🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Ban Laem sits about 12 km from Phetchaburi town and around 40 km from Cha-am, at the mouth of the Phetchaburi River where it meets the Gulf of Thailand. The area has a morning market right by the boats, the Bang Tabun neighborhood famous for shellfish and shrimp paste, and souvenir shops along the coastal road. Plan it well and a single stop covers everything, but if you want truly fresh catch straight off the boats you'll need to go mid-morning, before it sells out.
Ban Laem souvenirs worth buying — ranked by what people actually take home
These are the processed seafood items that sell well and are genuinely available around Ban Laem and Bang Tabun, ordered from what people buy most often, with rough 2026 prices (prices move with the season and size, so treat them as a rough guide).
Steamed mackerel in baskets (pla tu nueng kheng)
The star of Ban Laem: short, plump Gulf of Thailand mackerel steamed in little bamboo baskets and sold right by the market. The flesh is firmer and richer than regular mackerel because it's straight off the boat. Take it home and fry it as is. Look for fish with a bowed neck and a clear eye, no strong fishy smell.
Real shrimp paste (kapi koei ta dam)
Shrimp paste made from tiny krill (koei), salt-fermented the traditional way: smooth, purplish-red, fragrant rather than pungent. Ban Laem and Bang Tabun are known for clean shrimp paste because the krill comes from small local boats. Take it home for chili dip or shrimp-paste fried rice and it'll last a long while.
Salted fish (threadfin, king mackerel, sea bass)
Sun-dried, salt-cured fish made the fisherfolk way. It ranges from soft-fleshed salted threadfin, which costs a bit more, to salted king mackerel and sea bass that are easier on the wallet. Pick fish that's fully dry rather than damp, with even color and a clean salty smell that isn't sour.
Sun-dried squid (one-day-dried) / dried squid
Splendid or aromatic squid dried for just one day, sweeter and more tender than fully dried squid. Grill or fry it and the aroma is wonderful. Laem Phak Bia and Ban Laem make it fresh according to how many boats come in. Pick squid that's dried to a nice color, not dark and dull.
Dried shrimp
Small sea shrimp boiled and sun-dried until dry, with a natural orange-red color (be wary of overly bright red, which is usually dyed). Use them in chili dips, salads, som tam, or as a snack. Ban Laem's are known for being plump and whole rather than crumbly.
Sweet-dried / salted mackerel
Mackerel that isn't all sold fresh gets turned into salted and sweet-dried mackerel, which keeps longer than steamed mackerel. Good for anyone driving a long way who's worried about spoilage. Fry it until crisp and eat with hot steamed rice.
Pickled cockles & mussels / real fish sauce
Bang Tabun is a source of cockles and big green mussels. Besides buying them fresh you'll find pickled shellfish and real fish sauce fermented from local fish. Ban Laem fish sauce has a rounded taste that isn't harshly salty, a souvenir that anyone who likes to cook will appreciate.
Steamed blue crab / picked crab meat
Plump Gulf of Thailand blue crab, steamed fresh and sold by the market, or buy ready-picked crab meat if you can't be bothered to shell it. This kind of thing has to be eaten the same day or chilled on the way back, so it's not ideal for drives longer than half a day.
Salted krill / krill liquor (nam koei)
Tiny krill salt-fermented before being ground into shrimp paste, plus mellow krill liquor for anyone who wants a true taste of the sea to cook with. It's a local specialty that's getting harder to find, so if you come across a shop that makes its own you've found something good.
Phetchaburi sea salt
Ban Laem and Bang Tabun sit next to salt fields, and Phetchaburi is a sea-salt source that cooks rate for quality. Pick up flor de sel or coarse salt to cook with: it's cheap and light enough to throw in alongside your seafood.
How to pick dried seafood and not go wrong
Good salted fish and dried squid should be evenly dry, not damp, with no white mold patches, and a clean salty smell that isn't sour · naturally orange dried shrimp beats overly bright red (often dyed) · real shrimp paste is smooth and fragrant, not nose-stingingly pungent · if you're buying steamed mackerel or fresh crab, ask for ice or a cooler bag if you're driving far.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Phetchaburi 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.
Where to buy — the neighborhoods and markets where the real thing is
Ban Laem souvenirs aren't clustered in one shop; they're spread across the morning markets and riverside neighborhoods. For fresh catch straight off the boats, hit the morning market; for nicely packed processed goods, go to the souvenir shops. These are the main spots locals recommend.
Ban Laem morning market (by Wat Ton Son)
The real morning market right by the boats: cheap fresh seafood with steamed mackerel baskets, blue crab, shellfish and squid all here. It sells out fast, so go from early to mid-morning.
Bang Tabun neighborhood
A river mouth known for cockles, green mussels, shrimp paste and real fish sauce, with several souvenir shops and riverside seafood restaurants. Good for a meal plus shopping on the way out.
Laem Phak Bia
A coastal area with shops selling sun-dried squid, dried seafood and fresh seafood restaurants. A good stop on the way to Hat Chao Samran.
Souvenir shops along the coastal road
Along the way in and out of Ban Laem there are souvenir shops that box up salted fish, dried shrimp and shrimp paste ready to carry, handy if you're in a hurry, though prices run a touch higher than buying at the market.
Timing it for the fresh catch
Ban Laem's small fishing boats usually return to shore mid-morning, and that's when the fresh mackerel and blue crab arrive. If you want fresh steamed mackerel baskets, get to the market before noon · processed goods like salted fish, shrimp paste and dried shrimp are sold all day, so no rush there.
Shops and spots the locals talk about
- Raan Tuk Ban Laem — a fresh-seafood restaurant open for over 20 years, with fresh mackerel from Ban Laem's boats. Eat in, then buy mackerel and seafood to take home. Good for a lunch stop.
- Baan Talay restaurant, Laem Phak Bia — sells fresh seafood and souvenirs, with traditional-recipe dried squid made from local boats' catch.
- Krua Bang Tabun (Lung Ya) — a riverside seafood restaurant in Bang Tabun, strong on shellfish and blue crab. Eat in, then buy shellfish and shrimp paste to take home.
- Mae Kim Lai souvenir shop — a Phetchaburi souvenir shop stocking dried seafood, fermented fish sauce and processed seafood, convenient for buying everything in one place.
- Krill shrimp-paste stalls around Ban Laem and Bang Tabun — real krill shrimp paste from small boats, smooth and clean, a souvenir people buy again and again.
Small market stalls change spots and opening hours with the fishing season, so if you've set your heart on a particular shop, check its page or call ahead to be sure, especially for fresh items like steamed mackerel and blue crab that depend on which boats come in each day.
Driving far home — how to keep it from spoiling
- Steamed mackerel, blue crab, fresh shellfish — fresh items; pack in a foam box or cooler bag, ask the shop for ice, and eat within 1–2 days.
- Salted fish, dried squid, dried shrimp — already dry; keep them somewhere dry in a zip bag away from moisture and they'll last weeks to a month.
- Shrimp paste, salted krill, fish sauce — keep in tightly sealed jars or bottles to stop the smell leaking; they keep for months.
- Sea salt — keep it dry and it lasts a year; the most durable souvenir in your bag.
Plan a full day of eating and souvenir shopping in Phetchaburi
See the Phetchaburi travel guide →