Understanding Food Etiquette

Thai meals are shared, relaxed and built around rice. Thais are usually forgiving when visitors get something wrong, but knowing a few customs makes a meal easier and shows respect for your hosts. Prices and rules below were checked in September 2026.

The Thai way of eating

Shared dishes in the middle of the table

A Thai meal is a group meal. Several dishes are ordered for the table and placed in the middle, and everyone helps themselves.

• Take a small portion from one shared dish, eat it with your rice, then try another dish.
• Come back for more as the meal goes on, rather than filling your plate at the start.
• Leave enough for the others, and offer the last portion to someone else before you take it.
• Use the serving spoon when there is one, not your own spoon.

Rice at the centre of the meal

In central Thailand, each person usually has their own plate of steamed rice (khao), and the other dishes, such as a curry, a soup or a stir-fry, are eaten a little at a time with it. Piling every dish onto your plate at once looks greedy. In the north and the northeast (Isan), sticky rice (khao niao) often replaces steamed rice.

Spoon, fork, chopsticks and hands

Spoon and fork

The spoon, not the fork, is the main eating tool in Thailand.

Only the spoon goes to your mouth, never the fork. Most Thai food is served in bite-sized pieces. For something soft, such as fish or an omelette, cut it with the edge of the spoon.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks are used for noodle soups, usually together with a spoon for the broth, and in Chinese-style restaurants. For rice and curry, use the spoon and fork.

Your hand

Sticky rice is eaten with the hand in Isan and northern meals. Take a small amount from the basket with your right hand, roll it into a ball, and use it to pick up some of the dish, such as som tam or grilled chicken. Some snacks are also eaten by hand, for example miang kham, small leaf wraps with several fillings.

Table manners

Seating and serving

• At a family or formal meal, wait until your host shows you where to sit. Older people and guests of honour are usually seated first.
• The host or the oldest person often serves the guests first. It is polite to accept what you are offered, even a small amount.
• If you eat at a low table or on floor mats, take off your shoes first.

During the meal

Do:

• Eat at the same pace as everyone else. Thai meals are not hurried.
• Say "aroi" (delicious) when you enjoy a dish.

Avoid:

• Leaving a lot of food on your plate. Taking less and going back for more is better.
• Pointing at people with your spoon, fork or chopsticks.
• Blowing your nose at the table.
• Raising your voice or showing anger if something goes wrong. A calm, polite request works much better.

Ordering and paying

Ordering for a group

Thais order for the table, not for each person. A balanced meal mixes dishes that are spicy and mild, soupy and dry. If chilli is a problem for anyone in your group, say "mai phet" (not spicy) when you order, but expect that some heat can remain. For an ingredient you cannot eat, say "mai sai ..." (without ...), and carry a written note of any allergy or dietary rule in Thai to show the staff.

At street stalls, choose a busy stall where the food is cooked to order, and drink bottled or filtered water.

The bill

• In a group of Thai friends or family, one person often pays for everyone, usually the host or the most senior person. If someone insists on paying for you, thank them and offer to pay next time.
• At street stalls and markets, you usually pay the vendor directly, often when the food arrives. Carry small notes.
• On a restaurant menu, "++" after a price means a 10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added to the bill. "Net" means both are already included.
• Tipping is not expected at street stalls. Where a service charge is already on the bill, any extra tip is up to you.

Special situations

Invited to a Thai home

• Bring a small gift, such as fruit or sweets.
• Take off your shoes at the door.
• Praise the cooking, and thank your host at the end of the meal.
• Offering to help clear the table is kind, even if your host says no.

Monks

Buddhist monks traditionally do not eat after midday. A woman should not touch a monk or hand anything, including food, directly to him; place it where he can take it, or ask a man to pass it on.

Greeting with the wai

The wai is the Thai greeting: palms pressed together, with a small bow of the head. If a Thai host or an older person greets you with a wai, return it. When restaurant staff greet you with a wai as you walk in, a smile and a small nod, or "khop khun" (thank you), is a friendly reply.

Drinks and alcohol in 2026

These alcohol rules affect meals out:

• The old ban on sales from 2 pm to 5 pm has ended. Under a regulation dated 29 May 2026, alcohol may be sold every day from 11:00 to midnight. There are no sales from midnight to 11:00.
• On Buddhist holidays, sales are banned for 24 hours across the country. The next one in 2026 is Ok Phansa on 26 October. Shops and most restaurants cannot sell alcohol that day, although licensed hotels and entertainment venues may still serve.
• The legal drinking age is 20.
• Drinking is not allowed in public parks, on public transport or on government property. Breaking these rules can mean a fine of up to 10,000 THB, and since late 2025 this fine also applies to the customer who drinks at a banned time or place, not only to the seller.
• Alcohol cannot be sold near temples, schools, hospitals, petrol stations or public parks.

At the table, the toast is "chon gaew" (cheers).

Regional customs

• Northern Thailand: a khantoke dinner is a Northern Thai meal eaten sitting on mats around low tables while traditional dances are performed. The Old Chiangmai Cultural Center on Wualai Road in Chiang Mai has served khantoke dinners since 1971. As of September 2026, the restaurant opens at about 18:30, the dance shows run from about 19:10 to 20:30, and alcohol is not included in the dinner price. Confirm the days, times and price with the center when you book (phone +66 95 145 0296).
• Phuket in October: during the Vegetarian Festival (Nine Emperor Gods Festival), many people eat jay food, which contains no meat, dairy, eggs or alcohol, and none of the five pungent vegetables (garlic, onion, shallot, chives and leek). In 2026 the festival runs from 10 to 18 October. Jay stalls fly yellow flags with red characters.

Useful Thai phrases at the table

Getting to your hotel and to dinner

From Suvarnabhumi Airport to your Bangkok hotel, 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 eating with your own driver, the Bangkok Tour 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. In the north, the Chiang Mai + Doi Tour costs 3,300, 3,500, 4,000 or 4,500 THB for the same vehicles. Both tours are listed on the tours and day trips page. For a single evening trip, such as to a khantoke dinner, there is 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).

Frequently asked questions

How do Thais use a spoon and fork? The spoon goes in the right hand and carries food to the mouth. The fork, in the left hand, only pushes food onto the spoon.

Is it rude to eat with my hands? Not with sticky rice, which is eaten by hand in Isan and northern meals. For steamed rice and curry, use the spoon and fork.

What does "++" on a Thai menu mean? A 10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added to the price. "Net" means both are already included.

Can I drink alcohol anywhere? No. Drinking is not allowed in public parks, on public transport or on government property, and fines can reach 10,000 THB. Shops and restaurants sell alcohol from 11:00 to midnight, except on Buddhist holidays.

What number do I call if I fall ill after a meal? Call 1669 for medical emergencies and ambulances, or 1155 for the Tourist Police.

Enjoy your meals in Thailand, and message us on WhatsApp or LINE when you need a ride to dinner or back to your hotel.

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