Food in Thailand

Thai food is some of the most popular in the world. Overflowing with flavour, fresh ingredients and plenty of variety, this well loved cuisine is a must try for any traveller visiting Thailand. You could be exploring the sizzling food stalls nestled down a side street in Bangkok, getting stuck into a cooking class in Chiang Mai or sipping on fresh coconut on the beaches of Phuket. Whatever your foodie style is, Thailand will definitely set your tastebuds alight.

Vegetarian and vegan choices are widely available in Thailand, with various restaurant choices in the major cities. Rice, vegetables and salad are always good backup options when choices are limited, but ensure you ask for them not to cook anything in fish sauce, which is common. In the bigger cities such as Bangkok there are plenty vegetarian and vegan only restaurants which are perfect for sampling local food that you can trust is suitable! Chiang Mai is widely known to have excellent vegan options and is one of the best places to take a cooking class. An excellent website to use on your travels is Happy Cow where you can type in the city and get a list of all restaurants that serve vegan and vegetarian food.

Thailand is a great gluten free holiday destination, as many of the dishes use rice noodles or rice as a base for the meal. With various meats and fresh vegetables on offer, gluten free travellers should have no bother finding delicious and local meals to indulge in!

Take a cooking class in Thailand whilst on holiday or a group tour trip

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Food Culture in Thailand

A lot of social events and family gatherings in Thailand are centred around food. A typical Thai meal will contain rice or noodles, a soup dish, meat or fish and fresh vegetables. Seasonings such as salty, sweet, sour and spicy are usually incorporated somehow and Thai people tend to eat from lots of small dishes instead of having one meal. You could say variety is the spice of life in Thailand!

Thai people will have all dishes served at once, there is no such thing as a starter and a main course. While they don’t tend to mix all the dishes on one plate, they will share smaller plates and eat one thing at a time. Oh, and literally everything is served with rice. Chopsticks are used for noodle dishes but they also use forks and spoons. You will find that spoons are often used in place of knives purely because Thai foods tend to be more liquid based, like curries and soups, and the pieces of meat and vegetables are already in smaller chunks so knives are not needed. Throwing food away in Thailand is often considered disrespectful and you should avoid this if possible. This especially applies to rice - if you leave rice on your plate it is believed to anger the “god of rice”, who ensures people have enough food. The best solution? Just take less than you think you will eat - you can always take more.

Thailand is also a nation of "snackers". You will find street stalls offering a variety of food that can be eaten on the go, from satays and spring rolls to fruit and sticky rice treats.

Typical Thai Dishes

a bowl of traditional shrimp soup in Thailand

Tom Yum Goong

(Shrimp Soup)

This vibrant coloured soup is bursting with various flavours. Normally made with prawns, the dish is created from stock with lemongrass, chili, fish sauce, lime, tomatoes, coriander and noodles. Simple yet satisfying.

Som Tum

(Green Papaya Salad)

A popular choice when you want something healthy and refreshing, this dish is made from fresh shredded papaya mixed with a variety of other vegetables and sauces. It varies slightly throughout Thailand, sometimes it will come with shrimp but it can easily be made vegetarian and vegan if you omit the fish sauce.

A bowl of traditional chicken in coconut soup which you can find all over Thailand

Tom Kha Kai

(Chicken in coconut soup)

A much milder option than Tom Yum Goong, this popular soup consists mainly of small chunks of chicken in coconut milk. Topped with shallots, chilies, coriander and lime, the creamy bowl gives just the right amount of spice without being overwhelming.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is one of the most popular meals eaten in Thailand. It can also be altered to cater for meat eaters or vegetarians. Pad Thai consists of stir fried rice noodles, vegetables, chopped chicken/tofu or prawn all tossed in fish sauce, garlic and chili pepper. It is finished with lime and chopped peanuts. The dish is so popular that it has even made its way across international waters and can be found in restaurants all over the world. Pad Thai is one of the most popular meals to find at street food markets so get your chopsticks ready!

Other popular Thai dishes

Green curry is made using chicken and a range of spices

Gaeng Keow Wan Kai

(Green Curry)

Exploding with flavours, the typical Thai green curry is a quintessential dish. Chicken, Thai eggplant, bamboo shoots, fresh coriander, chili, sweet basil - it all combines in creamy coconut milk to create the perfect meal. The cherry on the top is the spoonfuls of green curry paste that is stirred in. Served with fragrant rice, this dish sure packs a punch.

Noodle soup is a popular and simple dish served all over Thailand that can be made in many ways

Guay Teow

(Noodle soup)

Found all over Thailand, Guay Teow can be any type of noodle based soup. Popular varieties include chicken, shrimp or pork, mixed with noodles and broth and an abundance of herbs and spices including chili, lime, fish sauce and coriander. It is possible to get meat free versions, however be careful of the type of broth and if fish sauce has been added.

Traditional food of Thailand includes Pad Krapw Moo

Pad Krapow Moo

(Fried Basil and Pork)

Another crowd pleaser in Thailand, this dish contains pork (or sometimes chicken) sir fried with lots of basil, garlic, chili and other herbs. Served on rice and topped with a fried egg. It can be quite spicy so be warned!

Vegetarian Thai Dishes

fried rice is a simply and satisfying option for vegetarians travelling in Thailand

Khao Pad (fried rice)

Another staple in Thailand, Thai fried rice is built on basic ingredients but still manages to pack in a whole lot of flavours. Typically it is made with shrimp paste however this can be swapped for vegetarians. Rice is fried with eggs, vegetables and flavours such as onion and garlic and topped with coriander and lime. You will often find huge woks full of fried rice being sold in markets.

Kai Jeow (omelette)

A simple and easy to find dish that can be eaten any time of day, Kai Jeow is normally made with eggs and an assortment of vegetables and herbs. Unlike many omelettes in Western countries, cheese is not added. The dish is normally served with rice and sweet chili sauce with a fresh sprinkling of more herbs.

Pad Thai

Dare we mention Pad Thai twice, but not only is it one of the most popular dishes in Thailand it is also very easy to make vegetarian and even vegan. It can either be vegetable heavy or include tofu, and just make sure the fish sauce is omitted.

Desserts in Thailand

Mango sticky rice can be eaten any time of day and is typically served as a dessert

Mango with Sticky Rice

Thailand isn’t huge on sugary desserts, instead using their staples to yet again create a delicious sweet treat. One of the most popular is mango and sticky rice, which combines fresh mango, sticky rice and sweet condensed milk.

Banana Leaf Sticky Rice

Sticky rice is soaked in sweet coconut milk, palm sugar and black beans, before being encased in a banana leaf. Banana leaves are one of the sturdiest coatings so this is perfect for on the go as you don’t have to worry about it disintegrating in your hand.

Coconut Ice Cream

You’re busy exploring, the fiery Thai heat is burning into you and all you can think about is hopping into the next fridge you see. This is where coconut ice cream comes in! Simple, sweet and ever so refreshing, you won’t find it hard to find this treat. You can top it with peanuts and sauces or enjoy it alone for a welcome ice cool feeling.

Durian is a loved and hated fruit which is found all over Thailand

The Good, the Bad and the Durian

Durian is popular, and you will be hard pressed to completely avoid it on your travels through Thailand. Depending on who you ask, you either hear great things or you are warned off completely, it’s pretty much the marmite of Thailand. Durian is a large yellow fruit with a spiky exterior (we would guess this is to warn people off it but we don’t think it’s really worked!) with a foul smelling aroma but sweet taste. You will hear different things about durian depending on who you ask, so the best advice is just to give it a try!

Did you know?

You will see signs saying “no durian allowed” through airports, hotels and many public spaces, purely because the smell is overwhelming.

Drinks in Thailand

tea and coffee of all sorts is popular all over Thailand

Cha Yen (Iced Tea) & Bubble Tea

Thai iced tea is normally sweet. It’s made from locally grown tea, sugar and milk, and is normally served cold. Bubble tea is popular across the whole of Southeast Asia, although it originated from Taiwan. It comes in a huge assortment of flavours and contains tapioca pearls, and can be served with or without milk. It tends to contain a lot of sugar and is more popular amongst the younger crowd.

Singha (Beer)

Singha is the most popular local beer in Thailand and was one of the first beers produced in the country back in 1934. You can find Singha in bars and restaurants all over Thailand. Another popular beer is Chang, which tends to be cheaper than Singha.

Mekhong is a whisky produced and sold in Thailand

Mekhong (Whiskey)

Also considered “The Spirit of Thailand” Mekhong was the first branded whiskey to be produced in Thailand. While it is called a whiskey many consider it to taste more like rum, and it’s normally served with coca cola over ice.

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