News

Obituary: Joe "Thailand" Yuvayongdee

by Mat Schaffer
Thursday Dec 5, 2019

This article is from the December 5, 2019 issue of South End News.


Joe Thailand (Banjong Yuvayongdee)
Joe Thailand (Banjong Yuvayongdee)  

South End restaurateur Joe Thailand passed away Sunday November 24th after a sudden illness.
His given name was Banjong Yuvayongdee when he was born in Bangkok in 1952, but in Boston he was known to all as Joe Thailand—owner of House of Siam on Columbus Avenue and House of Siam on Tremont Street. He might easily have been called Joe South End given his love for the neighborhood. With his ear-to-ear grin and affable personality, Joe has been a beloved fixture in the South End since he opened House of Siam on Columbus Avenue on the auspicious date of April 13, 1998 (Thai New Year).
House of Siam On Tremont followed ten years later.
Joe came to the US in 1970 to study. He selected Boston because Thailand's King
Bhumibol Adulyadej was born at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. After graduation from the Lowell Technological Institute with a degree in Industrial Engineering he was approached by a chef friend to open the first House of Siam in Copley Square in 1985. The chef left but Joe endured.
Joe introduced thousands of Bostonians to iconic Thai dishes like tom yum koong soup, satay, pad Thai, and Massaman curry. His restaurants have been the recipients of multiple Boston magazine Best of Boston awards. His red Toyota smart car —which he used for his bustling delivery business—was as recognizable as a duck boat. If there was a South End charity event or a death in the neighborhood or a family in need, he was there with his delicious food and his megawatt smile.
Joe leaves behind his partner James Rogers. His nephews Kai and Ped Wongjantit will take over the two restaurants.
Three years ago, I interviewed Joe Thailand for an article I wrote for the Improper Bostonian about the melting pot of international restaurateurs and chefs in the Hub. "I love this country and I love Boston," he told me. "It was my dream to come here, to work here, to open a business here, and become a US citizen. That was my dream and it worked. It worked for me."
Mat Schaffer is the former restaurant critic for Boston Herald and Boston magazine and the host of Sports Hub Grub podcast.