Thai street food is both a tradition and a cultural phenomenon, not just in the capital but across the nation. Everywhere you walk, a booth will offer something aromatic, pleasant, and inexpensive.
Even though we live in Bangkok, we eat on the street often every day. We visited several areas in Thailand that we had not seen before during our months in the Thai capital.
The subjects discussed in this post are listed below:
Thai street food tradition
Bangkok is renowned as the world’s street food capital. That is not to say that there is no street food outside of Bangkok, but wherever there are people, there will be a cart selling street food in Thailand.
Thai street food tradition dates back to circa 1300, when the nation was still known as Siam, and its capital was Ayutthaya. Everything transpired at the floating markets at the time due to the quantity of food from the country’s abundant agricultural.
With the development and urbanization of cities, Thais thought that selling on the streets would be great, and you can today find everything on Thailand’s streets. Some things are even amusing to see, such as how they manage to fit a whole kitchen on top of a motorbike.
Why eat Thai street food in Bangkok?
There are around 500,000 Thai street food sellers in Bangkok, which means a lot of people and a lot of food!! So, while in Thailand, don’t search for a Brazilian restaurant or fast food, right?!
Although it may seem unclean at times, some establishments provide the greatest Thai cuisine you’ve ever had. So much so that certain booths are included in the Michelin guide, while others are part of a stream series.
We tasted meals prepared by starred restaurants from firsthand experience throughout numerous of excursions to the city. However, none of these can compete with the fantastic Thai cuisine in Bangkok.
With so many people selling, particularly Thai people dining in the streets, regardless of socioeconomic level, don’t you think it’s reasonable to expect something good? That’s why we’ve compiled a detailed list of the top spots to sample the best of Bangkok’s street cuisine.
This guide has been divided into areas, and within each zone in Bangkok, you will locate the top spots. In addition, we point out booths, streets, and tiny restaurants that provide genuine, tasty, and inexpensive Thai cuisine.
Before leaving your Bangkok hotel to explore the city, keep in mind that Thai street food vendors are closed on Monday. As a result, there will be many fewer kiosks offering Thai cuisine on the streets that day.
Best regions of Bangkok with Thai street food
We made an illustrated map with various colors to facilitate locating to better comprehend Bangkok’s areas. So we’ve colored the Silom areas yellow, the Chinatown spots blue, and the Bangrak locations green.
As you can see, Bangkok is the finest destination in the country to experience Thai street cuisine. Use our suggestions below to plan strategic stops when visiting these areas.
Silom ( สีลม)
It’s not difficult to locate carts offering anything Thai food in this neighborhood since it’s a commercial district. Use the MRT blue line to Silom station, the BTS dark green line to Sala Daeng station, or a cab.
Visit the cart near the intersection of Saladaeng Road and Silom Road, where long queues develop every night. They provide a delicious spicy salad with noodles and shellfish (Yum Woon Sen – ).
Another cart, virtually next door, sells BBQ and provides the greatest pork skewer (Moo Ping – ) we’ve had in Thailand. It’s virtually opposite the 7-Eleven, but it’s only open from 6 to 8 p.m., or until supplies run out.
On the opposite side, there is a stand selling pig soup (Kuay Jab Nam Sai – ). A restaurant on the corner serves pork soup with noodles and is only open for lunch.
See our recommendations for restaurants in Silom:
- Saladaeng Market: It’s a lunchtime food court with eateries offering meals starting at 30 Baht. Enter on the right side, go to the end, then turn left since all of the stalls in this row are wonderful. Try the fried pork with rice (Khao Moo – ) and the Pad Thai ().
- The Pink Garden: Food court offering Thai street cuisine at reasonable pricing and a variety of alternatives. We propose seafood noodles or seafood with yellow curry. The facility is functional during the day, but there is a bar and a few eateries open at night.
- Meng Noodle: Although this restaurant has received some recognition, it nevertheless honors the spirit of street food. From the exterior, nothing indicates that they specialize in soups and noodles, but you must sample the food.
Chinatown ( เยาวราช)
Chinatown is one of the greatest locations in Bangkok to sample street cuisine, which is why so many excursions stop there. And anybody who believes that this area solely has Chinese cuisine is mistaken.
Use the MRT blue line and get out at Wat Mangkon station to reach there, or hire a tourist tuk-tuk. As the primary thoroughfare dividing Chinatown in half and the location of the majority of alternatives in this part of Bangkok, we advise visiting Yaowarat Road.
Many things are closed during the day, although there are some open markets where you may taste some Thai and Chinese delicacies. The greatest places to eat Thai cuisine, particularly seafood, start to open in the middle of the afternoon, so it’s a good idea to get lost in the alleyways and come at that time.
See our recommendations for restaurants in Chinatown:
- Yu Ei Noodles Shop: Our first tip of advice is for this eatery that offers Asian noodle dishes with gravy sauce and pork. It operates in a little door and is always filled, so exercise some patience if it becomes congested; it will be worthwhile.
- T&K Seafood: Everything at this little eatery, which serves seafood only, is cooked on a curbside barbecue. There are several possibilities, such as shrimp, crab, fish, and squid.
- Khao Gaeng Jake Puey: This well-known stall specializes in rice and curry. There are many varieties to try, but if you’re not accustomed to pepper, exercise caution. So, we advise asking whether the ones are hotter or milder.
Phlap Phla Chai Road: You may find several vendors selling seafood stews a little farther along the street, at the junction of Charoen Krung Road. Try the meals and have a drink while you’re there since they’re excellent.
Bangrak ( บางรัก)
Charoen Krung Road, which is a part of the classic Thai cuisine route, is one of the key streets. Along with the vendors serving street food, it also has a number of excellent restaurants.
The street we previously indicated is in the center if you take the BTS. You may take a stroll either way since there are lots of delectable foods on both sides.
By using the Skytrain (BTS) dark green line and getting out at Saphan Taksin station, you can reach there. If you live near the Chao Phraya River, such as Khaosan Road, you can also take a boat there and get out at Sathorn Pier, or you may take a cab.
See our recommendations for restaurants in Bangrak:
- Prachak: One of the greatest braised duck noodle meals in town is offered here. This is a terrific time to try duck if you’ve never done it since it’s prepared differently here than it is everywhere in the globe.
- Khao Tom Pla Thao Kimpo: Fish soup and seafood meals are the house specialties here. The restaurant also offers several meals cooked with pork if you don’t like shellfish.
- Bangrak Bazzar: Thai street cuisine alternatives are available at a food court. Any location serving flavorful, high-quality Thai street cuisine is acceptable.
Bangkok street markets
Finding locations with a wide variety of stalls and selections is preferable than looking for a spot to sample Thai street cuisine. The best choice for this is to go to a night market or an actual street market in Thailand.
Here are some locations that, in our opinion, are more genuine and provide a wide variety of mouthwatering foods. However, you may also enjoy shopping as these markets often have a wide variety of regional specialties.
Owl Market: This market is located in Nonthaburi, outside of the city center, although it is conveniently accessible by tube. The pricing will be the best in town and there won’t be any visitors, which is a plus.
Consider visiting one of the seafood establishments, some of which offer all-you-can-eat meals for as low as 200 baht. A small selection of Thai food is available in the market’s center from a few of vendors.
Talad Rot Fai Ratchada: Despite being quite touristic, many Thais go there in pursuit of the enormous servings that are offered there. The bone soup, which feeds up to 12, is the most well-known of them all.
Many seafood alternatives are still offered without plates or silverware at the table for you to eat with your hands. You may find it in the heart of Bangkok, which is a pleasant and unique alternative.
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