Thai Town
The Vibe
Authentic Thai culture, 24-hour dining, affordable, community-focused with the largest Thai population outside Thailand. Jitlada (9+, at 5233 W Sunset Blvd) leads with 400-item menu featuring Jazz Burger and crispy catfish salad where owner Jazz personally visits tables. Northern Thai Food Club (8.0) serves LA's best khao soi in tiny strip mall. The Infatuation highlights Roasted Duck By Pa Ord (8.5), Lacha Somtum's 12+ papaya salads, and Pailin's essential khao soi. Federal Preserve America Neighborhood designation (2008), Thai Worker Center, and annual Songkran street festival create cultural preservation. Mix of Thai immigrants, second-generation Thai-Americans, and food enthusiasts seeking authentic regional Thai cuisine unavailable elsewhere in LA.
Description
Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie Avenues - officially designated October 27, 1999 as the world's first Thai Town by LA City Council. Four golden Apsonsi statues (mythical half-woman half-lion guardians) mark the neighborhood's six-block boundaries, while Thai-style lampposts and Kinnara figures (2013, gift from Thai government) create cultural identity. Thai CDC (founded 1994) developed 106 affordable housing units and leads community organizing. Thailand Plaza, Silom Supermarket with ornate spirit house, and the annual Songkran Festival (April 13-15, drawing 100,000+ visitors) celebrate Thai culture in East Hollywood's historic buildings dating to the 1920s.
Neighborhood Stats
Popular With
- Thai Community
- Foodies
- Late-Night Diners
- Cultural Enthusiasts
Key Attributes
- Authentic
- Thai Culture
- Affordable
- 24-Hour Dining
- Community
Food Scene
Jitlada (5233 W Sunset Blvd, 9+) dominates with 400-item menu - crispy catfish salad, coco mango salad, Dungeness crab with garlic, taepo curry, off-menu Jazz Burger. Northern Thai Food Club (8.0) delivers LA's best khao soi in cramped strip mall. The Infatuation highlights Roasted Duck By Pa Ord (8.5), Luv2Eat Express Southern Thai (8.3), Mae Malai boat noodles (8.0), and Lacha Somtum's raw shrimp with chile-garlic paste. Heng Heng's Thai-style Hainan chicken rice, Ruen Pair's late-night Thai-Chinese, and Pailin's citrus-forward khao soi complete the scene.