San Chao Market in Surat Thani
Some of you may be planning to visit Surat Thani, a southern city in Thailand, for a boat ride on a lake or a relaxing stroll along the beach. After you’re done with the outdoor activities, don’t forget to drop by this market, San Chao Market, that sells cheap street food dishes ranging from southern curries to Thai crispy pancakes for just ฿20 (USD0.56)!
Read more about markets in Thailand:
- Cicada Market is a night market in Hua Hin with grilled mala & free shows
- Jodd Fairs is a train night market with various food cuisines near MRT
- 9 Bangkok night markets you shouldn’t miss in 2022
Street food night market in downtown Surat Thani
San Chao Market is a popular mid-sized night market that’s located in downtown Surat Thani. This market is visited by many locals and tourists due to its accessibility.
Look for a small, red Chinese-style arch that has ‘ตลาดศาลเจ้า’ emblazoned in it. This is the entrance to the market. Upon entering the area, you can see many food stalls on both sides of the road, with crowds of people waiting for their orders. There are many old buildings around the market, so that you can tell that this is an old-timey area.
As for food, one of the most famous dishes here is grilled fried fish balls priced at ฿20 (~USD0.5)/five sticks. It’s made of fish meat mixed with chili paste, chopped basil and lime leaves. This is a must-try here, especially if you’re a foodie, as you can hardly find this dish in other places.
Once you’ve had your fill, we’d suggest snacking on these Thai crispy pancakes that are going for ฿30 (~USD0.8)/bag. The crispy snack comes with two toppings – a sweet one (yellow) and a salty version (orange). You can choose a mix of both flavours to be packed into a bag to go.
Take a low-angle shot of a Chinese shrine & pose with a multi-coloured bridge
‘San Chao’ means ‘shrine’ in English. So, as its name suggests, there is a Chinese shrine situated in vicinity of the market. The colourful exterior of the temple is lit up at night, but you should come by early if you want to pay your respects as it is only open from 8.30AM to 4.30PM.
Other than the shrine, another spot worth visiting is this multi-coloured bridge that’s a 4-minute walk from the shrine. The bridge is decked with lights that change colour at night, making it a great backdrop for your night-time photos.
Explore San Chao Market in Surat Thani
Travelling around the province can make you hungry , so let San Chao Market’s food vendors help you satisfy your craving with a large selection of affordable street food before you hit the sack for the night.
If you stay in Phuket, you’ll need to drive for about four hours to arrive at the market. But if you live in Bangkok, you can fly to Surat Thani International Airport in one hour and get a 30-minute ride to the market.
Even though the market is open at 3PM, we’d recommend going there at around 4PM as all the stalls will be fully opened after this time.
San Chao Market
Address: Soi Tee lek, Talat, Mueang Surat Thani District, Surat Thani 84000
Opening Hours: 3PM – 11PM, Daily
Telephone: +66 8 1415 1511
San Chao Market’s Facebook | Google Maps
Cover images adapted from (clockwise from top left): Weekend Magazine, @buaka_smiley and @buaka_smiley
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