Here is the list of must-try street food dishes in Thailand:
1. Som Tam (Papaya Salad)
The most popular and widely consumed dish, Som Tam is a healthy and delicious salad made with roasted peanuts, garlic, chilies, various seasonings, and of course, green papaya with palm sugar dressing to top it of. It engages all your tastebuds with its sweet, salty, sour and chili flavours. Yes, it is an all-in-one experience!
2. Tom Yum (Hot and Sour Thai Soup)
Tom Yum is not just famous in the Thailand street food scene but has taken the world by storm with its unique flavours. It is a delicious hot and sour soup made with fragrant herbs and spices. Shrimp is generally added to it, but there are a lot of other variants like pork, meat or other seafood. Lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves are the ingredients used to make the soup aromatic, fresh and tantalizing to your palette. It comes in a lot of varieties like Tom Yum Kai which is the chicken variant, Tom yum Kung which is made with prawns and most popular among tourists and a lot of other versions.
3. Pad Thai (Stir-Fried Noodles)
Behold the most beloved street food of Thailand, Pad Thai! It is one of the most popular dishes in Thailand and even considered to be one of the most delicious dishes worldwide. Pad Thai is Thailand’s culture in a bowl. Made with rice noodles which are stir-fried with tofu, eggs and flavoured with tamarind, fish sauce, shallots and the mix of various spices, Pad Thai is served with roasted peanuts and has a huge serving of vegetables. And how can we forget, shrimp, crab, squid or chicken! No wonder it has a whole movie made on it (Hint: It is a Thai movie).
4. Gaeng Daeng (Thai Red Curry)
Gaeng Daeng is a red curry made with chillies, spices, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, garlic, shallots, shrimps and fish sauce. The aroma can make you drool easily. The meats can differ from place to place like chicken, pork, duck, shrimp and even vegetarian options like tofu are available. It is generally served with Thai rice and steamed bread.
5. Gaeng Keow Wan Gai (Thai Green Curry)
A type of street food in Thailand that is known to the world, Gaeng Keow Wan Gai is the iconic Green Chicken Curry. The first question that comes to mind when one sees this curry is, "How is it so green?”. That is because of the green curry paste that is added to the coconut milk while stirring fast. It is made with fresh chicken, eggplants, coriander, bamboo and sweet basil. What more could one ask for?
6. Khao Phat (Thai Fried Rice)
In Thai, Khao means “rice” and Phat means “a stir-fried”. It is made with Thai Jasmine rice and contains meat or seafood (crab, prawns, shrimp). Seasonings include soy sauce, chilli sauce, sugar, salt and many different sauces. Usually, different food stalls add seasonings according to their own personalized recipes. Nevertheless, it is absolutely delicious and fragrant. It is generally accompanied with cucumber slices, tomatoes, coriander and lime. There are a lot of variations which you should definitely try like Khao Phat Mu (made with pork) and Khao Phat Khiao Wan(green curry fried rice).
7. Kao Niew Ma Muang (Mango Sticky Rice)
In the mood for dessert? Mango sticky rice will satiate your dessert pangs instantly! It consists of glutinous rice, mango pulp, coconut milk and mung beans to top it off. Eat it fresh with a spoon or hands, if you will! It is highly refreshing and a kind of street food in Thailand that's sure to give you some respite during mid-day heat. There are a lot of variations available with different types of mangoes and toppings like dried shrimp. Eat it fresh as the sticky rice and coconut milk tend to spoil quickly.
8. Sai Krok Isan (Thai Fermented Sausage)
This is street food in Thailand that you can eat on the go. It is a delicious fermented sausage eaten with raw cabbage, sticky rice and garlic. A perfect beer snack, it is slightly tangy and salty. It originated in the northeast part of Thailand but is savoured all across the country.
9. Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles)
This is another type of stir-fried noodles. But unlike Pad Thai which is sweeter, Pad See Ew is saltier and has a chargrilled flavour. Pad See Ew translates to stir-fried soy sauce noodles and eaten as a staple in Thailand. The type of noodles usually used is Sen Yai which is cooked with Chinese broccoli, chicken, eggs and a combination of sauces like oyster sauce, vinegar, light soy sauce & dark soy sauce. It is perfectly balanced street food in Thailand and you surely won’t be disappointed!
10. Khanom Buang (Thai Crispy Pancakes)
It is a Thai style crepe which is filled with coconut cream and then toppings like coconut shreds and scallions are added to it. Many times, you can even get egg yolks as a topping. Roasted sesame seeds add aroma and texture variations to this dessert.
11. Thapthim Krop (Thai Red Ruby Dessert)
After a spicy and fiery meal, craving for some sweet cooling dessert? Thapthim Krop hits all the marks. It is served with crushed ice, coconut liquid on Pandan leaves. These leaves have an aroma and flavour of their own which makes it even more delicious. But, the real treasures are the “Red Rubies” made with water chestnuts covered with grenadine syrup and flour and boiled. Red food colouring gives it that rich appearance.
12. Oliang (Thai Iced Coffee)
Oliang or Thai iced coffee is loved by both natives and tourists alike. It is made of a blend of coffee, corn, soybeans and sesame seeds. It is brewed out of a coffee sock made of muslin attached to a metallic ring. Condensed milk and cream is added to taste. You can never go wrong with this local favourite street food in Thailand.
13. Hor Mok (Thai Steamed Curried Fish)
Hor Mok is a hidden treasure of Thailand that deserves a lot more recognition than it gets. It is made of coconut milk, freshwater fish, eggs, herbs and spices. It is then steamed in banana leaves which gives it a mousse-like texture. Toppings like kaffir lime leaves, chillies, coconut milk etc. can be added to give it a fresh flavour. You can find it at local food stalls and outside local restaurants. There are a lot of variations available like different types of seafood ranging from squids to crabs. This can even be found in gourmet restaurants which have their own take on this dish.
14. Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
It is a Thai coconut soup. It is an interesting combination of sweet and sour made with coconut milk, chillies, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, Thai chilli peppers, galangal, mushrooms, chicken and fish sauce. Coriander is also added in this Thai version. It has a rather exotic flavour and is a must try.
15. Jok (Thai Congee)
What do the Thai people love to eat for breakfast? Jok or Thai rice porridge is the answer. But, this is not any ordinary rice porridge. It is made with a lot of ingredients like pork, kaffir lime leaves, rice etc. It is usually served hot with a yolk on the top and various toppings. It is absolutely delicious. The Thai people usually prefer to eat it as a takeaway. You can then empty the contents of the bag into a bowl and add onions, ginger and a dash of vinegar according to your preference. It is super filling and warm.
16. Gai Pad Med Ma Muang (Thai Cashew Chicken)
This is a combination of stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts. Sounds amazing right? Well, the taste is amazing too! The exquisite dish also contains oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, garlic, onion, chilli flakes and many other ingredients. It is served with jasmine rice or bread. Yum!
17. Hoy Tod (Thai-Style Omelet)
18. Kai Jeow (Omelette with rice)
You might have seen many variants of the omelette but I bet nothing like Kai Jeow of Thailand. Kai Jeow is one of the most popular and cheap dishes among Thailand's street food. Kai Jeow is basically the Thai omelette served over rice (Since rice is one thing they have experimented with). The omelette which is fluffy from the inside and golden and crispy from the outside is served as the top layer over the aromatic rice. It is cooked in red chillies and fish sauce to give it the staple Thai touch. It is prefered mostly as the breakfast, but I won't blame you if you are seen savouring this dish for your dinner.
19. Moo Ping (Grilled Pork Skewers)
20. Guay Teow (Noodle Soup)
Guar Teow is one of the varieties of noodle soup in Thailand, and a common delicacy among the street food in Thailand. Although, you can try as many varieties of noodle soup in Thailand, but this one particular you shouldn't miss. Guay Teow is either prepared from the flat rice noodles or the egg noodles that makes for the main ingredient of the dish. It has delicious sauce from fish sauce, dry red chillies, lime juice and sugar to equalize the spice. Guay Teow is prepared from different meats and you can find anything from beef, pork or chicken making up for the yum sauce with noodles.
21. Kluay Tod (Thai Fried Bananas)
Kluay Tod is when the banana gets a new twist. It is all-time favourite snack among Bangkok street food in Thailand. Kluay Tod is prepared from the unripe small banana, by deep frying them. The bananas are first put into the batter of desiccated coconut and sesame seeds and then allowed to deep fry. It is one of the go-to snacks in Thailand and if you are a vegetarian then there is no way you should let this pass.
22. Gai Tod (Thai Style Fried Chicken)
If you want to try fried chicken in all-new style and here is something for you. Gai Tod is the Thailand version of fried chicken which will make you forget all you had before. It is prepared from marinating the chicken breasts or chicken drums in the blend of spices and rice flour. To add the spicy and tangy flavour to the chicken, Thai chilli paste and spicy sauce are mixed with the chicken. This dish is very popular among Thailand's street food, especially preferred by the local people, and is served with rice.
23. Poh Pia Tod (Thai Spring Rolls)
What have you done in life if you have come to Thailand and not gulp down a plate of authentic spring rolls? Springs rolls or Poh Pia Tod, as they call it in the local language, is Thailand's famous spring rolls. You will find them everywhere, be it a fancy restaurant or a Thailand street food stall. The filling of these spring rolls can be of anything from meat, vegetables or rice noodles. Make sure you ask the vendor before you eat. It is served with chilli sauce to give the spicy touch to the dish.
24. Massaman Gai (Thai Masaman Chicken)
Massaman Gai is another Thai curry dish which has got its influence from Persian cuisine. The dish is prepared from chicken and potatoes, making it one of the dishes you will find in Thailand's street food scene. Chicken can be replaced with tofu for those looking for a vegetarian version. The delicious gravy of the dish is made from coconut milk with the additions of peanuts, cinnamon, bay leaves, tamarind sauce, and sugar to give it a mix flavour of sweet, tangy and spicy. It is not that spicy as compared to the Thai curry dishes and is served with rice for the complete meal.
Tips for Enjoying Street Food in Thailand
- Explore Night Markets: Night markets are a street food enthusiast's paradise. Popular options include Asiatique in Bangkok, Chiang Mai's Sunday Walking Street, and the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar. These markets are known for their extensive selection of street food vendors.
- Try the Local Specialties: Each region in Thailand has its unique street food specialties. For instance, you'll find Khao Soi (curry noodles) in Chiang Mai, Khanom Jeen (rice noodles with curry) in the south, and Isan-style BBQ in the northeast.
- Be Adventurous: Street food in Thailand is not just about familiar dishes. Be adventurous and sample local delicacies such as fried insects, grilled chicken feet, and various types of curries.
- Hygiene and Safety: Choose vendors with clean, well-maintained stalls and high turnover, as this ensures freshness. Pay attention to how the food is prepared and handled.
- Ask for Spiciness Level: Thai food can be very spicy. If you're not a fan of heat, don't hesitate to ask for milder versions. Vendors are usually accommodating.
- Fresh Fruit Stalls: Thailand's tropical climate yields a wide variety of fresh fruits. Look for fruit stalls offering freshly cut and prepared fruit, including exotic choices like dragon fruit, rambutan, and mangosteen.
- Paying for Street Food: Street food is incredibly affordable in Thailand. Many vendors only accept cash, so have Thai Baht on hand.
- Food Tours: If you're overwhelmed by the choices, consider taking a food tour with a local guide who can help you navigate the best street food stalls and explain the dishes.
The street food in Thailand is an explosion of magical flavors which can make anyone float on cloud nine. With this guide by your side, you can get the most out of your trip to Thailand. These dishes are surely going to take you out of your comfort zone, but trust us, it will be worth it! Unravel the foodie in you in the kingdom of Thailand. Bon Voyage!
