Must-Buy Souvenirs

Locally grown cashews roasted and flavored in-house (original, chili, wasabi, and more) at a family-run Phuket Old Town shop operating since 1972 — free tastings are offered before you buy.

Cultured pearls (many farmed locally around Phuket's Naka Noi and Sapam Bay) set into necklaces, earrings, and rings — real prices vary hugely with pearl type and size, from budget freshwater pieces to premium South Sea pearls costing tens of thousands of baht.

An internationally award-winning agricultural rum distilled from fresh Phuket sugarcane rather than molasses, sold direct from its Chalong distillery, at upscale supermarkets, and in the airport duty-free shop.

Southern-style dried chili pastes and shrimp-based snacks from a Phuket institution running since 1942, conveniently located on the road to the airport for a last-minute souvenir stop; flavors include tamarind, lemongrass, and tom yum.