The island of Koh Pha-Ngan is located on the east coast of Thailand in the Surat Thani province. This beautiful island have everything from relaxed time at paradise beaches with turquoise water, yoga sessions to the famous Full Moon Party. Before we got to Koh Pha-Ngan we got told that everything was super expensive but I wouldn’t say thats completely true. Accommodation around Full Moon can get crazy expensive if you don’t book in advance. There are still plenty of options both cheap and expensive.
As it is a big island there are plenty of places to eat and in this post I’ll tell you about the best places in the different price ranges.
Super Cheap Places
We have managed to find some really cheap places for food around the Ban Tai area.
1. Mama Thai
This lady has a small little kitchen by the side of the road, it’s very easy to miss because it doesn’t look like much. Everything on the menu is 50B and by this time I’ve probably tried half of the things on the menu and I’ve enjoyed every meal. She works alone and if there are a lot of people it will take some time to get the food.
2. One Way Noodle Shop
This is another little place where most food starts at 50B, my favourite dish here is the chicken & cashewnuts. The curries are a bit more and costs around 70-80B. It’s a small place and can get crowded but the food tastes good.
3. Lifestyle
This is a good and affordable place with a big menu, the only dish I didn’t enjoy was the sweet & sour. Prices ranges from 50B up to 100B depending on what kind of meat you choose or if you want it vegetarian. Lifestyle is located opposite PTT Petrol Station.
4. Baan Paen
I drove past this place may times before I realised it was a restaurant. This felt like a very local place and I never saw other tourists there. The menu is quite big and the noodle soup is very nice, maybe not the biggest portion but a Chicken Noodle soup starts at 30B. Most things on the menu costs between 30-70B.
Cheap places
1. At Chiang Mai
This is a hidden gem! Their speciality is Northern Thai food and I would highly recommend their Khao Soi and if you’re not a vegetarian add fried chicken. Most dishes here starts at 100B. We’ve tried quite a few dishes on the menu and everything taste amazing and the portions are big.
2. Harbour House
This little restaurant is located in Ban Tai and have delicious food but be aware that they don’t have to many tables. It’s worth to wait a bit to get a table. The menu is quite big and we mostly tried the thai dishes, some starting as low as 70B! Most food is around 70-150B and good portion sizes.
3. Mama Kop
Great menu with good variations, dishes starting at around 70B. This place gets quite busy so try to be there early or be prepared to wait for a bit. Good food and big portions.
4. Mama Kop on the Beach
This is our favourite restaurant at the beach and you can watch beautiful sunsets while having dinner. Good food and good portion sizes, most food is around 60B-150B.
5. The Friendship Concept
This Vegetarian burger place offers amazing burgers starting from 170B. Highly recommend if you’re craving a good burger.
6. Pum Pui
Most dishes starting at around 120B and grilled fish 350B. Tasty food and big portions, this place gets really busy sometimes so be prepared to queue for a while or make a reservation beforehand.
7. La Casa
Nice and relaxing atmosphere by the water, ate there a few times and the food varied a bit. The menu is thai and western with prices ranging between 140-350B. I was very happy with the bowl nad salad I tried but found the mexican food tasteless.
Not so Cheap Places
1. Fishermans
This is the place to go to if you want to treat yourself with a nice dinner with a cozy atmosphere. They serve fresh and amazing seafood, we tried the seafood platter and the Fish’n Chips and would highly recommend it. Most of the food starting at 200-300B.
2. Fabios
If you’re carving a good pasta this is the place to go! Good sized portions and for the seafood pasta they were very generous with seafood! This one is on the more expensive side with food starting at around 300B. But worth it if you want to treat yourself.
3. Basilico
If you’re craving a really good Pizza Basilico is the place to go, they have good variations of the toppings and it feels like your having a pizza in Italy. Pizzas starting at around 200B.
4. Bamboo Bistrot
This little French restaurant has a cozy environment and nice staff, they made us feel really at home. The food is very well made and we tried a stake and a chorizo pasta, both very tasty. Food starting at around 260B.
5. Burger Shack
This is a hidden little gem at the Thongsala Food Market. The Goat Cheese Burger is our favourite. Enjoy very well made burgers starting from 199B.
6. Chana Masala
Indian vegetarian restaurant with a nice peaceful atmosphere. Most of the food starting around 200B, naan bread starting at 50B and rice 60B. We enjoyed the curries, the paneer skewers were a bit boring and flavourless.
7. San Pedro
This is a small mexican place in Thong Sala that just opened. The menu is simple and consists of varied Tacos for 99B, Quesadillas for 249B and Burritos for 249B.
8. Indigo Café & Eatery Thongsala
If you’re homesick or just want to treat yourself with a nice brunch or a really nice coffee this is the place to go. Coffees are around 60B-150B. Most food is around 150B-250B, and I can highly recommend the Shakshuka and the Eggs Benedict. They also bake sourdough bread and cakes.
9. The Ugly Duckling
This is an Irish pub and we went here a couple of times with our British friends. The menu is quite big and offers both Thai food starting at 90B and western food starting at around 240B. We loved their mashed potatoes and gravy. They also do very good pies and the older woman working there is hilarious!
