Along Rama VI Road is a simple corner restaurant, Baan Ghu Lao (lit. ‘Ghu Lan’s house). 

Although in a busy area full of classy accommodation with great restaurants, we felt a homey ambience thanks to its plain walls, window grills, and rattan furniture.

Lovely uncle and auntie energy, ‘Trang-ified’. We like it.

Though it might seem that the restaurant has nothing noteworthy at first glance, we were glad to be proven so wrong. 

Baan Ghu Lao impressed us with an extensive menu. Mostly composed of Western, Malay, and Chinese influences (for tourist tastes, maybe), it still has Thai specialities like massaman curry and khao soi.

For one, its signature vegetarian take on Malaysian Penang-style noodles and multitude of options on sweet, filled puff pastry are tasty and delightful. 

If we ate blindfolded, we wouldn’t think it’s 100% meat product-free unless we were told otherwise. However, we would’ve liked to have had bigger portions.

Plant-based, tasty cooking full of love

“One of the most warm hearted vegetarian cafe in Southern Thailand.

The owner couple is the soul of the restaurant, they demonstrated the hospitality of Trang. About the food, just look at the photos, their food is full of love, tasty, stick to original but all are plant based version!”

– Andrew Jin Shing Chan, Google Review

A place to recommend to anyone

“Absolutely amazing food which just happens to be vegan. The owner makes the fillings for the dumplings all in house using vegetables. So incredibly tasty. 🤩 The taro spring rolls are baked first and not oily at all. I would recommend this place to anyone. If you’re vegan and feel like you’re missing out on authentic street food this is the place for you. We tried 9 dishes between the two of us and every one was a 10/10. We’ll be back tomorrow night 💯”

– Mathew Bacsik, Google Review

Trang is really quite special, especially for vegetarians. We couldn’t believe we’d hit the jackpot in the initial leg of our tour—a great raan jay (vegetarian restaurant) just near the city hall and provincial government offices!

We almost missed Je Ko Phong because its shop signage says “health shop”. With the name, it’s clearly marketed towards locals, and that’s perfectly fine.

Je Ko Phong is nonetheless a great find. It’s spacious, occupying two units of its building’s commercial space with a fruit shake stand, a baked goods counter, and an eatery area.

Mind you, there’s no air conditioning, but the delicious and affordable food makes the experience of eating here still satisfactory. 

We wish it had a later closing time. Yet given it opens early in the morning, we fully understand that closing for the day after its lunch service is the most sensible thing to do.

Big restaurant with great variety

“Very good vegan restaurant! It’s very big and you have a huge variety of delicious vegan food. Many kind of noodles or rice. It’s very popular and have very nice seating place. Very good service. I tried the Kuay Chap and it was very delicious. Definitely the best vegetarian restaurant in Trang.”

– Ziya Tabassian, Google Review

True value for money

“This vegan restaurant offers a massive selection of delicious food. I paid only 90 baht for two large plates and 20 baht for a tasty mushroom snack. Excellent value and a must-visit, they have cold water and some extra spices too.”

– Norbi, Google Review

“Alternative” really looks like a suitable name for this restaurant. From inside and out, there are many things that it does differently.

Take, for one, the building. The architecture isn’t modern, but it still looks highly tasteful thanks to the traditional Thai home appearance—easily distinguishable from the road!

Once there, we realised Alternative isn’t just a restaurant, but also a grocer. Its inside areas showcase locally produced healthy goods like sauces, veggies, and other pantry staples; some of which are also used in the restaurant.

We also found that having a vegetarian meal at Alternative is pleasant, too. You’ll get seated at outside tables overlooking a home garden, while the friendly staff takes your order.

Overall, the food is great. We highly suggest sampling khao yam (rainbow rice salad). Just prepare your wallet, as some dishes can be pricey (but for good reason).

For people concerned with being healthy

“Crispy fried tofu is delicious. Fruit juice is good. Salad is delicious. Suitable for people who really care about their health.

(เต้าหู้ทอดกรอบ อร่อย น้ำผลไม้ดี สลัดอร่อย เหมาะกับคนดูแลสุขภาพจริง)”

– Chatchai Bumrungpornpisan, Google Review

Everything here is delicious

“This shop has great menus that are healthy. There is rice salad, rice salad water made from budu sauce, shrimp paste fried rice, Miang Kham, shrimp fried rice, rice salad sushi (the bean sprouts are grown in-house, but the head is delicious). Everything is delicious. Oh, and the fried rice with chili paste with sea bass is also delicious.”

– Somchai Supinyokul (สมชาย สุภิญโญกุล), Google Review

Another budget-friendly raan jay we found around town is Phuttharaksa Trang (ร้านเจพุทธรักษาตรัง). This one clearly has the “community raan jay” vibe, largely because of its proximity to a rubber factory.

From the outside, the draw of this restaurant is already clear: a rotating menu of delicious vegetarian cooking (well, some have meat as well) served in ample portions. Spot on for the homebody who can’t cook or the factory worker in a rush.

The auntie of Phuttharaksa is also a sight to behold. We couldn’t help but feel welcomed with her warm demeanour and careful service.

We’re even more impressed with the simple yet lovely ambiance, thanks to the many plants and a dainty water fountain on-site. Drinking water and soup for customers dining (on the house) is a pleasant touch, too.

It’s the best kind of budget food any sensible person could ask for.

Great spot for vegetarian dishes

“Delicious food, very nice and smiley service. Very cheap prices. Big recommendation. Also atmosphere is nice and soup and water are free. Great spot, I loved it. If you also want to grab some snacks or healthy health products, they also have plenty to choose from. Even though it’s next to main road, when you are inside you don’t feel it at all. The fountain is making a nice ambience and everywhere are plants. Even a small shire inside! What a vibe 💚, vegetarian restaurants in Thailand are the best!

Only watch out because some dishes are with a bit of meat, but they will tell you which ones when u ask, also about spiciness levels.”

– Ignis “metes” π, Google Review

Zen-like corner for fresh and flavorful food

“Tucked away in a peaceful corner of Trang, this vegetarian gem is a must-visit. The atmosphere is calm and Zen-like—perfect for a quiet meal or mindful pause during your travels. The food is fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. What truly stands out is the friendly cook, who also serves with a warm smile and genuine kindness. You leave not just feeling full, but uplifted. A beautiful little haven for vegetarians and anyone seeking a nourishing experience. Update: still the same superb place.”

– James Foster, Google Review

Khamhong (ร้านเจคำหอม) is a spacious family-owned vegetarian restaurant in front of the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. Given the key location, it’s typically full of customers, especially during lunch.

The food here is clean and delicious, with a sufficient serving size for the price. We tried its ‘pork leg’ rice, and its savoury-spicy taste was balanced with the sides of pickled and steamed veggies!

There isn’t much more we can say about the food, because it’s the space that sets Khamhong way apart from its competitors. 

So far, it’s the most spacious one we’ve been to—vertically, that is. Perhaps we should thank the forward-thinking owners for the high ceiling that makes sure there’s enough air circulation amid the humid weather and consistent stream of diners.

Khamhong closes a couple of hours after lunch (around 2:00 PM), but we think it isn’t a bad idea for management to consider extending its hours, given the great location.

Fantastic vegetarian restaurant

“Absolutely superb vegetarian restaurant. Delicious, healthy food. Friendly staff/owners.”

– James Foster, Google Review

Clean restaurant with great food

“The shop is clean, the food is clean, the food is easy to eat and delicious.

(ร้านสะอาด อาหารสะอาด กับข้าวทานง่าย อร่อย)”

– Kris004, Google Review