🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Trat town is small — a few minutes on foot or by car gets you anywhere. Most of the shops locals eat at cluster around Sukhumvit Road, Thetsaban Road, and the streets around Trat municipal fresh market, and they mostly run morning to afternoon. So if you want a meal before the boat, breakfast through lunch is the easiest window to hit.
The noodle shops Trat locals go to
Kiew Nong Bua
An old egg-noodle shop that's been part of Trat for over 50 years, with house-made noodles and a balanced broth. You can get egg noodles with wontons, seafood yen ta fo, or rice dishes like rice tossed in chilli-salt. The place has been spruced up to look bright and clean, but it's still where locals eat regularly.
Sukhumvit Crab Noodles
A made-to-order, one-plate seafood shop that Trat people know well. The standout is the seafood yen ta fo, loaded with crab meat, mantis prawn and squid. Beyond the noodles, you can add chilli-salt seafood fried rice and blanched fish wontons for dipping.
Suk Jai Trat Seafood Noodles
In the town market, open from 5am to 2pm — handy if you're up early for a boat. It does seafood noodles, seafood rice bowls, red pork rice, fried pork rice, curry-over-rice and blanched seafood with dipping sauce, all in one shop.
Ying Jaa Seafood Noodles
An all-seafood menu. The pick is the seafood yen ta fo with mantis prawn, squid and crab meat, plus dry seafood egg noodles. The broth leans punchy and bold — right up the alley of anyone who likes strong flavours.
Trat Noodle Buffet
For big eaters — an all-you-can-eat noodle buffet at one flat price. It works well for groups or families before an island trip. To be straight with you, it's more about quantity than finesse, but it's good value if you're hungry.
A tip before the boat
The pier for Koh Chang is around Laem Ngop, about 20km from town, while the pier for Koh Kood and Koh Mak is near Laem Sok. So finish your meal in town first, then drive out to the pier — it's a surer bet than hunting for food near the pier, where there are fewer shops and prices run higher.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Trat 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.
Trat-style curry over rice
One of Trat's signatures is kaeng pa (jungle curry) — a punchy curry built on local spices like cardamom and cumin, which give Trat curries a smell and taste that set them apart from central Thailand. Plenty of curry-rice shops in town keep a dozen-odd dishes on the counter; ladle a few over a single plate of rice and you'll eat well for very little.
Pa Sri Curry Rice
A curry-rice shop that opens in the evening and runs late, with a wide spread of dishes — jungle curry, pork-blood soup and rice porridge among them. Good for anyone arriving in Trat in the evening, or coming back late from the islands looking for something to fill up on.
Curry rice at Trat municipal fresh market
In and around the fresh market, several curry-rice stalls open from early morning, with local dishes rotating day to day. It's where people working in town grab a bag of food to take away before their day starts — cheap, and cooked the way real Trat hands do it.
Bangkok-style Chicken Rice
If you've had enough hot curry, this chicken rice is another breakfast pick locals like. The standout is the chilli-salt dipping sauce with a lime edge that cuts the richness. Open morning to afternoon, closed Tuesdays.
Snacks and markets in town
Wandering Trat's old town, there are a few snacks worth a stop — easy to grab while you wait for a boat, or to nibble on through the afternoon.
Je Saeng Grilled Squid
Charcoal-grilled squid with an old-recipe dipping sauce and a clear smoky aroma. Open late morning to evening — a good grab-and-go bite while you walk the town.
Pa Na Grilled Banana
Hand-picked bananas grilled slowly over low heat until fragrant — a light little snack for a few baht. Open late morning to afternoon.
Trat municipal fresh market
The big market in the middle of town. Mornings it's a fresh seafood market — prawns, shellfish, crab, fish, dried fish, local vegetables. A good place to see how Trat folk live and pick up dried-seafood gifts.
Straight talk
Most shops in Trat town take cash and close early — many sell out before afternoon, especially the morning noodle places. If you've got your eye on a particular shop, getting there before noon is the safer bet, and keep some cash on you.
Plan a full eat-and-explore day in Trat town before the islands
See the Trat travel guide →