The pad thai

The dish the restaurant says it created is the Superb Padthai: long, tender chan noodles fried with shrimp oil and fresh deep-sea prawns on a charcoal stove, then wrapped in a thin layer of egg. The Basic Padthai is the traditional version with dried shrimp, egg and the scent of palm sugar, and there is a vegetarian pad thai.

Padthai Song-Krueng is the most elaborate plate, with extra-large deep-sea prawns, crabmeat and sliced squid, finished with shredded raw mango for sourness instead of lime, and you can choose chan noodles or glass noodles.

How the shop runs

The current owner, Dr. Sikarachat Baisamut, is the founders' son. The restaurant credits him with bringing in orderly queuing to cut waiting times, so a line outside is part of the routine rather than a sign you should give up. The open kitchen at the front is where the woks work, and the long, wood-paneled dining room behind it is hung with framed pictures.

Branches and take-home sauces

The Maha Chai Road flagship is the original. Thipsamai also runs counters at ICONSIAM in Khlong San and in the Paragon Food Hall at Siam Paragon, which are easier to fit into a mall day, plus a branch on Phutthamonthon Sai 4 outside the city. Its pad thai sauces and ready-to-cook sets are sold on its website.

Getting there

Maha Chai Road runs through the Old City near the Samran Rat area of Phra Nakhon. Few rail lines reach this part of town, so most visitors come by taxi or ride-hailing app, and it is close enough to the sights of Rattanakosin to finish a day there.

Sources: Thipsamai, the Thipsamai story, Superb Padthai, Padthai Song-Krueng, branches. Checked September 25, 2026.