8 Best Thai Restaurants in Bangkok by Budget and Style

Featured image: LWYang from USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Quick answer: where to eat Thai food in Bangkok

We'd split the eight picks by what you want from the meal. Choose Rongros for a river view, Somtum Der or Madam Somtum for Isan food, and Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong for boat noodles. Sanguan Sri and Krua Aroy Aroy suit curry fans. Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu is our splurge-leaning pad thai stop. Hours below were checked in November 2026. Dish prices date from March 2023 visits, so treat them as a guide to the cost tier rather than today's menu.

8 Best Thai Restaurants in Bangkok

Each pick below lists what it is known for, what to order, the area, a booking note and who should skip it. Cost tiers are relative: street-level, casual sit-down or splurge.

1. Rongros

Rongros sits on the Chao Phraya riverbank on Maha Rat Rd in Phra Nakhon, almost directly across from Wat Arun. We'd book it for a first Thai dinner with a view. Good orders are tod mun pla (fishcakes with peanut dipping sauce), sai krok isan and green curry served with roti. Three dishes and two beers came to ฿1,213 in March 2023, which puts it in the casual sit-down tier.

Hours are 11AM-3PM and 5-10PM daily. Rooftop bar tables are typically booked weeks ahead, while the first-floor dining room is easier to get. Skip it if you want rooftop seats on short notice.

2. Somtum Der

Somtum Der is an Isan specialist on Sala Daeng Rd in Silom, and it is listed in the Michelin Guide for its som tum. Our pick for newcomers is a central Thai som tum thai, which is sweet, sour and salty. Braver eaters can try an Isan version made with fermented fish. The menu offers around ten variations. Add kor moo yang (grilled pork neck), which is smoky and tender.

It opens 11AM-11PM daily and sits in the casual sit-down tier. Skip it if you avoid fermented fish or pork, or if you cannot take chili heat.

3. Madam Somtum

Madam Somtum is Lumphini's cheaper som tum alternative, on Phloen Chit Rd. Its menu runs from gentle central Thai styles to pungent rice paddy crab som tum, which is also head-sweatingly spicy. Add gai yang or pork larb if you want a fuller Isan meal. Hours are 10AM-10PM, Monday to Saturday. Madam Somtum is closed on Sundays.

It costs noticeably less than Somtum Der, so we'd use it to stretch a budget. Skip it on a Sunday, or if you want a quiet, scenic dinner.

4. Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong

Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong serves boat noodles at 1/7 Ratchawithi Rd. The dark broth is seasoned with pig or cow blood. Bowls are tiny, so most diners eat several in one sitting. A bowl cost ฿16 in March 2023, and one can be finished in three or four bites. It is open 9AM-8PM, Tuesday to Sunday, and closed on Mondays.

Expect a wait at peak meal times. One visit counted about ten people ahead in line on arrival and over twenty by the end of the meal. Skip it if you cannot queue, or if you dislike blood-seasoned broth. Go off-peak instead.

5. Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu

Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu is the Dinso Rd pad thai shop of Chef Andy Yang, with a second outlet in Siam Square. Plates cost at least double an average Bangkok pad thai, and portions are smaller. That is why we place it in the splurge-leaning tier. Choose the prawn version with soft rice noodles, or the pad thai topped with crispy Berkshire pork belly.

The Dinso Rd branch opens 10AM-8PM daily, and it appeared in the Michelin street food guide. Skip it if you want a big, cheap plate or a full multi-dish meal.

6. Original Pad Kra Pao 1993

Original Pad Kra Pao 1993 is on Soi Charoen Rat 4 in Khlong San, on the less touristy western side of the Chao Phraya, a short walk from Wongwian Yai BTS station. It serves pad kra pao (stir-fried holy basil) with ground pork, beef, chicken or shrimp. The classic is ground pork with a fried egg. You can choose the spice level. Medium is usually enough if you want to taste the basil.

Hours are 11AM-9PM daily, and it sits between street-level and casual sit-down. Skip it if you want an English-language menu or a central, walkable location.

7. Sanguan Sri

Sanguan Sri has served old-school Thai food on Witthayu Rd in Lumphini since 1970. It was listed as Bib Gourmand in the 2023 Michelin Guide. Daily specials drive the menu. A red curry with roast duck was a Tuesday special, and beef green curry is a Thursday dish. The dining room fills with office workers at lunch, so arrive early or late.

It opens 10AM-3PM, Monday to Saturday, and closes on Sundays. Skip it for dinner, since it stops serving at 3PM.

8. Krua Aroy Aroy

Krua Aroy Aroy is a curry shop at 3 Pan Rd in Bang Rak, directly across from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. We'd order the green chicken curry with rice. It cost ฿80 in March 2023, which marks it as a street-level to casual lunch. Massaman curry and khao soi are also on the menu.

Hours are 9AM-6PM, Thursday to Tuesday. It is closed on Wednesdays. Skip it on Wednesdays, or if you want a late dinner.

How to order spice and unfamiliar dishes

Say your preferred heat level when you order, because most dishes can be adjusted. At Original Pad Kra Pao 1993 you can pick the spice level, and medium keeps the flavor in the dish. For som tum, start with a central Thai version before trying fermented fish or rice paddy crab. Boat noodle broth is seasoned with blood, so ask which version a stall sells if that bothers you. For pork, shellfish or fermented fish concerns, see our halal restaurant picks.

Closed days and queues to plan around

Four of our eight picks close one day a week. Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong shuts on Mondays, Krua Aroy Aroy on Wednesdays, and Madam Somtum and Sanguan Sri on Sundays. Sanguan Sri also stops at 3PM, and Rongros pauses between 3PM and 5PM. Walk in off-peak at Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong to avoid a line of 20 or more. For Rongros rooftop seats, reserve weeks ahead. Browse our cheap eats if a closed day wrecks the plan.

One-day route and getting around

Pair neighbors to save transit time. Eat lunch at Sanguan Sri on Witthayu Rd, then try Madam Somtum on Phloen Chit Rd for an early dinner. Somtum Der on Sala Daeng Rd in Silom is the late-night alternative, open until 11PM. For the old town, combine Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu on Dinso Rd with Rongros on Maha Rat Rd, both in Phra Nakhon. Check Chao Phraya Express Boat for river pier options. More waterfront options are in our riverside restaurant guide.

More Thai names worth a look

Nahm at COMO Metropolitan, Sorn (southern Thai, Sukhumvit 26), Baan Phadthai, Err in Tha Tien and Krua Apsor are on our list for a later update. Look up current Michelin status for each on the Michelin Guide Thailand site. For a tasting-menu evening, start with our fine dining guide.