We drove in to Takua Pa around 9 am, on our way from Khao Sok Nationalpark to Eden resort in Khao Lak. It was special because it was the morning of Christmas Eve. Before, I had never stopped in Takua Pa, just driven through, this time, a friend of mine in Phuket, who has his second home in this old port and tin mining town, told us to stop for breakfast here. Why? Because Takua Pa is a town where you eat some of the best dim sum meals in the country. For me, I always connected dim sum with Trang city with a similar history of mining.

I knew that there was a solid Hokkien presence in the town. But the Takua Pa dim sum tradition was new to me. We drove slowly through the old city and could see the characteristic shophouses full of activities. Even before we arrived at the restaurant we were looking for; we passed at least three places with dim sum steamers already.

Origins of the name Takua Pa

Takua Pa gets its name from the rich ores found near the town: takua (ตะกั่ว) is a Thai word for lead even though tin was the important ore in the area. The Michelin food guide mentions that due to the multicultural nature of the town, there is a rich food culture here. Dishes like Kaeng Tai pla, strongly odored, curry dish which has developed from a range of other Southern fish curries.

Or creamy coconut curry with soft-shelled crab/other seafood, Mi use -the stir-fried noodles. Or Dim Sum is required to try if you follow the culinary trail in this town.

Dim Sums are typical brunch food, and many small family-owned restaurants close before lunch. So if you want to indulge in these bite-sized delicacies, you can’t arrive here too late. We had our meal at Pin Thong Dim Sum, and we didn’t regret it.

The friendly atmosphere that characterises this town made me curious, and I would love to come back to learn more about the city and its inhabitants. Discover more of the local cuisine.

Some other places to eat Dim Sum in Takua Pa

Bprame Dim Sum

ไก่โต้งติ่มซำ, just opposite the hospital.

When you think of Phang Nga, you think of pristine beaches, beautiful Karststone formations, James Bond Island. But never forget the food. And Takua Pa is just a short driving distance from Khao Lak.