Someone who stayed longer periods in Hua Hin a couple of years ago would easily get frustrated over the absence of supermarkets with a first class assortment. Apart from the rear end of Hua Hin Shopping Mall’s ground floor and Hua Hin Tansamai, there was not much to choose among. However, much has happened since then. Today, it is a great pleasure for us foreigners to live in Hua Hin since G Supermarket, Golden Place, Mini Farm, Ham & Bacon Company, Tesco Lotus Express and especially Tesco Lotus hypermarket are all present.

“Size comes first” — this is true not least when it comes to Tesco Lotus hypermarket on the ground floor of Market Village. The establishment of this hypermarket marked the end of Hua Hin as a town of limited-assortment grocery stores. Under one roof you will find anything from tacos to fish and meat counter, a wine and spirits section and daily fresh fruits and vegetables. Moreover, you will find movies, bicycles, capital goods, TVs, a drug store and lots more, which makes Tesco Lotus a true superstore. The prices are in most cases attractive — in general much lower than the prices in most western countries. This implies that the hypermarket normally is quite crowded. We would strongly like to recommend the fish and meat counter that supplies superior delicacies at low prices.

Tesco Lotus hypermarket is normally open between 10 am and 10 pm.

G Supermarket is located next to the large railway junction in the middle of the city, and is another great grocery store. The specialty, however, lies within bulk goods where the supply is comparable to that of Tesco Lotus, and the prices from time to time even lower. The weakness is the section for fresh dailies and the fruits and vegetables section — both are quite limited. If you are looking for a place with consumer goods, G Supermarket might be one of the best options, especially if you wish to avoid a crowded place to shop at. On the back of the building there are excellent parking facilities. G Supermarket is normally open between 10 am and 9 pm.

Before the Tesco Lotus and G Supermarket era, the best shopping for groceries was done at Hua Hin Shopping Mall. Despite a fairly extensive supply and reasonable prices, it is highly inconvenient to visit this shopping mall since the parking spaces are small and usually occupied. However, if you are walking around by foot and is in the middle of town and are not in need of too much, it might be a good idea to visit the rear end on the ground floor of Hua Hin Shopping Mall.

Hua Hin Tansamai, where Tansamai means “supermarket”, is located at the corner of the main street, Petchkasem Road, and the beginning of Soi 56. This is quite an old-fashioned supermarket with a focus on bulk goods. Despite having its charm, the prices can not be compared with those of the larger players.

The great advantage with Tesco Lotus Express, located at the Esso gasoline station just before the first traffic junction coming from the north, is that it is open almost anytime. Even though the supply is far smaller than Tesco Lotus hypermarket at Market Village, you will here find the most basic groceries. Furthermore, visiting Tesco Lotus Express is relatively convenient since the parking possibilities are good. This might be somewhat surprising taking into account that the location is very central, opposite the terminal for mini vans from and to Hua Hin and Bangkok.   

Golden Place, which is located slightly south of the Royal Palace Klai Kangwon (see further Hua Hin’s history), is a small supermarket with rather high prices. Nevertheless it is worth mentioning that you will here find a superior fruits and vegetables section.

Hua Hin Ham, Bacon & Meat Company (in the middle of Soi 41) and Mini Farm (just after the southern traffic light junction next to Bank of Ayudhya on the main street) are specialised in western meat products and fruit and vegetable. If you are going to cook a classical dish these two might provide you the best combination in your strive to finding a complete set up of ingredients (but maybe not the cheapest).

Finally, the large number of 7-Eleven-shops all over Hua Hin deserves to be mentioned. Most of them are open 24-hours. The supply of first class groceries is not very good, but you will find much to eat in terms of snacks, sweets and fast food. You can moreover top up a Thai cell phone account or pay some of your bills. 7-Eleven provides accessible comfort at the expense of somewhat higher prices.