ExploFood · Asia
What to eat in Thailand
Five dishes to try in Thailand, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Thailand
Pad thai ผัดไทย
Stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, shrimp, peanuts and tamarind.
How to have it: Street vendors cook it to order; add lime, chilli flakes and sugar to taste.
Tom yum ต้มยำ
Hot and sour soup with lemongrass, lime leaf, galangal and shrimp.
How to have it: Order tom yum goong; the creamy version is nam khon, the clear one nam sai.
Green curry แกงเขียวหวาน
Coconut curry with green chilli paste, Thai basil and chicken.
How to have it: Eat it with jasmine rice, or with rice noodles (khanom chin).
Som tam ส้มตำ
Pounded green papaya salad with lime, chilli, fish sauce and peanuts.
How to have it: Order with grilled chicken and sticky rice; say 'phet noi' for less spice.
Mango sticky rice ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง
Sweet sticky rice with ripe mango and salted coconut cream.
How to have it: Best during mango season, April to June, from street stalls.
What to eat next door
Plan the trip
Questions
What food is Thailand famous for?
Pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, shrimp, peanuts and tamarind) comes first on our list, followed by Tom yum, Green curry, Som tam and Mango sticky rice.
What is the national dish of Thailand?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Thailand is Pad thai: stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, shrimp, peanuts and tamarind. Street vendors cook it to order; add lime, chilli flakes and sugar to taste.
Which dishes in Thailand are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Mango sticky rice. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Thailand?
Pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, shrimp, peanuts and tamarind) and Som tam (pounded green papaya salad with lime, chilli, fish sauce and peanuts).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
Keep exploring
Practical · 3 min readEat your way through a country: how to find the national dishesFood is the fastest way into a place. How to find a country's signature dishes, order them well, eat safely and keep a record of what you have tried.
Planning · 4 min readHow to build a travel bucket list you'll actually useTurn a long wish list into a short plan: sort places by ease, season and effort, pick your next three, and keep the list alive after every trip.
Planning · 4 min readHow to choose the best time to visit anywhereWeather is only one part of it. Learn how to weigh seasons, crowds, prices and events, with real examples of the best months for popular destinations.- Country guidesCountry guidesBest months, weather, holidays and plugs for every country.
- Free toolWhere can I go?Every country your passport opens, sorted by how easy it is.
Tick off every dish you try in Thailand
Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, keep the dishes you have tried, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.
Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.