Food and Dining FAQs

This FAQ answers the questions travellers ask most: what to order, what it costs, how to eat safely, what the bill means, how to avoid chilli or meat, and the 2026 rules on buying alcohol.

Understanding Thai food

What is a typical Thai meal like?

A Thai meal is usually rice with several dishes placed in the middle of the table and shared by everyone. A good meal balances spicy, sour, salty and sweet flavours. Each region has its own dishes: khao soi, a curry noodle soup, comes from the north, while som tam (green papaya salad) and sticky rice are part of Isan food from the northeast.

Which dishes should I try first?

• Pad Thai: stir-fried rice noodles, often with prawns. Thipsamai on Maha Chai Road in Bangkok's old town is known for a version wrapped in egg.
• Tom yum: a hot and sour soup, often made with prawns (tom yum goong).
• Som tam: pounded green papaya salad, often very spicy. Ask for less chilli if you are new to it.
• Grilled chicken with sticky rice: a common Isan pairing, sold at many night markets.
• Boat noodles: small bowls of rich noodle soup, cheap enough to order two or three.
• Mango sticky rice: the classic dessert. Kor Panich on Tanao Road in the old town has had a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2019 and charges about 130 THB.

What is the difference between clear and creamy tom yum?

Tom yum nam sai is the clear, traditional broth. Tom yum nam khon is a later version, from the 1980s, finished with evaporated milk or non-dairy creamer to make it creamy. If you avoid dairy, ask for nam sai.

Street food and night markets

How much does street food cost?

These are typical prices at Bangkok night markets in 2026 (reported in June 2026, checked in September 2026).

To try several dishes at a night market, allow about 200-400 THB per person. Carry small notes for markets and street stalls.

What time should I go?

Most night markets open around 17:00, but not all food stalls are open until about 19:00, so arrive after 19:00 for the full choice. In Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, street food runs every night from about 18:00 to midnight; the nearest station is MRT Wat Mangkon.

How do I eat street food safely?

• Choose busy stalls where the food is cooked to order.
• Drink bottled or filtered water.
• If someone becomes seriously ill, call 1669 for an ambulance.

Restaurants and the bill

What do "++" and "net" mean on a menu?

"++" after a price means a 10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added to the bill. "Net" means both are already included.

Do restaurants close on certain days?

Yes. Thipsamai's original shop on Maha Chai Road opens from 09:00 to midnight but is closed every Tuesday; its branches at ICONSIAM and Siam Paragon open from 10:00 to 22:00. Kor Panich is closed on Sundays. Many restaurants in the Michelin Guide also close one or two days a week, for example Bo.lan on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Haoma and 100 Mahaseth on Monday. Check the opening days before you plan a visit.

Is street food in the Michelin Guide?

Yes. Jay Fai, known for street-food wok cooking, keeps one star in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026.

Vegetarian, vegan, halal and allergies

How do I find vegetarian or vegan food?

Look for "jay" (เจ) food. Jay is stricter than vegetarian: no meat, dairy, eggs or alcohol, and none of the five pungent vegetables (garlic, onion, shallot, chives and leek). Jay stalls fly yellow flags with red characters. Ordinary dishes are often seasoned with fish sauce, so ask for jay rather than just "no meat".

In Phuket, the Vegetarian Festival (Nine Emperor Gods Festival), when jay food is eaten, runs from 10 to 18 October 2026. Entry is free; visitors are advised to wear white and bring earplugs for the firecrackers.

Bangkok Food Tours runs a vegetarian tour from 2,400 THB per adult. In Chiang Mai, Thai Farm Cooking School and Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School both offer vegan menus.

Is halal food available?

Yes. Bangkok Food Tours offers a halal-specific food tour, and Thai Farm Cooking School in Chiang Mai offers halal menus. Elsewhere, ask the staff before you order.

How do I explain an allergy?

Carry a written note in Thai that names your allergy or dietary rule, and show it before you order at every stall or restaurant. Use "mai sai ..." ("without ...") for single ingredients. Pad Thai is often served with crushed peanuts, so mention a peanut allergy when you order it.

Dining etiquette

• Hold the spoon in your right hand and use the fork only to push food onto the spoon. The spoon goes to your mouth, not the fork.
• Take small portions from the shared dishes. You can take more later.
• In Isan and northern meals, sticky rice is eaten with the hand.

Ordering and spice levels

"Mai phet" asks for no chilli, but some heat can remain. These phrases help:

Alcohol rules in 2026

The old ban on alcohol sales from 14:00 to 17:00, in place since 1972, has ended. It was first suspended for a 180-day trial in December 2025, and a regulation dated 29 May 2026 made the change permanent. Alcohol may now be sold every day from 11:00 to midnight, and there are no sales from midnight to 11:00. This applies to 7-Eleven and supermarkets too. International airports, hotels and licensed entertainment venues are exempt from these hours.

• On Buddhist holidays, sales are banned for 24 hours across the country. The next one in 2026 is Ok Phansa on 26 October. On these days 7-Eleven and supermarkets stop selling alcohol, but licensed hotels, licensed entertainment venues and airside airport outlets may still serve.
• The legal drinking age is 20.
• Drinking is not allowed in public parks, on public transport or on government property, and fines can reach 10,000 THB.

Where to eat in Bangkok, and how to get there

• Yaowarat (Chinatown): street food every night from about 18:00 to midnight. Bangkok Food Tours runs a 3-hour Yaowarat Street Food Tour from 18:00 for 1,800 THB per adult.
• Chatuchak and Or Tor Kor: Chatuchak Weekend Market opens on Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00. Or Tor Kor, an indoor food market opposite Chatuchak, is straight ahead from MRT Kamphaeng Phet Exit 3. Its prices are higher than at ordinary markets, and it is quieter on weekdays.
• Train Night Market Ratchada: reopened on 27 March 2026 and open daily from 17:00 to 01:00, near MRT Thailand Cultural Centre Exit 3.
• Jodd Fairs Ratchada: 129 Ratchadaphisek Road, open daily from 17:00 to 01:00, near MRT Thailand Cultural Centre Exit 4. The old Jodd Fairs Rama 9 site closed in 2025.

If you land at Suvarnabhumi and want to go straight to your hotel in Bangkok, a Smile Taxi Service transfer costs 600 THB by sedan, 800 THB by SUV or 1,100 THB by van. Fares are fixed, per vehicle (not per person), one way, with expressway tolls included, and airport pickups include 60 minutes of free waiting, counted from the actual landing time. Book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok, an SUV from Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok or a van from Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok.

For a full day of markets with your own driver, the Bangkok Tour (see tours and day trips) lasts up to 10 hours and costs 2,700 THB by sedan, 3,000 THB by SUV, 3,700 THB by van or 4,000 THB by VIP van. Floating markets such as Damnoen Saduak and Amphawa have no fixed fare: ask for a quote on WhatsApp or LINE. You pay the driver in cash (THB) at the end of the trip; if you can only pay by card, the team sends a PayPal payment link with a 5% fee added. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy alcohol at 3 pm? Yes. The afternoon ban has ended, and sales run from 11:00 to midnight every day, except on Buddhist holidays.

Does "mai phet" mean the food will have no heat at all? No. It asks for no chilli, but some heat can remain. Say "phet nit noi" if a little chilli is fine.

How much is a Thai cooking class in Bangkok? About 1,200-1,500 THB at most schools for a half-day class, about 2,200 THB at Baipai and from about 2,900 THB at Blue Elephant. At Blue Elephant and Silom Thai Cooking School, the morning classes include a market tour.

Which numbers do I call in an emergency? 191 for police and general emergencies, 1155 for the Tourist Police and 1669 for medical emergencies.

To book a ride to your hotel or to a market, message us on WhatsApp or LINE, or see all routes and prices.

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