Awesome man I love these type of places! I love the boiled chicken noodle soups I would have pretty often. On Koh Samui, there was a place I nicknamed "The Shed" which.. well.. you can probably guess why haha! But the food was awesome, cheap, and so great! For about 70-80 baht I would get crispy pork, rice, kale and garlic, 2 fried eggs, and an ice coffee or tea! The perfect meal after a muay thai morning session that's for sure haha. Oh yes and unlimited water, of course ;)
China also is great for these type of things, but Thailand was easier for me to choose. China was difficult due to the language barrier and no-one speaking a word of English. I know minor Chinese and Thai but am making more of an effort to learn now.
How long did it take you to speak Thai?