He may have been born Banjong Yuvayongdee in Bangkok, but in Boston he’s known to everyone as Joe Thailand, the affable restaurateur who’s fed classic Thai dishes like satay, pad Thai and Massaman curry to thousands of hungry diners during the past three decades at House of Siam.
Thailand came to the U.S. in 1970 to study, choosing Boston because of its reputation for educational excellence and because Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej was born here (at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge in 1927). After graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Lowell Technological Institute, Thailand was approached by a chef friend to go into the restaurant business. It was 1985, and there were only a handful of Thai restaurants in the city. The chef left, but Thailand persisted—and prospered, opening a second location in the South End.
“I love this country and I love Boston,” says Thailand, who jokes that his friends now call him Joe USA. “It was my dream to come here, to work here, to open a business here and become a U.S. citizen. That was my dream and it worked. It worked for me.”
House of Siam, 542 Columbus Ave., Boston (617-267-1755) houseofsiamboston.com
Acquired Tastes
By Mat Schaffer | Photo Credit: Holly Rike | Sept. 30, 2016
Joe Thailand
He may have been born Banjong Yuvayongdee in Bangkok, but in Boston he’s known to everyone as Joe Thailand, the affable restaurateur who’s fed classic Thai dishes like satay, pad Thai and Massaman curry to thousands of hungry diners during the past three decades at House of Siam.
Thailand came to the U.S. in 1970 to study, choosing Boston because of its reputation for educational excellence and because Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej was born here (at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge in 1927). After graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Lowell Technological Institute, Thailand was approached by a chef friend to go into the restaurant business. It was 1985, and there were only a handful of Thai restaurants in the city. The chef left, but Thailand persisted—and prospered, opening a second location in the South End.
“I love this country and I love Boston,” says Thailand, who jokes that his friends now call him Joe USA. “It was my dream to come here, to work here, to open a business here and become a U.S. citizen. That was my dream and it worked. It worked for me.”
House of Siam, 542 Columbus Ave., Boston (617-267-1755) houseofsiamboston.com
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