Thai Soon Restaurant, a fixture of North Texas dining for nearly 40 years, will close its doors in Richardson on August 23, 2026, after owner Irean Wongchingchai cited mounting rent pressures that finally proved insurmountable. The closure ends a run that began in 1987 on Lower Greenville as Dallas’s first Thai vegetarian restaurant before the business relocated to Richardson in 2001.
Wongchingchai, who now runs the restaurant her mother Soontaree Chanchaisri founded, described the shutdown as the most difficult decision of her life in a social media announcement, according to WFAA. She said persistent difficulty keeping up with rent drove the decision, and she noted she hopes to find future ways to share her mother’s recipes with the community. In comments to Community Impact, Wongchingchai said she enjoyed getting to know customers throughout the years the restaurant has served the community.
The closure was not entirely unforeseen. Back in March 2026, Thai Soon came within days of shutting down over surging ingredient prices and rent pressures, and the restaurant’s doors stayed open only after a wave of customer support rallied to keep it running, per WFAA’s earlier reporting. That temporary reprieve appears to have run its course five months later.
A Legacy Built on Family Recipes
Thai Soon’s scratch-made menu was built on recipes passed down from Chanchaisri, affectionately known to regulars as Mama Soon, and included signature dishes like Tom Kha coconut soup and a red curry made with specialized coconut milk, according to the restaurant’s own website. The business aimed to serve healthy, fresh ingredients to the community it had called home for almost 40 years. Community Impact reports the restaurant has operated at its current Richardson location, 101 S. Coit Road, Suite 401, since the 2001 move…