🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Wake up early in Ranong and unsure what to eat? The local answer is dim sum. The town absorbed Hokkien Chinese culture back in the tin-mining days, so dim sum here isn't a fancy restaurant affair — it's shophouse spots that open before the sky is light. Customers grab baskets straight from the cabinet, sip hot Chinese tea, and settle in for a long chat. These are the 10 spots we ate at and want you to try, ordered from the easiest to walk into if it's your first visit.
Ranong Dim Sum, Ranked
Ranong O Cha
The first dim sum spot most people in town think of. It's on Rueang Rat Road in the town center, with more than 40 kinds of baskets — from shrimp har gow and pork-shrimp siu mai to barbecue-pork buns. The standouts are the braised pork knuckle and the red-braised chicken feet, which sell so fast you'll want to order extra. It's a two-story shophouse, busy but the tables turn over quickly.
Yam Chao Dim Sum
A breakfast spot that fills up with Ranong locals every morning. Besides dim sum there's pan-fried eggs and old-school tea and coffee, with a relaxed vibe that's made for lingering. The baskets come out fresh and hot in rounds rather than sitting in the cabinet. If you like your dim sum alongside a soft-boiled egg for an easy morning, this one hits the spot.
Dim Sum Chill Chill
A laid-back breakfast spot serving dim sum with coffee. The steamed items are made fresh in rounds and come with pork congee and a soft-boiled egg. It suits anyone who wants a more comfortable, sit-down feel than the old shophouse spots. The crowd is a healthy mix of locals and visitors.
Pee Ton Ranong Breakfast
A loaded breakfast spot where dim sum is the headliner. Open 6am to noon, the standouts are barbecue pork, crispy pork and hot pork-blood soup eaten alongside the dim sum baskets. If you're a true early riser who wants a heavy meal before heading out for the day, this place packs it all into one stop.
168 Cafe Ranong
A spot that pairs dim sum with coffee in a cafe setting. The standouts are noodles and steamed dim sum-style items in a comfortable, sit-down space. It suits anyone who wants a Chinese breakfast but in a pretty spot they can photograph. The dim sum selection isn't as deep as a dedicated specialist, but what they make is done well.
Kanok Super Rad Na
Not strictly a dim sum spot, but a 30-year-old place making proper Hokkien noodles. This dish is another side of the Hokkien breakfast that Ranong locals eat alongside dim sum — yellow noodles stir-fried southern-Chinese style, plus rad na, seafood pad see ew and fish tom yum. If you want to understand the town's Hokkien-Chinese flavors, stop in.
Jok 3 Chan Pork-Blood Soup
A breakfast spot for congee and clear pork-blood soup, with youtiao dough sticks and old-fashioned drinks. It's a good choice on days you want to swap the steamer baskets for something hot to slurp. The congee is thick and rich, the pork blood fresh, and Ranong locals come to sit here from before dawn.
Han Yok Yuan Thap Li Buns (the Original)
The original Thap Li steamed buns, run by the same family for three generations. The dough has a signature pale-yellow color because they keep a starter culture going and ferment it daily, leaving it so soft one bite hooks you. There are 7 fillings — pandan custard, black bean, pork floss, barbecue pork and cream among them — plus pork siu mai and crab siu mai. It's in Kra Buri, right on the road in and out of town, so you can stop for breakfast or grab some as a gift to take home.
Thap Li Bun Village
The whole Ban Thap Li area has more than 40 bun shops lined up along Phetkasem Road, a standard stop for drivers passing through Kra Buri. Each shop has slightly different fillings and recipes, so it's fun to stop at one or two and compare. The buns are cheap, large and hot straight from the steamer.
Ranong Dim Sum
A newer dim sum spot that's catching on with Ranong locals. It focuses on fresh steamed items made in rounds, at friendly prices, which makes it handy on days the famous spots are too packed to wait for. The basics are done well — the har gow and siu mai are generously filled — and it's a backup that won't let you down.
How to Eat Dim Sum at Its Best
Ranong dim sum spots send out fresh steamed items in rounds, and a basket just lifted off the steamer is softer than one that's been sitting in the cabinet. If you can, wait for the new round. And don't forget to order hot Chinese tea — it cuts the richness far better than soda.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Ranong 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.
How Ranong Dim Sum Is Different
The southern dim sum of the Ranong-Phuket-Trang coast comes from Hokkien Chinese who migrated in to work the mines, so the dishes lean homestyle — small baskets at 20–30 THB each, eaten in the morning as the main meal rather than as a Cantonese-style evening affair like in Bangkok. Locals here grab the baskets themselves from the cabinet and have the shop re-steam them hot, then eat them with Chinese tea, soy sauce and a vinegar-chili dip.
- Shrimp har gow — translucent wrapper with bouncy shrimp inside; this is the test of a kitchen. A good spot packs the shrimp full in every bite.
- Pork siu mai / crab siu mai — the basics every spot has; in Ranong they like to top it with crab to make it look the part.
- Barbecue-pork / black-bean buns — soft dough that pairs well with the dim sum; Ranong spots usually make their own rather than buy them ready-made.
- Braised pork knuckle / red-braised chicken feet — sides Ranong does well alongside dim sum. Slurping the hot broth in the morning is the good stuff.
A 2-Day Ranong Dim Sum Trip
If you've got two days in Ranong and want to hit dim sum both in town and out on the Thap Li route, you can do it easily like this — no need to rush.
Dim Sum in Town
The Thap Li-Kra Buri Route
Straight Talk Before You Go
Most Ranong dim sum spots open early and close early, and plenty sell out before noon. If you've got your heart set on a famous one, go before 9am. The old shophouse spots may not have easy parking — park nearby and walk. Most are cash only, so bring small bills to keep things smooth. As for the Thap Li buns, they're out of town in Kra Buri, so if you're not already driving past, it may not be worth the trip on its own — but if it's on your route, don't miss it.
Want other Ranong breakfast options too? See the full eat-and-explore guide for the whole town.
See the Ranong Travel Guide →