Lamai Sunday Night Market in Koh Samui is an authentic experience of Thailand’s market culture, with local food stalls selling everything from Thai to Italian and cocktails to sip on the go.
Four streets close off vehicle access every Sunday from 3-11pm, with delicious food available from over 100 stalls.
In situations like this though, it’s choice that can be the only problem. How do you know what’s good? What if you miss out on trying a famous dish? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered with our guide to the 7 best things to eat at Lamai Sunday Night Market.
1. Naem Khao Tod
‘Naem Khao Tod’ is a salty and sour pork salad with crispy fried rice balls. Fresh mint and herbs are mixed with fermented sausage and crumbled rice croquette with slivers of ginger for a unique savoury snack.
2. Pad Thai
You’ll eat a lot of Pad Thai while in Thailand, but the steaming hot pot of fresh noodles at Lamai Night Market is a stellar choice. The Pad Thai stalls here make hearty portions in minutes, finished off with some peanuts and lime.
3. Grilled or fried chicken
We can’t choose between these two, so we suggest you get them both. Chicken thighs are marinated in a sticky BBQ sauce and grilled over hot coals.
Follow up with a crispy fried chicken leg and throw in a corn on the cob for good measure.
4. Garlic and cheese mussels
Probably one of the slightly pricier dishes at the market, these New Zealand mussels are loaded with garlic and cheese before being flame-grilled to melt the toppings.
The best 120baht you’ll spend all night.
5. Crispy sweet pancakes
Choose from a variety of toppings to add to this snackable dessert – think colourful jelly, fresh fruit, chocolate and nuts.
Mini-pancakes come with sweetened desiccated coconut and a sweet cream cheese.
6. Gin Fizz
All that eating is thirsty work, so make sure to hydrate – maybe with a cocktail in a to-go cup? There’s several brightly lit cocktail stalls along the market route that will whisk you up a boozy drink.
Try the Gin Fizz: a refreshing mix of gin, lemon juice, and sugar.
7. Homemade coconut ice-cream
Join the queue (it’s worth the wait) for a bowl of homemade coconut ice-cream, served in its own shell. You’ll get a glass of the fresh coconut water while you wait, and can pile on toppings of sprinkles, nuts and chocolate sauce.
Have we missed out on any must-try dishes at the Lamai Sunday Night Market? Let us know!