Cicada Market Hua Hin: Hours, Food & What to Buy

Featured image: josef knecht, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Cicada Market at a glance

Cicada Market sits at Khao Takiab, south of Hua Hin's centre and away from the main Night Market area. Expect art stalls, handmade goods, street food and a small amphitheatre. Most visitors spend 2 to 3 hours here, longer if they pair it with the neighbouring Tamarind food market.

• Open days: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Hours: roughly 4pm to 11pm (confirm before you go)
• Location: Khao Takiab, south of Hua Hin's centre
• Best for: art, crafts, relaxed browsing and a varied food area

Is Cicada Market a night market?

Locals and visitors often call it one, but Cicada closes at 11pm. Hua Hin's own late-running night market keeps going until about 1am. That gap matters if you want a late finish. Cicada's appeal is different: string lights, art and a slower pace instead of all-night stalls. Treat it as an evening market with a night-time glow.

Opening days, hours and the best time to arrive

Listings give the open days as Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Opening time appears as 4pm, 4:30pm and 16:00 depending on the page, so aim for 4:30pm to be safe. Closing is 11pm. Sunday may close an hour earlier, at 10pm. Confirm both on the market's official page or social channels before you go. Food seating tends to fill between 7pm and 9pm. Arrive near opening if you want a table, or eat early and browse afterward. Cool-season evenings are more comfortable for walking, so check the forecast for heat and rain. Cicada does not trade Monday to Thursday, which rules it out for a midweek-only trip.

How to get there and where to stay nearby

Cicada sits near Khao Takiab, so it is a short trip south from Hua Hin's centre rather than a walk from the Night Market. Roughly 4 km separates the two. Fares and parking details are not confirmed, so ask your hotel about taxis or a shuttle. Some hotels near the market run shuttles, and a few are said to be within a 2 to 5 minute walk, but verify that with your hotel directly. Staying near Khao Takiab makes the walk home easy. In town, you stay closer to the Night Market and the restaurants. Pick based on how late you plan to stay out.

What to eat at Cicada Market

Food ranges from Thai dishes to pizza, pasta, barbecue ribs, steaks and sushi. Halal options are also on offer. Dessert stalls make a good fallback if the main food area is full. Grilled prawns sold by the kilo are a draw. Seafood inside the market tends to cost more than at dedicated restaurants, so compare prices before ordering. For a full seafood dinner, see our guide to seafood restaurants in town. For a sit-down meal after or instead of market food, browse sit-down restaurants in Hua Hin. Card acceptance and ATM access are unconfirmed, so bring cash in baht.

What to buy at Cicada Market

Art is the theme. Local artists sell paintings from contemporary to modern, and a few small buildings in the middle of the market double as exhibition spaces. Handmade crafts, clothing, souvenirs and sunglasses fill many other stalls. Glass-blown animal figurines, made on site, are a popular keepsake. Caricature artists have been listed from ฿300 depending on portrait size, though that figure is dated, so confirm the price first. Before buying anything, run through a quick checklist.

• Portability: will it fit in your bag for the flight home?
• Fragility: glass figurines need careful wrapping
• Shipping: ask the seller whether they can post larger pieces
• Budget: agree the price before a caricature artist starts

Shows, music and events

An amphitheatre hosts street-performer slots, and the official site has listed show times of 19:45 and 21:00. Schedules vary by week, so treat those times as a guide only. Festivals such as Songkran and the New Year's Eve countdown draw bigger crowds. Hours may also change on those dates. Check the market's official channels before building a plan around a show.

Cicada vs. Tamarind vs. Hua Hin Night Market

Tamarind Market sits beside Cicada and leans toward local Thai food with more seating. It is listed as opening Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to 11pm, but confirm that on Tamarind's own page. Pairing the two works well in about 2 to 3 hours as an estimate. Arrive around 4:30pm, browse Cicada's art stalls, eat at Tamarind, then decide on a show or a late run to the Night Market. That Night Market is covered in our guide to the later-night option.

Who should go and who should skip

Match the market to your evening, not the other way round.

• Go if you like art, handmade crafts and a relaxed pace
• Go with kids or a partner who wants a varied food area
• Go if you want a show and a stroll before 11pm
• Skip if you want strictly local-style food; try Tamarind instead
• Skip if you need a late finish; head to the Night Market
• Skip if you are in town Monday to Thursday only

Common mistakes at Cicada Market

Most problems come down to timing and impulse.

• Arriving on a non-market day, Monday to Thursday
• Assuming night-market hours and showing up after 11pm
• Ordering seafood without comparing prices first
• Skipping a check of the official page for hours and events
• Arriving at 8pm with no plan for a seat in the busy food area