It’s nearly impossible to resist the urge to chow down on Pad Thai and slurp up tom yum soup from time to time. And luckily for us, the vibrant dining scene across the Gold Coast/Yugambeh language region is brimming with top Thai restaurants.
From modern twists on authentic classics to traditional experiences with recipes passed down through generations, here are 14 of the best Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast according to Urban List.
Sticky Rice
443 Golden Four Dr, Tugun QLD 4224
Image Credit: Sticky Rice | Instagram
Smack bang in the heart of Tugun, Sticky Rice offers Southern Gold Coasters a refined and modern Thai menu—all of which can be made gluten-free. Yes, everything on the menu can be modified. Here you’ll find plates celebrating Thai culture with fresh and delicious flavours such as soft-shell crab with chili jam, salmon fillet with Penang sauce, Massaman beef cheek and whole barramundi. Drooling yet?
And you can forget the interiors of Thai eateries you've dined at in the past, at Sticky Rice Thai meets tropical with an uber cool edge. Think bamboo-style seating, jungle wallpaper, hanging greenery and a thatched bar.
Lucky Buddha Thai
2375 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218
Image Credit: Lucky Buddha Thai | Instagram
Snuggled into the Mermaid Beach Village strip, Lucky Buddha Thai offers the self-confessed best Thai street food on the Coast. We can’t get enough of their quaint interiors and rotating lunch specials, not to mention their BYO beer and wines corkage set at a teeny $3.
The authentic menu is extensive, so the hardest choice you’ll have to make is what enticing dish to dive into. The signature BBQ crispy duck, grilled salmon with tom yum sauce and pork leg with five spices are all must-orders. Open Wednesday through Monday for lunch and seven days for dinner, add this family-owned joint to your list of best Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast.
More Thai
2309 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach QLD 4218 &
2705 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Got a hankering that only jungle curry can satisfy? More Thai located in both Mermaid Beach and Broadbeach is a much-loved Gold Coast icon that folks genuinely make a beeline for. Actually, people have even been known to fly in from other states just to tuck into one of More Thai’s meals. With 20 years experience, the owners and chefs often greet patrons at their table for fascinating insights into meals.
The crew also plate up a range of gluten-free dishes like the Crying Tiger with grilled sirloin, chilli and tamarind sauce or the exotic seafood curry ladled with lashings of coconut milk. We recommend the Choo Chee Barramundi every day of the week. Swing by for lunch Wednesday through Sunday and dinner 7 days.
Nahm Thai
Westfield Coomera, 103 Foxwell Rd, Coomera QLD 4209 &
Paradise Centre Shopping Centre, 2 Cavill Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Image Credit: Nahm Thai | Instagram
With two locations on the Gold Coast, Nahm Talay Thai is perched beachfront in Surfers Paradise with inviting alfresco dining, while Coomera’s Nahm Thai is conveniently located within the Westfield Shopping Centre. With a cult following, and for good reason, these elevated Gold Coast Thai restaurants are the best pozzies for people watching, long lunches and they're the ultimate cocktail-lover’s dream.
Hot tip: order the crispy pork bao for an impressive surprise. Best paired with a Lychin & Tonic, with its lychee-gin fusion, topped with lime, tonic and cranberry, or one of the many mocktail selections. Opt for lunch or dinner, seven days a week.
House of Siam
12 Santa Barbara Rd, Hope Island QLD 4212
Pair live music with marina views and the sweet aromas of coconut and lemongrass dancing through the air, and you have House of Siam. Follow your nose along the Hope Island boardwalk to one of the best Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast with waterfront views.
The team ramps up the volume on ambience and flavours—we recommend the Panang curry with its creamy, peanut and kaffir lime leaf-infused base, topped with green beans, capsicum and your choice of chicken, beef, pork or a range of seafood. You can choose indoor or outdoor waterfront seating seven days a week.
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Seaside Kitchen & Bar
1742 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads QLD 4220
Image Credit: Seaside Kitchen | Instagram
This standout Gold Coast Thai restaurant focuses on casual dining where the catch of the day meets major Thai flavours. Offering three impressive banquets that start at a modest $49 per person for three courses and a tea, Seaside Kitchen & Bar take the tricky dish selection step out of the process.
Prefer to choose? Opt to select dishes from the menu for delicacies like the crispy pork bao bun with refreshing cucumber, chilli and coriander, or the coconut prawn salad with lashings of chilli jam, coconut, shallots and a sprinkling of mint and coriander, topped with red onion and lychee. Open 7 days from 11:30am to 9pm, this is the best Thai restaurant on the Gold Coast for seafood lovers.
Charm Thai
388 Tamborine-Oxenford Road, Upper Coomera QLD 4209
It might be an unspoken rule that the less advertised a restaurant is, the more loyal their customers are—this is certainly evident at Charm Thai. Nestled unsuspectingly in Upper Coomera, this lowkey Thai restaurant serves up uncomplicated and damn delicious Thai—perfect for when you want takeaway Pad Thai on the couch.
Noodles are certainly the hero here; the Pad Thai, Pad See Eiw and Pat Kee Mow all come in very generous servings and can be customised with your choice of protein. With corkage of just $1.50 per bottle, it's also great for a casual night out that won't break the budget.
Spice Kitchen & Bar
67 Oasis Shopping Centre, 75 Victoria Ave, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Image Credit: Spice Kitchen | Instagram
Beneath a haze of neon lights, and between the leaves of palms, you’ll find Spice Kitchen & Bar. Read: the ultimate cyberpunk setting for a Thai foodie feast with all the trimmings. This moody haunt is from the team behind Seaside Kitchen and homes a range of dishes and banquets to settle even the loudest of stomach grumbles.
With generous portions, consider this your sign to pack your appetite and get adventurous with dishes like the spicy salad, which combines apple, lime dressing, lemongrass chilli, coriander, spring onion, ginger and peanuts. Or the crowd favourite Pad See Eiw featuring thick rice noodles, fried egg, blanched carrot, capsicum and Kai Lan florets. Book your table between 11am and 9pm, seven days a week.
Chiangmai Thai
5/19 Palm Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217 &
2779 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Transport your senses to the tropical savanna of Chiang Mai, without the airfare. The Theravanish family recreate a traditional Thai experience like no other across two Gold Coast locations.
Restaurant owners Michael and Nopporn originate from Chiang Mai and have made it their personal mission to pour their local knowledge and culinary expertise into every dish at Chiangmai Thai. The result does not disappoint. Crowd favourite dishes include the chicken satay, tom yum soup and Massaman curry. This Thai haven is open from 5pm to 9:30pm seven days a week.
Chong Co Thai
Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach QLD 4218
Consider Chong Co Thai the ultimate oasis to refuel during retail therapy. Located within Pacific Fair’s food precinct, fast and friendly service is an impressive addition to standout dishes featuring creative plating.
Pull up a seat for lantern-lit meals like the lamb shank Massaman curry with cashews and potato. Or cool off with a cold one like the lemongrass mojito or Tom Yum Mule with a medley of vodka, tequila, lime juice, lemongrass, chilli, lemonade and kaffir lime leaves. The crew at Chong Co open daily from 11am to 4pm and 5pm to 9pm.
Absolute Thai
56 Scarborough St, Southport QLD 4215
Image Credit: Nahm Thai | Instagram
As one of the most affordable Thai restaurants on the Gold Coast, Absolute Thai is Southport’s answer to authentic dishes set inside a humble eatery. Opt for indoor or outdoor seating and even the option to choose authentic Thai spice levels. Hot tip: when they say spicy, they mean spicyyyy.
This menu features an impressive variety of dishes that are harder to come by in surrounding Thai restaurants, like Southern-style spicy stir-fried minced pork. Finish up with the mango sticky rice and wink at yourself for a choice well-made. Absolute Thai is open for dinner seven days and lunch Monday through Friday.
Khao Soi Thai
3131 Surfers Paradise Blvd, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217
Khao Soi Thai could quite possibly be the best Thai restaurant on the Gold Coast for a pleasant surprise. Located in the heart of Surfers Paradise, prepare to be deliciously impressed. With a delightful team of friendly staff and passionate chefs at the back of house, each dish delivers authentic Thai flavours with that extra zing that comes exclusively from food created from the heart.
Pair Thai fried rice with a selection of piping hot curries, satiating stir fries and even street food like the Lamb Larb served with iceberg cups. Lunch runs Friday through Tuesday, or book for dinner seven days a week.
Mirrors Thai
1093 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach QLD 4221
The folks at Mirrors Thai know their flavours. They keep things simple, so don’t expect anything fancy here but you can be assured of some damn delicious Thai. Think: hankering for some Pad Thai on a Thursday night in your PJs? This is where you should head.
Chef specials include the Massaman beef curry, red duck curry and tamarind prawns. Dinner service runs Tuesday through Sunday from 5pm to 8:30pm, with monstrous portions. You’ve been warned.
Amphawa Thai Restaurant
47 Ashmore Rd, Bundall QLD 4217
It would be rude to stop by Amphawa Thai and not slurp up a whip-topped ice milk tea. This Bundall favourite offers some of the freshest Thai dishes we’ve seen, at budget-friendly prices.
Located off the beaten path, a trip to Ampawa brims with bountiful flavours from rich laksas to crispy pork belly and a smattering of papaya salads with your name on them. Stop by for lunch Tuesday through Friday or dinner seven nights a week.
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Main image credit: Nahm Thai | Instagram
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