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Your mind goes to South East Asia when you think of street food. Think of old ladies cooking on the street, roaring open fires, sizzling BBQs, and many happy locals.

It's the way to eat in thailand. Everyone and their nan will pull up next to a street food vendor to get a cheap meal. One of our favorite things to do in Thailand is to explore the street food stands.

It is hard to not find a street corner with a row of carts selling Thai meals, but they are not all the same.

We have put together a list of our favourite places to eat in Thailand.

What is a popular Thai street food?

What can you find on the street in Thailand? Fried noodles like Pad Thai and Pad See Ew are popular.

Depending on where you are in Thailand, the food may change. The food in the south of Thailand is a lot more spicy. They are known for their Masaman curry in the North.

BBQ meat, vegetables, and spring rolls are just some of the dishes you can find in Bangkok. Banana crepes, fried bananas (Kluay Tod) and mango sticky rice can be found in some areas, but they are more for tourists.

pad thai with shrimp

There are some dishes we recommend you try.

Pla Pao (Grilled Fish stuffed with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves) is a popular dish.

Why Eat Thai Street Food?

Eating street food is a great way to give back, as it is safe, authentic and delicious, and you can interact with the locals.

The street food in all of Thailand is very cheap. You can get a bag of fish cakes for around $1 and a bowl of noodle soup for around 2 dollars.

If you don't like spicy food, ask for "no spicy" or "no chillies" and then add chili flakes or sweet chili sauce if they have it. It's possible to make it the level you want. When ordering Fried Thai Basil, it's especially important. Prepare for fire in the mouth if necessary.

Put some sugar in it to make it softer.

How Do You Know Where to Eat Street Food in Bangkok?

The best street food in Thailand is on the street. You don't need to go far to find good food, and many of the street carts don't have a good rating on the internet.

It's always a sign that the food is good when you go to the areas that thrive with locals. I mean, who drives to a food cart if those locals have ordered on a scooter?

A Thai friend told me if there was no one around.

“Always look for the Thai food stand with an old woman cooking. If she is cooking over an open fire, you know it’s going to be good.”

You can order the right thing if you know the name of some of your favorite dishes. If you can, write it down in the Thai language on your phone. Use your eyes to choose and smile.

person cooking food on thai street cart
Woman cooking street food in Bangkok

10 Best Places to Eat Thai Street Food in Bangkok

Most of you want to eat at the best places to eat in Bangkok. Right, there has to be a list.

According to our guide Tim, there is. Tim shared with us what is considered to be the standard of living in the community.

1. Chinatown

Chinatown in Thailand is a great place to visit if you love authentic street food. There are a lot of food stalls. Chinatown will rock your taste buds during night time.

There is a blend of Chinese and Thai cuisines that are unique to this area.

You can find a lot of Chinese dishes, such as bao buns, tofu dessert, dim sum, and noodle soups, but you can also find a lot of Thai dishes, such as stir- fried crab with yellow curry and oyster omelettes.

According to Jim Thompson, who took us on a walking tour of Yaowarat last year, Chinatown is the place where street food first began in Thailand over 200 years ago.

This is number 1 and we can understand why.

man cooking Thai Street Food in chinatown
Dumplings

Look for the ad hoc stalls, the plastic tables and chairs, eat delicious food, and wash it all down with a beer.

We stayed a short walk from the outskirts of Chinatown and enjoyed our evening meal of rad na, thai rice noodles with gravy You can't say no at 40 Thailand.

plate of thai oyster omelet
oyster omellete – Chinatown special

2. Silom Road, Bangkok

We loved to eat Thai Street food in Silom Road when we lived in the city.

There are a lot of people in the central business district of Bangkok who want to eat in between work hours. There are a lot of street food options in Thailand.

If you want to eat cheap Thai food, Soi Convent and Soi 20 is the place to go.

There are many carts that serve BBQ skewers and Pad Thai. It is an area that most people end up in when they visit Bangkok, so make sure you save room for street food when you are in this area.

satay sticks on banana leaf

3. Soi Rambuttri

One of the best places to escape the craziness of Bangkok is this street.

When we lived in Thailand, the street was known as "dog shit alley" because of the number of dogs that paraded up and down the street. It doesn't seem like the most idyllic location for Thai street food.

The area was filled with locals at the time. We drank and ate here.

It has had a major boost. It is now a nice place to stay in Bangkok.

aerial shot of soi rambuttri

Credit is given to the person who is zealous.

It seems like a small area, but Tim assures us that the food there is first class. It was great for budget travelers.

Kalyra ate cheap banana pancakes with chocolate after a night in the alley and we didn't eat there again.

Thai Street Food

4. Banglamphu

Tim explained that the street food in Soi Rambutri and Banglamphu is not the same as the one in Dog Shit Alley.

The area around the river near the Golden Palace is known as Banglamphu.

If you walk to the end of Khao San Road, you'll see a lot of street stalls and carts.

Good street food can be found on the streets nearby.

A lot of street vendors have opened their shops here.

thai street food stall

Amsfrank has a credit card.

This is a great place to find the best street food in Thailand.

people eating on the streets in bangkok

Amsfrank has a credit card.

The food on the road is usually more expensive and tourist traps. If you can, try to get to the corner. If you don't want to eat insects.

5. Soi 38 Sukhumvit (or Soi 11)

When we went to Soi 38, we didn't feel like we had the usual experience. We were excited to eat on this street, but we were disappointed when we arrived.

There were only a few carts on the street and the selection wasn't great.

We had a very whiney 5-year-old at the time so probably weren't focused. We jumped into a small stall to have some quiet time.

aerial view of soi 38
credit: faithmonsoon

We know that Soi 11 down the street has more choices. Vendors sell everything from mango sticky rice to stir- fried noodles on the street.

Considering how popular this area is, you can expect to pay 40-50 Thailand dollars for a dish.

pot of tom yum goong
Tom Yum Goong

One of the worst things we've ever had is the Tom Yum Goong. We were not that impressed by Soi 38.

I would take a look at it for myself. Which is better, Soi 11 or Soi 13?

6. Jay Fai (Bangkok’s Only Michelin Star Street Food)

woman cooking over a wok
Photo credit: Flickr

There is only one way to describe Jay Fai. She was the most popular street food chef in Thailand before she was featured in a documentary on street food.

Jay Fai created many of the dishes you see around Thailand now, including dry Tom Yum, Crab omelette, and so much more.

She is the only street food seller in Thailand with aMichelin star.

The queue to eat at her stall is huge, and you can expect to pay more if you order more than one meal.

It's worth it. She opens at 12pm so come early, book a table for later, and eat the best street food in Thailand.

7. Jek Pui Thai Food (Best Curries in Bangkok!)

bowl of thai curry on table

Jek Pui is the place to go if you want authentic Thai curry cooked in a big pot on a fire.

The chefs here wake up early to cook the traditional curry and have been stewing for hours before opening.

There is nothing like a packet mixture here. There are only fresh ingredients. You can smell the garlic and basil from the road.

Despite its growing popularity, it is still reasonably priced. The price for a dish was around 50 baht.

8. Chatuchak Weekend Market

Chatuchak weekend market bangkok

There is only one downside to this place, it is only open on the weekends. You can find a street food winner if you plan your visit right.

The biggest market in the world is called the Chatuchak Market. There are rows and rows of street food venders selling everything from fried bananas to seafood dishes.

The drink called Butterfly Pea is one of my favorites from here. When you add lime juice to it, it will change its color. I liked the magic show and it tasted great.

It tastes like a flower and is made from flowers. It is said to be rich in anti-oxidants as well.

9. Terminal 21 Shopping Mall

Street food can be found in the food court of Terminal 21 shopping mall. This place is so cheap that we recommend it. You can get a mango sticky rice dish and a noodle soup for 35 and 40baht.

You can have a lot of fun here.

I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try street food but is concerned about hygiene. If you are in the food court for the first time, you can feel more at ease because the restaurants have kitchens.

10. Jodd Fairs Night Market

Good street food can be found at Jodd Fairs Night Market. Street food can be found at any night market in Thailand.

You can find fried gyozas, dumplings, BBQ meat, soy sauce, banana roti, BBQ eggs, as well as your usual Pad Thai with all.

All the good stuff is usually gone before 9pm when the night markets are usually open.

FAQs About Thai Street Food

People ask me about street food.

Pad Thai is a stir-fried noodle dish with bean sprouts, your choice of meat (usually chicken, pork, shrimp, seafood or tofu), plus cilantro, palm sugar, cabbage and peanuts. There are carrots and beans in that place.

The most popular dishes in Thailand are Pad Thai, Tom Yum and Som Tum.

A Pad Thai is a great introduction to Thai food. It isn't as spicy as other dishes, but uses a lot of local ingredients.

Popular Bangkok Food Tours

A food tour is a good idea if you want to try Thai street food but are not sure if you want to. Local guides know the safest and authentic places to eat.

Before You Go

These are the 10 best places to eat in Thailand. There are so many places to go in the city.

Our Thai friend told us to look for the old lady and an open fire.

Make sure your food is piping hot before you eat it because you will be fine.

Street food is so common in Thailand that it is the safest place to try it. If you don't try it, you won't be able to complete your trip to Bangkok.

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