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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Prachuap Khiri Khan
ประจวบคีรีขันธ์
Give it 2 nights for the bay, monkey hill and Ao Manao; stay longer for a national-park or island day.
Prachuap Khiri Khan is a compact Gulf coast town about 100 km south of Hua Hin and 200 km north of Chumphon. Two nights cover the bay, Khao Chong Krachok and Ao Manao; add a third night for a full day at Khao Sam Roi Yot or an island trip. It is more a Thai holiday town than a foreign resort strip, so it suits travellers who want a quiet town stop rather than a resort week.
- Country
- Thailand
- Local name
- ประจวบคีรีขันธ์
- Best months
- Nov–Feb (cooler, generally drier)
- Avoid
- Sep–Oct (rainier; check sea conditions)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ฿900–1,500 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · Mid ฿1,500–2,800 excl. bed (2026 estimate) · High ฿2,800+ excl. bed (2026 estimate) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance and rescue 1669 · Tourist police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Samlor ride in town | ฿20–30 |
| Motorbike taxi | ฿10–40 |
| Beach chair and umbrella at Ao Manao | ฿20 |
| Car rental per day | from ฿1,500 |
| Bus Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal → Prachuap Khiri Khan | ฿240 |
| Train Bangkok → Prachuap Khiri Khan | ฿455 |
| Airport express bus Bangkok (BKK) → Hua Hin | ฿325 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CJM · Chumphon Airport
- Closest airport in the sources; Nok Air has flown Bangkok Don Mueang–Chumphon daily, but confirm current flights and the onward transfer.
- BKK · Bangkok airports
- Bus from the Southern Bus Terminal to Prachuap Khiri Khan was ฿240 and about 5 h (Aug 2024); train from Bangkok about 4.5 h, second class ฿455 (check current timetable).
Typical fares
- Samlor in town
- ฿20–30 short, up to ฿50 longer
- Motorbike taxi
- ฿10–40; agree before you get on
- Bus from Bangkok Southern Bus Terminal
- ฿240, about 5 h (Aug 2024)
- Train from Bangkok
- ฿455 second class, about 4.5 h (check current timetable)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town centre is small enough to walk. Samlor (pedal rickshaws) cost ฿20–30 for short hops and up to ฿50 for longer rides; motorbike taxis run about ฿10–40. Tuk-tuk fares must be agreed before you get in. Songthaews run fixed routes and can be hired like a taxi when off duty. Bicycles rent downtown; cars from about ฿1,500 per day. Boats for nearby islands are hired at the pier.
See and do
Known for
- Ao Manao beach
- Khao Chong Krachok and Wat Thammikaram
- Seafood on the bay
- Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park | Travel by car or scooter; the park is in the province and the Department of National Parks lists it as a national park. | Check |
| Ko Thalu and nearby islands | Boats are hired at the pier; departure arrangements check locally. | Check |
| Hua Hin | Train or bus north; the town is about 100 km (62 mi) south of Hua Hin.Train or bus north; the town is about 62 mi (100 km) south of Hua Hin. | Check |
| Ban Krut | Train or bus south; current schedule and fare check. | Check |
Sleep
- Bayfront and Kong Kiat Road
- Near the pier, night market and shoreline restaurants; practical for a short stay.
- Railway station area
- Convenient for train arrivals; the station sits on Maha Raj 1 at 11.8077, 99.7939.
- Ao Manao side
- Closer to the beach; the beach is inside an air-force base, so expect guard posts at either end.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | สวัสดีsawatdee |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkhop khun |
| How much is it? | เท่าไหร่tao rai |
| Not spicy, please | ไม่เผ็ดmai phet |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Agree local transport fares before setting off.
- Macaques around Khao Chong Krachok and Wat Thammikaram may approach visitors; keep food and loose belongings secured.
- Ao Manao sits inside an air-force base: slow down at the guard posts and follow instructions.
- Khao Lom Muak trail access is restricted to certain long weekends and morning hours; confirm dates and rules locally.
- Check local sea conditions before swimming or booking an island trip.
Use ordinary precautions and check local sea conditions. Secure food and bags around macaques, agree fares before rides, and wear a helmet if travelling by scooter. Tourist police: 1155.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Prachuap Khiri Khan yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ao Manao beach
- Khao Chong Krachok and Wat Thammikaram
- Seafood on the bay
- Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Department of National Parks — Khao Sam Roi Yot: portal.dnp.go.th/Content/nationalpark?contentId=1016
- Wikivoyage: Prachuap Khiri Khan, revision 5244500 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244500
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Prachuap Khiri Khanประจวบคีรีขันธ์
ไปที่อยู่นี้
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy details confirmed for the town; check your country's official consular guidance.
Tipping is not required in Thailand; rounding up is customary in some situations.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/prachuap-khiri-khan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.