Day 19 – Street Meat, Snake Encounters & Sunday Night Magic | Thailand Travel Diary
Sunday, Nov 16 – Day 19, Phuket (Cape Panwa → Old Town)
Location: Kanary Bay Hotel → Phuket Old Town Walking Street
Mood: Sun-warmed, snack-motivated, and spiritually aligned with street food.
The Beach, The Book, & The Big Beer Warm-Up
We started the morning at the beach — again — because at this point it’s muscle memory. I’m deep into the final book of the Throne of Glass series and honestly, I don’t know who I’ll be when I finish it. This eight-book emotional support saga has become part of my personality. If you’re looking for a series that will take over your whole life, this is it.
Mom and Steve stayed planted under the palms, but Brent and I peeled off early so I could hit the gym. Only my second workout of the trip, which is cute considering my delusion that I’d be training four days a week here. But hey — leg day in 30°C feels like doing squats inside a toaster, so I’m counting it as cardio and strength.
After, we split a flatbread pizza and chugged a big beer at the little café behind the resort because we needed to be back at the lobby to get our shuttle tickets into Old Town. Hydration? Optional. Pre-market carbs? Essential.
A Snake (Maybe Sleeping, Maybe… Not)
On the walk back, we met our first snake of the trip — lying on the road like it had simply decided to stop participating in life. It didn’t look run-over, but it wasn’t moving. Based on the photos (and an earlier conversation with AI), it looks like a Checkered Keelback — a common, non-venomous water snake that hangs around coastlines. Harmless to humans, unless you count emotional damage from surprise encounters.
Was it dead? Probably. Was it unsettling to walk up on a full-length snake sprawled across the pavement? Absolutely.
Old Town Phuket Walking Street
Tonight was one of my favourite nights since we arrived: Old Town Phuket Sunday Walking Street Market — the reason I was excited about coming to Thailand in the first place.
Let’s talk about it.
A Little Market Context (Because It’s Iconic)
The Sunday Walking Street Market — known locally as Lard Yai — runs along Thalang Road, the historic Chinese-Portuguese heart of Old Town.
It launched in 2013 as part of Phuket’s cultural revival and is now the largest and most famous street market on the island.
A few fun facts:
Expect 300–400 vendors, depending on the week. Yes, hundreds.
The area has strong Chinese influence — you’ll see lanterns, shophouses, shrines, and architecture from the Hokkien Chinese immigrants who settled here over a century ago.
It’s a mix of street food, handicrafts, clothes, art, live music, desserts, souvenirs, random creatures in diapers (confirmed), and enough smells to rewrite your DNA.
It’s chaotic, colourful, loud, delicious, overwhelming — and absolutely mandatory if you come to Phuket.
We Ate Everything (and Paid Basically Nothing)
We started with cocktails at Phuket’s oldest hotel because… balance. My espresso martini was 280 baht (about $10.40 CAD — highway robbery by Thailand standards but still cheaper than Halifax).
Then the real eating began.
Street Food Tally
(All shared between 3–4 people)
Potato chips on a stick (60 baht)
Spiral-cut, deep-fried, dusted with seasoning of your choice. We went back for seconds. Obviously.Crispy pork belly (70 baht)
Crunchy, salty, glorious. I would like to bathe in the drippings.Beef skewer (street meat) (15 baht)
Sweet, sticky, smoky — the holy trinity of street skewer success.Sesame-crusted seared tuna (150 baht)
THIS. WAS. LIFE-CHANGING.
This wasn’t a “cute snack portion” — this was eight to ten thick slices of perfectly rare tuna, coated in black & white sesame, each piece dunked (optional but recommended) in a creamy sesame dressing I would absolutely drink straight from the bottle.
At home this would easily be a $28 appetizer. Here? $5.50 CAD.
I’m still not OK.Mango juice with fresh chunks (65 baht)
Like drinking sunshine.Mochi (coconut + strawberry) (40 baht)
Soft, chewy, perfect.
Impulse Buys
Two denim purses (150 baht each — $5.60 CAD) because why wouldn’t I?
The goat café with a goat in a diaper tried to lure me in. I resisted… barely.
The Damage
Food + drinks (street food only): ~400 baht per person
= about $15 CAD (including my over-priced cocktail, which accounted for $10.50 of that tally)
for an entire night of eating.
Ridiculous.
The Night We Needed
By the end, we were sweaty, full, overstimulated, and absolutely delighted. We caught the shuttle home (200 baht round trip per person), buzzing from sugar, sesame, and the joy of watching Old Town come alive at night.
This was the night I’d been waiting for. The one that reminded me why I love travel so much — the chaos, the flavour, the random moments you couldn’t plan if you tried. It was perfect.
Photo of the Day
📸 The tuna that ruined all future tuna for me.
Missed an entry? Catch up here:
👉 Day 1 – The Uber Ride from Hell
👉 Day 2 – The Lounge Life & the Struggle Bus
👉 Day 3 – Hot, Hotter, & Really F*ing Hot
👉 Day 4 – Floating Markets, Boat Noodles & the Great Coke Zero Explosion
👉 Day 5 – Heaven, Hell & the Hands at the White Temple
👉 Day 6 – Hill Tribes, Hard Truths & a Side of Curry
👉 Day 7 – Who Needs Guardrails, Anyway?
👉 Day 8 – Elephant-Sized Moral Hangover
👉 Day 9 – The Great Decaf Drought | Thailand Travel Diary
👉 Day 10 – Rash Decisions & Redemption Arcs | Thailand Travel Diary
👉 Day 11 – The Calm Before the Chaos
👉 Day 12 – Islands, Introspection & the Illusion of Luxury
👉 Day 13 – Fruit, Foot Rubs & Family Conversions
👉 Day 14 – Flip Turns, Weed Bars & Pet Peeves
👉 Day 15 – The Myth of Paradise
👉 Day 16 – Betting on Butter Chicken
👉 Day 17 – Pink Skies, Bad Bellies & Beach Chair Philosophy
👉 Day 18 – The Day My Stomach Quit
✈️ Travel Tip of the Day:
If you see a long line at a street food stall in Thailand, get in it. Don’t ask questions. Don’t overthink it. Just trust the queue.
Let’s Talk
What’s your must-buy at a street market?
And be honest — would you eat street meat, or run the other way?
