Thai food has steadily grown in popularity in Singapore, and standards have certainly kept up as well, owing to Singaporeans’ taste for spicy and tangy foods. Here is a round up of some of the best Thai cuisine places there are, at decently affordable prices!
1. Jai Thai![]()
In the heart of the industrial area of Jalan Pemimpin lies a secret haven for Thai food lovers. Housed in a cosy and homely restaurant, Jai Thai serves up some mean Thai cuisine that will remind you of Bangkok.
Favourites include an authentic pad thai that’s fried to perfection with big succulent prawns, crispy and juicy prawn cakes, and their signature pineapple fried rice. Of course, you can choose to eat zi-char style and order up some of their Thai-style meat, fish, and vegetables dishes to share with a big group. The best part? You can definitely have a meal for under $10 here!
Address: 7 Clover Way, Singapore 579080
Opening Hours: Daily, 11AM – 3PM, 6PM-8.30PM
2. Nakhon Kitchen
Credit: tomomi_13 @ Instagram
Credit: nakhonkitchen @ Instagram
Credit: nakhonkitchen @ Instagram
If you want to enjoy authentic Thai food that is good and cheap, Nakhon Kitchen is one of your best bets. Most one-meal dishes will set you back only about $6-$7 for a taste of Thailand. Especially popular are their juicy and fragrant pandan chicken—charred to perfection—and their clear seafood tom yum soup that’s just the right balance of tangy and spicy. Be prepared to queue for a bit, as Nakhon is a well-established name for “good-and-cheap” Thai food!
Address: 27A Lor Liput, Holland Village, Singapore 277738
Opening Hours: Closed Wednesdays, Open 12PM-2.45PM, 5.30PM-9.45PM
3. Diandin Leluk
Credit: drifterdrift @ Instagram
Golden Mile Complex is home to some of the best Thai food in Singapore, and is where many Thais go to for a taste of home. One of the most popular joints there is Diandin Leluk, a bustling eatery with some of the most authentic Thai food you can find. These dishes come in huge portions and are value for money. Try their Thai Otah, with chunks of fish and real coconut milk spooned over the top, or their Claypot Prawn Tang Hoon with huge prawns and chewy vermicelli with a bit of wok hei. If you enjoy super sweet and thick Thai milk tea, this one’s for you too!
Address: 5001 Beach Rd, #01-67/68/69 Golden Mile Complex, Singapore 199588
Opening Hours: Daily, 24 hours (except Monday – open 12AM – 9.30PM)
4. Beer Thai House Restaurant
Credit: perryong @ Instagram
Credit: nivatc @ Instagram
Credit: kevin_the_hiak @ Instagram
Tucked deep in a corner of Golden Mile Complex, the crowd betrays its hidden location. You’d be hard pressed to find an empty table for dinner on weekdays despite how difficult it is to locate this place. It’s not hard to see why Thai food lovers keep flocking back to Beerthai—the authenticity of the food speaks for itself. From a masterful crispy fried omelette to fatty grilled pork cheeks to more authentic dishes like raw prawn salad, we doubt you can find any place in Singapore that serves Thai food quite like Beer Thai.
Address: 5001 Beach Road #01-94/96, Golden Mile Complex, Singapore 199588
Opening Hours: Daily 10AM-10PM
5. Na Na Original Thai Food
Credit: swiithearts @ Instagram
Credit: fulloflight53 @ Instagram
Despite being a chain restaurant, Na Na Original Thai Food consistently serves up high quality fare. A favourite haunt of office workers during lunchtime, they serve budget-friendly meals that satisfy the palate. The perennial favourite, Thai Basil Pork Rice certainly packs a punch with spice and a delicious pork sauce, complete with a runny fried egg to break into. For an authentic Thai lunch (or dinner, why not?), check out Na Na Original Thai Food!
Address: 14 Scotts Rd, #01-21 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213
Opening Hours: Daily, 11.30AM – 10PM
6. Ah Loy Thai
Credit: tjang.fonda @ Instagram
For zi-char style Thai food at really affordable prices, look no further. If you’re bringing your family out, why not get some Thai food to share? Their seafood tom yum soup, which is large enough to feed a group of 4, and has generous servings of seafood, is fairly affordable at under $10. The soup is thick, sour and spicy, hitting all the right notes. They’re also famous for their pandan chicken, garlic pork, and crispy fried egg omelette.
Address: 9, #01-04 Tan Quee Lan St, 188098
Opening Hours: 11.30AM – 3PM, 5PM – 8PM on weekdays, 12PM-3PM, 4.15PM-9PM on weekends
7. Y Cube Mookata
Credit: iamshirleyyyy @ Instagram
This mookata joint is packed with crowds on weekends for a reason. Though not ‘cheap’ by any
means, it’s extremely ‘value-for-money’ for the quality of meat and seafood that you get. For just $32 per person, you can get all the marinated meat, fresh seafood like crayfish, scallops, dory fish, clams and even gong-gong that you can eat. Yes you read that right; free-flow crayfish! The waiters will even help diners peel the crayfish on request. If that isn’t enough to make you visit Y Cube, they have free-flow soft drinks, Thai milk tea and ice cream to finish the meal with. Once you go, you can’t stop!
Address: 5001 Beach Rd, #02-45 Golden Mile Complex, 199588
Opening Hours: Daily, 12PM – 6AM
8. Nimman Soi 9
Credit: juliuslim @ Instagram
Credit: myjeansdontfit @ Instagram
This mookata joint is packed with crowds on weekends for a reason. Though not ‘cheap’ by any means, it’s extremely ‘value-for-money’ for the quality of meat and seafood that you get. For just $32 per person, you can get all the marinated meat, fresh seafood like crayfish, scallops, dory fish, clams and even gong-gong that you can eat. Yes you read that right; free-flow crayfish! The waiters will even help diners peel the crayfish on request. If that isn’t enough to make you visit Y Cube, they have free-flow soft drinks, Thai milk tea and ice cream to finish the meal with. Once you go, you can’t stop!
Address: 21 Street Eating House, Blk, 201 Tampines Street 21, 524201
Opening Hours: Daily 9AM-9.30AM
9. New Udon Thai Food
Credit: beansproutbean @ Instagram
Don’t be misled by the name, for they do not specialize in udon. This is actually another popular mookata joint on the ground floor of Golden Mile Complex. The smell of barbequed meat permeates the ground floor of the building, and New Udon Thai Food is certainly the main culprit! But the smell speaks for itself; the meats served are marinated to perfection for maximum flavour when you grill them. They also serve a variety of chili sauces to give an extra kick, and soup items to give the soup that sweet flavour.
Address: 5001 Beach Rd, #01-55 Golden Mile Complex, Singapore 199588
Opening Hours: Daily 24 hours
