“I’m a huge foodie, and a cook, so I’ve been on A LOT of food tours. So far, this was hands down the best. ”
— Karla, 2026
01 Food tours
Original food tours, curated with our local tastemakers to showcase the neighbourhood kitchens, markets and family-run eateries that define Pattaya.
Pattaya Bites
Pattaya
Eat Pattaya at lunchtime — boat noodles, grilled prawns and roti with condensed milk.
Pattaya Plates
Pattaya
Discover central Thai on the Seaboard — grilled prawns, boat noodles and som tam poo.
02 Meet the tastemakers
The local food experts who help us research, refine and lead every A Chef's Tour.
Grilled prawns on the beach, boat noodles at the bus stop, som tam poo with fermented crab, roti glorified with condensed milk. Pattaya eats central Thai on the Eastern Seaboard.
04 The pantry
- Gulf prawns, sweet crustaceans from the Eastern Seaboard
- Fermented crab, salted freshwater crab for som tam poo
- Palm sugar, unrefined coconut sugar for sauces and drinks
- Kaffir lime, fragrant leaves and zest in coastal curries
- Roti dough, thin buttery flatbread for sweet toppings
05 In the kitchen
- Grilling prawns whole in the shell over screaming charcoal
- Pounding som tam poo with fermented crab and lime
- Simmering boat-noodle broths at every bus stop and market
- Stretching roti dough thin on an oiled steel griddle
- Wok-tossing seafood in nam pla and green peppercorn
06 Eat this first
- Goong pao, whole grilled prawns with tart dipping sauce
- Som tam poo, papaya salad with fermented crab and dried shrimp
- Pla thu tod, deep-fried Gulf mackerel with shrimp-paste chilli
- Kuay teow reua, dark boat noodles with pork blood and offal
- Roti kluay, banana pancake drenched in condensed milk
What happens inside a hammam kitchen
A morning with the cooks who feed the neighbourhood before dawn. Charcoal, dough, the smell of a bakery working its second oven.
09 Recipes
A collection of authentic recipes we couldn't leave behind.
A thick potato-and-egg omelette sandwiched inside soft roti or crusty bread with chili sauce. Bangkok's Muslim-quarter breakfast snack.
Butterflied chicken marinated in garlic, coriander root, fish sauce and palm sugar, then grilled hard over charcoal. Isaan's roadside classic, served with sticky rice.
Clear beef broth over rice noodles with slow-braised beef shin, meatballs, bean sprouts and fresh coriander. Bangkok's iconic noodle lunch.
A pile of shaved ice drenched in sweetened coconut cream, topped with a customer-chosen selection of jelly, tapioca pearls, sweetened beans and jackfruit. Bangkok's summertime cooler.
Soft rice paper rolls filled with lettuce, coriander, cooked prawn, glass noodles and sweet Chinese sausage, dipped in a tangy plum-tamarind sauce. Bangkok's lightest starter.
Fresh corn kernels pounded with garlic, chili, palm sugar and lime instead of green papaya — a modern Bangkok variation of the classical som tum.
10 Field Notes
Quick field notes to help you get accustomed to Pattaya.
Weather
Tropical. Warm year-round (28–32°C). The dry season (November–February) is best. May to October is wetter.
Currency
The Thai baht (THB). Cash for markets, street food, and taxis; cards in restaurants, hotels, and malls. ATMs are on every corner.
Language
Thai. English is widely spoken thanks to decades of tourism.
Etiquette
Cover shoulders and knees at temples. Pattaya is famously permissive at night but the same temple and monarchy rules apply as elsewhere in Thailand.
Getting around
Songthaews (baht buses) run set loops for a fixed 10-baht fare. Taxis rarely use the metre. Grab is the reliable option. Scooter hire is easy but roads are chaotic.
Prayer
Predominantly Theravada Buddhist. The Sanctuary of Truth and the Big Buddha are the main sites. Small Christian and Muslim communities also active.