It is the capital of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and is on the coast at one of the narrowest stretches in Thailand, only 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the border with Myanmar at Dan Sing Khon in the Tenasserim Hills.

Prachuap Khiri Khan is home to a Royal Thai Air Force base, and was an invasion point for Japanese troops on 8 December 1941, during World War II.

[citation needed] A commemoration is held each December to honour the 38 Thai airmen and civilians who died in the fighting against the Japanese 143rd Infantry Regiment in the Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan.

[citation needed] On December 5, 2023, a double-decker bus carrying mostly Thai nationals veered off the road and crashed into a tree, which resulted in 14 deaths and 32 injuries.

[5] Australian company ASC and Thai company Silkline International formed a joint venture to build three Keka-class patrol boats for the Royal Thai Navy at Silkline's yard at Pak Nam Pran in Prachuap Khiri Khan.