Good, cheap Thai food from old-style places

[Darrel]

How about a thread for good, cheap Thai food?

 

Especially from places that still offer free water. 15 years ago nearly all Pattaya restaurants (falang and Thai) offered free drinking water but these days the rip-off plastic bottle @ 10 - 40 Baht or more is everywhere. This really p*sses me off. All restaurants here have access to the giant tubs of purified water delivered daily at a low price and those that prefer to sell bottles only do so to keep profits up. I say "nuts" to them.

 

Please include directions/location and an indication of average prices and the type of food.

 

To start the thread going:

 

No-name place opposite Disco Blu on Soi Buakhow. All the usual Thai dishes. Most dishes around 30B. Usually pretty full. Open 10am - midnight. Printed menu with no prices.

 

Another no-name place just down from Diana Dragon in Soi Diana. Anything raat khow (over rice) 20B. Larger portions (bowls) cost extra. Daytime only. Lots of working Thais seems to eat here. Big sign "20" outside: who needs a price list! This is the sort of place I used to eat all my meals in 15 - 30 years ago but is quite hard to find now, at least in the "tourist" area. Shame.

 

Noodle place opposite the market in South Road. The last place before the Wat going towards the beach. 30B and help yourself to the huge selection of veg and herbs on the table. No menu: just point. Whatever you point at comes with thin noodles. The water, admittedly, has a slight favour as it is filtered tap water but it hasn't made me ill yet. Most people worry far too much.

[Kandinski]

I belive quite a few BM have been eating at Nuch's old "restaurant" in soi Xcyte. The place is now torn down and moved a few yards up the soi, http://www.nuch-pattaya.com/

Easy to order with menu in english, german and thai and all cooked to your liking if you talk to Nuch.

Dish are from 30 baht up and water offcourse included

[Dr.Winston]

Great idea for a thread. There used to be some great 'ahaarn taam sang' (Food to order) places all around Pattaya, even places like Soi 7, it's a shame to see so many of them disappear.

[HowieD]

Great info guy's can't wait to try some of these places ate at a nice place free water opposite silver star in soi 7. Also the street between 7 and 8 thinks its called soi night out.

Cheers

[Darrel]

..... Nuch's old "restaurant" in soi Xcyte.

 

Right in my stamping ground so I will definitely try it. In fact I must have walked past the end of that Soi loads of times without ever going down it as it looks a bit empty.

[Hua Ngoo]

GUYS

The last thing Thailand needs is more Farangs who want to live like Thais!

Hark back to your own countries and the tourist industry! Tourism is one of the lowest paying industies around, so shame on you rich Farangs. If, however, you're not rich, then shoulder up to the chaps, sharing a beer in the many Go Go bars on Walking st. Then catch an Air Asia flight back to wherever the f*ck you came from.

Failing that, Sailor bar on Soi 7 has cheap food, 40 Baht etc. Khi Nieows.

Also places in Bangkok, outside the tourist zone. Saphan Kwai rings a bell ,though you will have to deal with the "what the f*ck, a farang?" looks

F*ck sake, it's only a couple of bucks, I'm sure you guys give more than that in a couple of lady drinks in Walking st. of a night.

If you don't then you shoud be deported.

BYE

[Darrel]

Hey. Everyone is entitled to eat what and where they like, and this thread is about cheap old-style Thai places in Pattaya that have free water. There are plenty of other threads about pricey Thai food and even farang food, if that is what you prefer.

 

If it pleases me to come to Thailand and eat like a normal Thai then that is what I will do whether you like it or not. It certainly doesnt seem to bother the Thais.

 

BYE

 

Mind the screen door on the way out.

[granty108]

another great one is leks place, same soi as nuch's restaurant on soi excite, carry on up the soi towards 3rd road, 50 yards or so before 3rd road leks is on your left, small open shack on the side of the road, tasty food and good portions, all around 30-45 baht! free water aswel!

[Hua Ngoo]

Not me, you.

This is a developing country, and like so many developing countries I have worked/lived in they need a hand.

You have spent your working life tapping into the benefits of your home country and now, by rights,

you should be ahead of the game. So why not share it around?

You know you get better service than at home?

Or not?

[Dr.Winston]

GUYS

The last thing Thailand needs is more Farangs who want to live like Thais!

Hark back to your own countries and the tourist industry! Tourism is one of the lowest paying industies around, so shame on you rich Farangs. If, however, you're not rich, then shoulder up to the chaps, sharing a beer in the many Go Go bars on Walking st. Then catch an Air Asia flight back to wherever the f*ck you came from.

Failing that, Sailor bar on Soi 7 has cheap food, 40 Baht etc. Khi Nieows.

Also places in Bangkok, outside the tourist zone. Saphan Kwai rings a bell ,though you will have to deal with the "what the f*ck, a farang?" looks

F*ck sake, it's only a couple of bucks, I'm sure you guys give more than that in a couple of lady drinks in Walking st. of a night.

If you don't then you shoud be deported.

BYE

Some of those small places had some of the best food....prepared freshly and in full view. You could pay 4 times the amount and the food wouldn't be any better.

[furryman]

Some of those small places had some of the best food....prepared freshly and in full view. You could pay 4 times the amount and the food wouldn't be any better.

 

Well said Sir!

 

I honestly couldn't care less really about the 10 baht for the bottle of water, it's the authentic food I'm looking for. Anytime I see a place with a kitchen fully or partially in the street, no signage, steel tables and packed with Thais, I'm all over it.

 

Kin ped dai!

 

 

Edit: I'm actually more annoyed by the 'upscale' restaurants that will charge you for ice and wet wipes.

[Darrel]

I honestly couldn't care less really about the 10 baht for the bottle of water, it's the authentic food I'm looking for. Anytime I see a place with a kitchen fully or partially in the street, no signage, steel tables and packed with Thais, I'm all over it.

 

Actually my point about the water was that the authentic old places would not charge for bottled water because the Thai customers wouldnt stand for it and would expect the free tin cup. And the packed places would be empty if they didnt have it. As you move "upmarket" into the aircon Thai places you find the pay bottles. In farang places, even cheap ones like the Boat on 2nd road, that is all you find now.

 

I think that all restaurants should provide clean free water as a matter of course and the big delivered tub is a perfectly acceptable and cheap way of doing this. The old style Thai places understand this.

[Darrel]

Had some pad tai in Nuch's place this evening. Very nice meal, good ingredients, delicately flavoured, well presented and finished. I would never get bored with it.

I was particularly impressed by the "hot juice" nam prik which actually contained a goodly amount of lime as it should do, and not just nam pla and chili as it often is.

 

I didnt notice Thai salad on the menu but if they do it I bet it's great. I shall certainly return soon and try some more things.

 

For those who cant stomach the free tub water, or indeed who just selflessly wish to contribute extra to the Thai economy, they also have plastic bottles of the same water for sale.

 

Will try the Lek place up the soi tomorrow.

[RyanStarr]

I belive quite a few BM have been eating at Nuch's old "restaurant" in soi Xcyte. The place is now torn down and moved a few yards up the soi, http://www.nuch-pattaya.com/

Easy to order with menu in english, german and thai and all cooked to your liking if you talk to Nuch.

Dish are from 30 baht up and water offcourse included

 

I used to eat here a lot and then it disappeared. Riding my motorbike down that little soi I noticed the decor in this restaraunt was exactly like Nuch's old restaraunt and was thrilled to see it back.

 

It is a bit hard to find you have to take the first sharp right turn as you're heading up soi xcyte from the Oasis end.

[Lestat]

Had some pad tai in Nuch's place this evening. Very nice meal, good ingredients, delicately flavoured, well presented and finished. I would never get bored with it.

I was particularly impressed by the "hot juice" nam prik which actually contained a goodly amount of lime as it should do, and not just nam pla and chili as it often is.

 

I didnt notice Thai salad on the menu but if they do it I bet it's great. I shall certainly return soon and try some more things.

 

For those who cant stomach the free tub water, or indeed who just selflessly wish to contribute extra to the Thai economy, they also have plastic bottles of the same water for sale.

 

Will try the Lek place up the soi tomorrow.

I eat at Nuch almost everyday, I love that place. One day I saw Nuch ordering Thai salad to herself from a street vendor. So I don't think she has it in her menu.

[mike2228]

I belive quite a few BM have been eating at Nuch's old "restaurant" in soi Xcyte. The place is now torn down and moved a few yards up the soi, http://www.nuch-pattaya.com/

Easy to order with menu in english, german and thai and all cooked to your liking if you talk to Nuch.

Dish are from 30 baht up and water offcourse included

thanks....i,ll be giving this one a try....be their in a couple of days

[SlickMonkey]

One of my favorite places to eat is Soi Postoffice. Plenty of hawker carts with cheap, delicious eats and free water.

[Darrel]

I eat at Nuch almost everyday, I love that place. One day I saw Nuch ordering Thai salad to herself from a street vendor. So I don't think she has it in her menu.

 

Thanks. But I wonder if she wasnt ordering som tam? (papaya salad) This is often left to "specialist" vendors, not least because 1 papaya makes enough salad for about 100 people! A bit like fish and chips; the best ones come from people who do only that and have the big deep fryer.

 

Generally most places will do normal yam/laap type salads as there is nothing unusual about the ingredients.

[Darrel]

One of my favorite places to eat is Soi Postoffice. Plenty of hawker carts with cheap, delicious eats and free water.

Thanks. Certainly still plenty of street vendors around, thank Buddha, and very good they are too. And Soi PO is certainly a good place to find them.

 

The only problem with discussing them is that you never really know which one anyone is talking about as they can move around and usually dont have any English name or distinguishing features apart from what they sell. Also they often only do one type of dish, though of course some do have dozens of different bowls out.

 

Stationary places are easier to discuss as they dont run away!

[Mike Asia]

the No-name place opposite Disco Blu on Soi Buakhow does not taste very good and is full of farangs without a shirt wanting to share a table. Just about ran the Thai customers out of the place and me as well.

[Lestat]

Thanks. But I wonder if she wasnt ordering som tam? (papaya salad) This is often left to "specialist" vendors, not least because 1 papaya makes enough salad for about 100 people! A bit like fish and chips; the best ones come from people who do only that and have the big deep fryer.

 

Generally most places will do normal yam/laap type salads as there is nothing unusual about the ingredients.

It's possible, mate.

[expatdude]

the No-name place opposite Disco Blu on Soi Buakhow does not taste very good and is full of farangs without a shirt wanting to share a table. Just about ran the Thai customers out of the place and me as well.

 

I don't care about the sharing tables thing, but I agree the food was mediocre at best the few times I tried it.

[Benny10]

Great threat!

 

I find it more and more difficult to find these basic places in Pattaya, which usually serve fresh and authentic Thai / Isaan food at a fair price.

 

Most annoying for me is, when a place serves traditional free water in cups to Thais and overpriced bottled water to Farangs.

In that case I refuse the bottled water and ask for some water in a cup.

 

Sometimes I get in response the typical “cheap charlie Farang bastard look”, but I can live with it.

 

One of the benefits of living on the Dark Side is that you still find plenty of traditional Thai / Isaan restaurants there.

[BaldPlumber]

Most of the Thai girls seem to prefer eating in these places as opposed to the air conditioned western restaurants. I've never had a BF voluntarily choose anything else.

 

Maybe they're hoping that the money you save will go to them!

[Buzzy]

Across from the Robins Nest on Soi Diana is a simple Thai restaurant that serves 30 baht meals with water. I eat there at least two or three times each trip.

 

Jon