10 Best Thai Restaurants in Koh Samui

Saffron is an outstanding restaurant set at the top of a hill, overlooking the Andaman Sea and the northeastern coast of Samui Island. The restaurant is located in the northern area of Lamai, on the grounds of the majestic Banyan Tree Samui.

With a refined atmosphere and décor, impeccable and discreet service and, above all, delicious Thai food, Saffron is the kind of venue dedicated to a memorable treat of the senses in Koh Samui. Many guests residing in other resorts book a table and come to Saffron for the view and experience – sometimes more than once during their stay.

Kob Thai is one of the most popular restaurants in Lamai, located in a very tranquil environment some 200 metres from Samui’s Ring Road. The restaurant opened in 2012 under French management and is set on a rather large plot featuring 8 salas and a swimming pool.

The setting, location and features come together to make the venue very family-friendly. A big highlight is the dishes on offer. Kob Thai specialises in traditional Thai dishes prepared by a talented team. Furthermore, the restaurant is unpretentious and fairly priced.

Tree Tops is Anantara Lawana Resort’s signature award-winning restaurant. In addition to serving first-class dishes, this restaurant lets its guests dine in a unique environment: 8 private open-sided treehouses perched in the canopy. Each of them can seat up to 8 dinners, making reservations mandatory.

The feeling of dining in such an original place is already intense, and the quality of the Thai food served at Tree Tops will take your taste buds to a new high. Thai cuisine is here revisited by the chef, who has a long experience in blending flavours from all around the world.

Khaw Glong Thai Restaurant is one of the most popular venues for sampling genuine Thai cuisine in Chaweng. At this extremely popular restaurant, diners can feast on freshly-cooked traditional dishes, prepared with fresh local ingredients.

The restaurant is designed in contemporary Thai style and features a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. You can find Khaw Glong located in a small alley off Chaweng Beach Road, behind the Kasikorn Bank next to Iyara Beach Hotel & Plaza.

Phensiri Thai Bistro is a trendy yet unpretentious family-run business serving a great choice of Thai cuisine classics such as pad thai gai (fried noodles with chicken), tom yum (spicy soup), massaman beef curry, and more. 

Located in the southern part of Chaweng, a very short distance from The New Villa, Phensiri Thai Bistro is a modestly-sized contemporary-style restaurant, featuring indoor and outdoor (under a pergola) dining sections. Reasonably priced, Phensiri also hosts Thai cooking classes.

The Hut Café is a simple and unflashy family business serving delicious homemade Thai specialities at affordable prices in Bophut. You’ll find it toward the eastern end of Bophut’s Fisherman’s Village, directly opposite The Waterfront Hotel.

From massaman and other curries to fresh seafood to classic Thai dishes, The Hut Café serves hearty, well-prepared food in a very Thai – in the sense of being laid-back – atmosphere. The restaurant is, in fact, the owners’ family house, to which a dozen tables have been added to seat customers inside or in front, for the alfresco experience.

Sweet Sisters Café is located along Samui’s Ring Road, between Laem Sor and Laem Set in the southern part of Koh Samui. This off-the-beaten-track location should not curb your enthusiasm to stop by and sample their excellent organic food. The venue is quite small yet inviting. Simple and comfortable, it also features games for children.

Everything served – or sold on the shelves – here is natural and organic: there is no use of MSG or other chemical enhancing agents at Sweet Sisters Café. Their Thai dishes have a fusion twist and a great flavour, enhanced by the freshness and quality of the ingredients used to prepare them.

Sabienglae Restaurant in Lamai serves up fantastic fresh seafood surprisingly quickly and at remarkably affordable prices. There are several restaurants around Koh Samui that carry the name "Sabienglae", but this is the first and remains the finest on the island. You can find the restaurant right by the side of the road heading south out of Lamai.

Being right on the beach, Sabienglae’s simple open layout allows you to enjoy the cooling sea breeze. We highly recommend the deep-fried king prawns with tamarind sauce. Each prawn is a hefty 100 grams and the sauce is tangy and very tasty.

Krua Bophut offers a choice of dining areas, including a traditionally-styled indoor room and tables down on the beach – it’s not difficult to guess which is the most popular. The menu is a little on the pricey side, but features a good range of traditional Thai dishes that are tasty and well-prepared.

Notable dishes include stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts and duck with 3 spices. Krua Bophut is a pleasantly romantic setting for a lovely meal in Fisherman’s Village.

Happy Elephant is a local restaurant that’s been at the heart of the Fisherman’s Village in Bophut since 1995. The main part of the restaurant is housed in a charming, rustic wooden building, with tables laid out on the sand behind it most evenings. The prices are a little high, as it's right in the middle of a popular tourist destination. 

Happy Elephant uses first-class ingredients, so it's a popular choice for tourists and locals looking for something a bit special. Alongside an impressive choice of high-quality international dishes are Thai classics like tom yam, pad Thai, and panang curry.