Phuket Guide
Phuket markets: where the island eats and shops
If you really want to taste Phuket, go to a market. After dark the grills fire up, plastic tables appear and dinner begins. Each market has its own character, from our own Friday market in Kamala to the Sunday lanterns of the Old Town. Here is how to choose, and when to go.
Closest
Kamala’s Friday market, in the village.
Most local
Plern Pao in Phuket Town, open six evenings a week.
Biggest
Naka Weekend Market, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Most relaxed
Fun Friday at Boat Avenue, with wine and live music.
Near the estate
Kamala Friday market
Our village market is small and real: local food, fruit and everyday life, with more Muslim influence than many markets on the island. Go hungry, and go early for the best choice. Ask the team for directions on the day.
Phuket Town
Evening markets in and around the Old Town
Lard Yai Market takes over historic Phang Nga Road every Sunday from about 4 pm to 10 pm. It is more relaxed than the busier Thalang Road walking street nearby, and loveliest around sunset when the lanterns come on. If you are in the Old Town for one evening, make it a Sunday.
Plern Pao Street Market, opposite Baan Klang Mosque near the Surin Circle clocktower, is open from 4 pm to 10 pm every day except Sunday. It has over 250 stalls, focused on everyday street food, iced herbal drinks and space to sit. Food is freshest between 5 pm and 7 pm; by 6.30 pm the lanterns and music are in full swing.
Chillva Market on Yaowarat Road is compact, creative and popular with young Phuket: street food, music, vintage clothes and art in container stalls. Open Thursday to Saturday, 5 pm to 11 pm, busiest 7 to 9 pm. Around 25–30 minutes from Kamala by car.
Naka Weekend Market, near Central Festival, is the island’s biggest and most established night market, open Saturday and Sunday from around 4 pm to 10.30 pm. Expect crowds, bargains and a huge food court, especially between 6.30 and 8.30 pm. Allow 30–40 minutes from Kamala by car.
Something different
Fun Friday at Boat Avenue
Not every market is gritty. Every Friday from about 4 pm to 9 pm, the square at Boat Avenue near Laguna fills with food trucks, boutique stalls, live music and wine by the glass.
It is less about bargaining and more about a relaxed evening: wood-fired pizza, crĂŞpes, Thai fusion and a mixed crowd of residents and visitors. An easy option for a first night out.
Mornings
Fresh markets and seafood
Phuket Downtown Market in the Old Town is where locals and traders stock up: fresh produce, snacks and a real glimpse of daily life. Go early in the morning to see it at its busiest.
Rawai Seafood Market in the south sells the day’s catch from local fishermen. Choose your seafood, then take it across the road to one of the restaurants, which will cook it for a small fee per kilo. Combine it with Nai Harn Beach or Promthep Cape.
Markets change days and hours from time to time. Check with the team before a long trip into town.
Thai food
The five tastes and the dishes to try at the stalls. Read our Thai food guide →
Phuket Old Town
Shophouses, cafés and history to combine with a market evening. Explore the Old Town →
Where to eat in Kamala
When you would rather stay close to the estate. See our Kamala picks →
Stay in Kamala
Come back to quiet
Spacious one- and two-bedroom holiday apartments in a quiet tropical seaside estate in Kamala, with the rest of Phuket within easy reach.
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