Street food in Thailand
There’s nothing better for me! My first discovery was a simple noodle soup for 50 cents at a roadside stall. Simply delicious! I still love it today, and whenever I see a street stall somewhere, I sit down or buy something to eat and give it a try.
I pay particular attention to who’s eating at the stalls. If they’re mostly locals, that’s a good sign.
You can find good street food in tourist areas, too, but it lacks the down-to-earth feel and authentic atmosphere that I think are an essential part of the street-food experience.
Street food - a universe of its own
How many street food recipes are there, anyway? No one knows for sure.
Thailand’s best English-language blogger, Richard Barrow, is an expert on street food. He has put together a handy guide to numerous dishes in “flashcards,” each with a picture, the dish’s name in Thai, and its pronunciation (audio). And you can download them!
Important Street Food Tips
Cooked is better than raw
Cities like Bangkok and Hua Hin are increasingly trying to clear the streets of the proliferation of street food stalls. These days, street food is also available at numerous new food markets that have sprung up in many malls. Some people believe they’re behind the removal of the stalls from the streets. But you can still happily eat on Bangkok’s streets. One rule of thumb: avoid salads, since you don’t know whether the water they were washed in is truly free of germs. It’s safer to choose something cooked in a wok or pot!
Bottled drinks only
Wherever you eat at a roadside stall, they’ll bring you a jug of cold water. I’m still cautious about it myself and prefer to order a Coke or bottled water. Or simply buy freshly squeezed juice!
Better to eat cooked vegetables than salads
For me, that’s a golden rule when it comes to street food. Our stomachs are simply more sensitive than those of Thai people.
You can also get street food at the food court
For the past five years, the government has been trying to rein in the unchecked spread of street food stalls in the city, in order to better monitor food quality and ensure better hygiene. Another clear trend is to offer street food in the food courts of large malls, which gives tourists greater assurance about food quality, but also significantly limits the variety! In Bangkok, I often use the excellent food court at Terminal 21 mall on Sukhumvit, at Asok Skytrain Station.
But “Siam Eats Paragon” in Siam Paragon Mall is fantastic too!
Opening hours:
10am - 9pm
Address:
288, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok’s best street food spots
You’ll find more personal recommendations for street food, markets, cafés and restaurants in my Bangkok travel guide “Bangkok Panorama” – featuring my own photos, maps and additional audio guides.
Victory Monument -Boat Noodle Alley
At the northern end of Victory Monument, you’ll find lots of small stalls and restaurants, some right by the canal, where you can sample all kinds of delicious noodle soups—known as “boat noodle soups.”
Getting there: Easy to reach by Skytrain (Victory Monument station N 3).
Highly recommended:
Doy Kuay Teow Reua
Boat Noodle Alley
Kuay Jab Jaedang
Yaowarat Rd. in Chinatown
Yaowarat runs parallel to the Chao Phraya River through the heart of Chinatown. By day, the area is dominated by markets; after sunset, little street food stalls and restaurants spring up everywhere. It’s well worth sampling the food at different spots. I absolutely love the aromas of the different dishes drifting through the streets in the evening.
Getting there: Take the MRT Blue Line to Wat Mangkon, then walk for 10 minutes.
Highly recommended:
T & K Seafood !!! One of my favourite seafood spots. It feels like street food to me because you eat outside and the food is grilled outdoors.
Little favourites
Kanom Krok
Kanom Krok is a traditional Thai coconut pudding snack that’s very popular in Thailand and sold everywhere as street food.
Taste
Kanom Krok snacks are golden brown and crispy on the outside, soft and pudding-like on the inside. They taste fantastic—sweet and wonderfully fragrant.
Ingredients
Traditionally, they’re made with rice flour, sugar and coconut milk. Freshly made coconut milk is best, or at least use coconut milk of the highest quality. It makes all the difference to the taste.
Pa Thon Go (Thai Donuts)
I love these little sweet pastries, usually eaten early in the morning with sweetened condensed milk, for example alongside the traditional rice soup Khao Tom. Or simply enjoyed during a coffee break at work. They’re also delicious with a sweet green pandan sauce