🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you come to Paet Riu only to pay respects at Luang Pho Sothon, you've missed half the trip. The province splits neatly by area when it comes to food. In town you've got the 100-year-old Ban Mai Market, where you can sit and eat noodles on the Bang Pakong all afternoon. The riverbank, from the town centre out to Bang Pakong itself, is where the seafood and grilled river-prawn restaurants are. Bang Khla district is the capital of Nam Dok Mai mango — so fragrant and sweet it earned a GI registration. And the souvenir shops in town are stacked with mooncakes and sweets that are easy to carry home. Below, we've picked the dishes and the real spots, grouped by category.
Riverside Noodles at the 100-Year-Old Ban Mai Market
Ban Mai Market is an old riverside market on the Bang Pakong, more than 100 years old. The market itself is a long row of two-storey wooden shophouses along the water — easy to wander, snack, and browse. The signature here is the riverside noodles, eaten on balconies that jut out over the river with a cool breeze coming off the water. The dishes people order most are clear-broth noodles, gui chai (chive dumplings) in soup, and pak mor noodles, a Paet Riu specialty. Beyond noodles you'll find old-style Thai coffee, Thai sweets, and retro snacks to nibble as you walk.
Riverside Noodles — Ban Mai 100-Year Market
A small noodle stall inside the market — walk in from the front and you'll hit the seating that juts out over the water, with a cool breeze the whole time. We'd order the gui chai soup and the clear-broth noodles: the broth is well-rounded and fragrant, and they're generous with the sides. This is where people who come to Ban Mai Market sit down to rest and catch the breeze.
Juk Dee (Pak Mor Noodles)
A well-known stall in Ban Mai Market, famous for pak mor noodles — soft, thin rice sheets with a packed filling. It's a local Paet Riu dish that's hard to find elsewhere. People usually stop here first or grab a plate to eat as they stroll.
Yai Phon Noodles (Gui Chai Stall)
Another riverside noodle spot in Ban Mai Market that reviewers mention often, known for its gui chai and soup noodles. Grab a corner table by the water for that old-market atmosphere — good for a light meal while you wander.
Pae Ai Old Coffee (Vintage Coffee Shop in the Market)
An old-school coffee shop in Ban Mai Market that's kept its retro feel — wooden cabinets, antiques, and the smell of coffee and milk tea. A good place to rest after a bowl of noodles, and a popular photo corner too.
Tips for Visiting Ban Mai Market
Ban Mai Market is busiest on Saturdays and Sundays — most stalls open only on weekends, so if you come on a weekday plenty will be shut. We'd come late morning to afternoon and settle in for riverside noodles once the breeze picks up. There's parking near the market, so it's an easy walk in.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Chachoengsao 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.
Paet Riu Mango — Bang Khla's GI-Listed Nam Dok Mai
Mango is the province's signature, and Paet Riu locals are proud of it — the soil along the Bang Pakong, where fresh water meets brackish, gives the mangoes here a deep, distinctive sweetness. The star is the golden Bang Khla Nam Dok Mai, which earned a Geographical Indication (GI) registration: firm flesh, fragrant, and sweet without being cloying — perfect with sticky rice. Beyond Nam Dok Mai there are other varieties to try, like Okrong, Khiao Sawoey, and Fa Lan. The main ripe-mango season runs roughly from late in the year through the middle of the next (around November to May).
Bang Khla Mango Market / Mango Orchards
Bang Khla district is the real source of golden Nam Dok Mai mango — there are both orchards and roadside stalls. You can buy mangoes ripe and ready to eat, or slightly under-ripe to last the journey home. Ask the vendor which ones will be perfectly ripe on which day.
Nam Dok Mai Mango + Sticky Rice
The way most people eat it is ripe Nam Dok Mai with coconut-milk sticky rice. You'll find it at markets in town and in Bang Khla, and during mango season nearly every market sells it — the dessert of the season.
Tips for Buying Mango to Take Home
If you're carrying mangoes a long way, tell the vendor which day you plan to eat them — they'll pick slightly under-ripe ones that'll be perfect by the time you get home. If you buy them already ripe, eat them within 1–2 days. For sticky rice sets, keep the coconut sauce separate and refrigerated; the sticky rice tastes better left at room temperature than chilled.
Seafood & River Prawns Along the Bang Pakong
The Bang Pakong River runs through the province and out to the sea at Bang Pakong district, which means Paet Riu gets both ocean seafood and river catch. Riverside restaurants line up from the town centre all the way to the river mouth, many with seating right on the water to catch the cool breeze. The dishes people order most are grilled giant river prawns (the headliner of this stretch), sea bass fried with fish sauce, sea bass tom yum, squid stir-fried with salted egg, and whatever's fresh in season. It's ideal for a long lunch or a sunset dinner by the water.
Baan Mai Rim Nam (Paet Riu)
A long-running restaurant in the town centre right on the Bang Pakong. Sit by the water for the atmosphere. The standouts are grilled river prawns, river prawns in tamarind sauce, and punchy seafood dishes — best with a group so you can order and share.
Nang Jor Riverside (Bang Pakong)
Thai-style decor with an open-air section right on the water. The dishes people order most are sea bass tom yum, sea bass fried with fish sauce, and grilled river prawns — homey, easy-to-eat flavours. Good for a lunch in the breeze.
The River Barn
A barn-style seafood restaurant on the Bang Pakong, nicely decorated with photo corners. We'd go for the grilled river prawns, baked crab with glass noodles, and squid stir-fried with salted egg. Good for anyone who wants to take photos and sit by the river.
Krua Mae Som Kliang
A riverside spot on the Bang Pakong with a varied menu — Thai, Isan, fresh seafood, and sweets — at friendly prices. Order several dishes to share. Good for families.
Baan Pa Nu Riverside (Bang Pakong)
A Thai riverside restaurant locals recommend for the view and the cool breeze. Home-style Thai cooking with both seafood and fish dishes — good for settling in and watching the river in the early evening.
Tips for Eating Seafood on the Bang Pakong
River prawns and crab are priced by what comes in, so before you order, ask clearly for the price per kilo or per piece. Riverside spots get crowded in the evenings on weekends, so if you're going with a group, call ahead to book a table by the water for the better view.
Paet Riu Souvenirs — Mooncakes & Sweets to Carry Home
If you're driving through Paet Riu, you'll want to stop for souvenirs. The most famous is the mooncake — old shops in town have been making them for decades: thin pastry, packed filling. After that come sweets and preserved goods like pla som (fermented fish), chiffon cake, and processed mango during mango season, plus mu yo (Thai sausage) and Bang Khla–style mu yo salad with salted egg that many shops offer. There's plenty to carry home, both savoury and sweet.
Tang Seng Jua (Famous Mooncakes)
A long-established Paet Riu souvenir shop that's been around for ages. The mooncakes have a packed filling — the bestsellers are mung-bean-and-salted-egg with thin pastry, and shredded pork. It's the first thing people think of when they hear Paet Riu.
Mu Yo / Bang Khla Mu Yo Salad + Preserved Goods
Mu yo (Thai sausage) and Bang Khla–style mu yo salad with salted egg yolk are everywhere here — buy some to eat now or carry home as a gift. There's also pla som and other river-fish preserves to choose from.
Eat by Area — Pick to Match Your Plan
- Town centre / Ban Mai Market — riverside noodles, old-style coffee, mooncake souvenirs, and riverside restaurants in town. Great if you're there to pay respects at Luang Pho Sothon and want to eat your way around afterward (Ban Mai Market is mainly a Sat–Sun thing).
- Bang Khla — the Nam Dok Mai mango town, the Bang Khla floating market, and local specialties like mu yo salad. Best during mango season or for a floating-market trip.
- Bang Pakong / riverside — seafood restaurants and grilled river prawns on the water. Best for a sunset dinner, or a stop along the way from Bangkok.
Want a full eat-and-explore plan for Paet Riu? See the guide to the whole province.
See the Chachoengsao travel guide →