Where Locals Actually Shop
Ranong Main Market is the real deal. This is where Phuket Town’s restaurants buy their ingredients, where grandmothers pick their fish, and where you catch the blue bus to the beaches. It’s not pretty. It’s not designed for tourists. That’s exactly why I like it.
The market stands on Ranong Road in the middle of Phuket Old Town. It’s split into two parts that most people don’t realise. The main section fills a large concrete building that replaced the original century-old market in 2010. Across the street, an open-air section spills into narrow lanes where farmers unload trucks and stack baskets of fruit on the pavement. That outdoor part feels more like the old Phuket I remember.
What You’ll Find Inside
The ground floor of the main building is where things get interesting. Seafood on ice, whole chickens on hooks, butchers chopping pork on wooden blocks. It’s loud and it smells like a real market should.
The curry paste vendors are worth the visit alone. You’ll find proper southern-style pastes here, the darker, more intense blends that Phuket cooking is built on. Red, green, yellow, plus local versions you won’t see in supermarkets. Bags of dried shrimp, dried chillies, and pork crackling sit in neat piles next to them.
Fruit stalls take over the outer edges. Mangoes, rambutan, mangosteen, dragon fruit, pomelo, all cheaper than Tesco Lotus or Villa Market. Prices are marked, no haggling needed.
There’s also a food section in the basement where you can grab congee, dim sum, curry over rice, or noodle soup for breakfast. Nothing fancy, just proper cheap Thai morning food. Bring cash, small bills are best.
The Open-Air Market Across the Street
Cross Ranong Road and you’ll find the part I prefer. Narrow lanes packed with vendors selling fruit and vegetables from the back of pickup trucks. It’s chaotic early morning, with motorbikes squeezing past delivery trucks that barely fit between the shophouses. Good photos if you don’t mind getting out of the way quickly.
This area connects through to Krabi Road via tight alleys that locals use as shortcuts. Worth walking through even if you’re not buying anything.
Tips for Visiting
Go early. By 10 am most stalls are packing up. Between 6 and 8 am is the sweet spot, fresh stock, busy but manageable. The building gets hot inside despite the roof, so don’t overdress.
The blue bus station is right next to the market on Ranong Road. Buses leave roughly every 20 to 30 minutes to Patong, Karon, Kata, Rawai, and other beaches. No fixed timetable. Just check the destination written on the bus. This makes the market a natural first stop if you’re exploring Phuket Town before heading to the beach.
One honest complaint: the new building has poor airflow compared to the old open-air market it replaced. Locals still grumble about it. Slippery floors too, so watch your step near the fish section.
Ranong Main Market Info
Location: Phuket Town
Address: Ranong Road, Talat Nuea, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket 83000
Hours: 12 am – 12 pm
Ranong Main Market Map
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