Living in the Original Sriracha (No, Not the Hot Sauce!)

Discovering life in a Thai coastal city that shares its name with America’s beloved condiment.

If you’re an American, you probably know Sriracha as the beloved hot sauce with the iconic rooster logo. You might even call it “rooster sauce” and squirt it generously over your pizza or ramen.

But somewhere in Thailand’s eastern seaboard, there’s a quiet coastal city called Si Racha (or Sriracha) that most hot sauce enthusiasts have never heard of. While this city did inspire the name of the famous American condiment, that’s where the connection ends. The original Si Racha sauce, created here in the 1930s by Thanom Chakkapak, is a much milder, fermented chili sauce that bears little resemblance to its American namesake.

But hot sauce aside, this overlooked Thai city has its own story to tell — one of a thriving expat community, beautiful coastal views, and a perfect blend of local culture and modern convenience that I was fortunate enough to call home for a year.

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Thailand’s Hidden Expat Community

When I first arrived in Si Racha, I was struck by how different it was from the Thailand I had imagined.

Located about an hour from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, this coastal city sits quietly between the tourist hotspots of Pattaya and Bangkok. Unlike the backpacker-filled streets of Bangkok or the…