For years, anyone in Thailand who wanted a meal with two Michelin stars had to book a table in Bangkok or the provinces around it. That has now changed. The MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2027, announced on 10 November, has promoted PRU in Phuket to two stars, making it the first restaurant outside Bangkok and its surrounding provinces to reach that level, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the government agency that has partnered with the guide for a decade.
PRU, which serves contemporary Thai cooking built around farm-grown and locally sourced ingredients, was one of three restaurants moved up from one star to two this year. The other two, Mia and Blue by Alain Ducasse, are both in Bangkok.
Phuket's best showing yet
PRU is not the only Phuket name in the new selection. Omemo enters the guide for the first time with one star, and Jaras moves up from the guide's unstarred Michelin Selected list to one star, which TAT describes as the island's strongest showing to date. Phuket staff also collected two of the five special awards: the Service Award went to Chanyawi Mukmaneerattanapon of hom, and the Young Chef Award to Natdanai Kitkorsup of lob-baan.
PRU's executive chef and co-owner, Jimmy Ophorst, said after the announcement that the guide's 10th Thai edition coincided with a decade for the restaurant and for his family in Thailand, Thai PBS World reported.
Chiang Mai gets its first star
In the north, Belén by Paulo Airaudo becomes the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Chiang Mai, promoted from Michelin Selected.
The full picture
The 2027 edition is the largest yet, with 507 establishments. That includes two three-star restaurants, Sorn, known for southern Thai cooking, and Sühring, which serves modern German food, both of which keep their status; 10 two-star restaurants; and 41 one-star restaurants. Ten restaurants gained a first star this year: Liana, MACHRI, THARN and The China House by Chef Fei in Bangkok and Omemo in Phuket are new to the guide, while Duet by David Toutain, I-SANG and Sartoria by Paulo Airaudo in Bangkok, Belén in Chiang Mai and Jaras in Phuket were promoted.
For everyday eating, the Bib Gourmand list, which recognises good food at moderate prices, now has 151 entries, 26 of them new. Thai PBS World reported that 17 of those new entries are outside Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, spread across nine provinces. A further 303 venues are listed as Michelin Selected.
What this means if you live in or visit Phuket
If a starred dinner is on your list for the high season, book well ahead and check each restaurant's own booking channel for current menus, prices and opening days, as none of these are set out in the announcements. If you are eating on a tighter budget, the Bib Gourmand list is the better guide, and the full selection, with every Phuket and Chiang Mai entry, is on the MICHELIN Guide's official website.