Welcome, gluttons. I’m going to share with you the best Thai food on the island of Koh Tao.

I’m convinced that Koh Tao is the best island in Thailand. But if there’s anywhere it’s lacking, I have to say it’s the food. The average restaurant you’ll find here is pretty mediocre.

I’m not quite sure why- most likely it’s the tourist effect. It’s a smart move by the locals, to be honest. No reason to put effort into making food for a horde of undiscerning palates. In any event, there’s no need to worry. While good, authentic Thai food may be slightly harder to find here, there are still plenty of places that will do the trick. 

Also, apologies in advance for the minimal photo evidence in this post. I’m a bit of a glutton myself, and often get a tad too excited when my food arrives and wolf it down rather quickly. By the time I remember I should have taken a picture, the plate looks a bit like a crime scene. I guess that would be better than nothing still, so once again my apologies.

Blue Chair

Blue Chair is always a reliable choice. It’s located about a five-ten minutes walk from the main intersection with the bars and 7/11. Or a 30 second scooter ride.

There’s not much to say about it, it’s just a typical Thai place offering all the classics: Pad Thai, stir fries, curries- you get the picture. But what’s for sure is that they do them well.

Specifically the curries: the fish coconut curry and green curry are excellent, and their Massaman chicken curry is supposed to be incredible, though I can’t personally attest.

The Pad Thai, however, is nothing to write home about. Nor are just about any I had on Koh Tao, which I’m fully aware makes the cover image quite deceiving. Deepest apologies.

A word of warning that in high season, you’ll be fine for lunch but there’s a good chance you’ll have to wait for a table in the evenings, especially if you have a larger group.

Five Star (by Dive Supply)

Like all the best local food joints in Thailand, this one looks a bit like a hovel.

I’m pretty sure it’s called Five Star- I’m not positive. But if you go to Dive Supply and face it, the restaurant is directly to your right on a corner.

The main problem with Thai food on Koh Tao is a general lack of flavor. Which is problematic of course, as Thai cuisine is all about packing as much of a metaphorical flavor punch as can possibly be packed. Often to a fault, even.

But Five Star (we’ll just call it that), doesn’t have this issue. Each dish I tried from them was perfectly balanced- salty, sweet, tangy, just the right amount of spice.

Cattago

This one’s all about fish. A pescatarian’s dream.

All of their dishes are essentially rice topped with dry-aged fish, coming in a variety of forms: with different sauces, spice levels, etc.

All three of the dishes I tried were really nice. The fish is always cooked beautifully, soft and tender with crispy skin. And the price is great. 150 baht for a decent portion of fish and accompaniments.

The one place I’ll dock points from them is with the portion size. I wouldn’t mind paying 200 for a larger portion of fish. Maybe ask them if they can do that for you if you’re quite hungry. They may just say to buy two, which still wouldn’t set you back too much.

It’s on the long, narrow road along Sairee Beach, a nice area to take a pre or post-meal stroll as well should you choose to.

995 Duck

This one’s gotten quite famous over recent years. Thanks to TikTok, I’m told. Seriously, look at the sheer masses who feel the need to post about a plate of duck.

While we’re on the topic, if you ever come across a TikTok claiming they found a secret spot, they may well have but it certainly isn’t anymore. Stupid app.

But when you don’t wait on the hour-long queue to get your helping of roasted duck on rice, this place is really quite good.

Just don’t come early in the evening. The line is at its longest around 6:30-7:00 PM. If you come for lunch or a late dinner, you shouldn’t have an issue.

The star of the show is of course the duck. But they do well with their Thai food in general. There may not have been a high bar to pass, but 995 Duck’s Pad Thai was the best I had in Koh Tao. My main critique was that it was a touch too sweet, but other than that it was quite nice. Generous with the peanuts, which I like.

Tiki’s Kitchen

So this one is a bit of an enigma. From what I gather, the lady who runs this place has achieved legendary status on the island. I’ve never even eaten there, actually. But I’ve tried.

Which is why I stopped by at least three times, asking her if she could squeeze me in. The first time I showed up, there was basically no one there so I supposed there wouldn’t be a problem. But I got some attitude. “Three hours”, she said. “Okay?”.

No, it most certainly was not okay. And it was confusing, as there was no one in the restaurant. But I put my tail between my legs and scooted away.

I later learned that she has a large group of local divers who (whom?) she prepares food for so they can eat on their return. Must be a real big group, for three hours of cooking.

In any event, I didn’t eat her food and she wasn’t particularly hospitable, but there’s just an indisputable aura about this old lady. I’d bet my left leg that her food is killer.

Check it out. Maybe you’ll have more luck than I did. If you do, let me know- I am infinitely curious.

And some mango sticky rice for dessert, of course

What’s a good Thai meal without some mango sticky rice to finish it all off?

If you’re unfamiliar with this dish, which you shouldn’t be, it’s essentially mango served with rice that’s been cooked in sweetened coconut milk. Generally it comes with some coconut sauce to pour over the top with some crunchy bits as well. It’s quite good.

There are many places to get this delicacy in Koh Tao. The problem is that they’re all quite expensive- I couldn’t even find one for less than 100 baht. That being said, the portion size is always quite large.

The best one, I would say, can be found at the main intersection I mentioned earlier by the bars and 7/11. I’ve pinpointed the exact spot on the map below (you may have to zoom out and back in on Koh Tao- it’s a bit finicky) . They serve it quite tastefully, with multi-colored rice and a pretty little flower on top, which of course adds a lot to the dish.

If you want to have your mango sticky rice in luxury, head to Mango Garden. They have a variety of different options, including one with black rice (not exactly sure what it’s made of- they say it’s sweeter but that’s all I got). You’ll pay for the luxury though- they start at close to 200 baht, if memory serves.

And there you have it- the best Thai food Koh Tao has to offer! Koh Tao is a real gem, and if you’re like most people you’ll end up staying here far longer than you had originally planned. If that’s the case you’ll have a lot of eating to do, and this list should serve you well.