Thailand is easier for vegans and vegetarians than many travellers expect. The country has its own plant-based cooking style, called jay, and markets sell vegetables, tofu and tropical fruit everywhere. The real challenge is avoiding the fish sauce, shrimp paste and oyster sauce in many ordinary dishes. This guide covers the words, ingredients, places and festival dates you need.
Two words to know: jay and mangsawirat
Jay (เจ): no animal products and no pungent vegetables
Jay is stricter than vegetarian food. It excludes meat, fish, eggs, dairy and alcohol, and also the five pungent vegetables: garlic, onion, shallot, chives and leek.
Stalls and restaurants that serve jay food fly yellow flags with red characters. In Thai script, jay is written เจ, so look for it on signs and menus. For a vegan, a jay stall is the safest place to eat, because the cook already works without animal products. Many jay kitchens serve mock meat made from soy or wheat gluten, so say so if you avoid gluten.
Mangsawirat (มังสวิรัติ): the general word for vegetarian
Mangsawirat means vegetarian, but some cooks still add egg, milk or fish sauce. Say clearly what you do not eat, using the phrases below.
Hidden animal ingredients to watch for
Many dishes that look vegetarian are not:
- Fish sauce (nam pla): the main salty seasoning, used in soups, salads, stir-fries and dipping sauces.
- Oyster sauce (nam man hoy): common in vegetable stir-fries, including morning glory.
- Shrimp paste (kapi): often part of curry pastes, so a vegetable curry can still contain shrimp.
- Dried shrimp and preserved crab: often added to som tam (green papaya salad).
- Meat stock: used in noodle soups and some fried rice.
- Egg: often added to fried rice and to noodles such as Pad Thai.
- Milk: creamy tom yum (tom yum nam khon) is a later version of the soup, finished with evaporated milk or non-dairy creamer. The traditional tom yum nam sai has a clear broth.
Ask for soy sauce instead of fish sauce, and fresh chilli instead of chilli paste. Curry pastes are usually made in advance and are hard to check, so order curry from a jay kitchen.
Dishes that are easy to order without meat
Add "no fish sauce" and "no oyster sauce" every time you order.
- Pad pak ruam mit: stir-fried mixed vegetables.
- Pad pak bung: stir-fried morning glory (water spinach); ask for soy sauce instead of oyster sauce.
- Tom yum het: hot and sour mushroom soup; ask for the clear version (nam sai) and no chilli paste.
- Kaeng khiao wan jay: green curry with tofu or vegetables, made with a jay curry paste.
- Khao pad pak: vegetable fried rice; ask for no egg.
- Pad Thai jay: Pad Thai with tofu, without egg or fish sauce.
- Som tam jay: green papaya salad without fish sauce, dried shrimp or preserved crab. At Bangkok night markets, som tam costs about 40–60 THB.
- Mango sticky rice: sticky rice with coconut milk and mango, usually plant-based. It costs about 60–100 THB at Bangkok night markets.
- Fresh fruit: sold cut, by the bag, at markets and on the street.
Street food prices were checked in September 2026 and can change.
Thai phrases for vegans and vegetarians
The phrases below use "chan" (ฉัน) for "I", which women say. Men replace it with "phom" (ผม). To sound polite, women end a sentence with "ka" and men with "krap".
| English | Thai | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I eat jay food | ฉันกินเจ | chan gin jay |
| I am vegetarian | ฉันกินมังสวิรัติ | chan gin mang-sa-wi-rat |
| No meat | ไม่เอาเนื้อสัตว์ | mai ao neua sat |
| No fish sauce | ไม่ใส่น้ำปลา | mai sai nam pla |
| No oyster sauce | ไม่ใส่น้ำมันหอย | mai sai nam man hoy |
| No shrimp paste | ไม่ใส่กะปิ | mai sai ga-pi |
| No egg | ไม่ใส่ไข่ | mai sai kai |
| No milk | ไม่ใส่นม | mai sai nom |
| Not spicy | ไม่เผ็ด | mai phet |
"Mai sai" means "do not put in"; add any ingredient after it. "Mai phet" asks for no chilli, but some heat can remain.
A card to show vendors
Save this on your phone or print it:
ฉันกินเจ ไม่กินเนื้อสัตว์ ไข่ และนม กรุณาไม่ใส่น้ำปลา น้ำมันหอย กะปิ และกุ้งแห้ง ขอบคุณ
It means: "I eat jay food. I do not eat meat, eggs or milk. Please do not add fish sauce, oyster sauce, shrimp paste or dried shrimp. Thank you." If you have a food allergy, also carry a written note in Thai that names it.
Where to find vegetarian and vegan food
- Jay stalls. Look for the yellow flags, especially during the Vegetarian Festival.
- Night markets. Most Bangkok night markets open around 17:00, and all the food stalls are open by about 19:00. Allow about 200–400 THB per person.
- Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok. More than 15,000 stalls, open on Saturday and Sunday from 09:00 to 18:00. Or Tor Kor Market, opposite Chatuchak, is an indoor food market with more than 600 vendors; take Exit 3 of MRT Kamphaeng Phet. Its prices are higher than at ordinary markets.
- Sunday Walking Street, Chiang Mai. On Sundays it starts at Tha Phae Gate and runs west through the Old City along Ratchadamnoen Road, from about 16:00–17:00 to 22:00–23:00. It has more food than the Saturday market.
- Happy Veggies tour, Bangkok. Bangkok Food Tours runs this vegetarian food tour for 2,400 THB or more per adult. It lasts 4 hours and starts at 13:30. If you are vegan, say so when you book.
- Dine in the Dark, Bangkok. A dinner in complete darkness at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, served by blind and visually impaired hosts, with a vegetarian menu option. As of September 2026 it costs about 1,990 THB++ per person, with service from 18:00 to 22:00; sources disagree on the days, so check them when you book.
"++" on a bill means a 10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added; "net" means both are included.
The Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2026
Jay food is the food of the Vegetarian Festival (Nine Emperor Gods Festival). In Phuket, the 2026 festival runs from 10 to 18 October. The Go Teng poles are raised on 9 October and lowered on 19 October. The opening is at Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Old Town, and the final night, 18 October, is at Saphan Hin. Entry is free. The 2027 dates had not been published when this guide was checked.
Street processions leave early, at about 06:00–08:00:
| Date (2026) | Procession |
|---|---|
| 11 October | Naka Shrine |
| 12 October | Sapam |
| 13 October | Sam Kong |
| 14 October | Tha Ruea |
| 15 October | Bang Neow |
| 16 October | Jui Tui |
| 17 October | Kathu |
| 18 October | Sui Boon Tong, then the final night procession in Phuket Town |
Wear white, with long sleeves and closed shoes, bring earplugs for the firecrackers, and arrive early.
Cooking classes with vegan menus
- Thai Farm Cooking School, Chiang Mai: a full day on an organic farm for 1,500 THB per person, or 1,300 THB on a low-season promotion until 21 October 2026. A minivan picks you up at about 08:30–09:00. Vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten-free menus are offered.
- Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School, Chiang Mai: 1,000 THB for the Old Town course near Tha Phae Gate, 1,200 THB for the organic farm course. Both include a market tour and vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free options.
Tell the school about your diet when you book. Prices were checked in September 2026.
Practical tips
- Choose busy stalls that cook to order, so you can watch the cook and ask for no fish sauce before it goes in.
- Carry small notes, and drink bottled or filtered water.
- Emergency numbers: 1669 medical emergencies and ambulance, 1155 Tourist Police, 191 police and general emergencies, 199 fire.
Getting to the food with Smile Taxi Service
Smile Taxi Service fares are fixed, per vehicle (not per person) and one way, with expressway tolls included. You pay the driver in cash (THB) at the end of the trip; if you can only pay by card, message the team for a PayPal payment link (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).
- Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok: 600 THB (sedan), 800 THB (SUV), 1,100 THB (van), with 60 minutes of free waiting counted from the actual landing time. Book a sedan from Suvarnabhumi to Bangkok.
- Phuket Airport to Patong Beach: 1,000 THB (sedan), 1,100 THB (SUV), 1,400 THB (van). Book a sedan from Phuket Airport to Patong Beach. A transfer to Phuket Town, where the festival opens, has no fixed fare: ask for a quote on WhatsApp or LINE.
- Full-day tours (up to 10 hours, sedan / SUV / van / VIP van): Bangkok Tour 2,700 / 3,000 / 3,700 / 4,000 THB; Phuket Tour 2,800 / 3,200 / 3,600 / 4,100 THB; Chiang Mai + Doi Tour 3,300 / 3,500 / 4,000 / 4,500 THB. See tours and day trips and all routes and prices.
FAQ
When is the 2026 Vegetarian Festival in Phuket? From 10 to 18 October 2026, with the poles raised on 9 October and lowered on 19 October.
What does jay food exclude? Meat, fish, dairy, eggs and alcohol, and also the five pungent vegetables: garlic, onion, shallot, chives and leek.
Is "mangsawirat" the same as vegan? No. It means vegetarian, and some cooks still use egg, milk or fish sauce, so list what you do not eat.
Is Thai curry vegan? Coconut milk is plant-based, but many curry pastes contain shrimp paste. Order curry from a jay kitchen.
Do cooking classes cater for vegans? Yes. Thai Farm Cooking School and Asia Scenic in Chiang Mai both offer vegan menus.
To travel between markets, festivals and your hotel, use the Smile Taxi Service booking page or message Smile Taxi Service on WhatsApp or LINE.