Eating Seafood in Thailand: Priced by Weight, Choosing From the Tank and Avoiding the Scale Scam

Published 27 October 2026 · By the Visit-Thailand editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

In Thai seafood restaurants and markets, live and fresh seafood is usually priced by weight, per kilo or per 100 grams, so the bill depends on what the scale says. Ask the price and the unit before anything is weighed, watch the weighing, and get the weight confirmed before the kitchen starts cooking.

Ordering this way is normal in Thailand and nothing to be nervous about. You point at a fish, a crab or a pile of prawns on ice or in a tank, the staff weigh it, and you choose how it should be cooked. The price for the fish itself comes from the weight; the cooking, rice, drinks and service are added on top. Most misunderstandings come from the unit, not from cheating, and a minute of checking at the counter removes them.

Per kilo or per 100 grams: reading the price

Seafood prices are written per kilo or per khit, the everyday Thai unit the Royal Society's dictionary defines as one tenth of a kilogram. A price per khit looks ten times cheaper than the same price per kilo, which is the single most common cause of a shock at the end of the meal. If the board or menu does not say which unit it uses, ask, and if you are unsure, ask the staff to write it down: "per kilo" or "per 100 grams" next to the number.

Some menus show a "market price" or "seasonal price" instead of a number, because the cost of the catch changes. That is fine, as long as you get today's price per unit before you choose. Large items such as a whole grouper, a big crab or a lobster can weigh well over a kilo, so ask for a rough weight before you point at the biggest one.

We do not print typical prices. They change with species, size, season and place, and we found no official price list for restaurants that would make a fair benchmark. Comparing the boards of two or three restaurants on the same street is the quickest way to see what is normal there.

Choosing from the tank and watching the scale

The order at the counter goes like this:

1. Agree the unit price. Point at what you want and confirm the price per kilo or per khit.
2. Watch the weighing. Stand where you can read the scale, and check that it shows zero before the seafood goes on.
3. Drain the water. Live seafood comes out of a tank wet, and crabs and shellfish may be weighed in a basket or bag. Ask for the water to be drained and the basket to be taken into account.
4. Get the weight in writing. Many places write it on the order slip; if they do not, take a photo of the display or note it on your phone.
5. Choose the cooking and confirm whether it costs extra.

None of this is rude if you do it with a smile; Thai diners check too.

What the law says about scales and price labels

Under the Weights and Measures Act of 1999, scales used for trade must be verified by the Department of Internal Trade (DIT), part of the Ministry of Commerce. As quoted by the department in July 2024, the penalties are up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to 20,000 baht for using an uncertified scale, and up to seven years and a fine of up to 280,000 baht for an altered or tampered scale. Failing to label prices can bring a fine of up to 10,000 baht. Separately, the Criminal Code's section 270 punishes using false weights or scales to gain an advantage in trade.

Officials do check. On Wednesday 27 December 2023, Pattaya City, the Chonburi provincial commerce office and the Eastern Region Weights and Measures Center inspected scales at the Lan Pho Naklua market, one of Pattaya's best-known seafood markets, ahead of the New Year rush, according to Pattaya Mail. They found most scales accurate and gave them certification stickers; some faulty scales were to be confiscated. The inspectors also checked that prices and services were displayed as the Ministry of Commerce requires, and pointed consumers to the DIT hotline, 1569.

We found no dated, documented case of a seafood restaurant being prosecuted for a rigged scale in Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin or Samui, so we do not repeat the stories that circulate online. The practical risk is a misunderstood unit or an unclear extra charge, and the checks above deal with both.

Cooking styles and the extras on the bill

Once the seafood is weighed, you choose how it is cooked. Common choices you will see on boards and menus:

• Phao: grilled over charcoal, common for prawns, squid and whole fish.
• Nueng manao: steamed with lime, garlic and chili, a classic for whole sea bass.
• Thot krathiam: deep-fried with garlic.
• Phat phong kari: stir-fried with curry powder and egg, a favorite way with crab.
• Nueng: plain steamed, often for crab and shellfish.

Ask whether the cooking style changes the price. Rice, drinks, ice and side dishes are charged separately. In hotels and restaurants that show "++" after their prices, a 10 % service charge and 7 % VAT are added, so 100 baht on the menu becomes 117.70; our page on what "++" means explains it. For chili levels and menu words, see our guide to ordering Thai food.

Buy-and-cook markets: Naklua, Rawai and the night markets

In some seafood markets you buy raw seafood by weight from a stall, then take it to a nearby restaurant that cooks it for a fee and adds rice and drinks. It can work out cheaper and you see exactly what you bought. It also means two bills, so agree the cooking charge, which is often per kilo or per dish, before you hand the seafood over.

In Pattaya, the Lan Pho market in Naklua is the best-known seafood market; our guide to where to stay in Pattaya covers the Naklua area. In Phuket, Rawai on the south coast is a working shore of longtail boats and seafood restaurants, described in our comparison of Phuket's beaches. In Hua Hin, grilled and steamed seafood is a staple of the night markets. Arrangements at individual markets change, so ask on the spot how buying and cooking work.

If you shop at an ordinary fresh market and cook at home, our guide to Thai fresh markets covers weights, words and paying.

Freshness, raw dishes and the season

Seafood spoils faster than most food, so the usual rules about busy places and hot, freshly cooked dishes apply; our article on avoiding stomach trouble from street food goes through them. Raw freshwater fish dishes from the northeast carry a separate parasite risk, explained in our page on liver flukes and raw fish; sea fish is not the concern there.

What is on ice depends on what the boats bring in, and the sea is rougher in the monsoon months on each coast. Rather than relying on a fixed calendar, ask what came in today; staff usually point out the freshest catch. Our page on the best time for the Andaman and the Gulf explains the two coasts' seasons.

Shellfish allergy at a seafood restaurant

A seafood restaurant is a hard place to avoid shellfish completely: the same grill, oil and utensils are used for everything, and sauces often contain fish sauce, shrimp paste or oyster sauce. Thai labelling rules list crustaceans and shellfish, including squid, among the allergens that packaged food must declare, but cooked restaurant dishes carry no label. If you have a severe allergy, read our guide to traveling with a severe allergy before you go, and carry your adrenaline auto-injector to the table.

If the bill looks wrong

Ask for an itemized bill and compare it with the weights and unit prices you noted. Most errors are honest, and the manager can correct them quickly. Raise the problem calmly and privately; a scene in front of other diners rarely helps, as our explainer on kreng jai and face describes.

If the restaurant refuses and you believe a scale or a price label was wrong, call the DIT hotline, 1569, which handles weights and price complaints. If you are being pressured or threatened, call the Tourist Police on 1155; our list of emergency numbers has the rest. Pay what you agree is owed, keep the receipt and your photos, and use the routes in our guide to consumer complaints and refunds, including a card chargeback if you paid by card.

Frequently asked questions

Is seafood in Thailand priced per kilo?

Often, yes. Live and fresh seafood is usually priced by weight, either per kilo or per khit (100 grams). Check which unit the menu or board uses, because a price per 100 grams is one tenth of the price per kilo.

How do I avoid being overcharged for seafood in Thailand?

Agree the unit price, watch the weighing on a scale that starts at zero, note the weight and confirm any cooking charge before the seafood goes to the kitchen. Then check the itemized bill against your notes before you pay.

Who do I call about a rigged scale in Thailand?

The Department of Internal Trade runs hotline 1569 for complaints about weights, scales and prices. Under the Weights and Measures Act, using a tampered scale can bring up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to 280,000 baht. For threats or pressure, call the Tourist Police on 1155.

Is it cheaper to buy seafood at the market and have it cooked?

It can be, because you pay market prices for the seafood and a separate charge for cooking. Agree the cooking fee before you hand anything over, and remember that drinks and rice are added at the restaurant.

Sources

• Daily News – Department of Internal Trade on scale penalties and hotline 1569 (Thai, 1 July 2024) (checked October 2026)
• Pattaya Mail – Pattaya authorities inspect weighing scales to protect seafood consumers (28 December 2023) (checked October 2026)
• Royal Society of Thailand – Thai dictionary online (entries ขีด, ชั่ง, ตาชั่ง) (checked October 2026)
• Thai Food and Drug Administration – Notification No. 450 on food allergen labelling (English) (checked October 2026)
• Office of the Consumer Protection Board – Online complaint system (checked October 2026)