🔄 Last checked 2 Jul 2026 · details and hours can change — check the venue before you go
Chai Phochana, or simply "Chai" as MICHELIN calls it, is a late-night khao tom and seafood house hidden away on Soi Samakkhi 38, Tha Sai subdistrict, Mueang Nonthaburi — a location you'd almost never drive past unless someone showed you the way. And yet this restaurant has held a Bib Gourmand in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand every year since 2019, all the way through to the 2026 edition, which says a lot, because a Bib Gourmand is the award for restaurants that deliver "great food at a great price," and holding that position for seven years straight means the kitchen has never let its standards slip. MICHELIN also describes it as spacious and well-organised, which matches the reality of a large khao tom house that opens at 3pm and runs until 1am, taking in customers in waves all night long.
The heart of the place is khao tom kuy-style seafood cooked with more care than the prices suggest. The dish both MICHELIN and diners agree on is the fried grouper with fish sauce — crisp skin, tender flesh — at THB 390, a generous price for a whole fish. Next comes squid stir-fried with salted egg, squid in fish sauce at THB 230, crab fried rice at THB 75, tom yum with fish roe at THB 350, marinated raw crab at THB 360, and the biggest dish on the table, curry-powder sea crab, at THB 800. For anyone showing up late at night, a bowl of hot seafood khao tom is exactly the reason this place exists in the first place. Average spend per head runs only around THB 250–500, enough for several dishes without overthinking it. The atmosphere is an unpretentious seafood house with both a regular zone and an air-con zone, plus its own car park — important, since this location isn't within walking distance of any train station.
What makes Chai Phochana more interesting than your average khao tom shop is that MICHELIN has tagged it "worth queueing for" — the queue is worth the wait — with the busiest stretch early evening, but because the kitchen works fast and the restaurant is large, tables turn over quickly, so the wait is shorter than you'd expect. One more thing to know before you go: the restaurant takes cash only per the MICHELIN listing, and it's closed on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. If you drive over on a night it's open, land a table, and get that fried grouper with fish sauce set down in front of you — that night alone makes the trip to Nonthaburi worth it.
Chai
Budget per head around THB 250–500 is light for a Bib Gourmand-level restaurant — crab fried rice starts at THB 75, squid in fish sauce THB 230, fried grouper with fish sauce THB 390, and the large curry-powder sea crab THB 800. The restaurant takes cash only, so bring enough. Most tables are walk-in, but if you're coming as a larger group you can call ahead at 063-998-3986 or 088-978-1558 — no deposit needed, and no online queue system to fight over.
The restaurant is open 15:00–01:00 (Sundays until around midnight) and closed on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Early evening is busiest, so if you'd rather skip the wait, go in the late afternoon or after 9pm. Getting there means driving or taking a taxi to Soi Samakkhi 38, Tha Sai, Mueang Nonthaburi, since the MRT Pink Line's Samakkhi station is over 2 km away — too far to walk. On the plus side, the restaurant has its own car park and an air-con zone to sit in.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| MICHELIN award 2026 | 🍽️ Bib Gourmand |
| Cuisine | Seafood / late-night khao tom |
| Approx. price | ~THB 250–500/head. Dishes: crab fried rice THB 75, squid in fish sauce THB 230, tom yum with fish roe THB 350, marinated raw crab THB 3 |
| Booking | Phone 063-998-3986 / 088-978-1558; mostly walk-in. Cash only per Michelin listing. |
| Hours | 15:00–01:00 (Sun to ~midnight); closed 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month |
| Neighbourhood | Soi Samakkhi 38, Tha Sai, Mueang Nonthaburi |
Queue tips
Michelin lists it as managing its own bookings; has its own car park and air-con zone. · Michelin tags it 'worth queueing for' — busiest early evening, but the kitchen turns tables fast; the room is large
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