Telephone: 076 213219

Open: 10am-8pm daily

Address: eastern side of Koh Sireh

Style: Thai seaside

Price range: Extremely reasonable. Somtam (40 baht) shrimp spring roll (70 baht) shrimp raw (60 baht) tomyam gung (70 baht) fried prawn cakes (60 baht) seafood soup (60 baht) crab with lemon (70 baht) small hoi (50 baht) yellow curry (70 baht) pork larb (60 baht) fried noodles with soi sauce (40 baht) pad thai (30 baht) chicken with cashews (60 baht) thai omelette with crab/shrimp (60 baht) singha large (70 baht) heineken (80 baht)

Specialty: Thai seafood with a great view

What the manager says: ''We have been here for a long time now. The prices haven't changed much.''

Every so often, when we can no longer go without a great Thai meal by the seaside, we head for the Koh Sireh Resort. There are two restaurants on this particular stretch of Koh Sireh, the island linked to Phuket City by a bridge, and this one is probably better value. It's authentic to the point where you will need someone who is able to read the Thai menu. Then sit back, relax, and take in a great vista across the bay toward craggy Phang Nga. Thais who know this place clearly love it. They eat a little, fish a little, then perhaps walk out across the rocks at low tide, looking for shellfish. There's an Australian saying: ''Don't come the raw prawn with me,'' which means, ''Don't treat me like a fool.'' The raw prawns here happen to be delicious, a textural taste triumph. And the grilled squid is heavenly. Have these two with somtam, watch the other diners enjoying themselves between courses, and imagine what Phuket must have been like when all the big Western beaches were just as much about the food as the fun. It will be a shame if these places ever disappear.

How to find it: Take the route to Koh Sireh, east from Phuket City, drive around the island to the other side and look for the Koh Sireh Resort close to the Thai cooking school. It has a narrow frontage and a string of small bungalows lead down to the dining area by the beach.

Parking: Under the coconut trees.

Phuketwan restaurant reviewers pay for their meals. If someone else does, we tell you so