Pad Thai Thip Samai – Legendary Pad Thai Noodles in Bangkok

Pad Thai Thip Samai or Pad Thai Pratu Pi (ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี))
Pad Thai, as I’m sure you know, is unquestionably the most recognized Thai dish throughout the world.
If you go to a Thai restaurant in the United States or a Thai restaurant in Europe, Pad Thai will most likely be represented on the menu with a top-recommendation icon next to it.
And while Pad Thai is popular in Thailand, because there are so many $1 dishes and so much food to explore, I myself rarely eat Pad Thai. I’m not the biggest Pad Thai fan, I’m more of the strong southern Thai flavors type.
However, occasional Pad Thai can be good.
Pad Thai Thip Samai or Pad Thai Pratu Pi (ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)), which translates to “Ghost Gate Pad Thai,” as it’s more commonly known, is one of the most famous Pad Thai restaurants in Bangkok.

Fresh, piping hot, plates of Pad Thai
Starting at 5 pm daily, the fires are kindled, and street chefs beginning churning out wok fulls of Pad Thai like crazy.
You’ll hear a continual clickety clack as the metal spatulas clank against the metal rounded woks.
While many people sit down for dinner, even more people order take-away, often in bulk orders.

Eating Pad Thai in Bangkok
Using charcoal, the chefs are able to fuel the fire so they get the fierce heat required to produce the correct scorched flavor.
Big batches, probably 10 – 15 plate fulls, are cooked at a time in medium sized woks.
Depending on the version of Pad Thai ordered, the recipe often begins first with shrimp that are fried in oil before being joined by thick handfuls of dry rice noodles. The noodles are soaked in sauces and oils as the heat and steam cooks the noodles quickly.
Tofu, baby shrimp, leeks, bean sprouts, and other ingredients per recipe, are all tossed into the mixture. Finally the mess of Pad Thai is scooted to one side as eggs are cracked into the agglomeration.

Wrapping the Pad Thai in a thin layer of egg
After the batch of Pad Thai is finished, it’s divvied out onto individual plates and either served as is, boxed into styrofoam to-go containers, or brought over t0 what I like to call “the gift wrapping station.”
Similar to shopping at a department store and having your gift wrapped in a fancy box and tied with bright colored ribbon, so the Pad Thai is decorated in a beautiful wrapper before being served.
Over a bonfire of flames, an intensely hot wok is thinly layered with beaten egg and swirled around like a crepe.
The egg cooks in seconds, at which point the plate of freshly cooked Pad Thai is dumped into the middle of the egg, wrapped up on all sides, and placed back onto the plate.
The first egg layer is messy with holes in it, so the process is repeated twice, leaving the final Pad Thai neatly wrapped in smokey flavored eggy goodness.

Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot (ผัดไทห่อไข่กุ้งสด)
The version of Pad Thai wrapped in egg is called Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot (ผัดไทห่อไข่กุ้งสด).
Meaty jumbo prawns and perfectly cooked noodles are packed into the egg wrapper which is then garnished with cilantro and slices of pepper.
I like to add chili flakes, crushed peanuts, and a squeeze of lime to my Pad Thai.
Like most Pad Thai, the noodles were slightly sweet, but I could detect that charcoal roasted flavor, and the lime juice balanced all the flavors together. The egg was the highlight, a great asset to the dish.

Pad Thai Sen Jan Man Goong (ผัดไทเส้นจันมันกุ้ง)
This Pad Thai Sen Jan Man Goong (ผัดไทเส้นจันมันกุ้ง), noodles fried with the head juices from jumbo shrimp, may not sound too appealing when described, but it sure was good.
The noodles had that same wonderful hint of smokiness which complemented the subtle shrimp seafood flavor. Rather than being wrapped in egg, this style included scrambled eggs mixed within.

Pad Thai Pratu Pee ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)
Watch the video…
(If you can’t see the video, watch it here: http://youtu.be/_6dDw6Oy4hY)
The Bottom Line:
If you like Pad Thai and are visiting Bangkok, you have no choice but to eat here.
Even if Pad Thai is not your favorite (like me), the experience of watching the chefs make batch after batch of Pad Thai over huge flames is a lot of fun.
Also in the area is a historical coffee shop where they serve great strong brews, but don’t try the food… it’s not so good.
What to Eat: Pad Thai Sen Jan Man Goong (ผัดไทเส้นจันมันกุ้ง) – Pad Thai with prawn head juices, and Pad Thai Haw Kai Goong Sot (ผัดไทห่อไข่กุ้งสด) – Pad Thai wrapped in an egg.
Prices: This restaurant is expensive for Bangkok prices, but it’s in a good location, and very famous, which bumps up the cost. You’ll pay around 70 THB for a plate of Pad Thai here.
Pad Thai Thip Samai (Pad Thai Pratu Pi) ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)
Address: 313 313 Thanon Mahachai, Phra Nakorn
Hours: 5 pm – 3 am daily
Phone: 022216280
ผัดไทยทิพย์สมัย (ผัดไทยประตูผี)
313 อาคาร บริเวณภูเขาทอง ถนนมหาไชย (มหาชัย) แขวงสำราญราษฎร์ เขตพระนคร กรุงเทพฯ 10200
เปิดทุกวัน เวลา 17.00-03.00 น. (หยุดทุกวันพุธต้นเดือนและปลายเดือน)
โทร. 022216280
How To Get There
Pad Thai Thip Samai is located in the old district of Phra Nakorn, just a few minutes walk from the Giant Red Swing near Chinatown Bangkok, and very close to the Golden Mountain.
If you go as soon as they open, you can take the Khlong Saen Saep canal boat to the final Panfa Leelard station, exit towards Ratchadamnoen, make a left on Mahachai, and the restaurant will be on your left hand side. Alternatively, you can either take a taxi directly there or a bus. It’s also an easy 5 minute walk from Democracy Monument.
View Bangkok Eating Thai Food Map in a larger map
Guinn
4 years ago
Went to visit this stall 313 Thanon Mahachai. It was bad. The Big tiger prawn was over cook and hard. The normal prawn had no sweetness and I suspect it’s frozen prawn and not fresh sea prawn. I will not recommend anyone to go as it not worth paying so much for such lousy quality.
Linda Orcutt
4 years ago
After traveling for 2 weeks this summer in Thailand I am learning to do some of the Thai meals. I was fortunate enough to be with my daughter in-laws family to eat a lot of Thai food there. We did not spend much time in Bangkok though.
Matthew
7 years ago
Hi, Mark? I need know what broth in Pot? I like to know recipes. I try figure I cook Thai pad Thanks
Kitti
9 years ago
I haven’t comment Mark about 2 month but seeing this article, I can’t resist comment about it.
Pad Thai Thipsamai, for a lot of Thai people, we considered it as just an average if not fall on the bad side of Pad Thai that you can find in Thailand. I think Mark should recommend the better Pad Thai place for the guide now.
Same along with Khao Man Khai Pratu Nam, just average if not also bad too.
There is also a worse if not the worst, it is “เจ๊ไฝประตูผี”(Jae Fai Pratu Pee). I would like every man woman children on earth to avoid this restaurant. It is very very very overprice but average food plus the owner is very very very rude and illed manner (well, to Thai people she is very rude) and when you get the bill, she always overcharge you more than you ordered and say something like she use the top ingredient which is a lie which you can see through it easily.
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Hi Kitti, thank you very much for the comment. I actually don’t eat either Pad Thai or Khao Man Gai all that often myself – which is one of the reasons I haven’t written about too many places. I like to eat khao gaeng!
Gary Z
9 years ago
I’m new to your site and recipes, Mark, but I know I’m going to like it. I love Thai food so much. I am so excited about the egg wrapper for the Pad Thai. Do you have any details or videos for this amazing touch? Thanks!
Matt
9 years ago
I have recently ben to this so called legendary restaurant for Pad Thai. It was a best average. Do not waste your time. It is so living on past glory or, got caught up in an Internet world wind of must try’s as so many places do. Or, it indeed may have been great at one time (like so many places in the LP) until a degree of reorganization is achieved then live on past glory while the food slumps back to average.
Additionally, it is said the orange juice is excellent. It is having ordered a large however comes at an astronomical premium. (close to $5.00 US) The only difference between thi OJ and the juice gotten from any street vendor is they leave chunks of orange in the juice.
Don’t waste your time or money. Go fine your great meals from the thousands of places in Bangkok who are not suffering from yesteryear stardom.
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Hey Gary, good to hear from you, hope you enjoy it. I haven’t made a recipe for Pad Thai yet, but it’s on my list, hopefully soon.
Matt
9 years ago
So I went here tonight after reading and hearing the buzz. The Pad Thai was dry and really not that flavorful
Had better Pad Thai in other corners of Thailand including from street vendors in Bangkok. As well as the US, Canada, ad Singapore for that matter. This place may have been good at one time but less than ordinary.
The juice on the other hand was outstanding bur very expensive for Thai standards. one plactic bottle 144br about $4.50 US.
Talking with my taxi driver, he confirmed it use to be good but went quality went long ago.
I would steer you away and focus on street food vendors.
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Hey Matt, nice to hear from you. Yah, their orange juice is fantastic!
John Anderson
10 years ago
I love Thai food and Pad Thai is one of my favorites. I live in London and go to a Thai restaurant named Thai Square whenever I feel like eating some Thai food. I just love the atmosphere there and the food is simply delicious. Thai food surely has some magic in it. Thanks for sharing this post, will do tons of help in case I visit Bangkok in future.
Gene
10 years ago
Thanks for sharing this! I went to the place at around 9pm on a weekday and it was packed! I waited in line for maybe 15 minutes before I was seated.
I checked out the menu and I saw only 3 types of Pad Thai, the normal one, the one with baby shrimps, and the egg-wrapped one. I wanted to try the one with shrimp head goop you mentioned here but didn’t see it. I should have opened this page and showed the waitress.
Anyway I’ll be back for sure! (One plate wasn’t enough so I had 2 of the egg-wrapped pad thai :-P)
Mark Wiens
10 years ago
Hey Gene, glad you found this place, definitely can get very busy!
Mark Wiens
10 years ago
Hey Gene, glad you found this place, definitely can get very busy!
Mike
11 years ago
hi Mark – could u comment on the hygienes of this place? for a first time visitor to Bangkok, what’s the chance of getting sick? I just noticed in one of your pictures that the plates of noodles are stacked on top of each other–and this is before they are served.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hi Mike, in my opinion this place is pretty clean, it’s a step above most street food stalls in cleanliness. The plates stacked looks pretty dry, so I think it’s alright. Hope you enjoy it!
Frans
11 years ago
Thip Samai has it’s own website, but the English pages have disappeared a year ago. It’s also famous for it’s frozen coconutjuice and their orangejuice. Especially the orangejuice is fantastic..it’s expensive but if you like the Thai orangejuice, believe me; this one is even better! It’s not really oranges they squeeze in Thailand but clementines I think.
In front of the shop, there are loads of streetstalls were you can also get loads of other food like Hoy Tod.
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Hey Frans, thanks for sharing. I did notice a lot of people sipping on the clementine juice when I was there last, but haven’t tried it myself – next time for sure!
Nash
11 years ago
Just the other day I enjoyed Pad-Thai near the Ekkamai Bus Depot next to the 7-11, served piping hot and all for 30 Bahts. The owner said that he serves a vegetarian version only, no meat, but egg. The Pad-Thai comes with condiments, bean sprouts, and onion greens
Mark Wiens
11 years ago
Great to hear that Nash, thanks for sharing!