🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
The Ranong souvenirs people carry home most come down to five staples that locals have nicknamed with the letter K — kapi (shrimp paste), kung haeng (dried shrimp), kayu (cashew nuts), gulae (salted gulae fish) and kafae (coffee). Nearly all of it is processed from the Andaman Sea or the orchards in the province. The good part is that many shops make the goods themselves, so things are fresh and the price isn't marked up through several middlemen. The list below is roughly ordered by which shops get talked about most and stay consistent — that doesn't mean the ones lower down are worse. Each shop suits a different neighborhood and a different thing you might want.
A note on prices. The figures below are rough prices per bag or per kilo that you'll see around the shops. Things like cashews and shrimp paste move quite a bit with grade and season — big grade-A cashews and real krill shrimp paste both cost more than the blended stuff. Ask whether it's genuine and processed in-house, taste first if the shop lets you, and check the production date and vacuum packing if you're carrying it a long way.
The Ranong edible souvenirs worth carrying home
- Cashew nuts (kayu) — Ranong's most famous product, grown all over this area. You'll find them salt-roasted, butter-roasted, caramel-roasted, honey-roasted and fire-roasted the old way. The big grade-A nuts are rich and crisp, and they please just about anyone you give them to.
- Real krill shrimp paste — made from tiny krill in the Andaman, fermented to the traditional recipe, fragrant and deep in flavor. Use it for chili dip or shrimp-paste rice and you get a true southern taste. The genuine stuff is purplish-pink, with no added color.
- Steamed dried shrimp — shrimp from the Andaman, boiled then sun-dried or steam-dried. The big ones are firm and a natural color, not dyed bright red, sweet and fragrant for pounding into chili dip or just snacking.
- Salted gulae fish — firm-fleshed salted gulae that southerners crown the king of salted fish. Fry it up with rice porridge or fried rice. It costs more than ordinary salted fish but it's in a different class.
- Ranong coffee — Ranong has grown robusta for a long time, and several souvenir shops carry roast-and-ground coffee from the province to take home. A nice find for coffee people that you can't get everywhere.
- Cashew juice / other processed goods — some shops have ready-to-drink cashew apple juice, dried squid, other salted fish and dried seafood to choose from. A good option if you want something a bit different.
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.
Ranong souvenir shops worth a stop
Kor Kai Farm Outlet Ranong Souvenirs
The most one-stop souvenir shop around. The name Kor Kai comes from Ranong's five signature products — kapi (shrimp paste), kafae (coffee), kung haeng (dried shrimp), kayu (cashew nuts) and gulae (salted gulae fish). It's both a cafe and a community farm-products outlet, with the full lineup: shrimp paste, dried shrimp, krill, cashews in several flavors, Ranong coffee, cookies, even batik souvenirs. Good if you want to finish your souvenir shopping in one go, with easy parking. Open long hours, every day.
Bang San Panich
An old-school souvenir shop running for over 60 years, started by a Hainanese Chinese grandfather who opened a grocery at Bang San market in town. Locals crown it the go-to for shrimp paste — the saying goes that Ranong shrimp paste has to be Bang San Panich. The old-recipe paste is made from real krill fermented the traditional way, fragrant and deep. The steamed dried shrimp is big, firm and undyed, and the cashews are specially selected, salt-roasted and butter-roasted. Good if you want the genuine, traditional taste from a shop that's been part of town for a long time.
Watcharee Farm Outlet
A Farm Outlet that grows and processes its own goods, in Ngao subdistrict outside town toward Wat Ban Ngao — easy to drop by if you're driving the Phet Kasem road in and out of town. The standouts are cashews — salt-roasted, butter-roasted, caramel-roasted, honey-roasted and fire-roasted the old way — plus ready-to-drink and concentrated cashew apple juice that's hard to find elsewhere, along with processed seafood like shrimp paste, dried shrimp, salted fish and squid. Prices aren't steep since it's the source. Good if you want fresh goods straight from the producer and you're buying in bulk.
Nareerat Ranong Souvenirs
A souvenir shop people mention right alongside the name of Ranong itself. It has a storefront near the Raksawarin hot springs where plenty of visitors stop after a soak. It mainly produces and sells cashew nuts in several flavors to sample, plus shrimp paste, dried shrimp and other local souvenirs. Good if you've been to the hot springs and want to grab souvenirs on the way without driving into town.
Kapi Mae Daeng
Another Ranong shrimp-paste maker that locals buy for their own kitchens. It focuses on real krill paste fermented the traditional way — fragrant and deep, so when you turn it into chili dip you get a true southern taste. The genuine stuff is purplish-pink with no added color. Sold both by the jar for home use and in bulk for restaurants. Good if shrimp paste is your main target and you want a place that takes paste seriously rather than a general souvenir shop.
OTOP Center / Ranong local products
A gathering point for local souvenirs from community groups across the province — cashews, shrimp paste, dried shrimp, salted fish, textiles and processed goods from many subdistricts all in one place. The upside is you can try goods from several sources at once, and some are made by housewife groups that are hard to find outside the province. Good if you want to support community products and compare several makers before deciding.
Ranong fish pier / fish wholesalers
If you want fresh processed seafood cheaper than the souvenir shops, the fish pier and wholesalers in the Pak Nam area are the source. There's dried shrimp, salted fish, dried squid and dried seafood straight off the fishing boats — better prices than the shops in town, but you have to know what to pick and ask clearly about freshness. Good if you're already driving out to Pak Nam for seafood and want to grab some dried goods to carry home too.
Municipal market / old market in town
The municipal fresh market and the old market in town are where Ranong locals buy shrimp paste, dried shrimp and salted fish for themselves — cheaper than the souvenir storefronts, and you get to talk to the vendors who actually sell the stuff. Good if you're staying in town and want to wander and shop at market prices. The catch is the goods may not be packed nicely for gifts; if you're carrying them far, ask for vacuum packing or buy from a souvenir shop instead.
How to pick genuine Ranong souvenirs
For cashews, look for big nuts that are a bright creamy color, not dark and dingy, and taste first if the shop lets you, then pick the flavor you like. Real shrimp paste is purplish-pink rather than bright red from added color, fragrant but not overly sharp. For dried shrimp, choose a natural light-orange color, not bright red — bright red is usually dyed. If you're carrying things a long way, ask the shop to vacuum-pack and check the production date. These keep well, but shrimp paste and dried shrimp last longer if you put them in the fridge once you get home.
Choosing a shop by neighborhood and convenience
Want to finish in one stop
Head to Kor Kai Farm Outlet in town, which has the full lineup — shrimp paste, dried shrimp, cashews in several flavors, coffee and souvenirs. Open until 10pm, so you can sit with a coffee and pick your goods at ease.
Want the genuine traditional taste
Bang San Panich in town stands out for its 60-year-old shrimp paste, while Kapi Mae Daeng is a paste specialist. These two suit anyone serious about genuine shrimp paste and dried shrimp.
Want source prices / along the way
Watcharee Farm Outlet in Ngao is the source with good prices, easy to reach off the Phet Kasem road. Nareerat is a stop after a soak at the Raksawarin hot springs, and the Pak Nam fish pier gets you dried seafood at source prices.
How long each souvenir keeps
- Cashew nuts — keep for months in a dry, sealed container. The butter or caramel ones should be eaten sooner than the salt-roasted, since they're richer.
- Shrimp paste — keeps for a year if sealed tight, but once home it's best in the fridge to hold off odor and moisture; use a little at a time.
- Dried shrimp — keeps longest in the fridge or freezer, which also keeps weevils out. If you leave it out, seal it tight and eat within a few weeks.
- Salted gulae fish — very salty so it keeps a long time, but the fridge holds the flavor and odor better; fry a piece at a time as you go.
- Roast-and-ground coffee — most fragrant within a few weeks of opening the bag; store in a dry spot away from light.
Plan a full eating-and-exploring trip in Ranong
See the Ranong travel guide →