A new Thai restaurant is due to open on the Isle of Wight.

Thai by Ja is due to open in the Charterhouse, Newport, this weekend after new owners bought the restaurant and hotel.

Run by couple Martin Ball and Ja Mangkang, the restaurant will serve traditional Thai food.

Ja will be the head chef of the restaurant and aims to bring family recipes from Thailand to the Island.

She would like to create a family atmosphere, akin to customers are staying in their house.

She said: "Everything will be traditional, from my family."

Ja has brought over traditional Thai ingredients from the mainland and even imported some to ensure that the restaurant's food is authentic.

She previously worked at a Thai restaurant in Winchester and has been familiarising herself with the Isle of Wight since moving over last month.

Martin, a former lorry driver born on the Island, bought the restaurant and hotel in September.

He had planned to semi-retire after a career on the mainland, but he seized the opportunity to take on the hotel and restaurant alongside building a new home.

Martin said he had been inspired by seeing other Thai restaurants being popular on the Island.

He noted the central location of the Charterhouse in attracting Island-wide customers.

The Charterhouse is a Grade II listed building in St Thomas' Square, Newport, housing a six-bedroom hotel and restaurant.

The couple are undergoing work renovating the restaurant, refitting many parts of the kitchen.

Martin and Ja have installed large wok burners and taken on staff in the kitchen and front of house.

They will make improvements to the decor of the restaurant 

Martin said: "There's been a real sense of community from other businesses."

"We've been given numbers and names of suppliers."

The restaurant aims to be open this weekend after a "dry run" on Friday (November 1) for friends and family.