Thai food balances sour, sweet, salty and spicy flavours, often in a single dish. This guide covers the dishes to try on a first trip, their prices at Bangkok night markets in 2026, where to eat them and how to order them.
Signature Dishes to Start With
Pad Thai (ผัดไทย)
Stir-fried rice noodles with egg, tofu, bean sprouts and garlic chives in a tamarind-based sauce, usually with prawns or chicken. Peanuts, lime and dried chilli come on the side.
- At night markets: Pad Thai with prawns costs about 80-150 THB.
- Thipsamai: the original shop at 313-315 Maha Chai Road, in Bangkok's old town (Phra Nakhon), is known for Pad Thai wrapped in egg. Dishes cost about 60-100 THB. It opens 09:00-24:00 and closes every Tuesday; the ICONSIAM and Siam Paragon branches open 10:00-22:00.
Tom Yum Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง)
A hot and sour prawn soup ("goong" means prawn) flavoured with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce and chilli. Try both styles: tom yum nam sai is the traditional clear broth, and tom yum nam khon is a later, creamy version from the 1980s, finished with evaporated milk or non-dairy creamer.
Som Tam (ส้มตำ)
A green papaya salad from Isaan, the northeast of Thailand. Shredded unripe papaya is pounded in a mortar with tomatoes, long beans, garlic, chilli, lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar. At Bangkok night markets a plate costs about 40-60 THB.
- Som tam Thai: with peanuts and dried shrimp; sweeter and a good first choice.
- Som tam poo: with salted crab; salty and strong.
- Som tam pla ra: with fermented fish sauce; very strong.
Street som tam can be extremely hot, so ask for "mai phet" (not spicy).
Essential Curries
Thai curries start from a paste of chillies and herbs and are eaten with jasmine rice.
- Massaman curry (แกงมัสมั่น): rich, mild and slightly sweet, with beef or chicken, potatoes, onions, peanuts, tamarind and palm sugar. A good choice if you do not like strong heat.
- Green curry (แกงเขียวหวาน): green chilli paste, coconut milk, Thai eggplant and basil, usually with chicken, pork or fish balls. The Thai name, gaeng khiao wan, means "sweet green curry", but it can be very hot.
- Red curry (แกงแดง): a paste of dried red chillies, often with duck, chicken or beef.
Street Food Favourites
Typical prices at Bangkok night markets in 2026:
| Dish | Thai name | Price (THB) |
|---|---|---|
| Pad Thai with prawns | ผัดไทยกุ้ง | about 80-150 |
| Som tam | ส้มตำ | about 40-60 |
| Grilled chicken (gai yang) | ไก่ย่าง | about 60-120 |
| Boat noodles (kuay teow reua) | ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ | about 20-40 a bowl |
| Grilled river prawns | กุ้งแม่น้ำเผา | about 150-250 |
| Mango sticky rice | ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง | about 60-100 |
| Thai iced tea and other drinks | ชาเย็น | about 35-69 |
Prices were checked in September 2026 and change often. To graze, allow about 200-400 THB per person.
Also look for moo ping (sweet grilled pork skewers, often eaten with sticky rice for breakfast), khao man gai (poached chicken on rice cooked in chicken stock), khao moo krob (crispy pork belly on rice) and khao pad (fried rice, a safe choice for anyone who wants no chilli).
Regional Specialities
Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai): khao soi, egg noodles in a coconut curry soup topped with crispy fried noodles; sai ua, a grilled pork sausage full of herbs; and nam prik noom, a roasted green chilli dip.
Isaan (the northeast): larb, a minced meat salad with lime, chilli and toasted rice powder; gai yang, grilled chicken; and nam tok, sliced grilled meat in a spicy lime dressing. In northern and Isaan meals, sticky rice is eaten with your hand: roll a small ball and use it to pick up food.
Southern Thailand: gaeng tai pla, a very spicy curry made with fermented fish innards, and kua kling, a dry, fiery curry of minced meat.
Thai Desserts
Mango sticky rice (khao niew mamuang) costs about 60-100 THB at night markets. In Bangkok's old town, Kor Panich at 431-433 Tanao Road has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2019 and sells it for about 130 THB (as of September 2026). It opens Monday to Saturday from about 07:00 to 18:00 and is closed on Sundays. Mae Varee, a fruit shop next to BTS Thong Lo, sells it for takeaway only.
Also try coconut ice cream (ice cream kati), often served in a coconut shell, roti (a thin fried pancake with banana or condensed milk) and kluay khaek (bananas fried in a crispy batter).
Where to Eat
Bangkok
- Yaowarat (Chinatown): street food nightly from about 18:00 to midnight. Nearest station: MRT Wat Mangkon, Exit 3.
- Ratchada night markets: Jodd Fairs Ratchada (129 Ratchadaphisek Road, MRT Thailand Cultural Centre Exit 4) and Train Night Market Ratchada (reopened on 27 March 2026, near MRT Thailand Cultural Centre Exit 3) both open daily 17:00-01:00. Not all food stalls are ready until about 19:00.
- Or Tor Kor Market: an indoor market with more than 600 vendors, straight ahead from MRT Kamphaeng Phet Exit 3. All stalls are open from about 08:30. Prices are higher than at ordinary markets, and weekdays are quieter.
- Chatuchak Weekend Market: across the road from Or Tor Kor, open Saturday and Sunday 09:00-18:00.
- Jay Fai: street-food wok cooking with one Michelin star in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2026.
Chiang Mai
- Sunday Walking Street: from Tha Phae Gate west along Ratchadamnoen Road, Sundays from about 16:00-17:00 to 22:00-23:00. It has more food than the Saturday market.
- Saturday Walking Street: along Wualai Road, Saturdays from about 17:00 to 23:00, and calmer.
Phuket
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival runs from 10 to 18 October 2026. Stalls with yellow flags and red characters sell jay food, which is stricter than vegetarian: no meat, dairy, eggs or alcohol, and none of the five pungent vegetables (garlic, onion, shallot, chives and leek).
Ordering Food in Thai
| English | Thai | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Not spicy | ไม่เผ็ด | mai phet |
| A little spicy | เผ็ดนิดหน่อย | phet nit noi |
| No chilli | ไม่ใส่พริก | mai sai phrik |
| No peanuts | ไม่ใส่ถั่ว | mai sai thua |
| Vegetarian (jay) | เจ | jay |
| The bill, please | เก็บเงิน | kep ngoen |
"Mai phet" asks for no chilli, but some heat can remain. Use "mai sai ..." (without ...) for anything you want left out.
Eating Safely and Politely
- Choose busy stalls where food is cooked to order, and drink bottled or filtered water.
- Carry small notes for markets and street stalls.
- Allergies: peanuts, shellfish and fish sauce are common. Carry a written note in Thai listing what you cannot eat.
- Table manners: hold the spoon in your right hand and use the fork only to push food onto it. Dishes are shared, so take small portions.
- Restaurant bills: "++" after a price means 10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added; "net" means both are included.
- Alcohol: it can now be sold every day from 11:00 to midnight, with no afternoon break. On Buddhist holidays shops stop selling for 24 hours; the next one is Ok Phansa, on 26 October 2026.
- If you fall ill: call 1669 for medical emergencies or 1155 for the Tourist Police.
Getting to the Food
A private transfer with Smile Taxi Service from Suvarnabhumi Airport to a Bangkok hotel costs 600 THB by sedan, 800 THB by SUV or 1,100 THB by van. The fare is fixed, per vehicle (not per person), one way, and includes expressway tolls and 60 minutes of free waiting after landing. Book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok.
To visit several food spots in one day with a driver, book a full-day private tour (up to 10 hours, price per vehicle):
| Tour | Sedan | SUV | Van / VIP van |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok Tour | 2,700 THB | 3,000 THB | 3,700 / 4,000 THB |
| Chiang Mai + Doi Tour | 3,300 THB | 3,500 THB | 4,000 / 4,500 THB |
| Phuket Tour | 2,800 THB | 3,200 THB | 3,600 / 4,100 THB |
See tours and day trips. Floating markets, farms and cooking schools outside town 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. After that, a cancellation or change costs 25% (less than 24 h), 35% (less than 12 h) or 50% (less than 2 h) of the price, and a no-show 100%, also when you pay the driver in cash (details). For the trip north, read how to get from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
FAQ
How much does street food cost in Bangkok in 2026? At night markets, Pad Thai with prawns costs about 80-150 THB, som tam about 40-60 THB and boat noodles about 20-40 THB a bowl.
When is Thipsamai open? The original shop on Maha Chai Road opens 09:00-24:00 and closes on Tuesdays. The ICONSIAM and Siam Paragon branches open 10:00-22:00.
What is the difference between clear and creamy tom yum? Nam sai is the traditional clear broth. Nam khon is a later version made creamy with evaporated milk or non-dairy creamer.
Is Jay Fai still Michelin-starred? Yes. Jay Fai keeps one star in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2026.
Where can I learn to cook these dishes? Silom Thai Cooking School in Bangkok costs about 1,200 THB for a 5-dish class, and its morning class includes a market tour. In Chiang Mai, Asia Scenic's Old Town course costs 1,000 THB and includes a market tour.
To plan a food trip with a driver, message Smile Taxi Service on WhatsApp or LINE.