What to eat
These 6 dishes are the clearest street-food leads in the Thailand index. They are cheap, fast and usually sold in portions that let you try more than one.
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01
Pad thai
Stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind, egg and peanuts.
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02
Pad kra pao
Stir-fried meat with holy basil and chilli, served with rice.
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03
Green curry
Coconut curry with chicken or vegetables and Thai basil.
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04
Som tam
Green papaya salad with lime, chilli and roasted peanuts.
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05
Vegetable green curry
Green curry with vegetables, served with rice.
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06
Tom yum goong
Hot and sour prawn soup with lemongrass and lime.
Where to find it
The picks are listed as nationwide rather than tied to one city. Ask at your accommodation for the nearest night market or food street, then follow the locals.
What it costs
| Band | Typical range | Items | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | usually under US$8 | 3 | Pad thai, Pad kra pao, Som tam |
| Mid-range | roughly US$8–20 | 3 | Green curry, Vegetable green curry, Tom yum goong |
| Premium | usually US$20 and up | 0 | — |
Vegetarian, halal and pork
Of the 6 street picks, 2 are tagged vegetarian and 0 carry a halal tag. Street stalls are small operations, so cross-contact is common: a vegetarian dish can be cooked in the same oil as meat, and a halal tag is not a certification.
Show the ingredient you want to avoid in writing or a photo, and ask before the food goes on the heat. See the vegetarian guide and halal guide for more detail.
Street-food safety basics
- Follow the queue. A stall with local customers and fast turnover is usually a better bet than an empty one in a tourist strip.
- Watch the cooking, not just the menu. If food is reheated in front of you and served hot, the risk is lower than food sitting at room temperature.
- Ask for sauces and salads on the side if you are unsure about the water they were washed in.
- Carry hand sanitiser and use it before eating; many stalls have no sink for customers.
- Start with cooked, hot food and add raw herbs, salads and cut fruit once your stomach has adjusted.
- If a stall sells one thing and sells it constantly, order that. Specialisation usually means fresher ingredients.
Ordering etiquette
- Point at what you want and confirm the price before it is cooked. This avoids the most common tourist overcharge.
- Pay with small notes or exact change. Many stalls cannot break a large bill early in the day.
- Eat standing or on the provided stools; moving on quickly is part of the rhythm.
- Put rubbish in the bin or hand it back to the vendor. Some markets fine littering.
Thailand street food: common questions
What street food should I try in Thailand?
Pad thai, Pad kra pao, Green curry, Som tam and Vegetable green curry are the strongest street-food leads in our Thailand index. Each links to a page with its description, price band and place.
How much does street food cost in Thailand?
3 of the 6 picks are in the budget band, which we define as usually under US$8. Street food is usually the cheapest way to eat well, but tourist-facing stalls can charge mid-range prices.
Is Thailand street food vegetarian friendly?
Yes: 2 of the 6 street-food picks are tagged vegetarian, including Som tam and Vegetable green curry. Ask about fish sauce, stock and shared fryers.
Where can I find street food in Thailand?
The picks are listed as nationwide, so ask locally for the nearest market or night food street rather than chasing one address.
Street-food picks are drawn from the Thailand food index. Price bands are planning estimates. Last reviewed 2026-11-06.
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