The quick answer
Pattaya food is mostly about the sea. Try pla pao (salt-crusted grilled fish), crab stir-fried with curry powder, hoy tod (crispy mussel omelette), grilled squid and tom yum goong. From the wider Chonburi province come khao lam, sticky rice roasted in bamboo, and the habit of eating moo kata barbecue late at night.
Skip Walking Street for food. For seafood, buy it fresh at the Lan Pho market in Naklua and have it cooked on the spot, or book Krua Laew Tae R-Rom, a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen. In the evening, Thepprasit and Jomtien night markets are the easiest way to try many dishes cheaply. For khao lam, drive 45 minutes north to the Bang Saen area.
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Get FeedMii free10 dishes to try in Pattaya
Prices are typical for local shops and markets in 2026; beachfront restaurants charge noticeably more.
Pla Pao
A whole fish, usually tilapia or snakehead, stuffed with lemongrass, packed in salt and grilled slowly over charcoal. The salt crust keeps the flesh soft and moist.
How to eat it: Peel off the salty skin and eat the white flesh with the green seafood sauce and fresh vegetables. Common at Thepprasit and Jomtien night markets.
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Pu Pad Pong Karee
Crab stir-fried with egg, curry powder, celery and chilli into a thick, mild yellow sauce. A standard order at Pattaya seafood restaurants.
How to eat it: Price depends on the size of the crab, so ask before you order. Eat it with plain rice.
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Hoy Tod
Batter crisped on a hot flat pan with eggs and mussels or oysters, on a bed of bean sprouts. Chonburi farms green mussels and oysters, so the shellfish here is fresh.
How to eat it: Ask for 'krob' if you want it extra crispy, and add the sweet chilli sauce.
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Tom Yum Goong
Lemongrass, galangal, lime leaf and prawns in a broth that is sour, spicy and fragrant at once.
How to eat it: Choose 'nam khon' for the creamy version or 'nam sai' for the clear one. Order it to share with rice.
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Pla Muek Yang
Whole squid or squid pieces on a skewer, grilled over charcoal until lightly charred.
How to eat it: Comes with a sour, spicy green dipping sauce. Buy it hot off the grill at the night markets.
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Som Tam Thai
Shredded green papaya pounded in a mortar with lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, chilli, tomatoes, dried shrimp and peanuts.
How to eat it: Say how many chillies you want: 'phet nit noi' means a little spicy. Eat it with grilled chicken and sticky rice.
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Moo Kata
A domed grill over charcoal with a moat of broth around it. Pork, seafood and vegetables cook on the dome and in the soup at the same time.
How to eat it: Most places are all-you-can-eat buffets, often open late. Put a piece of pork fat on top of the dome first so nothing sticks.
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Khao Lam
Sticky rice, coconut milk and sugar, sometimes with black beans or taro, packed into bamboo and roasted over coals. The Nong Mon area near Bang Saen is famous for it.
How to eat it: Peel back the bamboo strips by hand and eat the rice straight from the tube. White and black sticky rice are both common.
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Khanom Krok
Small half-moon cakes of rice flour and coconut milk, crisp underneath and soft on top, cooked in a dimpled iron pan.
How to eat it: Eat them warm. Toppings are usually spring onion, corn or taro. A morning and night market snack.
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Khao Niao Mamuang
Ripe mango with sticky rice soaked in sweet, salty coconut cream and topped with crispy mung beans.
How to eat it: Best in mango season, roughly March to June. Every night market has a stall that sells only this.
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9 places worth the trip
From Naklua in the north to Jomtien in the south, plus one trip up the coast to Bang Saen.
Lan Pho Naklua Seafood Market
Naklua, next to Lan Pho ParkPattaya's best-known fresh seafood market. Buy the catch at the stalls, then pay a small kitchen at the back to cook it.
- Order
- Prawns, blue crab, squid and green mussels, grilled or steamed
- Price
- Seafood priced per kilo plus a cooking fee per dish
- Tip
- Open daily about 06:00–18:00, so go for lunch, not dinner. Compare prices at a few stalls first. Dipping sauces cost extra.
Krua Laew Tae R-Rom
Naklua, Paniad Chang RoadA Michelin Bib Gourmand seafood kitchen with a short menu built around the day's line catch.
- Order
- Whatever fresh crab, prawns, clams or fish they have, and a homemade curry
- Price
- Budget; about 300–600 ฿ per person when sharing
- Tip
- Book about a week ahead. Open 11:30–20:00, closed Wednesdays, cash only. It may stay closed if the catch was poor.
Lung Shall Kitchen
East Pattaya, Nongmaikean RoadA small Michelin Bib Gourmand shop known for simple Thai cooking with very fresh ingredients.
- Order
- Squid stir-fried with black squid ink
- Price
- Budget; about 150–300 ฿ per person
- Tip
- Two short sittings: 10:30–14:00 and 17:30–19:30. Closed Thursdays. Cash only.
La Voi
Chaiyaphruek Road, near JomtienA Michelin Bib Gourmand beef noodle shop with a clear broth simmered for hours.
- Order
- Mixed beef noodle soup with meatballs, sliced beef and offal
- Price
- Budget; about 80–150 ฿ per bowl
- Tip
- Daytime only: 09:00–17:30 Tuesday to Friday, until 16:30 at weekends, closed Mondays. Air-conditioned, and cards are accepted.
Pladids
Pong, east of PattayaA Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant serving a home-style Thai 'samrap', a set of shared dishes that changes with the season.
- Order
- The samrap of the day with the special rice
- Price
- Moderate; about 300–600 ฿ per person
- Tip
- Open Thursday to Sunday only (11:00–19:30, Sunday to 17:00). Call to book. Cash only, and you need a car.
Somtum Je Phai
Jomtien Beach RoadA Michelin-listed Isan eatery under a plastic tent, grilling chicken and pork over charcoal.
- Order
- Som tam, grilled chicken, grilled pork neck and sticky rice
- Price
- Budget; about 100–200 ฿ per person
- Tip
- Breakfast and lunch only, 07:00–15:30. Closed Tuesdays. Cash only.
Thepprasit Night Market
Thepprasit Road, between Pattaya and JomtienPattaya's biggest night market, with a large, cheap food section.
- Order
- Pla pao, grilled squid, moo ping, fresh fruit and mango sticky rice
- Price
- Most items 30–150 ฿
- Tip
- Open in the evening from about 17:00, and largest Friday to Sunday. Go at opening for a seat. Bring cash.
Jomtien Night Market
Jomtien, across from the beachA daily evening market by Jomtien Beach with grilled seafood, Thai dishes and cheap fruit shakes.
- Order
- Grilled seafood, pad thai, som tam and a fruit smoothie
- Price
- Most items 40–200 ฿
- Tip
- Open daily about 17:00–23:00. Seating is shared and fills up fast after 19:00.
Khao Lam Mae Khai Toon Klao
Saen Suk, Chonburi (near Bang Saen)A Michelin Bib Gourmand khao lam stall that has roasted sticky rice in bamboo for more than 60 years.
- Order
- White or black sticky rice khao lam, with taro, black beans or ginkgo nuts
- Price
- Budget; small, medium or large tubes
- Tip
- About 45 minutes north of Pattaya. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. It often sells out before the 17:00 close, so go in the morning.
Places checked as of October 22, 2026. Opening hours change, so check before you go.
Tips for eating in Pattaya
- Eat away from Beach Road and Walking Street. Naklua, Jomtien and the night markets serve the same food for much less.
- Seafood is sold by weight. Agree the price per kilo and any cooking fee before anything is cooked.
- Many of the best local shops are open only for breakfast and lunch, and close one day a week. Check the day before you go.
- Most small shops and market stalls take cash only. Carry 20, 50 and 100 baht notes.
- Ask for 'mai phet' (not spicy) or 'phet nit noi' (a little spicy) if you are not used to Thai chilli.
- Skip horseshoe crab eggs if you see them on a seafood menu: they can be toxic.
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Download FeedMii freeFrequently asked questions
What food is Pattaya famous for?
Pattaya is known for fresh seafood: pla pao (salt-crusted grilled fish), crab stir-fried with curry powder, hoy tod (crispy mussel or oyster omelette), grilled squid and tom yum goong. The wider Chonburi province is also famous for khao lam, sticky rice roasted in bamboo.
Where do locals eat in Pattaya?
Mostly away from Beach Road: the Lan Pho seafood market in Naklua at lunchtime, the Thepprasit and Jomtien night markets in the evening, and small Michelin Bib Gourmand shops such as Krua Laew Tae R-Rom (seafood), Lung Shall Kitchen (Thai) and La Voi (beef noodles).
Where to eat seafood in Pattaya?
For the freshest and cheapest seafood, buy it at the Lan Pho Naklua market and pay one of the kitchens there to cook it; the market is open about 06:00–18:00. For a sit-down meal, Krua Laew Tae R-Rom in Naklua cooks the day's catch but needs booking about a week ahead.
Is street food safe in Pattaya?
Generally yes. Choose busy stalls where food is cooked to order and served hot, and be more careful with raw shellfish and salads left sitting out. Bottled water and ice from sealed bags are standard.
When are Pattaya's night markets open?
Thepprasit Night Market opens from about 17:00 and is largest from Friday to Sunday. Jomtien Night Market opens daily from about 17:00 to 23:00. Both take cash, and seats fill up quickly after 19:00.