Region: Southern Thailand> Province: Yala> Location: Betong

Betong

For a land-locked province, Yala has excellent seafood, and Betong is no exception. For dinner, there is a strip of good seafood places that are your best option, while noodle and rice joints abound throughout town. Two specialities of Betong are Kao Yok, a pork skin and pork fat dish mixed with taro in a kind of meatloaf deal -- it sounds gross, but it is actually pretty good; and Mee Curry, a curried noodle soup dish that is very popular for breakfast and is excellent. The bar scene is very much angled towards Malay men over for a weekend of karaoke, so nothing is all that exciting. The Merlin has a large club and the Cathay a smaller one.

Currys - Near the mosque
Sukkhayang Rd - Yala

There is a handy little curry shop just to the east of Betong's bright and baby blue mosque. Cheap and friendly.

Type of Food: Thai /

Dim Sum - Best in town
Chayachaowalit Rd - Yala

The place in town for Dim Sum is on the corner of Chayachaowalit Rd and Amornrit Rds. It has no English sign, but the steaming tubs of dim sum and long queues give it away! Very popular.
Type of Food: Chinese /

Mee Curry - Tasty breakfast
Thumwittee Rd - Yala

This excellent Betong speciality can be tried all over town, but we tried it at an open air place on the north-east corner of Thumwittee and Sukkhayang Rds. Not only does it make for an excellent breakfast, but the English-speaking owner is also a very nice guy. They also do very good steaming local coffee. Recommended.
Type of Food: Thai /

Seafood Strip - Very good food
Thumwittee Rd - Yala

Running along the east side of Thumwittee Rd, south of the Fah Un Rung Hotel and towards the Betong Merlin, are a string of BBQ seafood places that cook their fare on the sidewalk. We found the seafood to be better at the northern end of the strip, but it is all pretty good and the prices very reasonable.
Type of Food: Seafood /

Ta Yern Restaurant - Kao Yok here
Sukkhayang Rd - Yala

On Sukkhayang Rd, almost opposite the market, this large streetside restaurant has an English menu and is as good a place as any to try Betong's other speciality, Kao Yok. They also do loads of other standards Thai and Chinese dishes.
Type of Food: Thai /