Koh Pha Ngan
Koh Pha Ngan is vegan paradise. The local Thais offer vegan options with no MSG to please the health-conscious crowd that flocks here.
If you are in the area, check out Eat.co, a 100% vegan hub with a chill ambiance, hippy music and a little organic shop. Try their beetroot burger or the dal of the day. If you have the chance to be there during high season, you will be able to enjoy their lunch special, which is always super tasty.
Blue Diamond
Arguably one of the restaurants responsible for popularizing plant-based eating in Chiang Mai, Blue Diamond has been a stop for herbivore travelers and locals alike for years.
Also known locally as “The Breakfast Club” thanks to its incredible early-morning eats and organic coffee sourced from Hill Tribes living just outside city limits, Blue Diamond serves its menu all day and does keep meat in its kitchen which happen to incorporate into any dish for your carnivore friends. Portions of Thai, Vietnamese, and Western food are huge, and the restaurant also keeps a well-stocked shop of organic goodies, cosmetics, breads, and even vegan ice cream.
Amirita Garden
This macrobiotic Japanese restaurant is located in a renovated traditional-style teak house in the Old City. The macrobiotic diet traces its origin to the Asian yin-yang philosophy of incorporating balance in all aspects of life. The diet, which features whole grains, vegetables, and beans as staple ingredients, is reportedly beneficial to easing or even eradicating conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Aside from the recipes themselves, macrobiotic dining celebrates the meal in its entirety, diners are recommended to chew each mouthful at least 50 times and pause to express gratitude before eating. The kitchen is very amenable to individual tastes, so the menu is easily modifiable allowing for all kinds of vegetable or plant-based protein substitutions across its options. All of its food is strictly vegan unless otherwise stated, like several desserts that do contain dairy.
Govinda
Italian cuisine has been popularized the world over, with individual cultures regularly adopting their own takes on the classic staples. Govinda in Bangkok has salvaged the popular fare for the vegan community and serves a full range of Italian staples in both vegetarian and vegan varieties. Running since 1997, its menu items are packed with flavour and taste remarkably like the real thing, using vegan cheese and soy-based proteins to mimic the iconic tastes of Italian pizzas, pastas, soups, and more.
Vegetabowl
This colourful veggie shack in the heart of the island is the stuff of vegan dreams. Its trademark salad, soba noodle, and rice bowls pack flavourful punches, and are surprisingly nourishing as well. Or cater to your comfort food side through their pan-fried quesadilla and daily freshly baked vegan cookies the size of your hand.