On November 28, 2024, at the Siam Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok, Sorn became the first Thai restaurant in the world to receive three Michelin stars. Chef Supaksorn "Ice" Jongsiri, overcome with emotion on stage, dedicated the achievement to Thailand and his team. One star in 2019. Two stars in 2020. Five years as a two-star, while the world waited. Then the third — the one that had never happened in Thai culinary history.

The Achievement



The first. In all of Thailand's history. The first Thai restaurant to stand at the top of the Michelin world.


The Michelin Guide has been present in Thailand since 2017. For seven years, Thai restaurants were recognised with one and two stars — excellent and excellent enough for a detour — but the three-star tier, representing exceptional cuisine worth a special journey from anywhere in the world, remained out of reach. Sorn changed that on November 28, 2024.


Supaksorn Jongsiri opened Sorn in 2018 in a traditional Thai house off Sukhumvit Soi 26. His vision was ambitious and specific: southern Thai cuisine — the spiciest, most complex regional tradition of Thailand's diverse food cultures — presented at the level of fine dining without compromising the authenticity of the flavours, the techniques, or the ingredient sourcing that makes southern Thai cooking what it is. Nobody believed it at first, Jongsiri said from the stage as he accepted the third star. But key people did.


The recognition came from Michelin for excellence, quality, and consistency — the three-star criteria applied to a cuisine that is not French, not Japanese, not the European haute cuisine tradition that has historically dominated the world's highest-rated restaurants. Sorn's three stars are significant not only for Thailand but for the global conversation about what fine dining is and which culinary traditions it can honour at the highest level.

The Food



Southern Thai cuisine. Charcoal and clay pots. Sourced from he south, prepared in Bangkok.


Southern Thai cuisine is the most fiery and complex of Thailand's regional traditions: paste-based curries with intense aromatic depth, seafood preparations of exceptional freshness, fermented and cured ingredients that provide the specific funk and acidity that distinguishes the south's food from the milder central Thai cooking that most international diners know. Jongsiri's specific contribution is to take this tradition and subject it to the rigour of fine dining — not to moderate the intensity or the authenticity, but to ensure that every element is executed at the highest possible standard.


The sourcing model is foundational: ingredients come directly from farmers and fishermen in the southern part of Thailand. The specific chili varieties, the seafood, the aromatics — everything is sourced from producers whose methods Jongsiri has verified and with whom he maintains direct relationships. The cooking methods are equally specific: charcoal grilling and clay pots, ancient techniques that require long preparation time but produce flavour depth unavailable from modern equipment. The Michelin Guide notes that the restaurant has now become the destination, rather than being a detour on the way to one.


Rather than being a detour on the way to a destination, Sorn has now become the destination itself.

MICHELIN GUIDE THAILAND 2025


The tasting menu is priced at THB 7,200 per person — approximately USD 190–200 at current exchange rates, making it among the more expensive tasting menus in Bangkok but very reasonable by the standards of comparable Michelin three-star restaurants globally. The courses move through the range of southern Thai cuisine: fiery Kua Kling, the dry stir-fry that is the region's most distinctive dish; Gaeng Som Pla, the bright sour fish curry; shellfish preparations; and desserts that reference the south's coconut and palm sugar traditions.

The Kitchen & The Cuisine


Southern flavours. Ancient techniques. Ingredients sourced directly from the south of Thailand.


Kua Kling — Southern Dry Curry


The signature of southern Thai cooking: a dry stir-fry with a complex paste of fresh turmeric, lemongrass, galangal, dried chilies, and kaffir lime, cooked over high heat until fragrant and intensely flavoured. Kua Kling at Sorn is made with the specific chili varieties and paste ratios of the traditional southern preparation, executed at a precision level that preserves the heat and complexity without descending into chaos.


Gaeng Som Pla — Sour Southern Fish Curry


The bright, tangy, tumeric-yellow fish curry of the south: a sour broth made with tamarind and lime, with fish or seafood sourced from the southern coast, and seasonal vegetables. The balance of sour, salty, and spicy that defines southern Thai food is expressed most clearly in Gaeng Som — a dish that is simultaneously simple in concept and demanding in execution.


Charcoal and Clay Pot Cooking


The kitchen's commitment to ancient cooking methods: charcoal grilling and clay pot cooking that are time-consuming but produce flavours unavailable from modern equipment. The charcoal adds specific smokiness; the clay pot distributes heat differently from metal, producing a specific texture in braised and slow-cooked preparations. These techniques are not preserved as tradition but used because they produce better results for southern Thai cooking than alternatives.


Direct Sourcing from Southern Farmers


Every significant ingredient at Sorn is sourced directly from producers in the south of Thailand: the specific chili varieties, the seafood, the aromatics, the fermented pastes. Jongsiri maintains direct relationships with the farmers and fishermen who supply the restaurant. The sourcing is not a sustainability claim but a quality argument: the specific flavours of southern Thai cooking require the specific ingredients of the southern Thai landscape.


The Traditional Thai House Setting


Sorn operates in a traditional Thai house in a residential compound off Sukhumvit Soi 26 — a setting that is both appropriate for the cuisine and unusual for a three-star restaurant. The architecture and atmosphere reference the domestic tradition that southern Thai cooking comes from, providing a context that many fine dining restaurants — in purpose-built, architecturally ambitious rooms — cannot provide. The house is the right building for this food.


Reservations on the 15th


The reservation system that international guests need to know: Sorn opens bookings on the 15th of each month for the following month. International guests are accommodated specifically through this window. With three-star recognition and one of the hardest tables in Southeast Asia, the 15th of each month is the single most important date for anyone planning a visit. Set a calendar reminder. Be online at the moment the bookings open.

Before You Go


Everything practical, plainly told


  • Address: Sukhumvit Soi 26, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand (traditional Thai house, off Sukhumvit Soi 26)


  • Website: sornfinesouthern.com


  • Getting There: Sukhumvit Soi 26 is accessible from Phrom Phong BTS Skytrain station (Sukhumvit Line), approximately 10 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by taxi. The compound containing the restaurant is located within Sukhumvit Soi 26 — look for the signage at the entrance to the lane. Taxi and rideshare (Grab) are available from anywhere in central Bangkok.


  • Bookings: Reservations for international guests open on the 15th of each month for the following month. The booking window opens at a specific time on the 15th — check sornfinesouthern.com for the exact time and booking platform. This is among the most competitive reservations in Southeast Asia following the three-star recognition. A second attempt on subsequent days will generally find nothing remaining.


  • Price: Tasting menu THB 7,200 per person (approximately USD 190–200 at current exchange rates). Beverages additional. Wine pairing, cocktail pairing, and non-alcoholic pairings available. The total cost with pairing is approximately THB 10,000–12,000 per person. By international three-star standards, Sorn remains extremely accessible in price.


  • Hours: Dinner service only. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday. Two seatings per evening — verify current seating times at sornfinesouthern.com. The restaurant operates on a fixed tasting menu format with no à la carte option. Dietary requirements and allergies should be communicated at the time of booking, given the complexity and spice levels of southern Thai cuisine.



  • Heat Warning: Southern Thai cuisine is among the spiciest of Thailand's regional traditions. Sorn does not moderate the heat for international diners — the kitchen cooks with the chili intensity that the southern Thai palate expects. Guests who cannot tolerate high heat should communicate this at booking. Guests who can: prepare for a sustained, high-intensity spice experience that is genuinely unlike anything else at the three-star level globally.

Sorn isn’t a meal—it’s a homecoming. A place where Southern Thailand’s untamed spirit meets Chef Ice’s visionary restraint, where grandmothers’ recipes wear three Michelin stars, and every bite whispers: “This is who we are.” For travelers craving more than pad Thai, this Bangkok marvel is where fire becomes finesse.