Affordable places
Market
All markets in Phuket have the same assortment of goods. You’ll find fresh seafood, hot dishes of rice and noodles, special crispy omelet, local souvenirs, and cheap clothes there. It’s better to buy fruits at markets too. Pitaya, mango, guava, papaya, durian, rambutan are always fresh and ripe.
Phuket’s market is the cheapest place to eat. You will get a full meal for 70–100 THB.
The largest and best-known market is Night market. Locals call it Naka Weekend Market. It is located near the Central Festival mall.
The market is open on weekends from 16:00 till 22:00.
Food stalls
Phuket food stall is a moveable cart with a stove. Selling food from a stall is the family business, passed from father to son. Heirs learn to cook from an early age. That’s why vendors will cook anything in five minutes, no more.
These stalls look unsanitary, but in fact, there’s nothing to worry about. Vendors bring food only for a day. Nothing is left for tomorrow — stalls work till they sell everything.
Although stalls are moveable, vendors usually don’t change location not to lose clients. You can always find food stalls near popular Phuket sights, malls, on beaches, and at markets.
Willy Thuan Phuket 101 Blogrecommends trying grilled chicken:
Grilled chicken is everywhere, and you have to follow your nose to spot them. Cooked on a tiny cart and more often as a take away than a seated meal, grilled is best eaten with sticky rice (Khao Niaow). Delicious and so cheap!
Dishes from stalls are based on rice and noodles. Meat, seafood, and spicy sauces are added to them. If you don’t like spicy food, say “no spicy” to a vendor. You will still have pepper, but much less of it.
You can also find coconut milk based desserts and roti pancakes there.
The most exotic thing you can try is fried insects. Vendors offer cockroaches, grasshoppers, and maggots. Make sure to try them! If you eat a cockroach in your country, you’ll be sent to a doctor. And if you do that in Thailand, you’ll be a hero in your friend’s eyes.
And don’t be afraid of the diseases. These insects are grown at special farms.
Unlimited buffets
These cafes work on an all-you-can-eat basis. You pay a fixed sum of money when you enter and eat without any limits. On average, it will cost you 250 TBH. Drinks are usually sold at an additional cost. Some dishes are cooked right here by customers themselves. Note that there are fines for the food you haven’t eaten in most of the buffets.
Darrenb3, the author of the Youtube channel, recommends visiting seafood buffets: “There’s plenty of choices: river shrimps, cooked prawns, mussels, noodles and rice, all sorts of sweets and salads”.
Most of the buffets are open from 17:00 till 23:00, some of them — from 11:00.
Supermarkets
If you are tired of Thai food or it’s too spicy for you, go to a supermarket. Here you can buy ordinary food: milk, bread, and baby food.
Tourists usually go to the following hypermarkets:
- Tesco Lotus. It is open from 07:00 till 23:00. You can order food online.
Cathy and Gary, the authors of cathyandgarystravelpage blog, tell the readers what exactly you can find inside:
Excellent shopping center with a large range of groceries, cosmetics, clothes, electronics, shoes, toys and mobile phones. Tesco Lotus also has a very good pharmacy and a liquor shop. Another bonus is there is a fantastic Home Pro store in the complex selling furniture, tools, electrical items etc.
2. SuperCheap. You can find this chain only in Phuket. Prices are about the same as at markets. The hypermarket is located in front of the new bus station. It is open from 04:00 till 22:00. Smaller stores are open 24/7.
Vergil Cadanilla, a user of Google Reviews, warns about problems you may face here:
This place sells veggies and fruits really cheap. Clothing and other stuff too. But u must prepare yourself if you go there. The place is not airconditioned. Yes, it is very hot. And if you are into sanitation and cleanliness, this place is not for you. Just be prepared to push your way. Lots of people most of the time.
Restaurants
If you want to have a nice evening and to entertain yourself, go to a Phuket restaurant.
Spectacular view
You will find it in Heaven restaurant. Hot dishes will cost you about 300 THB. The average check is 1000 THB.
Willy Thuan lists prices for drinks at the restaurant:
A Tiger beer costs 100 baht, a Singha beer is 120 baht and a Heineken 160 baht. Coke is 50 baht and fruit smoothie 180 baht.
Unusual format
Welcome to a Phuket floating restaurant, ‘krachang’ in Thai.
You will find fresh seafood and even leopard catshark on the menu! All fish and sea creatures are kept in cages, attached to the krachang under water. You can choose your dinner yourself — just point at any creature you like.
Most of the floating restaurants are located opposite the Laem Hin Pier. Free boats will get you from the pier to krachangs.
Such restaurants are open from 10:00 till 22:00. One dish will cost you 300 TBH.
Phuket Exotics
You can try not only traditional Thai dishes but Phuket ones too.
Jamie, the author of jamiesphuketblog, recommends Kopitiam by Wilai because of the amazing Phuket cuisine:
I love the Phuket style pork, the various fried noodles, the penang curry is good, you can get snacks like french fries or tofu, they do Bak Kut Teh too. And many many different drinks. All kinds of juices, herb drinks, teas and coffees. And beer too! And during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival they do only vegan food. On a hot day, maybe even better than a beer – try a butterfly pea flower drink.
What to bring from Phuket
There are lots of tasty and unusual food in Thailand, so you must bring some treats for your friends and family.
Expats and experienced travelers recommend to buy:
- Fruits. Note that the export of durian is forbidden. But don’t worry: your nearest and dearest will get their portion of the disgusting smell. Durian sweets will be a nice option.😈
- Blue orchid tea produced only in Thailand. It costs 100 TBH for 100 g.
- Rum Sung Som is a favorite locals’ drink. It’s all-natural, without any artificial additives. 0,7 l of this drink costs 230 TBH.
All these products can be bought in any Phuket supermarket.
It’s impossible to die from hunger in Thailand. If you want to save money — go to the market. If you look for local exotics — buy fried maggots from food stalls. Aren’t you that brave? Then go to one of the Phuket restaurants.
