The Taste Journey Of
MAYs Thai Dine
From Woodfire Beginnings to the Global Stage
“I learned to cook not in a kitchen, but over wood and charcoal, waiting for my family to return from the fields. As the youngest daughter, it was my duty after school — not just to feed, but to gather them around the fire. We didn’t have much, but even then, it mattered to me that the food tasted good. I did the best I could with what little we had — and I’ve never stopped chasing that feeling of making every meal count.” May, Founder of MAYs Thai Dine
Where It All Began
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May was born in a tiny village called Baan Som Sanuk, in the remote corners of Bueng Kan Province, North-East Thailand — a place where dirt roads outnumbered vehicles and the outside world felt a lifetime away. Her family were farmers; her father a buffalo and pig breeder. The village was insular, and markets or street food stalls were a rarity — everything came from the land, the season, and the hands that worked it.
From Farm to Food Stall
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Cooking wasn’t a passion May sought; it was a responsibility. After school, as the youngest daughter, it fell on her shoulders to prepare food for her family returning from the fields. Yet even then, despite limited ingredients and resources, May cared about taste — about making it good, memorable, worthy.
Years later, after working in hotel development for a large chain, life took an unexpected turn. She and her partner returned to Thailand to start their own hotel business, but things didn’t go as planned. Money ran out. What May did next would unknowingly spark the beginning of a brand:
She started selling her second-hand clothes at a morning market — but when a spot opened in the evening food market, she took the last THB 40,000 in her account and bought the essentials to set up a humble street food stall. It wasn’t just any stall — May insisted on proper wood tables, printed menus, and even served an amuse bouche — on the street!
There was no plan, just necessity — but May refused to compromise on quality. The food she served was prepared with the same standards she once delivered in 5-star hotels. Soon, word spread, and queues formed — sometimes over an hour-long — and within six months, she saved enough to open a thatched-roof shack with no walls.
MAYs was born.
Brand Without Borders
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In 2014, the first MAYs opened in Pattaya — chosen not for strategy but survival: May had family there and a free place to stay. It was called MAYs Four Regions, showcasing dishes from across Thailand, alongside playful Thai twists on international favourites like oysters.
Then came the invitations.
In 2018, a guest who loved her food invited her to Saigon, Vietnam. By 2022, Pattaya relaunched with a refreshed menu and cozier atmosphere — prices stayed fair, the commitment to quality unchanged.
Colombo followed in 2024, but May’s connection to Sri Lanka ran deeper — she first lived there in 2012 to open hotels and fell in love with the place and its people. She always wanted to return with her own creation.
In 2025, Hiriketiya called. A consulting gig in Ella led her to owners with a seaside space that wasn’t working. May suggested a new idea. They agreed. And MAYs planted its flag by the surf.
More Than Just Food
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Today, every time a new MAYs opens, May feels pride — not for herself, but for Thailand. She feels she’s representing her country, her heritage, her story.
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“I come from very little. But every plate I serve carries a piece of where I’m from — and where I’m going.” says May.