🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you're tired of the busy beaches around Rayong, Paknam Prasae offers a completely different mood — a riverside fishing village that has been here since the Ayutthaya era. People still go out on the boats, still dry their shrimp, still sell fish at the morning market like always, but they welcome you in to walk around, eat seafood and stay at a riverside homestay. The main sights are clustered fairly close together — some you can walk between, some are a short drive — so you can take it easy and fill a whole day.
Prasaesin Bridge, the community's favourite viewpoint
Prasaesin Bridge crosses the Prasae River and has become the local photo spot. Stand on the bridge and you'll see fishing boats lined up along both banks, old wooden houses by the water, and a view out toward the river mouth where it flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The prettiest light is early morning and around sunset, when the air is soft and the breeze is cool. People love to stop here for photos before moving on to the next spot. It's open all the time and free to enter.
Best time to go
Come early, around 6–7 a.m., to catch the fishing boats heading back to shore. In the evening, arrive around 5:30 p.m. for the breeze and backlit sunset photos.
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Tung Prong Thong, a wooden walkway through the mangroves
Tung Prong Thong is a large mangrove forest of more than 6,000 rai that the community and local authorities restored together. The draw is the prong (Ceriops) trees that grow in rows like a green carpet stretching out of sight, with a long wooden walkway leading you into the middle of the field. At the far end it connects toward the HTMS Prasae warship memorial. It's an easy walk, fun for photos, free to enter, and open every day 6 a.m.–6 p.m.
- The wooden walkway — runs about 2 kilometres into the field, one path out and back, so comfortable walking shoes are a good idea.
- When the leaves are greenest — late morning around 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. is when the prong leaves turn the most golden-green.
- Bring water and sun protection — there's little shade on the walkway and the midday sun is strong, so pack a hat and water.
HTMS Prasae warship memorial
At one end of Tung Prong Thong sits the HTMS Prasae memorial — a decommissioned warship moored here for visitors to climb aboard. You can walk up onto the deck for a view over the river mouth and the open sea, and inside there's an exhibition on the ship's history. It's good for history buffs and for kids who want to get on a real ship. Open roughly 7 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
The old market and the riverside walking street
The heart of the community is the old market, more than a hundred years old. It opens at four or five in the morning selling fish and seafood straight off the boats, and by 8 a.m. it turns into the spot where locals sit, chat and drink coffee. Wander past the old wooden houses, watch fishing life up close, and pick up souvenirs like dried shrimp, shrimp paste, dried squid and salted fish to take home. On some weekend evenings there's a riverside walking street with extra food and sweets — a relaxed atmosphere that never gets too crowded.
Paknam Prasae morning market
Fresh fish, shrimp and squid off the boats. Come earliest for the freshest catch and the liveliest scene — it starts winding down before mid-morning.
Community museum house
An old wooden house telling the history and way of life of Paknam Prasae. A quick stop you can fit in while strolling the market.
Dried local goods
Dried shrimp, shrimp paste, dried squid and salted fish, all made in the community — easy souvenirs to take home.
Seafood restaurants and cafés worth a stop
Paknam Prasae's selling point is fresh seafood landed by the community's own boats. Several places make local dishes that are hard to find in town, like phak krachap (a riverside greens that grows around here). We've picked the spots people stop at often and that are still open.
Je Nong Saep Ver
A well-talked-about made-to-order spot with bold flavours, using local ingredients. Standout dishes include sweet-and-sour fried noodles, sour curry with phak krachap, phak krachap salad with fresh shrimp, and Prasae fried rice.
Je Man Ruea Rop
A seafood place with a great location — sit and look out at the sea with the breeze. Standouts are squid, fried fish and sour curry with egg and vegetables. Good for a long, lazy lunch into the evening.
Khrua Ya Chim
A seafood spot that cooks to order and focuses on freshness. Try the sour curry with phak krachap, squid and stir-fried vegetables. Opens in the afternoon, so it's good for dinner.
Ban Pla Prasae
A seafood restaurant in the Paknam Prasae area that people keep coming back to, with fish and seafood fresh from the community. Good for a family meal.
Khrua Paknam Rayong Seafood
A seafood spot in the Paknam Prasae community serving fresh local seafood dishes. Check the opening hours on the restaurant's page before you go.
Kongkang Kafe
A café set in the mangroves, with indoor and outdoor seating. The menu has coffee, tea, cake, toast and honey toast — a good rest after walking Tung Prong Thong.
Khrua Siang Wan (Prasae junction)
A skilled made-to-order spot right at the Prasae junction on the Rayong–Chanthaburi road, about 850 metres from the turn-off into Paknam Prasae. Handy for a quick bite on the way in or out.
Allow for changing hours
Many of the community's restaurants are small family-run places, so opening hours can shift with the day and season. If you have your heart set on a particular spot, call ahead or check its page first to be sure.
Boat trips through the mangroves and the Brahminy kites
Another activity a lot of people enjoy is taking a boat to see the river-mouth ecosystem — gliding through the mangroves, looking at the breeding grounds for shrimp, shellfish and crab, and out toward the bay. Some tours use a bamboo raft where you can wade into the cool water and wait for the Brahminy kites that swoop in to feed around 5 p.m. A raft tour runs about 200 THB per person (groups of around 15 per round), while short boat trips start at about 50 THB per person depending on distance. You can book through a homestay or the community group.
A 2-day, 1-night plan for Paknam Prasae
Into the community, the market and the golden mangroves
Morning market, a boat trip and souvenirs home
How to get to Paknam Prasae
- Private car — from Rayong town, take Highway 3 (Sukhumvit) toward Klaeng, turn onto the Paknam Prasae road; it takes about an hour.
- From Bangkok — about 3.5 hours via Motorway 7 then Sukhumvit to Klaeng, best done as an overnight trip.
- From Ban Phe / Koh Samet — about 30–40 minutes by car, easy to pair with this trip.
- Around the community — the main sights are close together; some you can walk between, and there are community trucks/shuttles running at certain times.
Plan the rest of your Rayong trip
See the Rayong travel guide →