🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
If you drive the Asia Highway through Sing Buri, a lot of people only stop to fill up and keep going — even though this town has gifts you won't easily find anywhere else. The common thread behind almost all of them is the Mae La snakehead fish, a firm-fleshed freshwater fish from the Mae La waterway that Sing Buri locals take pride in, turned into both savoury and sweet treats. Add the old-oven Thai sweets near the riverside market that are still made by hand, and we've picked 9 things actually worth taking home, with shops, areas and rough prices.
Souvenirs worth taking home
Snakehead fish cake — Kesara Bakery
This is the shop that invented snakehead fish cake, open since 1986. The name sounds strange, but it's really a soft sponge cake mixed with ground Mae La snakehead, with almost no fishy smell — just a rich, mellow aroma. There are several styles, from whole cakes to single slices. The shop sits on the Asia Highway around the km 81 inbound stretch, so you can pick up other souvenirs in one stop.
Pak Bang pia pastry — Sow Meng Heng
An old-oven shop in Pak Bang market that's been selling for over 70 years. The pastry is thin, a bit like mooncake skin, baked fresh every day. The standout fillings are mung bean with salted egg yolk and winter melon with salted egg — sweet and rich in just the right balance. One box feeds the whole family. There are no branches, so you have to buy it at the market itself.
In Buri pia pastry — Lao Ho Jia
A Teochew recipe over a hundred years old, now run by the third generation. There are 5 fillings to choose from — mung bean with salted egg yolk, plain mung bean, peanut, black sesame and durian — using house-made salted duck egg and good-grade flour. The small size runs about 35 baht a piece, the largest around 120 baht. It keeps for several days, which makes it good to carry home.
Sun-dried snakehead fish
Mae La snakehead filleted and sun-dried for a single day, with firm flesh and just the right saltiness. Fry it up to go with rice soup or steamed rice. It's a savoury souvenir a lot of people take home, found at Kesara, Mae La Pla Phao and the stalls in the municipal fresh market. Buy the vacuum-packed version and it's easy to carry back.
Pork crackling & pork sheets, Pak Bang market
Shops like Malila and Nisa in Pak Bang market make pounded pork crackling, pork sticks, pork floss and sweet pork — fried and pounded fresh, sweet-salty and fragrant with pepper. Good as a snack on their own or alongside rice soup, and easy to bag up and carry. It's a souvenir both kids and adults will eat.
Snakehead fish chilli paste (nam prik phao)
Another thing made from Mae La snakehead that locals developed — fish meat mixed into a well-rounded roasted chilli paste. Stir it into hot rice or spread it on bread. It's sold in jars, keeps a long time, and suits anyone who likes bold flavours.
Snakehead fish cookies & crackers
On the OTOP side, Mae La snakehead gets turned into cookies and crackers — crisp, with a light hint of fish. It's an unusual gift the people you give it to have probably never tried, and it's cheap enough to buy a spread and hand out to several people. Find it at the souvenir shops along the Asia Highway and the province's OTOP booths.
Krayasart
A central Thai sweet made a lot around here, especially during the tenth-month Sart Thai festival. Puffed rice, beans and sesame are freshly roasted and stirred with sugar — fragrant, rich and sweet in good measure — then cut into bars and boxed. Old-school Thai-sweet shops in town make it fresh; it's easy to find and a gift that works for any age.
Khanom jeen with snakehead curry (ready-to-carry set)
Several shops like Kesara pack their Mae La snakehead curry to carry home — a thick sauce loaded with fish, no need to sit and eat at the shop. Take it home and boil it with khanom jeen noodles yourself. It suits anyone who wants a bit of Sing Buri's flavour to carry back and finish at home.
Tips for choosing souvenirs
For savoury items like sun-dried snakehead and pork crackling, go for the vacuum-packed versions and ask about the production date — you'll feel better carrying them a long way. Freshly baked pia pastry is best eaten within 4–5 days, so if you're buying it as a gift for someone far off, pick the mung-bean-and-salted-egg filling, which keeps longer than the durian one.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Sing Buri 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
Sing Buri's souvenirs are clustered in just a few spots — you can drive a loop and buy it all in half a day. Each area has its own specialty.
Along the Asia Highway (Phrom Buri, km 81)
The Kesara Bakery and Mae La Pla Phao zone. Pick up snakehead fish cake, sun-dried snakehead, snakehead curry and all kinds of processed goods. Easy parking, good for a stop along the way.
Old Pak Bang market, Phrom Buri
A century-old market on the Chao Phraya with Sow Meng Heng pia pastry, Malila–Nisa pork crackling and old-style snacks. Stroll, taste and buy as you go.
In Buri + municipal fresh market
Lao Ho Jia is on the In Buri side, while the in-town fresh market has fresh Mae La snakehead, processed goods and Thai sweets from the regular vendors.
A half-day souvenir run
- Morning — start at Pak Bang market and buy Sow Meng Heng pia pastry just out of the oven, plus pork crackling, then take a walk by the river.
- Late morning — stop by Kesara on the Asia Highway for snakehead fish cake, sun-dried snakehead and the take-home snakehead curry pack.
- Before heading back — drop into the municipal fresh market or In Buri to grab krayasart, snakehead chilli paste and some OTOP goods to finish.
Straight talk
A lot of the gifts here come from local shops that open on market hours and don't have mall branches. If you're set on a particular shop, call ahead or come mid-morning to be safe — especially on weekdays, when some places make smaller batches.
Plan a full day of eating around Sing Buri
See the Sing Buri guide →