dissolve the sugar in the warm water
add the lime juice, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes (or thai peppers) and stir/shake
put the coconut milk, salt, and water into a pot on medium heat
bring to a simmer and then take off the heat
put the shrimp into the pot and cover for 4-8 minutes - shrimp should be firm to the touch and opaque when cooked
strain shrimp and place in a container in the fridge to cool
toss all the ingredients in a bowl!
dress to taste with nuóc cham and serve cold