Hong Kong, now you don’t have to go to Bangkok for a boat noodle fix. ThongSmith is here

Now, in its eighth year, it has picked Hong Kong as its first overseas location.

On March 18, ThongSmith landed in Wan Chai, where long queues of Thai food enthusiasts formed on the first day. According to Instagram users, there was already a 45-minute wait when the restaurant opened 30 minutes before noon.

Opening in Hong Kong was a deliberate choice, one that was a long time coming, co-founder Atchara “Pla” Burarak says.

“Hong Kong customers have been coming to support ThongSmith since the days when we had only one store,” she says, referring to the restaurant’s first branch in Central Embassy, a luxury shopping centre in Bangkok. “I get contacted by many Hongkongers asking to franchise the restaurant.”