Sorn is ranked 11 in this year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. — Photos: Sorn/Facebook
A restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand serving southern Thai cuisine became the nation’s first to win the coveted three-star rating by Michelin Guide as more local eateries found a place in the prized annual list of winners.
Sorn, helmed by chef Supaksorn Jongsiri, was upgraded to three stars, an honour that had eluded Thai restaurants since Michelin Guide made its debut in 2017. It was promoted for its “excellence, quality, and consistency”, Michelin said in a statement.
Since winning its first Michelin star accolade in the 2019 edition, Sorn had retained its two-star billing for five years in a row. The restaurant is located in a traditional Thai house in a quieter quarter of Bangkok’s city centre.
The 2025 edition of the Thailand Michelin Guide took the total number of star-rated restaurants to 37, including seven with two stars. Five new restaurants landed the one star billing for the first time, taking the total number to 28, while four eateries also bagged green stars as a recognition for their sustainable practices.
The growing number of Michelin-awarded restaurants is set to bolster Thailand’s appeal as a gastronomical destination among travellers and help the nation’s bid to propel its economy through tourism. Thailand’s credentials as a tourism hot spot that boasts of some of the world’s most luxurious hotels and fine-dining spots were confirmed when the Capella Bangkok, a riverside resort in the capital city, was voted as the world’s top hotel in September.
Besides Capella, the World’s 50 Best Hotel list also included three other hotels in Bangkok, including the Mandarin Oriental, which was also ranked the best hotel in the world earlier by Britain’s Telegraph in its “Hotel Awards”.
Sorn is housed in a traditional Thai-inspired house in Bangkok. — Photos: Sorn/Facebook
“With the country’s first-ever three Michelin-starred restaurant, 2025 definitely marks a significant and historic year for Thailand on the international gastronomic map,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of The Michelin Guides.
The Michelin ratings will help attract more tourists to Thailand, according to Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The sector accounts for about 12% of Thailand’s gross domestic product and nearly a fifth of jobs, and has been one of the few bright spots in an economy that’s lagged the pace of expansion of its neighbours like Indonesia and Vietnam.
“The Michelin Guide Thailand has played a crucial role in promoting Thai food to the global stage,” Thapanee said. “(Eating) Thai food is one of the five must-do activities in Thailand.”
The Michelin Young Chef Award went to Sittikorn Chantop, chef of Akkee that serves classic Thai cuisines that change with the seasons. Dimitrios Moudios of Ore restaurant in Bangkok’s Chong Nonsi area bagged the opening of the year prize. Baan Tepa, a contemporary Thai restaurant helmed by Chudaree Debhakam, won a green star rating for sustainable practices and besides being picked for the Best Service Award.
More than 31 million tourists have visited the country so far this year, on course to meet the government’s full-year target of 36.7 million. The nation aims to welcome 40 million travellers next year and generate THB3.4 trillion (RM442.5bil) in revenue. – Bloomberg
Sorn is ranked 11 in this year's World's 50 Best Restaurants list. — Photos: Sorn/Facebook
