🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Sisaket isn't just Khmer ruins and the Pha Mo I Daeng cliff for sightseeing — it's a farming province where the good food really does come straight out of the ground: shallots grown here more than anywhere else in the country, jasmine rice from the Thung Kula Ronghai plains, and volcanic durian grown on basalt soil along the Phanom Dong Rak range. As a riverside Isan town, it also has fermented and pickled goods like pla som and naem that people have made here for generations. All of it works as a souvenir — you just need to know where to buy and how to pick.
What food souvenirs does Sisaket have?
Before we work through the shops, let's look at which edible souvenirs people most like to carry home from Sisaket. Each one keeps for a different length of time — some you need to eat fast, others ride a train across the next day no problem.
- Pla som — sour-fermented freshwater fish, Isan style. Fry it or cook it into other dishes; the fresh kind needs refrigeration and should be eaten within a few days.
- Naem / mam — sour-fermented pork, wrapped in banana leaf or in a casing. Eat it raw if it's properly fermented; a bit easier to carry home than pla som.
- Shallots & garlic — the tied-bunch GI shallots and local garlic, the province's most famous product. Keeps for a month.
- Thung Kula Ronghai jasmine rice — Khao Dawk Mali 105 white rice from the GI area, fragrant and soft, a souvenir everyone will happily eat.
- Durian paste / volcanic durian snacks — durian paste, fried durian and dried durian made from GI volcanic durian. You can carry it home year-round, even out of season.
- Pork floss, pork crisps, chilli pastes & kleeb lamduan cookies — dry souvenirs from the in-town souvenir shops, easy to keep and carry.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Sisaket food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Pla som and naem — the fermented Isan goods locals gift
Pla som is freshwater fish fermented with roasted rice and salt until it turns sour — something Isan people have made forever. The Rasi Salai area and the Mun River basin within the province make a lot of it because the river supplies the fish. Fry pla som until crisp and eat it with steamed rice, or cook it into a chilli dip. Naem and mam are sour-fermented pork wrapped into bundles, eaten with ginger and fresh chillies. You'll find these at fresh markets in town and at dedicated pla som shops.
How to carry pla som and naem home without it spoiling
These fermented goods are perishable. Tell the vendor how many hours you'll be travelling and they'll vacuum-pack them or pack them with ice · over half a day, keep a cooler in the car · refrigerate the moment you get home, and always fry pla som until fully cooked before eating.
Thung Kula Ronghai jasmine rice — the souvenir everyone eats
Thung Kula Ronghai is a vast plain straddling five Isan provinces, and Sisaket holds part of it around the Rasi Salai and Sila Lat districts. The rice grown here is Khao Dawk Mali 105 and RD 15, grown once a year as wet-season rice, with a natural fragrance that earned it a GI registration as Thung Kula Ronghai jasmine rice. It makes a great souvenir because anyone can eat it, it keeps a long time, and you can buy it vacuum-packed to carry onto a plane or train easily. Go for new rice early in the season — that's when it's most fragrant and soft.
Durian paste and volcanic durian snacks — carry them home all year
Sisaket volcanic durian is a GI durian grown on basalt soil weathered from ancient volcanoes around Kantharalak, Khun Han and Si Rattana. Fresh durian season runs roughly June to August only, but if you come out of season or want something that keeps, the processed goods are the answer: chewy, rich-sweet durian paste, crispy fried durian, dried durian and durian ice cream. These are made from local durian, easy to carry home and far longer-keeping than fresh fruit — perfect for anyone who wants to try the volcanic durian flavour without having to come in season.
Check the border situation first
The volcanic durian orchards and sights like Pha Mo I Daeng–Khao Phra Wihan sit along the Kantharalak border. Border conditions can change. If you plan to drive up to buy durian at the orchards or stop at the viewpoints, check the border situation and whether the area is open before you set off, every time. If you just want the souvenirs, buying in town gets you the same goods.
Where to buy food souvenirs — the shops locals go to
Sisaket's souvenirs are spread across several spots: long-running souvenir shops in town, shops gathering the best goods of the four Tai ethnic groups, fresh markets, durian orchards and online sellers. Below are the places people actually go, laid out by what each one does best. Prices are rough ranges that depend on the season and the type of product.
Kit Tiang (near the train station)
A long-running souvenir shop open over 60 years on Khukhan Road, near Sisaket train station. They make and pack everything themselves — pork floss, pork crisps, pork sheets, rice crackers, chilli pastes, shallot cookies and kleeb lamduan cookies. Ideal if you've just got off the train and want to grab dry goods straight away — one stop covers a lot.
Sisaket Souvenir Shop, Mae Si Roundabout
A souvenir shop in the city centre around the Mae Si Sa Kes roundabout, with lots of options in one place: pickled solo garlic, homemade bakery, kleeb lamduan cookies, shallot cookies, local fabrics and handicrafts. Good for anyone who wants several souvenirs sorted in a single shop — easy to find, easy to park.
Mae Si Mart (Sao Ang sweets, 4 Tai groups)
A souvenir shop showcasing the good goods of Sisaket's four Tai ethnic groups, with local sweets like khanom sao ang, shallot-and-garlic processed goods and woven crafts. Good for anyone after souvenirs with a real local cultural flavour rather than generic stuff.
Ban Khanom Rakhang Thong
An in-town souvenir shop known for sweets and homemade bakery, with kleeb lamduan cookies (the provincial sweet), cookies and dry desserts that carry home easily. Good for anyone who wants sweet-tooth souvenirs to hand out at the office or to the family.
Sisaket Municipal Fresh Market
An in-town fresh market where you can find the full range of fresh souvenirs: pla som, naem, mam, shallots, garlic and local fermented-pickled goods. Market prices are cheaper than the souvenir shops — good for anyone after genuine Isan fermented goods from vendors who make it themselves. Ask them to pack it spoil-proof.
Pla som & fermented-goods shops, Rasi Salai area
Rasi Salai sits in the Mun River basin and the Thung Kula Ronghai plains — an area that makes a lot of pla som and fermented goods because the river supplies the fish. Drive through here and you'll find stalls and shops selling their own pla som, fresh from the source. Good for anyone travelling the Rasi Salai–Roi Et route.
Volcanic durian orchards & shops (Kantharalak/Khun Han)
From June to August, drive up around Kantharalak, Khun Han and Si Rattana, where orchards and shops sell volcanic durian both as fresh fruit and as processed goods like durian paste and fried durian. Good for anyone who wants goods straight from the orchard — but check the season and the border situation first, since it's near the border.
Wholesale shallot-garlic market, Talat Tha Ruea area
An in-town wholesale market for shallots and garlic, where the traders buy their stock. Goods are fresh and cheapest because they come straight from the growing areas. Good for anyone after bunch-tied shallots or lots of garlic by the sack to split up and give away. It gets very busy during harvest season.
Provincial OTOP / community enterprise shops
Processed goods made and sold by the province's farmer groups: fried shallots, pickled garlic, shallot cookies, vacuum-packed jasmine rice, even durian paste. Find them at OTOP shops and provincial fairs. Good for anyone after community-made goods you won't find elsewhere.
Online shops from local farmers
If you can't make it to Sisaket, many local farmer groups and shops sell on Shopee, Lazada and Facebook pages — GI jasmine rice, bunch-tied shallots and durian paste. Pick a seller that states the growing area clearly, has reviews and lists a production date, so you get goods close to buying it yourself.
Which goods suit whom
Want dry goods to carry straight onto the train? Head to Kit Tiang · want several things sorted in one shop? Go to Mae Si Roundabout · want fresh pla som and naem? Go to the municipal fresh market · want durian paste straight from the orchard? Drive up to Kantharalak in season · want lots of cheap shallots? Go to the wholesale market.
A 2-day souvenir-shopping trip — buy it all without missing anything
If you're in Sisaket and want to gather a full haul of both fresh and dry souvenirs, here's a short plan to follow — adjust it depending on whether you've come during durian season.
Dry goods & in-town shopping
Fresh & fermented goods, before heading home
How to choose food souvenirs without getting it wrong
Edible souvenirs include fresh goods where you check freshness and processed goods where you check the production date. If you're buying a lot to give to several households, run through these to be safe.
- Pla som & naem — it should smell sour and fragrant, not rotten; the flesh firm, not mushy. Ask the fermentation date and have it packed spoil-proof.
- Shallots & garlic — pick firm bulbs with dry skins, deep red colour and small necks; they'll keep longer without going mouldy.
- Jasmine rice — choose new rice early in the season with long, clean grains, and look for the Thung Kula Ronghai mark or GI label if you want the real thing.
- Durian paste & fried durian — check the production and expiry dates and that it's sealed tight; durian paste should be smooth in texture, not hard.
- Sweets & dry goods — check the production date and the FDA number, especially if you're buying a lot to give away.
How to get it all home intact
Keep fresh and dry goods in separate bags · put fresh items like pla som and naem in a cooler and refrigerate the moment you get home · don't seal bunch-tied shallots in an airtight bag — let them breathe · rice and durian paste can go in your carry-on, but check the airline's rules on liquids and strong-smelling items first.
Plan a full Sisaket food-and-travel trip across the province
See the Sisaket travel guide →