A bowl of grilled pork vermicelli, a Vietnamese coffee and a tabby cat snoring on the rug next to you: that’s the promise of Siamese Cat Café, a stone’s throw from Mega Bangna. I haven’t been yet. I’ll drop by during my first week in Bangkok, from 6 January. But I loved the story of this place so much that I wanted to share it with you right now.
On this Thailand Notebook, I often take you off the usual tourist trail. Recently it was Koh Kret, Mon pottery and the island’s food. This time we head to the south-east of the capital, for a café that’s not quite like the others. Here, the cats aren’t decoration: they’re 16 adopted rescues, each with its own story.
A cat café on the Bang Na side
Siamese Cat Café is at 46/26 Moo 8, on Bangna–Trat Road, in the Bang Kaeo area. Officially you’re already in Samut Prakan province, although it’s still part of greater Bangkok. Easy landmarks: the Mega Bangna shopping mall and the IKEA store are right nearby, and Suvarnabhumi Airport isn’t far either.
So it’s a good tip if you’re staying on this side of the city, shopping at Mega Bangna, or killing a few hours before a flight. From the centre, a taxi or a Grab is the easiest option. If you come by car, the café offers free parking.
The place is split in two. On one side, a restaurant area with indoor and terrace seating. On the other, the cat room, which you enter in socks. There’s Wi-Fi, and the team speaks Thai and English.
Sixteen cats, sixteen stories
This café wasn’t born from a business plan, but from an adoption. It all began with Lucy, a Siamese cat abandoned on the streets of Pattaya and taken in by the founder’s family. She gave the café its name. Then came Charlie, rescued in Rayong and named after Charlie Chaplin. Playful and mischievous, he now holds the unofficial title of the house’s “king of comedy”.
Others followed, often after a rough start in life:
- Comet lost her tail and broke a leg in a car accident. She has recovered and spends her days calmly watching everyone.
- Feli was abandoned when she was only a few weeks old. She’s named after Félicette, the first cat ever sent into space, who was French.
- Soul was found alone on a Bangkok street after a dog killed his brother.
- Muezza was abandoned, pregnant, at a temple. She gave birth to five kittens there, all since rehomed, before being adopted herself.
- Mira and Nina are twins born into the café family, with opposite personalities.
You’ll also meet Cleo, Malee, Siam, and siblings Mia and Pho. About half of the gang is Siamese or close to it, but the café isn’t limited to that breed. The rest of the menagerie includes six rabbits, a corgi, a turtle and a few small fish.
What won me over is how the cats are cared for. They have their breaks: nap time from noon to 1 pm, dinner from 5 to 6 pm. They can take a day off, and they decide when to come to you. Meals are prepared twice a day, based on chicken breast and pumpkin. Vaccinations, deworming and weekly grooming are part of the routine. The café works with Midnight’s Soul Animal Support, gives part of its income to animal rescue in Thailand, and stands by a simple motto: “Adopt, don’t shop”.
On the plate: Vietnam in Bangkok
The other unusual thing about this place is the food. Most cat cafés in Bangkok serve drinks and a few cakes. Here, the menu is mainly Vietnamese, with some Thai and Western dishes too. That makes it a real place for lunch or dinner, not just a coffee break.
A few dishes I spotted on the menu:
- fresh spring rolls with prawns and pork (155 baht);
- grilled pork and pâté bánh mì (175 baht), or the fried egg version;
- Vietnamese grilled pork vermicelli (255 baht), served with fresh herbs, cucumber and dipping sauce;
- phở, which several customers mention in their reviews.
For something sweet, the house highlights its waffles, such as the Oreo ice cream waffle (195 baht). To drink, Vietnamese coffee and salted cream coffee come up often in reviews, as does the strawberry yoghurt smoothie. I’ll taste it all in January and tell you what I really think.
Practical information
Good news: entry to the cat room is free. There’s no minimum spend and no time limit. That’s rare in Bangkok, where many cat cafés charge for entry or by the hour.
| Address | 46/26 Moo 8, Bangna–Trat Road, Bang Kaeo, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan 10540 |
| Opening hours | Every day, 8 am to 9 pm |
| Entry | Free, no minimum spend |
| Cat treats | 25 baht each, sold at the counter |
| Socks | Required in the cat room (you can buy them there) |
| Payment | Cash, Visa, Mastercard |
| Contact | +66 95 241 3028 · siamesecat.cafe |
A few common-sense rules: sanitise your hands when you go in and out, play gently, don’t chase the cats and don’t wake the sleeping ones. No flash photography, and no outside food. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied.
My tip: go on a weekday, it’s quieter. Also avoid the cats’ midday nap and dinner time if you want to see them at their liveliest. You can book through the Eatigo or FunNow apps, which sometimes offer discounts on the menu.
Why I can’t wait to go
On paper, Siamese Cat Café ticks every box: real food, free entry and, above all, cats that have been rescued and are treated with respect, not shop-window animals. Online reviews agree: 4.9 on Google, with customers describing a calm, clean place and a very kind team.
In the interest of transparency: the café has invited me to visit in January, and that meal will be on them. This is not a paid partnership, and I’ll give you my honest opinion after my visit. In the meantime, if you’re near Mega Bangna, go and say hello to Lucy and Charlie for me.
Useful sources
- Siamese Cat Café, official website
- The story of the café’s cats, ScandAsia
- Free entry and prices, café blog
- Menu and reviews on Eatigo
To go further
Mr Schaka’s guidebook, Bangkok – The Practical Guide, covers the essentials: transport, neighbourhoods, addresses, food, etiquette and safety, updated for 2026–2027.
