5 best Thai restaurants in Hong Kong, according to the city’s Songkran festival organiser

A second-generation Thai in Hong Kong, and organiser of its Songkran festival celebrations, Vita Chan shares her go-to places for Thai food in the city

She recommends a cheap and cheerful favourite for yellow curry seashell and crispy pork knuckle, as well as a restaurant she goes to for her fish fix

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A highlight of Hong Kong’s Songkran festival this year is a water party on April 6. The organiser of the celebrations shares her go-to places for Thai food in the city. Photo: HK Talent Star

Published: 7:15am, 4 Apr 2024Updated: 7:16am, 4 Apr 2024

Hong Kong-born Vita Chan was seven years old when she first visited her mother’s home city, Phitsanulok, in northern Thailand.

Chan, whose father is Chinese, fell in love instantly with the country’s food and festivals. Songkran, a Thai New Year celebration that is held around mid-April, struck a chord.

“I’ve celebrated Songkran in Thailand many times over the years, from Chiang Mai [in the north] to Pattaya [in the southeast],” says Chan.

With Thailand consistently ranking among the five most popular destinations for Hongkongers – the three-hour flight to Bangkok appeals to travellers’ seeking a short-haul holiday – Chan was determined to promote Thai culture in Hong Kong.

Vita Chan, a second-generation Thai living in Hong Kong, is the founder of Songkran HK, a festival celebrating Thai culture. Photo: courtesy of Vita Chan

In 2015, she founded Songkran HK. While last year’s celebrations landed some participants in legal hot water, the festival, Chan says, is all about washing away misfortune – a time to cleanse the mind and body.

“If you did something wrong to your parents or grandparents, then Songkran is about washing away those problems and starting fresh,” she says of one of the most important events on the Buddhist calendar.