Every Sunday, the famous Thalang Road in Phuket old town transforms into Lard Yai Market, a lively market with a large selection of street food, clothing, antiques, and accessories, surrounded by the unique Sino-Portuguese architecture of the neighborhood.
Lad Yai, or Lard Yai, can be directly translated to “Big Market” in Thai southern dialect. Every Sunday, the renowned Phuket’s heritage Thalang Road, in the heart of Phuket old town, transforms to become a walking street with beautiful lights in the evening and the exquisite backdrops of century-old Sino-Portuguese houses.
The night market is prominent for its local street food and laid-back atmosphere, which attracts a big crowd of locals, expatriates, and travelers every week.
You can discover Phuket signature dishes along your walk through the street. Ow-Tow is a savory menu that uses a soft, sticky dough stir-fried with small clams, egg, taro, pork crackling, spring onion, and sprinkled with crispy shallots. It is mildly spicy and flavorful.
Mee Hoon Kradook Moo is a very simple dish that can be placed on the dining table from breakfast to dinner or even between the meals. It is stir-fried vermicelli with a black soy sauce, topped with chives and crispy shallots. It is always served alongside a hot clear soup that has been simmered with pork ribs and bones for hours until the pork meat is ready to fall off the bone.
In addition, you will find several local favorites, such as grilled sour glass noodle sausage, Khao Mok Gai, deep-fried pork and chicken with sticky rice, as well as other Asian cuisines, such as dumpling and Gyoza. Western-style menus such as baked mini pizzas, BBQ pork ribs, kebabs, and burgers are also available while the seafood menus can be found at affordable prices. The shellfishes are very fresh and the vendors are happy to cook your selected ingredients to your liking, whether you prefer spicy food or not.
You will also find fashion accessories along the way, as well as house decorations and souvenirs to bring back home. We even spotted a tattoo artist working on henna projects and some vendors selling plants and flowers to decorate your home.
The night is lovely and lively at Lad Yai market with plenty of musicians along the street. In the middle, you will find a small stage with various artists performing, some as a band, some on their own. It is also common to find open-mic karaoke and a talented guitarist who plays and sings the 70s’ to 80s’ playlist. The gimmick of the night was an old lady in her 80s’, who still danced professionally with her dancing partner.