Thai food is one of Bath’s most crowded and competitive cuisines, with national chains and independent kitchens sitting side by side around Seven Dials, Pierrepont Street, and Kingsmead Square. Here are eight of the best.

Giggling Squid occupies Bluecoat House on Saw Close, a historic building originally founded as a school in 1711 and rebuilt in 1860 in a Northern Renaissance style, now home to the Bath branch of the Brighton-founded Thai chain.

Founded by Thai-born Pranee Laurillard and her husband Andrew, the chain has grown from a single basement restaurant to dozens of sites, and its Bath branch serves the same plentiful, bold-flavoured Thai menu with a year-round heated outdoor dining area.

Giggling Squid — Bluecoat House, Saw Cl, Bath BA1 1EY, UK | gigglingsquid.com

Thaikhun’s Bath branch sits in the Southgate shopping development, bringing the market-stall-themed chain’s street food-style Thai menu to the city’s main retail area.

A 4.4-star average across 1,901 reviews reflects consistent performance for a chain built around volume and accessibility rather than a specialist, chef-led kitchen.

Thaikhun — Ground Floor, Block E/F, Little Southgate, Bath BA1 1AQ, UK | thaikhun.co.uk

Rosa’s Thai operates from Cheap Street, right in the historic centre near the Abbey, part of the London-founded chain known for its family-recipe approach to Thai cooking.

A 4.7-star average across 1,719 reviews is among the strongest of any Thai restaurant in Bath, reflecting the chain’s broader reputation for quality within a fast-casual format.

Rosa’s Thai — 4 Cheap St, Bath BA1 1NE, UK | rosasthai.com

Noya’s Kitchen serves St James’s Parade with a Thai and Lao-leaning menu, one of several independent Asian kitchens that have made this short street one of Bath’s more interesting places to eat.

A 4.8-star average across 1,537 reviews makes it one of the best-reviewed Thai kitchens in the city, independent of the national chains elsewhere on this list.

Noya’s Kitchen — 7 St James’s Parade, Bath BA1 1UL, UK | noyaskitchen.co.uk

Yum Yum Thai operates from Kingsmead Square, an area the city markets as its street food and outdoor dining destination, alongside speciality coffee shops and boutiques.

A 4.6-star average across 1,131 reviews reflects a well-established independent Thai kitchen in one of Bath’s more sociable dining squares.

Yum Yum Thai — 17 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AE, UK | yumyumthaibath.com

Thai Balcony sits at Seven Dials, in the same small cluster of restaurants and bars around Saw Close as The Oven and Giggling Squid.

A 4.3-star average across 1,045 reviews reflects a well-established independent Thai restaurant in one of the busiest dining corners of the city centre.

Thai Balcony — 1, Seven Dials, Saw Cl, Bath BA1 1EN, UK | thaibalcony.uk

Salathai operates from Pierrepont Street, a short walk from the river and the main shopping streets, serving an independent Thai menu away from the chain restaurants dominating the centre.

A 4.6-star average across 833 reviews reflects a consistently well-regarded, independently-run Thai kitchen.

Salathai — 14-15 Pierrepont St, Bath BA1 1LA, UK | see Google Maps for booking

Charm Thai Restaurant serves George Street with an independent Thai menu, sitting among the mix of restaurants and bars that make up this part of the city centre.

A 4.6-star average across 791 reviews reflects a strong, consistent reputation for independent Thai cooking in Bath.

Charm Thai — Charm Thai Restaurant, 2 George St, Bath BA1 2EH, UK | charmthaiuk.com