🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
The name Abhaibhubejhr comes from Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr, who built the old European-style building that is now a museum of Thai traditional medicine. The hospital here is known for turning Thai herbs into medicines, products and food, which is why the town has spots that play with herbs more seriously than most places — some dishes even list what they're good for. If you like eating light and feeling good after, Prachinburi is a fun town to eat your way through.
Herbal spots worth trying
We've ordered these starting with the places tied directly to Abhaibhubejhr, then moved outward to the cafes and healthy eats around town. Everything on this list was open at the time of writing, but some small shops keep flexible hours — checking their page before you set off is the safer bet.
Abhaibhubejhr Day Spa & Cuisine (the Green Building)
A restaurant and spa inside the grounds of Chao Phraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital, in the green building to your left as you come through the entrance. Dishes are cooked with herbs and come with notes on what they're good for. The cafe side does butterfly-pea lime juice, iced milk tea and several herbal drinks. It's an easy place to sit before or after walking the museum, and it's really the heart of any herbal-themed trip here.
Baan Lao Rueang Mueang Samunphrai
A restaurant in an old wooden house next to the city pillar shrine, backing onto the Prachinburi River. They cook with herbs from Abhaibhubejhr's khok nong na plots and gardens around Khao Yai. Standout dishes include butterfly-pea glass noodle salad, a stir-fried green curry (no coconut milk) and gaeng tepo. Part of the proceeds go to the foundation, so you eat well and do some good too.
Herbal drink & tea stand inside the Abhaibhubejhr museum
Over in the museum and souvenir zone there's a corner for herbal drinks — lemongrass juice, butterfly-pea juice, chrysanthemum juice and Abhaibhubejhr's own brewed teas. It's a cool-down stop while you wander the old building and the herb garden. Prices are low and it's good for a quick pause.
Garden cafes around Prachinburi town
Outside the hospital zone, the town and the Si Maha Phot area have plenty of green garden-style cafes. Many do flower and herbal drinks like butterfly-pea latte or honey-lime soda — good spots to sit a while and catch the breeze. Check the locations on a Prachinburi cafe roundup page before you go, since small shops open and close on no fixed schedule.
Healthy eats & clean dishes at the morning market
The morning market in town has light options — herbal rice porridge, brown rice, soy milk, and blanched local vegetables with chili dip. Student prices, and a good way to start the day before heading out. If you're watching what you eat, Prachinburi won't throw you off track.
Abhaibhubejhr herbal souvenir shop
Shops selling Abhaibhubejhr products sit within the hospital and museum grounds, with brewed teas, ready-to-drink herbal juices, soap, inhalers, toothpaste, and popular herbal capsules like turmeric, rang jued and triphala. It's the spot to pick up souvenirs to close out the trip, with the real thing straight from the source.
Tip
Baan Lao Rueang is closed on Mondays, and the Day Spa & Cuisine side shuts fairly early, around 4:30pm. If you want to hit both in one day, start at the Day Spa around midday, then move over to Baan Lao Rueang in the late afternoon — it fits together better that way.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Prachinburi food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Herbal drinks and teas to try
If you had to pick one glass that sums up Prachinburi, we'd point you to butterfly-pea lime juice — the purple turns pink the moment you squeeze in the lime, fun to watch and genuinely refreshing. Beyond that, there are several more you can sip at both the Day Spa and the souvenir shops.
- Butterfly-pea lime juice — pretty color, nicely balanced sweet and sour, the signature everyone orders
- Lemongrass juice / chrysanthemum juice — drink it cold, fragrant, a good cooldown while you're out walking
- House iced milk tea — for when you want something a bit more substantial but still easy to sip
- Brewed herbal teas (rang jued / triphala) — buy them to brew at home, a souvenir you'll actually use
A half-day herbal eat-and-explore
If you've got half a day in town, you can put together a short herbal-themed trip easily — walk the old building, stop to eat, and finish with souvenirs.
Museum + herbal drinks
Herbal lunch + souvenirs
Herbal souvenirs you'll actually use
Turmeric capsules
Abhaibhubejhr's biggest hit and the one people take home most. Easy to carry, a souvenir you'll actually use.
Rang jued / triphala brewed tea
Easy-to-brew herbal tea bags, good for anyone who likes a warm cup at home. Light to pack, easy to carry.
Herbal soap, inhalers & toothpaste
Herbal-scented everyday items you can buy in bulk to give out without spending much — souvenirs everyone gets some use from.
Good to know before you go
- Carry cash — some market stalls and small shops still don't take transfers, so a bit of cash keeps things easy
- Check closing days — Baan Lao Rueang is closed Mondays, and the Day Spa & Cuisine shuts around 4:30pm, so plan your timing to fit
- Herbs aren't a miracle cure — the notes on what dishes are good for are just bits of background; if you have a health condition or take medication, check with your doctor before adding herbs to be safe
- Pair it with nature — once you're done with herbs in town, you can carry on to the Prachinburi side of Khao Yai or to a waterfall in the same trip
Plan a full eat-and-explore trip to Prachinburi
See the Prachinburi travel guide →