🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
A lot of people land in Surat Thani and rush straight onto a boat to the islands — even though the riverside old town on the Tapi River is a genuinely fun place to eat. It's an old Thai-Chinese town blended with the south, so you get morning dim sum, sharp khanom jeen curries, seafood from Ban Don Bay, and souvenirs like Chaiya salted egg and oysters that are famous across the whole country. We've picked 12 dishes that, once you've tried them, make it clear why people call Surat "roi jang hoo" — properly delicious.
Seafood + savory dishes to try
Ban Don Bay, right in front of town, is the oyster and seafood source that feeds the whole province — so the seafood here is fresh and not as pricey as in the resort towns. On land, the standouts are southern khanom jeen curries and morning dim sum. These are the dishes you shouldn't skip.
Ban Don Bay oysters (raw / grilled / fried)
Big oysters farmed in Ban Don Bay, firm and sweet. Eat them raw with seafood dipping sauce and fried garlic, or order them as oyster omelette (or sun). They're famous enough that Surat earned the nickname "city of big oysters."
Squid / prawns stir-fried with Chaiya salted egg
A signature dish that brings two of the town's specialties together — fresh squid stir-fried with rich-yolked Chaiya salted egg, so every piece is coated in a savory, fragrant glaze. You can order it at almost any seafood restaurant in town.
Southern khanom jeen (crab or coconut curry)
Southern-style khanom jeen with a thick, sharp curry broth — both the punchy crab curry and the coconut one — eaten with a full plate of fresh veggies on the side. It's a breakfast Surat locals pack out every morning.
Dim sum & charcoal-steamed buns
Surat-style morning dim sum served with old-school coffee, plus minced-pork buns steamed over charcoal that come out soft and fragrant. It's a long-running breakfast tradition from the town's Chinese community.
Fish-ball noodles (Arunee Noodles)
A long-standing noodle shop in town with bouncy fish balls, fragrant fried fish cake and a clear broth. An easy, light lunch.
Rice porridge spread (Hua Im)
Plain rice porridge with side dishes like five-spice braised duck and stewed offal — a late-night meal where Surat locals meet up after work. Cheap, with plenty to order.
Roast chicken & duck rice (New Liang Fah)
An old Chinese-style rice shop in the Don Nok area — roast chicken rice, duck rice and crispy pork, generous and filling. A lunchtime favorite for people working in town.
Fish wonton (Liang Fish Wonton)
Hand-made fresh fish wontons in a clear, sweet bone broth, eaten with egg noodles. The shop opens early and usually sells out before noon, so go early if you can.
Tip
Most khanom jeen, wonton and dim sum shops in town are morning spots — open around 6am to noon, then closed. To hit the famous ones, get there before 10am. Riverside seafood, on the other hand, is better for dinner. When ordering raw oysters, check that the shop shucks them in front of you so you can be sure they're fresh.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Surat Thani 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.
Chaiya salted egg — the province's signature souvenir
Chaiya salted egg is Surat's most famous souvenir, coming from Chaiya district. It uses free-range duck eggs coated in termite-mound soil mixed with salt, which gives the yolk a deep red color and a rich, oozy texture without being overly salty like ordinary salted eggs — so much so that it's registered as a provincial Geographical Indication (GI) product.
Mae Bun Hai Chaiya Salted Egg
The original century-old brand with a GI mark and a deep, rich red yolk — the one most people think of first when buying souvenirs.
Chua Borikan Chaiya Salted Egg
A long-established shop that's won a Department of Agricultural Extension award. Big eggs with rich yolks, not too salty. Find it in Chaiya town.
Chaiya souvenir sets
Beyond salted eggs there's also brined raw salted egg, ready-cooked boiled salted egg, and other southern souvenirs like shrimp paste and kalamae in the same shop. Easy to carry home.
How to buy the real thing
Genuine Chaiya salted egg usually carries a GI mark or the clear name of an original maker. If you're buying raw soil-coated eggs, tell the staff how many days you'll be traveling — they'll advise whether to take the brined version or the ready-cooked boiled one so it arrives home in good shape.
Shrine market — street food in the town center
If you only have time for one stop in the morning, make it the shrine market (Talat San Chao). It's an old market in the town center that gathers all of Surat's local eats in one place — you can graze on both savory and sweet in a single lane. Most stalls open from early morning to early afternoon.
- Charcoal-steamed buns + fish soup — hot minced-pork buns eaten with clear fish soup and iced tea, a popular market breakfast.
- Khanom jeen with crab curry — an old khanom jeen stall in the market with a thick crab curry and a full plate of fresh veggies.
- Steamed fish curry, chili dips & southern curry-rice — plenty of sharp southern dishes to choose from, and you can bag them up to take away.
- Old-school coffee — strong hot kopi with patongko, the classic local way to start the morning.
Desserts & cafes to finish the meal
Surat has local sweets and a new wave of cafes along the Tapi River where you can rest after eating your way around town — from old-fashioned Thai desserts to coffee shops with river views.
Kalamae & southern local sweets
A chewy, sticky sweet that's rich from coconut milk — both a souvenir and a snack you'll find at markets and souvenir shops.
Tapi riverside cafes
River-view coffee shops in town, good for an afternoon break after the midday heat, with coffee and homemade cakes.
Plan a full eating-and-exploring trip in Surat Thani
See the Surat Thani guide →