The Best Food in Thailand: 15 Thai Dishes You Need to Try

There’s nothing quite like stepping foot into a new country and getting ready to fill your belly with all of the incredible local cuisines. Granted, it’s a significant part of the reason why so many people love to travel.

Discover the best food in Thailand and the top dishes that you must try while spending time in the land of a thousand smiles. Not to mention, Thailand is a very diet-friendly country. From vegetarian and vegan to coeliac and other intolerances, you’re sure to come across somewhere safe to fill your tummy!

This post will also go into a little depth about the etiquette of eating in Thailand and how to respect the local culture. Finally, enjoy exploring Thailand through your tastebuds!

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Thailand Food Etiquette

There are a few things that you should know before dining in Thailand. Simple table etiquette is important to ensure you aren’t offending any locals, and it’s an undemanding sign of respect.

Firstly, when dining in groups, it’s best to choose a couple of dishes to share like curries or soups. Then, you will receive your own bowl of rice to serve the soup or curry into. Importantly, be sure to use the appropriate serving spoons to put the liquid into your dish and never use your personal chopsticks or cutlery to pick up the shared dishes.

Secondly, you’ll notice that the bowls filled with rice are surprisingly small. There is no need to overfill this bowl. So, take a couple of spoonfulls of the curry or group dish and slowly serve it into your own bowl. Besides, you can refill this bowl as much as you wish, just do so in small portions.

When offered a spoon and fork for a curry, be sure to hold the spoon in your right hand with the fork in your left. You will need to use the fork to help lever the food onto the spoon, while the spoon helps pick up liquid, rice, meat and vegetables. For the most part, you won’t often recieve a knife with your meal. Food will typically be ready to eat in appropriate bite size pieces.

At the end of the meal, ensure your plate is left respectfully with all the leftovers to one side and your spoon and fork or chopsticks neatly placed side by side on the plate. Finally, this signals that you are done with the meal. Don’t forget to thank the host or chef by saying Khap Khun (Kha / Krap) female / male.

Do’s and Donts:

Don’t speak with your mouth full
Never use personal chopsticks to transfer food to your plate
Make use of spoons for rice and curry dishes
Eat sticky rice with your hands, it’s easier than it seems!
Don’t use your left hand to serve communal food. And, avoid eating with the left hand, in many cultures, it’s considered the dirty hand.
Do try vegetarian dishes even if you eat meat. Many of the vegetarian dishes are packed with flavour!

Be sure to check out one of the top-selling Thai Cook Books here to recreate these delicious dishes at home! There are 101 recipes packed with authentic Thai flavours so you can enjoy the ultimate Thai feast in the comfort of your own home.

Why You Should Try Thai Food

Even if you aren’t planning to visit Thailand, you can easily experience the culture of Thai food in the comforts of your own home. From ordering takeaway at a local Thai restaurant to taking matters into your own hands and creating these dishes at home, you’re sure to get the full experience one way or another.

Thai food is some of the tastiest food that I myself and many other travellers have experience throughout our journeys. And, they really have some of the most inclusive dishes for everyone to enjoy; What’s not to love!?

Thai food isn’t short on flavour, they are easy to recreate, easy to supplement with vegetarian options and are cheap dishes! Big win!

Below is an example of a couple of menus from a restuarant in Chiang Mai. Typically, most menus don’t look as good as this and are about 10-20 pages long with a crazy amount of options. Additionally, you can see that most of the options are under 100 Thai Baht proving that Thai food is extremely affordable!

The Best Food in Thailand

I’ve done my best to nail down some of the best Thai dishes that I think everyone needs to try. However, I am vegetarian, so I’ve had to ask for help from some friends for their opinions on meat options.

Nonetheless, these are all extremely popular Thai dishes that everyone loves! Let’s get started.

Thai Green Curry

If I’m being honest, this has to be one of the best Thai dishes. I can’t remember how many times I had Thai green curry, but it would likely be over 20 times. When flicking through the menu, you’ll have the opportunity to choose mild, medium, hot, and sometimes extra spicy.

I personally like my curry to be mild or medium and I always add tofu. Thai green curry has this sweet and aromatic experience to it, and it is just divine on a bed of rice. I’ve come across these simple masterpieces in Bangkok that only set me back around 80 Thai Baht ($3.40) AUD for the curry with rice; What a bargain!

These delicious curries include coconut milk and the lemongrass gives them that aromatic punch. I always found my curry to have sweet corn, carrot, beans, and tofu, however, you can definitely add chicken to your dish!

Pad Thai

Ahh, the world-famous Pad Thai. This has to be one of the most popular Thai dishes and easily one of the best food in Thailand that you need to try!

Pad Thais are a sticky rice noodle dish with bean sprouts, meat or tofu, peanuts, egg, and served with a slice of lime. They are a street-food staple and a go-to for all travellers. Not to mention, it gets whipped up super quick and are a perfect dish to enjoy on the go!

Khao Soi

Khao Soi is a popular Thai dish traditionally served in the Northern parts of Thailand. You’ll find this dish in Chiang Mai and wow, it does not disappoint!

This rich curry is usually best served with rice and is packed with vegetables or meat. And, on top, you’ll find an interesting layer of crispy egg noodles. Moreover, these add the perfect crunch and are so tasty when accompanied by the curry!

Som Tam

I heard so many good things about Som Tam and ah, what a refreshing dish. Som Tam is a green papaya salad that is deliciously fresh, sweet, and sour. This is the ultimate afternoon refuel after a day of busy activities!

Thai Larb Salad

For all my meat lovers, this is one you need to try! Thai Larb salad is a meat salad typically comprising beef, chicken, pork, fish, duck, and even buffalo! Not only is this a popular dish in Thailand, but it’s also popular in Laos and other South East Asian countries.

If you need a quick meat fix, you’ll definitely get it with this dish! I recommend serving it with some fresh leafy greens or rice on the side.

Mango Sticky Rice

Yum, the ultimate sweet treat after dinner, but make it Thai style. Mango sticky rice is quite a simple yet tasty dish. It includes mango, sticky rice, and coconut milk. Moreover, you can easily eat this with your hands as the rice is easy to pick up or use a spoon to avoid sticky fingers.

This is a popular sweet dish enjoyed in many South East Asian countries, but I highly recommend trying it at one of the local street food stalls in Thailand!

Massaman Curry

Okay, I can’t lie, I’d have to say that massaman curry was my favourite dish in Thailand and I would eat this dish multiple times a day. It’s easily one of the best foods in Thailand and I strongly believe that everyone needs to get their hands on one of these dishes.

Massaman curry is rich in flavour and mildly spicy. It’s a beautiful orange colour and has a deliciously nutty flavour from roasted peanuts. Not to mention, the massaman curry is a fusion of Thai and Indian cultures. It’s beautiful to see two cultures combining to create something fantastic!

Khao Pad

I’m pretty sure everyone likes a dish like this, however, this is just a Thai take on it. Be sure you get a chance to try Khao Pad or fried rice.

This dish is easy to enjoy as a vegetarian or vegan with the removal of eggs and meats from the dish. Nonetheless, feel free to add chicken, shrimp or beef if you like to eat meat!

The garlic and green onions absolutely make this Thai dish the ultimate option packed with tonnes of flavour.

Tom Yum Soup

Another loved dish all over the world and recreated by many is the famous Tom Yum soup. Firstly, this Thai dish is hot and sour and is typically served with prawns/shrimp. It’s bursting in flavour and the perfect afternoon dish to enjoy after a long day.

If you’re recreating this dish at home, I highly recommend enjoying it throughout the cooler months as it warms you to your core!

Kai Jeow

Get the chance to enjoy more of the best food in Thailand with the delicious Kai Jeow, or Thai omelette. It’s a simple omelette packed with bits of meat and spring onion and typically served on a bed of rice.

It has more of a fried look to it than the typical western omelette, but it is delicious and needs to be tried!

Thai Satay Skewers

Can you really go wrong with a set of Thai satay skewers? I think not! Not to mention, this is the ultimate street food dish, and you’re sure to find it while wandering the night markets of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai and Phuket.

Choose a set of a few skewers and watch them freshly cook in front of you by a friendly local. Besides, this is all part of the Thai experience. Typically, you will find a lot of meat skewers including chicken, beef and pork, but on the occasion, you may discover vegetable skewers including tofu, capsicum and mushrooms.

Stir Fried Mix Vegetables

The ultimate dish for when you want something simple and tasty and definitely one of the best dishes in Thailand. Get around a tasty stir-fry mix vegetable dish with rice.

The juicy liquid that the vegetables are in is delicious to lay over the rice and it makes it so damn tasty! I also highly recommend this dish if your tummy is feeling a little off. It’s nice and plain and sits comfortably in the tummy.

Tom Kha Gai

Another favourite Thai dish is the Tom Kha Gai or coconut soup. Moreover, this soup is usually spicy and sour and has a similar flavour to it’s sibling, the Tom Yum soup.

This is one of the best foods in Thailand as has the ultimate creamy flavour from the coconut milk, but is hot and spicy and packed with flavour from kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.

Pad See Ew

Indulge in the best food in Thailand with a tasty Pad See Ew. Firstly, this is a noodle stir fry dish and is extremely popular amongst locals and travellers. There are loads of street food vendors offering this tasty dish and it’s quite similar to a Pad Thai.

However, this dish is a little different as it has a heavier use of soy sauces. Therefore, it’s very savoury and strong in flavour.

Red Curry

If you like your curry to pack a punch, then this is the one for you! The Thai red curry is the spiciest of the typical curries and you can definitely ask them to make it extra hot for you.

Of course, like many of the other dishes, you can choose to make it vegetarian or meat based.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, these are just some of the best food in Thailand that I came across while spending 3 months in the country. Importantly, there is a whole load more Thai dishes to explore and I highly recommend trying something new everyday.

Nonetheless, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try a dish that the locals are having. You’ll be surprised when a delicious bowl of food lands in front of you and you find yourself dining like a local. Besides, they know how it’s done!

From curries and soups to sticky rice and smoothies, you’re likely to come upon something to tickle your tastebuds.

Before you go, check out another fantastic Thai Cookbook, this time targeted at vegans. Moreover, there are 75 fantastic plant-based recipes for the ultimate Thai feast. Happy cooking!