Thailand
Thai Food Guide for Travelers
Thai cuisine is a masterclass in balancing sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. Thailand's street food culture is UNESCO-recognised and eating at plastic tables on Bangkok sidewalks is often better than any restaurant.
Street Food Culture
Bangkok's UNESCO-recognised street food: Yaowarat for seafood, Khao San for backpacker snacks, Victory Monument for boat noodles. Follow the queues.
Understanding Thai Curries
Green is spiciest (green chillies). Red is milder. Yellow is mildest. Massaman is rich. Panang is thick. All use coconut milk.
Regional Differences
The north does khao soi and milder flavours. Isaan is Thailand's flavour powerhouse: som tum, larb, sticky rice. The south is spicier and more coconut-heavy.
Desserts and Fruit
Extraordinary tropical fruit: mango, durian, mangosteen, rambutan. Thai desserts use coconut milk, palm sugar, and rice. Mango sticky rice is essential.
Must-Try Dishes
Pad Thai
$Stir-fried rice noodles with shrimp, tofu, egg, bean sprouts, and tamarind sauce.
Contains shellfish, eggs, peanuts, soy
Green Curry
$Coconut curry with green chillies, Thai basil, eggplant, and chicken or prawns.
Contains shellfish/meat, coconut; gluten-free
Som Tum
$Green papaya salad pounded with chilli, lime, fish sauce, and peanuts.
Contains fish sauce, shellfish, peanuts
Tom Yum Goong
$Hot and sour prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves.
Contains shellfish, fish sauce; gluten-free
Massaman Curry
$$Rich mild curry with potatoes, peanuts, and slow-cooked meat.
Contains meat, peanuts, coconut; gluten-free
Mango Sticky Rice
$Sweet sticky rice with fresh mango and coconut cream.
Contains coconut; gluten-free
Pad Kra Pao
$Minced meat with holy basil, chillies, garlic, and fried egg. Thailand's favourite lunch.
Contains meat, eggs, soy
Khao Soi
$Chiang Mai's egg noodles in curry broth with crispy noodles on top.
Contains gluten, coconut, meat
Menu Vocabulary
| Term | Meaning | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Pad | Stir-fried | Cooking Methods |
| Tom | Boiled/soup | Cooking Methods |
| Gaeng | Curry | Cooking Methods |
| Yang | Grilled | Cooking Methods |
| Gai | Chicken | Proteins |
| Moo | Pork | Proteins |
| Goong | Shrimp | Proteins |
| Khao | Rice | Staples |
| Pet | Spicy | Flavours |
| Mai pet | Not spicy | Flavours |
| Check bin | The bill | Dining |
Dietary Restriction Guide
Vegetarian
Fish sauce and shrimp paste in almost everything. Jay (Buddhist vegan) restaurants exist. Say 'mai sai nam pla' (no fish sauce).
Vegan
Look for yellow-flagged 'jay' restaurants. Say 'gin jay'. Fish sauce and oyster sauce in almost everything.
Gluten-Free
Curries with rice, grilled meats, and stir-fries are naturally gluten-free. Pad Thai uses rice noodles. Some noodle dishes use wheat.
Common Allergies
Peanuts extremely common. Shellfish and fish sauce in nearly everything. Coconut in curries. Say 'pom/chan paeh ___'.
Ordering Tips
- •Street food stalls are often the best. Plastic chairs and a busy stall means excellent food.
- •Ask for spice level: 'mai pet', 'pet nit noi', or 'pet mak'. Thai mild is still spicy.
- •Eat with fork and spoon. Chopsticks are only for noodle soups.
- •Tipping not traditional but rounding up or 20-50 baht is appreciated.
- •7-Eleven stores are excellent for cheap snacks and meals.