Cholada Thai

Cholada Thai was a Thai restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway in the unincorporated community of Topanga, California, Los Angeles County, United States. Located adjacent to the city of Malibu, it was destroyed in the Palisades Fire in January 2025.^[1]

Cholada Thai
Exterior photo of the Cholada Thai Restaurant with the restaurant's neon sign and motocycle parked in front.
Restaurant information
Established	2000
Closed	2025
Owner(s)	Sawai Theprian and Nikorn "Nick" Sriwichailumpan
Food type	Thai cuisine
Dress code	Casual
Street address	18763 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, California (mailing address)
County	Los Angeles
State	California
Postal/ZIP Code	90265
Country	United States
Coordinates	34.039106°N 118.584093°W / 34.039106; -118.584093
Website	choladathaicuisine.co

The restaurant was known for serving traditional Thai food in a relaxed beachside spot off the Pacific Coast Highway.^[2]

History

Sawai Theprian and her husband Nikorn Sriwichailumpan bought Cholada Thai in 1999. It was a family owned business, with Theprian and Sriwichailumpan's daughters working at the restaurant.^[3] The restaurant was located off of the Pacific Coast Highway and next to the Topanga Ranch Hotel.^[4] In 2001, Cholada Thai's property was acquired by California State Parks and incorporated into Topanga State Park.^[5][6]

In 2025, Cholada Thai in Malibu was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.^[1] However, a location in Long Beach remains open.^[7] On January 8th, a GoFundMe campaign was started for the restaurant. As of February 2nd, 2025, it has raised over $130,000.^[8]

Interior evening photo of the dining room located inside Cholada Thai restaurant in Malibu, California.

Evening photo of the front door of Cholada Thai Restaurant in Malibu, California. The photo also features a lit "open" LED sign and various notice signs attached on the exterior wall of the building.