🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Dim sum in Trang isn't like dim sum anywhere else — it's tied to the life of the rubber tappers, who were up at 4 or 5 a.m. with no time to cook breakfast. They'd stop at the tea house near home, order a glass of hot tea and two or three baskets, and be full quickly without spending much. Many of the places in town have been passed down for generations, opening while the sky is still dark and running into late morning; some keep going until the afternoon. We ranked them based on what locals and travelers actually say, focusing on spots that are genuinely open and easy to find any day of the week.
10 dim sum and tea houses in Trang town
Le Trang 2 Dim Sum
The most famous dim sum spot in town, on Sai Ngam Road near Ratchadamnoen Hospital. You can sit in the glassed-in air-conditioned section or the open-air fan section, and there's a stack of dim sum baskets steaming on display out front. The standouts are the roast-pork steamed buns, the plump shrimp har gow, and the crab spring rolls. The ingredients are fresh and the quality stays consistent. Weekends get packed, so go a little early if you'd rather not wait.
Chen Jia Dim Sum Cafe
Hong Kong-style dim sum in a handsomely done-up contemporary Chinese building on Wiset Kul Road. The place is clean and photo-friendly, and the highlights are the shrimp dumplings in Sichuan sauce, the salted-egg lava buns, bak kut teh, and barbecue pork rice. It's a good pick if you want to sit comfortably and have coffee alongside your dim sum, and prices start reasonable.
Ruean Thai Dim Sum
An old-school spot that fills up every morning, on Ploen Pitak Road. The dim sum tastes traditional and handmade, and beyond the steamed baskets there's a rich, heavily loaded rad na (gravy noodles) and the roast pork Trang is known for. It closes early, around noon, so turn up late and you may miss out.
Jeeb Khao
Cantonese dim sum in a shophouse over 80 years old, with the retro feel of a traditional tea house. The signature is the white siu mai (jeeb khao), wrapped so it comes out clear like har gow; there are also regular siu mai, steamed buns, and spring rolls. It opens before dawn and runs into late morning — a good choice if you want to experience a genuinely old tea house.
Pi Nid Tea House (Si Trang Market)
A small tea stall inside Si Trang Market that locals know well. It opens before dawn with hot tea, coffee, dim sum, steamed buns, and various snacks at easy prices. The vibe is a real morning market — it isn't dressed up to look pretty, but you get the traditional taste and a light bill.
Khao Ocha (Ko Khao Steamed Buns)
An old Chinese shop where the thing to order is the steamed buns and the fried buns. Beyond those, there's bah chang (sticky-rice dumplings), dim sum, and several other Chinese breakfast dishes. You can eat well for under 100 baht a head, and it's a place locals come back to regularly.
Ko Hon Tea House
A legendary old tea house in Trang, with the feel of the kind of place the older generation sat and sipped tea and talked. There's tea, coffee, patongko (Chinese doughnuts), and morning snacks. It suits anyone who wants to soak up old tea-house culture rather than come for photos.
Suan Chan Coffee
If you want strong old-school coffee, this place hits the spot. There's black coffee, oliang (Thai iced coffee), and hot tea, paired with dim sum and morning snacks. It's where locals stop for a morning coffee — an easygoing, unhurried place.
Cha Mueang Trang
A tea house known for its fried steamed buns and morning snacks, just right alongside a glass of hot tea. It's a handy stop while you're wandering around town and another option for a lighter breakfast when you don't want to sit down to a full dim sum spread.
Roti Mueang Trang
An evening tea house with dim sum, roti, bread, and roadside tea and coffee. It's a good pick if you sleep in or fancy late-night dim sum — because in Trang you can eat dim sum from before dawn until evening, and this spot is one of the rarer options after dark.
Go early
Many of the longtime dim sum spots close before noon or in the early afternoon once they run out. If you want fresh baskets and the full menu, aim for 6–8 a.m. On weekends, famous places like Le Trang get very busy, so build in some waiting time.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Trang 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 to eat Trang dim sum like a local
Locals in Trang eat dim sum mainly with hot tea, not a cold drink, because the hot tea cuts through the richness of the dumplings. You order by the basket, pick whatever you like, then keep adding more — sipping and chatting without rushing. That's the charm of southern tea-house culture, and Trang has held onto it well.
- Steamed buns — fillings include minced pork, barbecue pork, and the newer cream / salted-egg lava; soft buns with fragrant dough
- Har gow — clear skin wrapped around a whole shrimp, the real test of a kitchen; at a good place the shrimp is fresh and bouncy
- Siu mai — pork or shrimp, topped with crab or shrimp roe; the easiest thing on the menu to eat
- Crab spring rolls — fried rolls filled with crab and shrimp, crisp outside and soft within, and a dish plenty of Trang places do well
- Hot tea / old-school coffee — the inseparable partner; order it alongside the dim sum to get the full Trang experience
Why Trang became a dim sum town
Trang's dim sum culture comes from the Chinese who migrated and settled here, mixed with the rubber-farming way of life that meant getting up before dawn. The tea house became the meeting point before heading off to work — people would order a single glass of tea and sit a long while, eating cheap dim sum to fill up. On days off, they'd bring the family for a longer sit. Over time, dim sum became the town's signature food, and now it's something travelers come specifically to try.
Straight talk
Trang dim sum stands out for freshness and low prices, but don't expect the fancy presentation of a Hong Kong restaurant. The charm is more in the old-shop atmosphere, the round tables, and the hot tea beside you. If you go in open to that simplicity, you'll enjoy it a lot more.
Plan a full eat-and-explore trip to Trang
See the Trang travel guide →