The most comprehensive analysis of Thai cuisine across the United Kingdom. 1594 restaurants. 78 cities. One definitive report.
As of June 2026, there are 1594 Thai food businesses registered with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS for Scotland). This covers dine-in restaurants, takeaways, and mobile vendors — any establishment classified under Thai cuisine by their local authority.
📊 Key figure: 1594 businesses across 78 UK cities. London alone accounts for 411 (26.4%). The average city has 6.4 Thai businesses per 100,000 residents. The national average hygiene rating is ★4.3 out of 5.
The split between dine-in and takeaway varies significantly by city. Nationally, approximately 79% are dine-in restaurants and 21% are takeaways, though London skews more toward takeaway (21.4%) compared to cities like Sheffield (97% dine-in).
London dominates — but the rest of the top 10 tells a more interesting story about immigrant communities, student populations, and tourism patterns.
| # | City | Businesses | Per 100k | Hygiene | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | London | 411 | 4.6 | ★4.1 | |
| 2 | Leeds | 34 | 4.2 | ★4.4 | |
| 3 | Manchester | 28 | 4.9 | ★4.1 | |
| 4 | Edinburgh | 24 | 4.4 | ★4.2 | |
| 5 | Bristol | 19 | 3.9 | ★4.6 | |
| 6 | Birmingham | 17 | 1.5 | ★4.4 | |
| 7 | Brighton | 13 | 4.7 | ★4.2 | |
| 8 | Sheffield | 12 | 2.1 | ★4.0 | |
| 9 | Leicester | 10 | 2.8 | ★4.4 | |
| 10 | Bournemouth | 9 | 4.6 | ★4.0 |
The drop-off after London is stark: the capital has 12× more Thai businesses than second-place Leeds. For context, London has 8.8× Leeds' population — meaning Thai food is actually slightly more concentrated in London relative to population than the raw numbers suggest.
Per-capita density is the metric that matters for operators looking to expand. The UK average is 2.6 Thai businesses per 100,000 residents. Cities above this line are more competitive; cities below it represent opportunity.
🔍 Biggest gaps (high population, low Thai density): Birmingham (1.5/100k — 1.1M people but only 17 Thai businesses), Sheffield (2.1/100k), Cardiff, Coventry, and Hull all have large populations with disproportionately few Thai options.
Manchester leads the density rankings at 4.9/100k, followed closely by Brighton (4.7) and London (4.6). These are the most competitive markets — but also the ones with proven demand.
Use our free City Opportunity Scorer to weight population, competition, and costs for any UK city.
The national average hygiene rating for Thai establishments is ★4.3 out of 5 — slightly above the UK restaurant industry average. The highest-rated cities are Bristol (★4.6), Leeds (★4.4), and Leicester (★4.4).
Bristol ★4.6
Leeds ★4.4
Leicester ★4.4
Birmingham ★4.4
Sheffield ★4.0
Bournemouth ★4.0
London ★4.1
Manchester ★4.1
Use our Hygiene Rating Lookup to check any Thai restaurant's latest FSA rating, and the Competitor Radar to see which restaurants recently gained or lost stars.
Delivery platforms take a significant cut of every order. Based on our analysis of Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats commission structures for independent restaurants:
| Platform | Commission | On a £30 order | On a £50 order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Just Eat | 14% + £0.50 | Platform gets £4.70 | Platform gets £7.50 |
| Deliveroo | 25-30% | Platform gets £7.50-£9.00 | Platform gets £12.50-£15.00 |
| Uber Eats | 25-30% | Platform gets £7.50-£9.00 | Platform gets £12.50-£15.00 |
The average Thai menu price is 22% higher on delivery platforms than dine-in, as restaurants pass some commission costs to customers. But with food costs typically at 28-35% and labour at 30-35%, the remaining margin after platform fees is thin.
Use our free Delivery Profit Calculator to model your exact net earnings per platform.
Based on our Menu Price Index tracking 75 items across 5 cities, here's what UK diners are paying:
| Dish | Dine-in Avg | Delivery Avg | Markup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pad Thai (chicken) | £12.50 | £14.95 | +20% |
| Green Curry (chicken) | £13.00 | £15.90 | +22% |
| Tom Yum Goong | £6.95 | £8.50 | +22% |
| Massaman Curry | £13.95 | £16.90 | +21% |
| Thai Fish Cakes | £7.50 | £9.25 | +23% |
| Jasmine Rice (portion) | £3.50 | £4.20 | +20% |
London prices run approximately 15% above the national average. The gap between London and northern cities is widest on premium dishes — a Massaman curry in Zone 1 can hit £18.95 dine-in, vs £11.50 in Leeds.
Explore the full dataset on our Menu Price Index page.
The April 2026 NLW increase to £12.71/hr (up from £11.44) hits hospitality harder than most sectors. A typical Thai restaurant with 6 front-of-house staff and 4 kitchen staff on minimum wage will see annual staff costs rise by approximately £22,000-£28,000. For a restaurant operating on 8-12% net margins, this is the difference between profit and loss.
Use our free Minimum Wage Calculator to model your exact increase.
The Thai chef visa route remains one of the few viable paths for bringing skilled kitchen staff from Thailand. The Skilled Worker visa requires a minimum salary of £38,700 (or going rate, whichever is higher), sponsorship licence, and English language proficiency. In practice, this means only established restaurants can afford to sponsor.
Read our complete Thai Chef Visa guide for requirements, costs, and timeline.
Despite cost pressures, Thai cuisine continues to grow in the UK. The number of FSA-registered Thai businesses has increased year-on-year, driven by:
— Consumer demand for Southeast Asian flavours
— Relatively low barrier to entry vs fine dining
— Strong delivery platform performance for Thai food
— Growing "Thai street food" casual dining segment
Primary source: Food Standards Agency (FSA) FHRS API — all establishments registered with UK local authorities. Filtered for Thai cuisine using business name and type matching.
Scotland: Food Hygiene Information Scheme (FHIS) — separate database for Scottish establishments.
Chain identification: Manual verification of major chains (Giggling Squid, Busaba, Rosa's Thai, Thaikhun, Chaophraya, etc.) to avoid double-counting.
Population data: ONS mid-2024 population estimates. Per-capita calculations use city/metropolitan populations, not wider urban areas.
Hygiene ratings: FSA 0-5 scale. "Pass" under FHIS (Scotland) mapped to equivalent 5-star rating.
Menu prices: Manual collection from restaurant websites and delivery platforms (Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats), 75 data points across 5 cities. Updated quarterly.
Limitations: 122 premises were excluded due to lack of inspection data. Some businesses may operate under broader "Asian" or "Oriental" categories and not appear in Thai-filtered results. The actual number of businesses serving Thai food in the UK is likely higher than 1594.
Last updated: June 2026. Data refreshed weekly via automated FSA API pull.