10 Best Local Thai Restaurants in Kamala

Charoen Seafood at Kamala Dreams is a family-run restaurant serving homemade and authentic local Thai cuisine. Khun Charoen puts a lot of emphasis on the use of fresh ingredients by buying fresh seafood from Kamala's morning markets. Standout dishes include mussels in curry and seafood salad with red snapper. Prices are very reasonable considering that Charoen Seafood is part of a beachfront hotel.

White Orchid combines a cooking school and a beachfront restaurant at the southern end of Kamala Beach. It has a rustic look, with simple wooden furnishing within a building surrounded by landscaped gardens. Dishes at White Orchid – pad Thai, red chicken curry and green papaya salad – are quite simply presented but very tasty.

Roasted Duck Nutrition occupies a building along the inland side of Kamala's main road. It has a bit of a shop-house look to it, with red plastic seats commonly filled by locals. The restaurant's rather bizarre name accurately describes its speciality, roasted duck. Must-tries at Roasted Duck Nutrition are the fried rice with duck, duck noodles, and whole roasted duck. You can also find chicken and pork dishes on the menu.

The Bua in Kamala offers a lively dining atmosphere, with excellent views of Kamala Bay from its beachfront terrace. The restaurant is popular among locals for serving authentic Thai cuisine at reasonable prices. You can ask the friendly staff for recommendations or go for familiar names like pad Thai, fried shrimp cakes, beef massaman curry, and stir-fried chicken with cashews.

Phumin Seafood Restaurant occupies a little palm-frond hut by the side of Kamala’s main road. It has a charmingly rustic exterior, with a heavy focus on excellent Thai seafood. Its signature Phuket lobster – served with black pepper, tamarind or sweet and sour sauces – are particularly noteworthy. The barbecued prawns, crab, fish and squid come highly recommended as well. Prices are pretty reasonable. Most dishes cost around 100 baht while larger seafood (crab or lobster) are charged by weight.

Issan-Rimkorng might have a rough-and-ready appearance, but it's known for serving some of the cheapest Thai food in Kamala. The restaurant occupies a narrow gap by the edge of a canal near the main road. Dishes rarely surpass the 100 baht mark, with its green curry, pad Thai, and fish cakes particularly popular among locals. 

Duck Spicy in Kamala offers excellent Thai food at affordable prices. The restaurant’s frontage includes a couple of palm thatch huts, which puts you right next to the main road. The semi-open dining space has several wall fans to keep you cool throughout the day. Duck Spicy's signature dishes are som tam (papaya salad) with crispy duck, garlic chicken with rice, and tilapia with basil leaves. 

Nana Rooftop Family Restaurant is a very friendly place that serves authentic Thai and European dishes. The restaurant's rooftop location is also a major draw – its curved metal roof might make you feel like you're inside a bus, with large windows overlooking Kamala's main road. Standouts at Nana Rooftop include the (very spicy) tom yum, som tam (green papaya salad), and green curry.

BBQ Buffet's signature dining experience of fresh meat and seafood takes place on Saturday nights. This spacious and simple restaurant also serves up good and fairly-priced Thai dishes, including green curry, tom yam, and coconut soup. Free Wi-Fi is available. Its buffet spread costs around 180 baht – make sure to finish everything as there's an additional cost if there's any excess food left on your plate.

Khao Na Ped is a simple shop-house restaurant that's so local, its signage is written only in Thai (there is a picture of a duck to give you an idea of its speciality). You can enjoy a surprising number of duck-oriented dishes, including duck massaman curry or roast duck in sweet-and-sour sauce, served with noodles or rice. It costs around 50 to 120 baht per dish. Khao Na Ped also has a few chicken, beef and seafood dishes on the modest menu.