A Hidden Seafood Restaurant on the Mangroves
Bang Pae Seafood (บางแปซีฟู้ด) is a local Thai restaurant on the east coast of Phuket, set right on the edge of a mangrove forest with open-sea views. It is one of the few places on the island where you can eat fresh blue crab, Southern Thai coconut soup, and Pak Miang fern salad at the table while watching the tide come in. The restaurant is tucked away on a small road near Bang Pae Waterfall, and you need a car or scooter to get there. Despite being hard to find, it is busy on weekends with Thai families, Phuket expats, and the occasional tourist brought by a local friend. I have been coming here for years and it is still one of my favourite lunch spots on the island.
Bang Pae Seafood at a Glance
| Bang Pae Seafood Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Location | Pa Klok, Thalang district, east coast of Phuket |
| Thai name | บางแปซีฟู้ด (Bang Pae Seafood) |
| Cuisine | Thai, Southern Thai, local seafood |
| Setting | Open-sided pavilion on the mangrove edge |
| Signature dishes | Blue crab, Poh Tae, Pak Miang soup |
| Typical dish price | 250 – 280 Baht |
| Open | 10 am – 8:30 pm daily |
| Busiest | Sunday lunch |
| From Patong | 45 minutes by car |
| From Phuket airport | 25 minutes by car |
| Parking | Free on-site, large lot |
The Setting
Bang Pae Seafood sits at the end of a quiet soi in Pa Klok, on the mangrove edge overlooking Phang Nga Bay. The main dining area is an open-sided pavilion with a high roof and no walls, so you get the sea breeze straight through. At low tide, the sand stretches hundreds of metres out and you can watch mangrove crabs move through the mudflats. At high tide, the water comes right up to the restaurant.
The atmosphere is slow and local. Most tables are Thai families, and you will hear more Thai than English. There is no dress code and no music over the speakers. You come here to eat properly and take your time.
What to Eat at Bang Pae Seafood
The menu is long and covers most Thai seafood classics plus several Southern Thai and Phuket-specific dishes. Here are the ones I order on almost every visit.
Pu Ma (Steamed Blue Crabs)
| Dish: Steamed blue crab with spicy lime dipping sauce |
The blue crab at Bang Pae Seafood is the best I have had on the island, followed by the one served at Kan Eang@Pier. The crabs are simply steamed to keep the sweetness of the meat and served with a spicy lime and chilli dipping sauce. Order one or two and take your time picking the meat out. It is the kind of dish that slows the whole table down, which is what you want at a Sunday lunch.
Poh Tae (Clear Spicy Seafood Soup)
| Dish: Mixed seafood in a clear, spicy, sour broth |
Poh Tae means “exploded fisherman’s basket” in Thai, named for the variety of seafood thrown into the soup. Prawns, squid, fish, and mussels are cooked in a clear broth flavoured with lime, lemongrass, galangal, and chilli. It is similar to Tom Yum but without the chilli paste that makes the usual Tom Yum red. The broth is cleaner and the seafood flavour comes through more. Bang Pae Seafood does this dish as well as anywhere on the island.
Pak Miang Tom Kati Goong (Coconut Soup with Pak Miang Leaves)
| Dish: Southern Thai coconut milk soup with wild greens and prawns |
Pak Miang Tom Kati Goong is a Southern Thai specialty that is hard to find outside local restaurants. The base is rich coconut milk with prawns and Pak Miang leaves, a wild Southern green with a slightly nutty, almost spinach-like flavour. The soup is creamy and mild, good for balancing out the spicier dishes on the table. Order this if you want to try something genuinely Southern Thai that most tourist restaurants will not have on the menu.
Yum Pak Kood Talay (Thai Fern Salad with Seafood)
| Dish: Fiddlehead fern salad with prawns and squid in lime chilli dressing |
Yum Pak Kood Talay is a fresh, light salad built around tender fiddlehead ferns (a Southern Thai vegetable), prawns, and squid, dressed in a tangy lime and chilli dressing with fresh herbs. It is spicy, sour, and refreshing, a good counter to the richer dishes. If you have not tried Pak Kood before, this is a gentle introduction.
Hoi Chak Teen (Steamed Sea Conchs)
| Dish: Steamed sea conchs with spicy seafood dipping sauce |
Hoi Chak Teen translates as “pulling foot shell,” a reference to how you extract the meat by pulling it out of the shell with a toothpick. The conch meat is tender with a clean, briny flavour, and the spicy seafood dipping sauce brings it to life. This is a proper Thai table dish, designed to be shared and slowly picked through over conversation.
Hoi Krang Luak (Blanched Blood Cockles)
| Dish: Quickly blanched blood cockles with spicy seafood sauce |
Blood cockles are small shellfish served barely blanched so the meat stays soft and slightly bloody inside, which is how Thais prefer them. They are eaten with the same spicy seafood dipping sauce as the conchs. If you are not used to them, start with a small plate. Once you get past the appearance, the flavour is clean and the texture is surprisingly delicate.
Tub Tim Grob (Red Rubies Dessert)
| Dish: Thai “Red Rubies” dessert with water chestnuts and coconut milk |
Tub Tim Grob is a classic Thai dessert known in English as “Red Rubies.” Water chestnuts are coated in red tapioca flour to make small crunchy jewels, served in sweet coconut milk with crushed ice. It is light, cold, and the right way to close a spicy meal. They make a good version here.
Prices and What to Expect on the Bill
Bang Pae Seafood is not a tourist-priced restaurant. Most dishes are in the 250 to 280 Baht range for a proper portion shared between two people. Whole blue crabs and giant prawns cost more, priced by weight. A full lunch for two with crab, a soup, a salad, rice, and a dessert comes to around 1,500 to 1,800 Baht including drinks. For a group of four sharing eight to nine dishes, expect around 1,600 Baht total.
For what you get, it is one of the better value seafood meals on the island. The equivalent meal at a tourist restaurant in Patong or Kata would easily be double.
How to Get to Bang Pae Seafood
Bang Pae Seafood is not walking distance from any beach or hotel. You need a car or scooter to get there.
By car or scooter from Patong: about 45 minutes. Head north on Route 402, then turn right at the Heroines Monument. Continue 8 km to the left turn for Bang Pae Waterfall. Pass the waterfall turn-off, continue 100 metres, and look for a large red sign on the right pointing to a small road. Follow that road all the way to the end.
From the airport: about 25 minutes, making it a good first or last meal for visitors flying in or out.
From Phuket Town: about 30 minutes via the Heroines Monument.
By Grab or Bolt: works but can be slow to find a return car because of the location. Expect 400 to 600 Baht from Patong. It is safer to ask the restaurant to call a local taxi for the return if needed.
Pair with other stops: combine with Bang Pae Waterfall, the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, or a half-day around the east coast. Lunch at Bang Pae Seafood after the waterfall is the classic route.
360 Panorama
Bang Pae Seafood Photos
What to Do Nearby
Bang Pae Waterfall
Insider Tips
Go for Sunday lunch if you can. That is when the restaurant comes alive with Thai families and the atmosphere is at its best. Weekday lunches are quieter and equally good if you want a calmer meal.
Order the blue crab. It is the signature dish and the reason most regulars come. If you have not had properly steamed blue crab before, this is the place to start.
Point at other tables. Thai restaurants welcome this. If you see something on another table that looks good and you do not know the name, just point and the staff will sort it out.
Go at low tide if you have a choice. The mangrove and mudflat view is more interesting than open water. Check a tide chart on your phone before heading out.
The sign at the road turn-off is mostly in Thai (บางแปซีฟู้ด). If you are driving, watch for a large red sign on the right, about 100 metres past the Bang Pae Waterfall turn-off.
Combine with Bang Pae Waterfall for a half-day out. Waterfall first, lunch at Bang Pae Seafood on the way back. This is the standard route and it works well.
Bring cash if possible. The restaurant is not always reliable with card machines, and there is no ATM in walking distance.
Bang Pae Seafood Through the Years
Bang Pae Seafood has been on this spot for decades, and the locals have known about it far longer than any guidebook. It is one of those places that feels the same every time you go back. The pavilion has not changed, the menu has not changed much, and the family that runs it is the same. In a part of Phuket where new cafes open and close every season, that consistency matters.
I first came here in the late 1990s when the road was even worse and the place had no sign in English. The mangrove has grown thicker, a few more tables have been added, and the kitchen has got faster during busy services, but the food and the feel are unchanged. It is still the kind of restaurant where the owner knows which table wants the crab and which one ordered the soup, and where a two-hour Sunday lunch is completely normal.
Bang Pae Seafood Info
Thai name: บางแปซีฟู้ด (Bang Pae Seafood)
Location: Pa Klok, near Bang Pae Waterfall
Address: 66 Moo 3, Soi Bang Toei, Pa Klok, Thalang District, Phuket 83110
Open: 10 am – 8:30 pm daily
Phone: 087 887 5785
Price: Affordable, dishes typically 250 – 280 Baht
Facebook: facebook.com/bangpaeseafood
Bang Pae Seafood Map
Get the directions on your phone: https://goo.gl/maps/XdqZUw1yeCbBGtLM9
FAQs about Bang Pae Seafood
Local Thai Restaurants in Phuket
