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Trat Food Trip
Seafood, Khlong Yai Shrimp Paste & Orchard Fruit

Most people pass through Trat on the way to the islands, but if you're here to eat, the real prize is the town and the coastal road running south to Khlong Yai. You get seafood straight off the boats, shrimp paste with its own GI registration, and in-season orchard fruit that's sweet because it's grown in the soil right around here. This plan is built as a pure eating trip over 2-3 days, working from savoury dishes to take-home souvenirs and finishing with fruit, with times and prices kept realistic enough to actually use.

🦐 Fishing-town seafood🍤 Khlong Yai GI shrimp paste🍈 In-season orchard fruit
Trat Food Trip Seafood, Khlong Yai Shrimp Paste & Orchard Fruit

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Trat sits at the far end of eastern Thailand, about 300 km from Bangkok, roughly 4-5 hours by car or minivan. The stretch food lovers shouldn't skip is the coastal road from the town down to Khlong Yai district, passing fishing villages where seafood is fresher and cheaper than on the islands, and the shrimp-paste makers the province is known for. This plan starts with seafood in town, drives down to Khlong Yai the next day to buy shrimp paste at the source, then closes with orchard fruit as the final stop.

Know the seasons before you plan

Trat orchard fruit like durian, mangosteen, rambutan and salak peaks from May to July. If you're coming mainly for the fruit, aim for that window. Seafood and shrimp paste are around all year, but in the rainy season (May-Oct) boats go out on fewer days when the swell is up, so some seafood can be in short supply.

Day 1

Arrive in Trat → fishing-town seafood → evening market

11:30
Arrive in Trat town and check in before going for foodStaying in town makes it easy to walk the markets and drive down to Khlong Yai the next day. In fruit season rooms fill up fast, so booking ahead is the safer move.
12:30
Waterfront seafood lunch around Laem NgopLaem Ngop is a fishing town where the catch comes straight off the boats. Order steamed blue crab, prawns, shellfish and squid without paying the tourist prices you'd see on the islands. Check the per-kilo price board before ordering so the bill doesn't surprise you.
14:30
Stop at the Laem Ngop viewpoint and old pierWalk off lunch along the water, with Koh Chang sitting across the channel as a far-off line of hills. There are coffee shops and roadside snacks to stop for along the way.
17:00
Walk the Trat town evening market for local bitesThe town market has local food like beef noodles, rice-and-curry plates, Thai sweets and fried snacks at easy prices. It's a light dinner the way people in Trat actually eat.
19:00
Seafood restaurant in town or fresh tom yum goongIf you're still up for more seafood, town has restaurants open into the evening. Try squid stir-fried with salted egg yolk or river-prawn tom yum to close out the first day comfortably full.

How to get your money's worth on seafood

Trat seafood prices move with the season and the days boats go out. To get fresh seafood at a good price, ask what came in today and order accordingly. Egg crab and tiger prawns cost more than meat crab and white prawns, so pick to your budget. Waterfront spots on the mainland side are clearly cheaper than restaurants out on the islands.

Day 2

Drive to Khlong Yai → shrimp paste at the source → far-east tip

08:30
Breakfast, then drive the coastal road down to Khlong Yai districtThe Trat-Khlong Yai coastal road is a long, scenic sea-view drive, roughly 70-90 km from town. Take it slow and keep stopping at the roadside viewpoints for photos.
10:30
Stop at the Khlong Yai shrimp-paste makers and buy at the sourceKhlong Yai shrimp paste is registered as a geographical indication (GI), made from tiny krill caught in these waters, with a fine texture and good aroma. Buying at the source gets you the real thing at a better price than in town. Ask the sellers about grades and storage before you pick up a few jars.
12:00
Lunch of shrimp-paste chilli dip and fried sea fishThe dish that goes best with Khlong Yai shrimp paste is nam prik kapi with fried fish and fresh vegetables picked nearby. The little rice-and-curry shops in Khlong Yai make it bold and full-flavoured, home-kitchen style.
13:30
Buy dried-seafood souvenirs: dried shrimp, salted fish, fish sauceKhlong Yai and Laem Ngop are sources for dried seafood: big dried shrimp, salted fish, dried squid and real fish sauce. Buy now and stash it in the boot, rather than lugging it alongside fruit on the last day.
15:00
Photos at the far-east tip / Ban Hat Lek border marketThe end of the road is Ban Hat Lek, right on the Cambodian border, with a boundary marker and a border market to browse. It's the turnaround check-in point before you loop back to town.
18:30
Drive back to town, seafood dinner to close the dayTake the same road back, arriving in town in the evening, and find a seafood restaurant for dinner before resting. Get set for fruit picking on the final day.

How to pick out good shrimp paste

Good Khlong Yai shrimp paste has a smooth, fine texture, a purplish-pink colour and a fragrant smell that isn't fishy. Pure-meat grades cost more than mixed grades. It keeps for several months in the fridge. If you're buying it as a gift, choose a jar with a tight-sealing lid so it's easy to carry and the smell stays in.

Day 3

Fruit orchard → fruit market → head home

08:30
Visit a fruit orchard (fruit season only, May-Jul)In fruit season some orchards open for all-you-can-eat tasting: durian, mangosteen, rambutan and salak, eaten in the orchard at a set price. Go early while it's still cool and the fruit has just been picked. Out of season, skip straight to the fruit market.
10:30
Stop at a roadside fruit market to buy some to take homeThe fruit markets along the main road sell orchard produce by season, far cheaper than buying in Bangkok. Pick fruit at just the right ripeness and let the seller help you choose, so it's perfect by the time you get home.
12:00
Farewell lunch: local noodles or rice-and-curryBefore the drive back, find something light in town, Trat beef noodles or a regular rice-and-curry shop, to end the food trip without feeling too heavy for the long road.
13:30
Check the souvenirs in the boot and head homeMake sure the shrimp paste, dried goods and fruit are packed well against smell and bruising. On the way back you can stop in Chanthaburi if you've still got energy to explore.

Food souvenirs worth carrying home

  • Khlong Yai shrimp paste — the province's GI-registered product, fine-textured and fragrant; buy at the source for the real thing at a good price
  • Real fish sauce + dried shrimp — made in the fishing towns; big, good-coloured dried shrimp and rounded fish sauce that isn't harshly salty
  • In-season orchard fruit — durian, mangosteen, rambutan and salak from May to July, sweet because it's grown in the local soil
  • Fried and pureed durian — keeps longer than fresh fruit, good as a souvenir outside fruit season
  • Salted fish and dried squid — dried seafood bought at source prices in Laem Ngop and Khlong Yai
🎟️

Book the activities in your Trat trip ahead

Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.

🎟️ Top tours in TratHighlights, guided Klook 🎟️ Trat attractions & ticketsSkip-the-line entry tickets Klook 🚐 Day trips from TratOut and back in a day Klook 🌎 Trat activities (GetYourGuide)Global tour marketplace GetYourGuide
🎟️ See all Trat tours & activities (Klook)

Rough budget per person (2-3 day food trip)

  • Seafood meals — around 250-500 THB/person per meal depending on how much crab and prawn you order; splitting among a group works out better
  • Shrimp paste and dried-goods souvenirs — budget around 300-600 THB for shrimp paste, fish sauce and an assortment of dried shrimp
  • Orchard fruit / buffet — around 150-350 THB/person in season, depending on the orchard you pick
  • Accommodation — a guesthouse or mid-range hotel in town starts around 500-1,000 THB/night
  • Eating to your heart's content comes to around 2,000-3,500 THB/person (not counting fuel from Bangkok)

Can you do it without your own car?

This food route is easiest with a car, because the Khlong Yai shrimp-paste makers and the fruit orchards are spread out beyond town and public transport is limited. Without a car, take a Bangkok-Trat minivan into town, then rent a car or hire a local driver for a full day down the Khlong Yai road, which is far smoother than waiting on songthaews. For the Laem Ngop seafood and the town markets, you can still manage by stringing together songthaew rides.

The best time of year for food lovers

To get seafood, shrimp paste and fruit all in one trip, aim for May to July, right in fruit season. Outside that window you can still eat seafood and buy shrimp paste year-round, just with less fresh fruit around. In the rainy season, check whether the boats are going out before counting on certain seafood.

Want a full itinerary or to look at places to stay in Trat town before you book

See the Trat travel guide →

FAQ

Where do you buy Khlong Yai shrimp paste, and how do you spot the real thing?

Buying at the source in Khlong Yai district gets you the real thing at a better price than buying in town. Khlong Yai shrimp paste is GI-registered, made from tiny krill caught in those waters. The good stuff has a smooth, fine texture, a purplish-pink colour and a fragrant smell that isn't fishy. Pure-meat grades cost more than mixed grades.

How many days do you need for a Trat food trip?

2-3 days is about right. Day one covers fishing-town seafood and the town markets, day two drives down to Khlong Yai for shrimp paste and dried seafood, and day three visits an orchard or fruit market if you're there in season. With only a single day you'll get just the seafood and souvenirs in town.

What month does Trat fruit come in, and are there orchards you can taste at?

Trat orchard fruit like durian, mangosteen, rambutan and salak peaks from May to July. In season there are orchards that open for all-you-can-eat tasting, eaten in the orchard at a set price. Out of season you can still buy fried and pureed durian as souvenirs.

Where do you eat Trat seafood that's fresh and well-priced?

Waterfront restaurants on the mainland side, like Laem Ngop, are fresh because the catch comes straight off the boats, and clearly cheaper than restaurants on the islands. The trick is to ask the seller what came in today and order accordingly, and check the per-kilo price board before ordering so the bill doesn't surprise you.

How far is Khlong Yai from Trat town?

Khlong Yai district sits at the far end on the Cambodian border, around 70-90 km from Trat town along the coastal road, about 1-1.5 hours by car with sea views the whole way. The end point is Ban Hat Lek, with the far-east tip of Thailand and a border market.

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