Cha Am has a large range of food outlets, so you should be able to find one that pleases your palette, and your wallet.  Here's a few pointers for choosing your source of things to eat:

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• When looking at restaurants, understand that one that has wooden chairs and table cloths is not necessarily going to be more expensive than one with plastic chairs. On the other side of the coin, one that looks dowdy could produce, for your taste, the best food in Cha Am! The point is, stop long enough to check the menu and don't judge based on first impression. 
   

• If you're not sure what to order from a Thai menu, here is a list of the top ten most popular Thai dishes across the world (Source: Thaiways web site)...

1. Tom Yam Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)
2. Kaeng Khiao Wan Kai  (Green Chicken Curry)
3. Phat Thai (Fried Noodles of Thai Style)
4. Phat Kaphrao (Meat* or Seafood Fried with Sweet Basil)
5. Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (Roast Duck Curry)
6. Tom Kha Gai (Chicken in Coconut Soup) 
7. Yam Nua (Spicy Beef Salad)
8. Moo or Gai Sa-te (Roast Pork or Chicken Coated with Turmeric)
9. Gai Phat Met Mamuang Himmaphan 
   (Chicken Fried with Cashew Nuts)
10. Kaeng Phanaeng (Meat in Coconut Cream)
* where it says meat this is usually a choice of Chicken, Pork or Beef.
 

• Most people coming to Thailand are happy to experience the rich variety of flavours available in Thai Cuisine. If however you find a need for some French, Italian, Norwegian, German food, a burger, or even simple Fish and Chips, Cha Am can provide.
   

• If you are travelling on a budget, as a general rule (not always true) you can eat more cheaply if you move away from the beach.  Additionally, it may be convenient to eat in the restaurant of the hotel that you are staying in, but it will almost certainly be a lot more expensive than in the many restaurants around Cha Am. Prices do vary considerably - for example if you buy, say, Fried Rice with Chicken, you can pay as low as 40 baht or as high as 150 baht. We will try to identify low cost food sources in the lists on this page.
   

• If you'd like to experience different Thai cuisine, try one of Cha Am's Isaan restaurants. Very popular with local Thai people, these restaurants serve food in the style of the people in the North East of the country. Very spicy, with Som Tum (Papaya Salad) being a staple of the choices being made. Also try the sticky rice that is very popular. The food is usually cheap but served in fairly humble establishments. See the restaurant lists for your choices.
   

• Along Cha Am beach you will see Umbrellas over deck chairs and tables. When you hire them you can order food (and drink) that will be brought to you. The food is usually prepared by one of the nearby restaurants or specialist kitchens. You'll pay a small surcharge but in general it's a very convenient and inexpensive way to eat.
   

PAYING FOR YOUR MEAL 
 

• Be aware that if you have invited Thai people to come and eat with you, their expectation will be that you are paying. This is normal in Thai society.
   

• When you want to pay, attract the attention of the waiting staff and say "Gep Tang Krup/Ka" (for men/women) or "Check Bin Krup/Ka". If you're not confident to try these words, the hand signal of writing on a pad is usually enough.
   

• Tipping is accepted practice in Thailand. Waiting staff are not well paid and depend on tips to supplement their income. May we suggest a minimum tip of 20 Baht, but perhaps a more generous tip would be 10% of the bill.

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Restaurants come and go in any town, while some endure and become landmarks. Cha Am is no different, and it would be impossible to keep up with every one. So like accommodation, we will defer to those websites (see the buttons) that specialise in keeping up with what's where. We do however have personal favourites, and have listed these for you to consider. 

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Advice: Places like trip advisor only give you the best rated amongst those restaurants that are listed with them. There will be plenty more that are not listed, so getting out and exploring may find you stumbling on that little gem that you would never have found online. Local knowledge is a great thing so strike up conversations and ask people you see - it could pay off.