Som Tam Petmanee 2

Top choice in Northeastern Thailand


Also known as Som Tom Mae Pet, this simple Isan restaurant by Wat Salaloi is Surin's most famous purveyor of sôm·đam (spicy green-papaya salad) and gài yâhng (grilled chicken). The súþ nòr mái (bamboo-shoot dipping sauce) is good, too. There's little English, spoken or written, but the food is so good it's worth stumbling through an order.

It's 850m from the bus station; turn left out of the station, left at the crossroads then take the second right and walk to the end.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northeastern Thailand attractions

1. San Lak Meuang

0.53 MILES

Surin's gorgeous city pillar shrine, just west of Th Tanasarn, is a modern Khmer-style prang with copies of Phanom Rung's famous Narai Bandhomsindhu…

2. Surin National Museum

2.81 MILES

Displays at this well-executed museum focus on the province's Khmer ruins and Surin's three ethnic groups: Lao, Khmer and Suai, the region's renowned…

3. Queen Sirikit Sericulture Centre Surin

3.18 MILES

You can see the entire silk-making process, from larva to loom, at this research centre 4km west of town. The displays (with very limited English) can be…

4. Chansoma

5.3 MILES

You may find the village of Ban Tha Sawang, 8km west of Surin along Rte 4026, a fascinating stop, even if you're not particularly turned on by weaving…

5. Prasat Muang Thi

10.39 MILES

It's not worth a special trip, but if you happen to be driving to Sikhoraphum you may as well take a 400m detour off Rte 226 for a peep at Prasat Muang…

6. Prasat Ban Phluang

19.34 MILES

The 11th-century Prasat Ban Phluang, 33km south of Surin, is just a solitary sandstone prang (Hindi/Khmer-style stupa) without its top, but the wonderful…

7. Prasat Sikhoraphum

20.64 MILES

Built in the 12th century, Sikhoraphum features five brick prang (Hindi/Khmer-style stupas), two of which still hold their tops (these were later modified…