🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
When people think of Nonthaburi food, two places come to mind first: Koh Kret and Tha Nam Non. These two areas are the heart of the local food scene. Koh Kret is an old Mon community that still makes sweets and dishes from original recipes, while Tha Nam Non is a market on the Chao Phraya with several shops that have been around for 40 years or more. We've split the food into four main groups so you can follow along and try them easily.
Krathon-Bud Fish Cakes, the Koh Kret Specialty
Krathon-bud fish cakes (tod mun nor kala) are something you can basically only find on Koh Kret. The krathon bud is a local plant in the same family as galangal that grows along the island's waterways. They chop it into small pieces and mix it into the fish-cake paste, so when you bite in you get a crunchy bit of the bud running through it, different from your usual fish cake. Walk onto the island and you'll find several fish-cake shops in a row, frying them fresh and hot right at the counter.
Nong Faed Krathon-Bud Fish Cakes, Koh Kret
One of the first shops many people hit as they walk onto the island. The fish cakes are soft, the krathon bud is crunchy, and the dip leans sweet. This is the best-reviewed name on the island.
Khru Jiap Krathon-Bud Fish Cakes
Another spot people mention often. Fried fresh in every batch, sold in small or large sets, easy to snack on as you walk and graze.
Pa Bunrot Krathon-Bud Fish Cakes
A long-running shop that's been at it for ages, with a homey, old-school flavor. Good if you want the island's original recipe.
Tip
Krathon-bud fish cakes taste best hot. If you buy them to take home the crispness fades fast, so eat them at the shop or as you walk. Besides the fish cakes, these stalls usually sell fried flowers and fried vegetables alongside too. Worth a taste.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Nonthaburi 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.
Mon Sweets and Royal-Style Thai Desserts
Koh Kret is a Mon community that picked up royal-court dessert recipes back in the reign of King Rama V. The story goes that palace cooks once called in villagers to help make sweets, and the knowledge has carried on to this day, to the point that there's a canal on the island people call the Sweets Canal. The desserts it's known for are things like thong yip, thong yot, foi thong, and rare auspicious sweets like ja mongkut, thong ek, and saneh chan.
Baan Ja Mongkut Thai Sweets
A shop for auspicious sweets in the Koh Kret community, with ja mongkut, thong ek, saneh chan, krachao sida, and dozens of other kinds. Good for souvenirs that come with a story.
Mae Phayom Sweets
Sells old-fashioned Thai sweets like khanom piak poon, kleeb lamduan, foi thong, thong yip, and thong yot. A name the Koh Kret locals pass along to each other.
Beyond the sweets, Koh Kret has plenty of other Mon dishes to try, like khao chae eaten cold in the hot season, and khanom jok or sweets wrapped in banana leaf that aren't too sugary. Walk the island's market on a weekend and you'll see vendors making things fresh in front of you.
Nonthaburi Durian, the Legendary Splurge
Nonthaburi durian has to come up when you visit, because it's one of the most expensive durian varieties in Thailand. The flesh is fine and smooth with no stringiness, the skin is thin, the smell is fragrant rather than pungent, and the taste is gently sweet. The catch is that it only grows in certain areas along the Chao Phraya, and after the great flood of 2011 a lot of the old trees died, making the real thing hard to find and sending prices climbing. Real kan yao and Nonthaburi mon thong from some orchards are priced by the fruit, anywhere from a thousand to tens of thousands of THB.
- Suan Ta Kan (Bang Krang) — a conservation learning center for native Nonthaburi durian with over 50 varieties, including kan yao, mon thong, and kop mae thao. Good for a look and to buy in season.
- Suan Seri Nonthaburi Durian — a newer, larger orchard that takes bookings by round. Prices start in the high hundreds to low thousands of THB per kilo.
- Timing — Nonthaburi durian comes out around April to June. If you want the real thing, book ahead and buy straight from the orchard.
Straight talk
Real Nonthaburi durian is expensive and scarce. If you spot a roadside stall selling it suspiciously cheap and claiming it's Nonthaburi durian, keep in mind it may well be durian from somewhere else. To be safe, buy from a well-known orchard and book by round.
Boat Noodles and Old-School Shops Around Tha Nam Non
Tha Nam Non is a riverside market on the Chao Phraya by the clock tower, with several long-running shops. Walk a few steps from the pier and you'll find food lined up: noodles, gui chai dumplings, som tam, and desserts. It's a place Nonthaburi locals have been coming to eat for generations.
Kuaytiao Mueang Non
An old pork-and-beef noodle shop that's a fixture of Tha Nam Non. The braised beef is soft and falling apart, the broth is fragrant, and it's cheap. Locals have been meeting up here to eat for years.
Gui Chai 7 Si, Tha Nam Non
A steamed gui chai shop that's been selling for over 40 years, hand-shaped at the counter. The wrapper is thin and chewy, with colorful fillings in several styles. The line is packed almost all day.
Non Tam Laek
A well-known som tam and Isan food shop in the Tha Nam Non area, open for over 30 years. Bold, fully seasoned flavors. Good for people who like it spicy.
Tiao Ruea Ko Baen Nai Suan
A boat-noodle spot with a café-like vibe and a riverside corner where you can dangle your feet and take photos. Has both beef and pork boat noodles, plus satay and grilled meatballs. Good for groups.
If you come to Tha Nam Non, aim for the morning to late morning, when all the shops are open and the food hasn't run out. You can graze shop by shop, then hop on a boat across to the other bank, or take a boat up to Koh Kret the same day.
Planning Your Nonthaburi Food Trip Without Missing Out
- Weekdays vs. weekends — the Koh Kret market and dessert shops only really come alive on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. On weekdays many shops are closed. If you want to graze through everything, come on a weekend.
- Getting there — for Tha Nam Non, take the MRT Purple Line or the Chao Phraya Express Boat. For Koh Kret, take the cross-river ferry from Wat Sanam Nuea pier in Pak Kret; the fare is just a few THB.
- Bring cash — many shops in the market and on the island take cash mainly, so small bills will make life easier.
Plan a full day of eating and exploring in Nonthaburi
See the Nonthaburi travel guide →