Baan Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Seaside

Authentic Thai Food That Even Impressed My Dad (Who Lived in Thailand!)

I came here with my 82-year-old father who’s traveled the world and even lived in Bangkok for a time. He’s always been on the hunt for truly authentic Thai food—and we both agreed, this place nails it!

From the first bite of the papaya salad to the last sip of Thai tea, everything was fresh, flavorful, and bursting with that real Thai taste. We ordered the red curry and green curry, both packed with rich spices and perfect texture. But be warned: the spice level is no joke! We thought we could handle level 3 (we eat kimchi regularly!)… and we were humbled. I’d recommend starting with an appetizer to test your spice tolerance.

The staff are incredible—kind, welcoming, and so genuine. You can tell they care about both the food and the people they serve. It felt like visiting a friend’s home, not just a restaurant. Can’t wait to come back....

We were looking for something a bit different than the burger joints on our travels. Looked up restaurants near our hotel and Baan Thai came up as recommended. It was a week night, getting a little late, but there were still a few people in this smallish restaurant. I ordered my usual Green Chicken Curry, and Kevin thought he would try the Pumpkin Curry. They were both delicious!! Definitely will try to make the Pumpkin curry at home. Then we were too full for dessert but wanted the rice and mango pudding, so we asked to have take out. The Thai waitress (owner?) asked when we were going to eat it and we said in the morning, so when she brought it to us, it was in separate dishes ready to heat and combine when wanted so it wouldn't coagulate over night. She was so lovely! ...

Excellent Thai food in Monterey! The potstickers were perfect (potstickers wrappers were chewy and filling was delicious). The spicy noodle and pineapple fried rice were also great. Portion sizes are massive. One dish is definitely shareable between two people.

I love that you can choose the level of spice you want for each dish (1 to 5. 5 being the spiciest). I got a 3 and it gave the dish a good kick. If you really want to feel the spice, I would recommend getting a 4 or 5.

The mango and sticky rice was my favorite part. The sticky rice was warm and the mango melted in your mouth. The service was also so kind! If you are ever in the area, check this...