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What to eat in Thailand? Top 28 Thai Street Foods

Last update: Wed Jan 29 2025
Top 28 Thai Street Foods
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01

Flatbread

THAILAND and  2 more regions
4.6
Roti canai
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Roti canai is a traditional pan-fried flatbread made with flour, water, eggs, and fat of Indian origin, but mainly associated with Malaysia, and surrounding countries like Indonesia, Brunei, and Thailand. The dough for roti canai is repeatedly folded, so the final product has a layered texture, a soft interior, and a crispy outer layer.


The most common fat used in roti canai is ghee, the traditional Indian clarified butter. It is believed that the dish originated in India when the Indian laborers who migrated to Malaysia brought the recipe and the tradition of preparing this crispy pastry to the foreign country. 
02

Chicken Dish

NORTHEASTERN THAILAND, Thailand
4.5
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Kai yang is a poultry dish made by grilling or barbecuing a whole, marinated chicken. Although the dish has origins with the Lao people of northeastern Thailand, today it is extremely popular and commonly eaten throughout the country. The chicken is typically paired with sticky white rice, dipping sauces (sweet sauce in the Central region, sour sauce in the Northeast), and a vegetable salad called som tam.


It can be found at numerous street stalls all over Thailand. Kai yang differentiates itself from other grilled chicken dishes by its marinade, which is made from numerous ingredients such as soy sauce, ginger, white pepper, fish sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, and herbs such as cilantro, lemongrass, and garlic. 

MOST ICONIC Kai yang

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03
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Pad Thai is Thailand's national dish, a flavorful stir-fry (pad in Thai) dish consisting of rice noodles, tofu, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, and eggs. If it's made with meat, chicken and pork are some of the most popular choices. The flavors are an intricate combination of sweet, sour, and salty, with a well-balanced contrast of textures.


Pad Thai is probably one of the most popular Thai dishes abroad. Its origins can be traced to a period of nationalism in the country, after the 1932 revolution that ended the absolute monarchy. There was a public contest to find a new national noodle dish, and the winner was a Pad Thai consisting of noodles, radish, sprouts, peanuts, and eggs. 

MOST ICONIC Pad Thai

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04
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Khao phat is a simple Thai dish of stir-fried rice with vegetables that is traditionally prepared with jasmine rice, unlike the Chinese version which calls for plain white rice. Cooked jasmine rice is typically stir-fried with ingredients such as onions, garlic, and green onions, and it is then enhanced with fish sauce, thin soy sauce, a light dusting of white pepper, and a drizzle of fresh lime juice.


Another essential component of the dish is the addition of scrambled eggs, which are fried alongside rice and vegetables before they are entirely blended into the mixture. In Thailand, the traditional way of eating this dish is with a crispy-fried egg on top, and khao phat is usually accompanied by a lime wedge and a spicy dipping sauce called nam pla prik (fish sauce mixed with Thai chilis) on the side. 

MOST ICONIC Khao phat

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05

Salad

THAILAND and  2 more regions
4.1
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Som tam is a green papaya salad mostly associated with the northeastern part of Thailand (Isaan), though it is often suggested that it first appeared in Laos. Apart from thin strips of green papaya, this salad usually includes roasted peanuts, green beans, tomatoes, and a tangy sauce typically made with garlic, chili peppers, fish sauce, dried shrimps, palm sugar, and lime or tamarind juice.


The varieties are plentiful and can include various additions. The sauce can also appear in many other combinations, and can significantly vary in sweetness and spiciness. Numerous restaurants and street stalls allow the customers to choose the variety they prefer and adjust the ingredients to their preference. 

MOST ICONIC Som tam

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06
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Thai fish cakes usually consist of flaked fish, red curry paste, kaffir lime leaves, eggs, thinly sliced green beans, and optionally other additions such as galangal or lemongrass. Traditionally, the dish is made with fresh clown featherback (pla grai) fish.


The cakes are best enjoyed freshly fried and served with cucumber relish, sriracha, or chili sauce. In Thailand, they are usually consumed as an appetizer or a quick and convenient street food, but they can also make a filling main course when served with rice on the side.

07
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Nang kai thot is a savory Thai snack consisting of deep-fried chicken skin. Chicken skin is first cooked in boiling water, then drained and seasoned with salt and pepper or dredged in seasoned flour before it is immersed in hot oil to fry until nicely colored and crispy.


The skin portion of the chicken breasts is regarded as the most suitable for this dish, but any part of the skin can be used. There are no standard seasonings for this snack as each street food vendor uses their own unique seasoning mix, but other than the usual salt and pepper, cilantro powder, garlic powder, chicken flavoring powder, and soy sauce are used most often. 
08
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Phak bung fai daeng is a vegetable stir-fry consisting of chopped Chinese water morning glory, fried along with red bird’s eye chilis, soybean sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, salted soybean paste, sugar, oil, and chicken broth or water. The chopped vegetable is fried briefly to retain its crispness and its vibrant green color, which is beautifully complemented by red chilis.


This spicy, meatless dish can be eaten on its own or served alongside steamed rice or rice porridge. It is a simple dish that is sold as street food throughout Thailand.

09

Sausage

NORTHEASTERN THAILAND, Thailand
4.0
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Sai krok Isan is a fermented sausage from the Isan region. It is made with a mixture of ground pork meat and fat, combined with garlic, sticky rice, salt, and pepper in a natural encasing. The sausage is then allowed to dry and ferment for several hours or sometimes even for up to 2-3 days in a blazing hot sun, a method that provides this sausage with its unique sourness.


Salty with a hint of sourness, these flavorful sausages are usually grilled or fried and served alongside raw chilis, fresh ginger slices, garlic, and fresh vegetables. Thais consume them for breakfast or buy them from local street carts as delicious snacks that are grilled on a stick and consumed on the go.

MOST ICONIC Sai krok Isan

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This traditional Thai and Lao appetizer consists of various ingredients that are served separately and are then wrapped in wild piper leaves, which are also known as chaphlu. Standard elements include ginger, bird’s eye chili peppers, limes, roasted peanuts, shallots, toasted coconut, and tiny dried shrimps.


They are all finely sliced and served on a large plate, allowing the guests to assemble their leaf-wrapped bites. The dish is traditionally served with a sweet and sour sauce that typically combines shrimp paste, sugar, tamarind, roasted coconuts, and peanuts. 
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Noodle Dish
CENTRAL THAILAND, Thailand
3.9
13
Sausage
NORTHERN THAILAND, Thailand
3.9
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27
Street Food
PHUKET, Thailand
n/a
28
Shrimp/Prawn Dish
NORTHEASTERN THAILAND, Thailand
n/a

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 28 Thai Street Foods” list until January 29, 2025, 2,036 ratings were recorded, of which 1,419 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Thai Street Foods