Charlie & Lek

Charlie & Lek is a long-running Thai restaurant on Rangsiyanon Road in central Pai. The menu goes beyond the usual traveller dishes, with pineapple red curry, a warm banana flower salad in curry sauce and a green papaya pad thai alongside khao soi, pumpkin curry and fried rice.

Healthier plates sit comfortably on the menu too, including a tempeh and quinoa salad with peanut sauce. Portions are generous and prices stay in the budget range.

The front room fills quickly in the evening and can get loud, with a quieter section towards the back. It opens Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 20:30, so lunch or an early dinner avoids the longest waits.