Sorn makes history at Michelin Guide Thailand 2025 Star Revelation

The wait for a table at Thailand’s hardest-to-book restaurant is about to get even longer after Sorn was named the country’s first-ever Three Michelin star venue.
Sittings at the restaurant — one of the hottest tables in the Thai capital and a trailblazer in bringing the fiery flavours of the southern kitchen to a global audience — are notoriously difficult to secure with diners typically waiting months for a table.
And demand is only set to grow following today’s Michelin Guide Thailand 2025 Star Revelation, which took place at Siam Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok.
“This is for Thailand and my team,” said a tearful Supaksorn “Ice” Jongsiri, the proprietor and creative force behind Sorn, which is now, not only the first ever three-star restaurant in Thailand, but the only Thai restaurant in the world with three-stars.
“Not everyone believed in me when I first had the idea for the restaurant. But people had faith. Now we have arrived where nobody in Thailand has been before. We dared together, and now we are here.”
Jongsiri also dedicated his momentous achievement to his son, Namkang. “You were the guy who encouraged me to take a leap of faith,” he added. “When I first held you, I wanted to be great for you. Later at school, you will learn who became the first man on the moon. Today, your daddy is the first man in Thailand to land on three Michelin stars.”
Sorn has experienced a remarkable ascent to culinary stardom since its debut in 2018.
Within just months of opening, it earned a Michelin star, making history as the first restaurant specialising in Southern Thai cuisine to achieve the prestigious accolade. Inspectors from the French gourmet bible did nothing to shorten the wait for a table by awarding the restaurant a second star in November 2019.
Southern Thai cuisine is the country’s spiciest culinary creed. And Sorn offers a sensory-shaking immersion into the tradition via family-style sharing dishes that typically include a gaeng som (sour fish curry) made with young mangosteen, a gaeng tai pla (curry flavoured with fermented fish innards) and gaeng leung (stink beans stir-fried with squid filled with their eggs).
The other big mover at this year’s Thailand star unveiling was Cote by Mauro Colagreco, which joined Thailand’s exclusive two-star club. The restaurant at Cappella Bangkok is helmed by Italian Davide Garavaglia who brings the Italian and French rivieras to Thailand courtesy of seasonal curated menus.
It now shares the two-star distinction with stalwarts such as Baan Tepa, Gaa, R-Haan, Chef’s Table, Mezzaluna, and Suhring.
Other notable winners at this year’s revelation included five new One Michelin star entries. They were Coda, which explores regional Thai cuisine while incorporating modern techniques to forge a fresh identity; Goat, where elements of Thai, Chinese and Western cuisines converge in a Thai seasonal concept; and Avant, where Singaporean chef Haikal Johari presides over an intimate experience where he applies Asian culinary sensibilities to contemporary French dishes.
Another new entry was Aulis in Phang Nga where a multi-course tasting menu presents native ingredients, many sourced from collaborations with local growers.
The final new single-star venue in Thailand was Akkee, an unassuming, but impressive, venue on the outskirts of Bangkok where chef Sittikorn Chantop puts his spin on classic and obscure Thai dishes. Chantop also won the Young Chef award at the unveiling.
The five venues join 22 other single-starred restaurants across Thailand.
Joining Aulis as the other single-star restaurant outside Bangkok is PRU, the signature community-to-fork dining venue at Trisara, the exclusive Phuket resort. The restaurant, steered by Dutch chef Jimmy Ophorst, also held on to its Michelin Green Star, awarded for its strong commitment to sustainability. Other Michelin Green Star winners were Jampa in Phuket, Haoma in Bangkok, and Baan Tepa.
This year’s Michelin Guide listing includes 462 entries for Thailand, a jump from the 447 entries in the 2024 edition. Furthermore, the eighth edition of the guide in Thailand has extended its coverage to include the eastern region of Chonburi.
The Michelin Guide Thailand previously unveiled its 2025 Bib Gourmand List, which features a total of 156 dining venues — including 20 first-time entries. Among the new entrants to the Bib Gourmand list, five are from Chonburi.
The 2025 Bib Gourmand list comprises 52 eateries in Bangkok & Surrounding Provinces (seven new entries); nine in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya; 20 in Chiang Mai; 33 in the four representative provinces of Thailand’s Northeast or “Isan” region: 13 in Khon Kaen (one new entry), eight in Nakhon Ratchasima (three new entries), six in Ubon Ratchathani, and six in Udon Thani (one new entry); four in Ko Samui; eight in Surat Thani Mainland; six in Phang-Nga; 19 in Phuket (three new entries); plus five (all new entries) in Chon Buri, the newly covered area of the 2025 Michelin Guide Thailand.
The Bib Gourmand distinction recognises restaurants and eateries that offer great food at budget-friendly prices, namely no more than THB1,000 (US$29; S$37) for a three-course meal.
Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides, highlighted Chonburi’s vibrant and diverse culinary scene, particularly its focus on fresh seafood, as a valuable addition to The Michelin Guide Thailand’s 8th edition.
“Chonburi, the latest addition to our guide, has thrown open its doors with an authentic and original culinary scene that emphasises fresh seafood,” he said. “Our inspectors have witnessed the incredible diversity of Thailand’s offerings, from innovative modern restaurants pushing boundaries to humble yet exceptional street food stalls. Thailand continues to reinforce its rich gastronomic heritage as a destination where you can eat incredibly well without it being too hard on your pocket.”
Although the THB143.5 million (S$5.4 million) price tag for the Thai government’s initial five-year deal with the prestigious French gourmet guide raised some eyebrows, the decision to launch an annual edition featuring Bangkok and other Thai destinations appears to have been a strategic and effective move.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, newly appointed governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, expanded on that theme at today’s ceremony.
“Successful collaboration with Michelin has been key in promoting Thailand as a global culinary hotspot,” she said. “The inclusion of Chonburi in this year’s guide emphasizes this diversity further, reflecting the innovation and passion that define our approach. We look forward to Thailand’s culinary fame shining even brighter in the future as we continue to celebrate and elevate this vibrant food scene.”