of Wat Phra Phutthabat temple in Saraburi, Thailand, under a bright blue sky with white clouds.

Saraburi

A white Thai temple in Sing Buri with an ornate, multi-tiered red and gold roof. In the foreground, on a manicured green lawn, are several colourful and whimsical statues, including two large pink rabbits, a rooster, and a black elephant.

Sing Buri

An aerial view of the sprawling temple ruins at Sukhothai Historical Park in Thailand, showing numerous ancient brick stupas and pillars set amongst green lawns, trees, and ponds, with mountains visible in the distance under a warm, hazy sky.

Sukothai

A massive, golden dragon statue at the Dragon Descendants Museum in Suphan Buri, Thailand. The dragon is coiled over stylized clouds with its mouth wide open, spouting a cascade of water onto a structure below. Visitors walk on the paved plaza in front of the immense statue under a clear blue sky.

Suphan Buri

An aerial view of the Bhumibol Dam in Tak province, Thailand, a large, curved concrete structure surrounded by lush green mountains and a vast reservoir under a cloudy sky.

Tak

An ornate, multi-tiered golden temple in Uthai Thani, Thailand, featuring intricate gables and numerous pointed spires set against a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. In the foreground is a manicured garden with red flowers and green hedges.

Uthai Thani