PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL. A state inspector visiting Tuptim Thai Restaurant on Solana Road on April 22 found that the kitchen was not following parasite destruction procedures for fish, a violation that means customers could have consumed live parasites in their food. The restaurant was not closed.

That single finding sat alongside five other high-severity violations documented during the same visit, including improperly stored toxic chemicals, food in poor condition or adulterated, and fish or meat not cooked to required minimum temperatures.

What Inspectors Found

1HIGHParasite destruction procedures not followedHigh severity
2HIGHToxic chemicals improperly stored or labeledHigh severity
3HIGHFood not cooked to required minimum temperatureHigh severity
4HIGHFood in poor condition, mislabeled, or adulteratedHigh severity
5HIGHInadequate shell stock identification/recordsHigh severity
6HIGHNo consumer advisory for raw/undercooked foodsHigh severity
7INTImproper sewage or waste water disposalIntermediate
8INTMulti-use utensils not properly cleanedIntermediate
9INTInadequate ventilation and lightingIntermediate
10INTInadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilitiesIntermediate

The shellfish records violation adds another layer. Inspectors cited inadequate shell stock identification, meaning oysters, clams, or mussels served at the restaurant could not be traced to their source if a customer became ill.

The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods. That notice exists specifically to warn elderly diners, pregnant women, young children, and anyone with a compromised immune system that certain menu items carry elevated risk.

Inspectors also documented improper sewage or wastewater disposal, multi-use utensils that were not properly cleaned, inadequate ventilation and lighting, and inadequate or improperly maintained toilet facilities.

What These Violations Mean

The parasite destruction violation is among the most direct physical risks in the inspection record. When fish is served without proper prior freezing at required temperatures, or without cooking to the correct internal temperature, parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm larvae can survive and infect the person eating the meal. Thai cuisine frequently features fish in dishes that may be lightly cooked or served with sauces that do not reach killing temperatures throughout. The failure to follow parasite destruction procedures at Tuptim Thai means that safeguard was absent for customers who ate there before the April 22 inspection.

The toxic chemicals finding compounds the picture. Cleaning agents and pesticides stored near food preparation areas can contaminate ingredients directly, through spills or mislabeled containers, and the resulting poisoning can be acute. Combined with food cited as being in poor condition or adulterated, the inspection record describes a kitchen where the basic controls separating hazardous materials from food had broken down.

The sewage and wastewater violation carries its own distinct risk. Improper disposal of sewage introduces fecal contamination pathways into a facility. Combined with the utensil cleaning failure, where bacterial biofilms can develop on improperly washed surfaces within 24 hours, the April 22 inspection documented a facility with compromised barriers at multiple points in the food preparation chain.

The missing consumer advisory is not a paperwork technicality. It is the only mechanism by which a diner with a weakened immune system, or a pregnant customer, would know to avoid certain items on the menu. Without it, those customers had no basis to make an informed choice.

The Longer Record

Tuptim Thai: Inspection History

April 22, 20266 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations. Facility remained open.
November 12, 20258 high-severity, 3 intermediate violations.
May 13, 20253 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations.
December 3, 20244 high-severity, 4 intermediate violations.
March 20, 20244 high-severity violations.
January 16, 2024Emergency closure. Rodent activity. Reopened January 17.
November 14, 2023Emergency closure. Rodent activity. Reopened November 15.
May 9, 2022Emergency closure. Roach activity.

The April 22 inspection was not an aberration. State records show Tuptim Thai has been inspected 39 times and has accumulated 331 total violations across that history. The restaurant has been emergency-closed four times, three of those for pest activity, including two rodent closures within two months of each other in late 2023 and early 2024.

The five inspections preceding April 22 each produced high-severity violations. The November 2025 visit logged 8 high-severity citations, the single highest count in the recent record. Not one of those five inspections resulted in an emergency closure.

The pattern across inspections is consistent rather than episodic. High-severity violations appeared in every inspection from November 2023 through April 2026 except for two consecutive visits on January 16 and 17 of 2024, the day of and the day after the second rodent closure. The restaurant passed those two inspections and returned to high-severity citations within weeks.

Still Open

State inspectors documented six high-severity violations at Tuptim Thai on April 22, 2026. The restaurant, which has now accumulated 331 violations across 39 inspections and has been emergency-closed four times, was not ordered to close following that visit.