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You simply must queue up and try it at least once in your life — this is advice often shared on food forums about Jae Oh Khao Tom Pet, also known as Jae O Chula, an eatery famous for its Thai instant noodles in tom yum broth.

The restaurant attracts both locals and international tourists and has earned Michelin recognition, resulting in long queues and waiting times.

Behind the success of Jae O Chula is the story of its owner, Muay Sae-Chua, known as Jae Oh, who once contemplated suicide because of huge debts.

Born into a family of small traders, Jae Oh became a homemaker after marriage while also working at her in-laws’ duck shop, eventually becoming its manager.

In 1986, the business collapsed due to internal issues, leaving her with massive debts. Jae Oh once considered ending her life, but the responsibility of caring for her six children, the youngest of whom was not even two yet, held her back, she recalled in Siam Commercial Bank’s TV Series “Legendary Restaurants” episode.

She decided to start over with help from her brother, who provided 600,000 baht (US$18,230). She used 500,000 baht to cover expenses and the rest to renovate the restaurant.

From then on, she worked tirelessly, often even skipping meals.

During holidays, she would stew nearly 1,000 ducks a day. At times, her body could not withstand the grueling workload. She might be hospitalized in the morning but would return to the shop by noon if she felt well enough to continue serving customers.

Remarkably, she managed to clear the entire debt within six months.

The crisis also taught Jae Oh the importance of financial literacy and managing her savings. She passed those lessons on to her children, teaching them to save money and maintain cash flow while reminding them never to become complacent about unforeseen events.

Those lessons helped the family business survive when the restaurant was forced to close for two months during the Covid outbreak.

The biggest turning point in Jae Oh’s career came by chance.

Her son would often stay late at the restaurant with friends to watch football matches. One night, the group became hungry, and so he went into the kitchen to cook instant noodles, according to Michelin Guide.

That meal opened up a new business opportunity: serving food late at night instead of sticking to the restaurant’s previous 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. operating hours.

When the restaurant relocated to Banthatthong Road in 2015, Jae Oh added instant noodles to the late-night menu and named the dish “MaMa Oh Ho,” according to Bangkok Foodies.

The name reflected the dish itself: a massive portion of noodles topped generously with fresh seafood and meat and featuring a bold, authentic Thai tom yum flavor. It was served from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Initially, Jae Oh had expected to sell 20 bowls a day, but the dish became so popular that the kitchen struggled to cope with the orders.

While many customers praised the food, others complained about the long waiting times. The pressure became so intense that Jae Oh considered removing the noodle dish from the menu to protect the restaurant’s reputation.

However, a group of loyal MaMa Oh Ho fans urged her not to give up.

So she revamped the preparation process instead, buying hundreds of specialized pots and bowls. She also made another major change: customers could order the noodle dish as soon as the restaurant opened instead of waiting until 11 p.m.

Today, long lines form outside the restaurant every evening, with customers including visitors from China, Japan, Singapore, the U.S., and Europe.

Thanks to Jae Oh’s dedication, Jae Oh Khao Tom Pet has evolved from a humble local eatery into a world-renowned establishment, earning prestigious accolades including the Shell Shuan Shim award, the Michelin Bib Gourmand, Bangkok’s Best Street Food Award, and the Wongnai Users’ Choice award.

Even at 70, Jae Oh finishes her workday at around 3 a.m., gets a brief rest and then takes her grandchildren to school at 6 a.m. She wakes again at 1 p.m. to prepare for the next shift.

Despite the demanding schedule, she says she feels healthier than she did 20 years ago.

Although the small eatery has become increasingly famous, Jae Oh has never considered opening a branch.

The reason is simple: She finds happiness in working and being close to her loved ones.

“If that day I decided to kill myself, I would never have a chance to meet my children and the success I own today,” she says in SCB’s series.