Thipsamai Pad Thai

Thipsamai is the original pad thai shop at Pratu Phi, the old Ghost Gate stretch of Maha Chai Road, a few doors from Jay Fai. Woks run nonstop at the front of the shophouse, and the queue on the pavement is part of the scenery most evenings.

The family says Samai Baisamut started with a street stall before renting this shophouse in 1966, and the business is now run by later generations. Some of the founding legends are disputed by historians, but the cooking has kept its reputation, with prawn oil, Chanthaburi rice noodles and the signature egg wrap. Branches now exist in malls, but the Maha Chai Road original is the one people travel for.

What to order

• Pad thai wrapped in egg: noodles with shrimp oil and fresh prawns enclosed in a thin omelette
• Classic pad thai with dried shrimp: the simple version with tofu, chives and bean sprouts
• Superb pad thai: the top-tier plate made with thin Chanthaburi noodles and larger prawns

Good to know

• The queue moves quickly but is longest in the evening, so a late morning or mid-afternoon visit is calmer.
• It is closed every Tuesday, which catches out a lot of visitors.
• Combine it with Jay Fai and the Giant Swing area, all within a short walk.