Best Thai food

[matttrotman]

Hi,

Can anyone recommend an amazing Thai restaurant on a bit of a budget. I'm bringing my Brother over for the first time and want to wow him with some nice dining.

[Big Boy]

It would help if you could tell us where you will be staying, and what your budget is. There are plenty of good eateries around but we need just a little more information to answer your question well.

[Takiap]

I agree with BB. A lot depends on budget, tastes and etc. Many first timers are put off by the average Thai eatery, irrespective of how good the food is, simply because the environment is so different. If you guest can look beyond what first meets the eye, practically all Thai eateries will have the "wow" effect. Perhaps one of the buffet places, such as the one near soi 48/49, or perhaps something a little classier, such as the boat style place in Takiap.

I myself was quite reserved when I first came here, but now I'm happy to eat practically anything providing it's not liver or any other internal bits. Oh, and I also don't eat much seafood apart from fish, crayfish, and prawns.

Again, the boat style place in Takiap is rather nice, and is bound to impress a first timer. Reasonable prices and a lovely setting too.

[Randy Cornhole]

There are many Thai eaterys scattered around HH. I always go where the Thais themselves eat.

Lek Leks has always been good value imho and always packed if a tad noisy (which doesn't bother me) The smells that come from the kitchen, general ambiance and the motorsais wizzing past all add to the experience as far as i'm concerned.

[hhfarang]

Here are my favorites going from south to north (Takiab to Borfai); They all fall into the moderate to budget price range.

Usa Mass (Takiab across from the big white Wat), run by two lovely old sisters that speak perfect English.
Tamirind (Very Thai jungle seating in private thatch roof sala type tables, beside the railroad tracks just north of the flyover; sign only in Thai, walk across a wooden bridge over a canal to the hidden entrance), try the crab fried rice and duck salad among other things but everything is good!
Pen Dan Tong (Phetkasem Road just north of the flyover), haven't been in a while, hope it's still good.
Seb Nuer (On the railroad tracks just south of the station), the best Issan style Thai restaurant in town according to my wife. The food and prices are very good here.
Sirin Hotel Restaurant (across the parking lot from McDonalds downtown), very clean, air conditioned on hot days, the best type of Thai food for first timers imo.
Mr Burger 3 (Near the north end of the canal road) Disclaimer: I haven't been here in a while so I don't know if the quality is still as good as it once was.

[Homer]

Seb Nuer (On the railroad tracks just south of the station), the best Issan style Thai restaurant in town according to my wife. The food and prices are very good here.

+1. The only item I didn't like there my thai companion said was quite good and I just sometimes didn't like thai food made for thai people.

[richard]

HHfarang

Does Tamarind do the prawn dish in a tamarind sauce?

[hhfarang]

^ I'm not sure as I've never eaten that (to my knowledge; sometimes the wife orders for the table and I don't really know what I'm eating ), but I've had probably 50 dishes there including many prawn dishes and they were all good so far.

The duck salad is their signature dish. You would never know what it was by the name as it looks more like a duck meat loaf than a salad but is served with some greens and veggies, hence the salad moniker. I've never liked duck before but this does not taste like duck in the traditional sense and is delicious, especially with the lemon sauce that comes with dribbled over it. Yum!!

The setting is individual sala style tables in a dense garden with pathways to each table. There is at least one larger open air room for large groups but they have private tables that will handle up to six people easily. They will put fans around the table if you want and each table has a hollow bamboo type bell with a stick to hit it with if you need service and there is no one around... very casual, very reasonable prices, extensive Thai menu, good food and unique setting.

Oh, and in my list of Thai restaurants above, I forgot an important one (my wife's favorite):

Mini Farm Kitchen (just across the railway headed west on Soi 88, turn right and its about one block on the left hand side)

[TypicallyTropical]

I certainly don't know the Thai restaurants there to declare any as the "Best," but I had awesome Thai food at a restaurant located at the SW corner of Dechanucit Road and Phetch Kasem Road, kind of across from where the night market begins. The food was so good I went back there again to eat! (Sorry, I can't remember the name of the place.)

[matttrotman]

Brilliant replies guys, thankyou very much!

[thaidane]

Can see this thread has been inactive for a while, but I'm going to Hua Hin next month and am trying to get as much info I can to keep the cost down.

I have found a lot of usefull info in this thread and will try out some of the places mentioned here, so a big thanks to all posters!