🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Nakhon Si Thammarat souvenirs split roughly into two groups. The first is sweets and dry goods that keep well, easy to carry on a flight or ship as a gift, like crispy khanom la, local sweets, and vacuum-packed shrimp paste. The second is seasonal fresh produce, like Siam Ruby pomelo and carved mangosteen, which you can only buy when it's in season and need to eat fairly soon. This article covers both, telling you straight which ones keep for a long time, which ones you need to eat quickly, and where to buy the real thing without overpaying.
9 Nakhon Edible Souvenirs Worth Buying
Ordered by how well they work as a souvenir that genuinely represents Nakhon. We start with the famous names people think of first, then work down to the local specialties that are hard to find elsewhere. Prices are rough estimates and vary by shop and season.
Khanom La (Crispy / Folded)
Nakhon's number-one souvenir. Rice flour is drizzled into thin golden strands like a fishing net, then fried into round sheets. There are two styles: the folded soft kind doubled into a half-circle, and the crispy kind sprinkled with sugar and sun-dried until crisp and fragrantly sweet. The crispy version makes the better souvenir because it keeps for a week. The original home is Ban Hoi Rak, Hu Long subdistrict, Pak Phanang district.
Pak Phanang Krill Shrimp Paste
Real shrimp paste made from the tiny krill along the Pak Phanang coast, pinkish-purple in color, smooth-textured, rounded and salty without any bitterness. It has the strong aroma of good shrimp paste that southern cooks hunt for. Use it for nam phrik kapi or curries and you'll get a punchier flavor than ordinary market paste. Buy it jarred or vacuum-packed for easy carrying.
Tenth Lunar Month Sweets (Phong, Ba, Dee Sam, Kong)
A set of traditional sweets sold alongside khanom la. Khanom phong is made from steamed sticky rice pressed into molds and fried until puffed and crisp; khanom ba is a flat round shape; khanom dee sam comes in small crunchy pieces; and there's khanom kong too. All are mildly sweet, crisp and keep well, perfect to buy as a gift set for older relatives.
Khanom Khi Mod
A crumbly sweet made from roasted flour with sugar and coconut, fine like sand and melting in the mouth, sweet and rich. It's an old-fashioned sweet that's hard to find outside Nakhon. Most of the well-known souvenir shops in town make their own, so it's a good pick if you like old-style Thai sweets.
Pak Phanang Siam Ruby Pomelo
Pomelo with deep ruby-red flesh, sweet with a hint of tartness, crisp and juicy. It's a GI-registered fruit of Pak Phanang that was once served at APEC 2022. The per-fruit price runs higher than ordinary pomelo because it's tricky to grow. As fresh produce you need to buy it in season and eat it in time. The season runs roughly October to March.
Carved Mangosteen
Young mangosteen with the rind still firm, carved off segment by segment with a knife until only the white flesh remains. The flavor is tart-sweet and crisp, eaten dipped in sweet fish sauce or chili salt. It's a local snack during mangosteen season, roughly June to August, found at fruit stalls in town and along the Pak Phanang–Sichon road.
Instant Tai Pla Curry / Chili Pastes
Want to take a real southern flavor home and cook it yourself? Buy vacuum-packed tai pla curry or chili-and-curry pastes from the well-known shops. Pa Montha's tai pla curry, for example, comes both ready-to-eat and dried. Reheat it at home and you get the same punchy flavor as eating at the shop. It keeps a long time in the freezer.
Pandan Custard / Mooncake-style Pastries from Nakhon Bakeries
Long-running town bakeries like Liquor have dense, fragrant pandan custard and various filled pastries that Nakhon locals regularly buy as gifts. They're good for anyone who doesn't want the bold local sweets and prefers something easy to eat and likeable across all ages. They keep several days if refrigerated.
Nakhon Nielloware (Not Edible, but Worth Knowing)
If you want a souvenir that truly represents Nakhon's craftsmanship, niello silver and gold work is the city's famous handicraft. Prices run high depending on the piece, making it a good choice for a special keepsake. The niello centers in town offer plenty of styles to choose from. We've included it here in case anyone is looking for a souvenir that isn't food.
How to Choose Khanom La
If you're carrying it far or shipping it, go for the crispy kind because it keeps for a week and doesn't go soggy easily. The folded soft kind tastes better but should be eaten within 2–3 days. Check the production date on the bag and pick pieces with an even golden color, no burnt dark spots, so you get something that's truly crisp and fragrant.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Nakhon Si Thammarat 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 — Souvenir Shops Locals Actually Use
You can buy Nakhon souvenirs at several spots, from in-town shops that have everything in one place to the production sources in Pak Phanang where you get the freshest goods at origin prices. These are the spots locals recommend. Opening hours and addresses can change, so check the shop's page before you go.
Liquor Bakery House
A large, well-known sweets and souvenir shop that Nakhon locals are familiar with. It has crispy khanom la, khanom khi mod, pastries and chili pastes all in one place. There are branches in Central Nakhon Si Thammarat mall and a counter at the airport, so it's convenient to buy before your flight.
Nong Kaeo Shop (Lang Dao)
A souvenir shop in the Lang Dao neighborhood, diagonally across from Muang Thong Hotel, gathering many local sweets and Nakhon souvenirs. It's a spot townspeople regularly stop at, good for anyone staying in the city center who wants to buy everything in one go.
Khanom La Village, Ban Hoi Rak (Pak Phanang)
The real production source, in Hu Long subdistrict, Pak Phanang district, where you get fresh khanom la straight from the pan at origin prices. It's ideal if you're already driving out toward Pak Phanang or Laem Talumphuk. Look for the traditional makers like Khanom La Bo Sri Thong.
Kapi Racha (Chaloem Phra Kiat)
A shop selling real shrimp paste made purely from krill, in Chian Khao subdistrict, Chaloem Phra Kiat district, selling both retail and wholesale. You get the pungent, well-rounded paste southern cooks hunt for, and you can order it packed for easy carrying. Good for anyone who wants quality shrimp paste to make nam phrik at home.
Where to Buy Based on Your Route
Pick your buying spots to fit your trip plan so you don't have to double back. Fresh items like pomelo and carved mangosteen are best bought close to when you leave, while dry goods can be bought anytime.
- Staying in town / short on time — buy at the Liquor branch in Central mall or at Nong Kaeo, where you get all the dry goods (khanom la, local sweets, and packaged shrimp paste) in one place.
- Driving to Pak Phanang–Laem Talumphuk — stop at Khanom La Village in Ban Hoi Rak for khanom la fresh off the pan, and look for Siam Ruby pomelo at roadside orchards from October to March.
- Flying home — leave time to buy at the souvenir counter at Nakhon Si Thammarat airport, though prices run slightly higher than in town. Dry goods can go as carry-on, but shrimp paste should go in your checked bag, wrapped tightly to contain the smell.
- After seasonal fresh produce — buy Siam Ruby pomelo and carved mangosteen from roadside stalls along the Pak Phanang, Sichon and Khanom routes, where they're fresher and cheaper than in town.
About the Shrimp Paste Smell
Shrimp paste smells very strong. If you're carrying it home, ask the shop to vacuum-seal it, put it in an extra zip bag, and stow it in your checked luggage, not your carry-on, so your fellow passengers have an easier time and nothing leaks all over your bag.
Straight Talk Before You Buy
Most Nakhon souvenirs are good value and the real thing, but there are a few things worth flagging first. Khanom la varies noticeably between makers in flavor and crispness; some sold at general stalls use so much sugar that the sweetness dominates, so taste first if you can, or buy from a maker people recommend. Real Siam Ruby pomelo is pricey and there are fakes mixed into the market, so buy from an orchard or a trustworthy shop, and be suspicious if the price is unusually low. Fresh items like carved mangosteen are only in season, so if you come at the wrong time there won't be any, don't plan a trip just for fresh produce without checking the season first.
Plan a full day of eating and shopping in Nakhon
See the Nakhon Si Thammarat travel guide →