Ban Thai

Ban Thai is a plain, family-run Thai restaurant inland from Bo Put, a short way off Lan Thong Road. It is not on the beach and makes no effort to look fancy; the draw is honest home cooking at budget prices.

Pad kra pao, the stir-fry of minced meat with holy basil, is the dish people come back for. Tom yum soup, panang curry and pad thai are also on the menu, and a plate of mango sticky rice sometimes arrives as a gesture from the kitchen. Cooks may tone down the chilli for foreign guests, so ask for pet mak if you want it Thai-hot.

There is no website and no booking system, so it is walk-in only. The restaurant is open daily from 9am to 9pm.