We don’t know about you, but exploring the local street food is an integral and non-negotiable part of our travel experience. It is more than just a way to quell your hunger. We believe that tasting everything a different geographical area has is a journey that leads us right into the heart and soul of a country’s culinary culture.

Every place has its own version of vibrant markets, sizzling grills, and aromatic stalls that beckon you to sample the delicacies arranged in front of you. Besides offering the most authentic flavor unique to each city, the joy of street food also comes with the adventure of trying something new.

You might come across an exotic food, a local delicacy, or something spicy or sweet served on banana leaves. Go in expecting the unexpected and the unfamiliar, and we guarantee you will find something you love. After all, the universal language is that of food. 

7 Thailand Street Foods You Shouldn’t Miss

There are several streets dedicated to food in Thailand. You can find one in every nook and corner of the street, with weekend markets and fairs popping up left and right. The two-wheelers are fitted with an extra wheel and a sheet covering the top, making them into tiny food stalls. Lit with pretty lights and a portable gas stove, they make for a quick kitchen with all the essentials readily available, you have a shop set up, food steaming, and a business at hand. 

• Thai people generally have a sweet tooth. So, most of their food, even their BBQ chicken, is not spicy. If you need your food to be spicy, you must request the same. Try adding more chili flakes. That’s always a winner.
• Most of the hotels’ menu cards are written in English and Thai. Or just point to the food item on the menu, and you will have it prepared!

This blog details our personal favorites that we tasted in Thailand and where exactly you can find them.

1. Ancient Ice Cream

So hear us out. The ancient ice cream stick was the best we had tasted. Also called vintage ice cream, it is available in northern parts of Thailand, like Chiang Rai, and at the Sunday street market in Chiang Mai. The first time we had it was near the Tham Luang Cave, where the workers from the orange orchids were getting them. It is a rectangular ice cream that comes in different flavors and just melts in your mouth. 

We also tried the colored ice sticks in unique flavors like Coca-Cola in the southern parts of the country and the markets of Krabi and Phuket. However, the ancient ice cream won out in terms of flavor. 

2. Crispy Rice Balls

In front of the World Heritage Site board on the streets of Ban Chiang, we had Yam Naem Khao Thod, which are rice balls. The old woman making them crushed the pre-prepared rice balls, added sauce and spices and served us with raw leafy greens and fresh herbs on the side. It tasted, to put it quite simply, delicious. With crushed, fried, and curried rice balls,  lemongrass, green chilies or dried chili flakes, peanuts, lime juice, fish sauce, and onion, it tastes like fried puffed rice and masalas. You can find these in Bangkok as well.

3. Khao Soi

A slightly spicy, yummy yellow Thai coconut curry noodle dish, Khao Soi can be found in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand and tastes absolutely scrumptious. This dish includes boiled noodles dipped in the coconut soup gravy that can be had with onion, lemon, and pickled vegetables on the side. This dish also comes with crispy fried noodles served on top for that extra bite. This is a tender and tasty dish, served with various slow-cooked meat like chicken, pork, and beef. Uniquely flavored, this is a must-try street food in Thailand. 

Tom Yum Soup with shrimp is a popular Thai food made with coconut milk.

4. Mango Sticky Rice & Smoothies

Nothing tastes wholesome like a dessert made with mangoes. This dish tastes as good as it sounds, with coconut milk mixed with sticky rice and ripened mangoes. The sliced sweet mangos make up for the dessert. You can find mango sticky rice in every street food market in Thailand. A popular dish in Thailand, this bowl of goodness is loved by locals and foreigners alike.

Smoothies are a constant find everywhere in Thailand. They are fresh fruit juices filled with ice cubes. The locals add sugar water and your choice of fruit, ice cubes, and some water, giving it an excellent ol’ blend. And voila, the thick fruit shake is ready for you. We requested less ice to be added to our smoothies.

5. Pad Thai Noodles

You need to go to Thailand to know the mind-blowing number of noodle varieties till you land there and go out for your first meal. With crazy names – Boat noodles, drunken noodles, and glass noodles, to name a few, the Pad Thai is a stir-fried flat rice noodle with scrambled eggs, and it is d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.  The other ingredients include fish sauce, garlic, tamarind juice, and sprouts. It also includes shrimp, chicken, tofu, pork, and beef. The best part of Pad Thai is that it is not grouped into any meal timing. You can have Pad Thai at any time or all times of the day. You can find Pad Thai noodles in all the street markets of Thailand, from North to South.

6. The Colored Curries

Yellow curry (Kaeng Luang), red curry (Gaeng Daeng), green curry (Kaeng Khiao Wan), and omelet rice were our favorite lunch dishes for every day we stayed on the shores of Thailand. Red curries are the spiciest, followed by green and yellow. They are very aromatic and taste good. As someone who craves rice, these curries were our go-to. The rice is sticky in the southern parts of Thailand but not in the northern part. Besides the curries, fried rice is also a famous dish in Thailand.

7. Thai Banana Pancake

Also called Banana Roti, several street vendors sell them nationwide. You can easily spot this dish in almost all the street food markets. Topped with a variety of items, starting from bananas, eggs, or Nutella, or a mixture of all three, you name it. This square-shaped pancake is cut into 9 pieces and served swiftly. You can even add tomato sauce on top of it if you are feeling particularly adventurous. 

There are numerous other street foods native to Thailand. Comment your favorite Thai street food below! Also, do not forget to subscribe to the newsletter and follow us on social media – Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.