Best Thai Food: 20 Dishes You Should Know Before You Go

How to think about Thai cuisine

Thai food is not one cuisine — it is four distinct regional traditions that share some core techniques and ingredients. Central Thai food (Bangkok) is what most of the world knows as “Thai food”: pad thai, tom yum, green and red curries, mango sticky rice. Northern Thai food (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai) is earthier, less sweet, influenced by Burmese and Yunnan Chinese cooking. Isan food (northeastern Thailand) is the most commonly eaten food in everyday Thai life — sticky rice, grilled meats, intensely flavoured salads. Southern Thai food is the spiciest, with strong Muslim-Malay influence in the deep south and some of the most complex curries in the country.

Knowing which region a dish comes from tells you where to eat it properly. Khao soi belongs in Chiang Mai, not Bangkok. Massaman curry is best in the south. Ordering these dishes outside their home regions is fine, but the authentic versions require the right context.

Central Thai dishes (Bangkok region)

1. Pad Thai (ผัดไทย) — The internationally known benchmark. Rice noodles stir-fried with egg, tofu or shrimp, bean sprouts, and spring onion over a smoking wok, finished with crushed peanuts, lime, and dried chilli. A proper street version from a dedicated cart costs approximately THB 50–80 as of 2026. The wok heat determines quality — look for visible smoke and caramelisation. Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road (Chinatown) and dedicated market stalls deliver the best versions.

2. Pad Kra Pao (ผัดกะเพรา) — Minced pork or chicken stir-fried with Thai holy basil, garlic, and fresh chilli, served over jasmine rice with a fried egg. The most commonly eaten everyday dish in Thailand. Available everywhere; approximately THB 50–70 with egg as of 2026. Ask for “pet” (spicy) — the standard preparation is often mellowed for tourists.

3. Tom Yum Goong (ต้มยำกุ้ง) — Hot and sour prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, mushrooms, and bird’s eye chilli. The correct version has a sharp, clean, intensely aromatic broth. Quality varies significantly — eat it at market canteens and proper local restaurants rather than tourist menus. Approximately THB 100–180 for a shared portion.

4. Green Curry (แกงเขียวหวาน) — A coconut milk curry with green chilli paste, Thai basil, eggplant, kaffir lime leaves, and your choice of chicken, pork, tofu, or seafood. Fragrant and moderately spicy. One of the most widely available Thai curries. Approximately THB 80–150 at market canteens and mid-range restaurants as of 2026.

5. Khao Man Gai (ข้าวมันไก่) — Poached chicken served over rice cooked in the chicken stock, with a fermented soybean and ginger dipping sauce and a small bowl of broth. A morning and lunchtime staple. Bangkok has specialist khao man gai shops that open before dawn and close when they sell out — including the famous Kitti Khao Man Gai near Pratunam. Approximately THB 50–70 per plate.

6. Boat Noodles (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) — Small bowls of rice noodles in a rich, dark broth made with pork blood, spices, and slow-cooked pork. Originally sold from canal boats. The Victory Monument area in Bangkok has the highest concentration of specialist boat noodle vendors. Order four or five bowls — the small size is traditional. Approximately THB 35–50 per bowl as of 2026.

7. Pad See Ew (ผัดซีอิ๊ว) — Wide flat rice noodles stir-fried with egg, Chinese broccoli, and a light sweet soy sauce. A Chinese-influenced staple found throughout Bangkok. Milder than most Thai dishes and one of the best options for those avoiding spice. Approximately THB 60–90.

8. Mango Sticky Rice (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง) — Glutinous white rice soaked in sweetened coconut cream, served with sliced ripe mango and a drizzle of salted coconut sauce. The benchmark Thai dessert. Best March–May during Nam Dok Mai mango season. Available year-round at street stalls and market dessert vendors. Approximately THB 60–100 as of 2026.

Northern Thai dishes (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai)

9. Khao Soi (ข้าวซอย) — Egg noodles in a coconut curry broth that is simultaneously sweet, rich, and slightly spicy, topped with crispy fried noodles and served with pickled mustard greens, shallots, lime, and chilli oil. A result of Burmese and Yunnan Chinese influence on northern Thai cooking. The defining dish of Chiang Mai. Khao Soi Lamduan Faham (Wang Sing Kham Road, Chiang Mai) and Khao Soi Mae Sai are among the most-cited originals. Approximately THB 60–80 per bowl.

10. Sai Oua (ไส้อั่ว) — Northern-style pork sausage made with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, galangal, shallots, garlic, and dried chilli, grilled over charcoal. Sold at market stalls and butchers throughout Chiang Mai’s old city and Warorot Market. Fragrant and intensely herbal. Approximately THB 20–40 per piece.

11. Nam Prik Noom (น้ำพริกหนุ่ม) — Roasted green chilli dip made with charred chillis, garlic, and shallots, pounded in a mortar. Served with sticky rice, fresh vegetables, and fried pork rinds. A staple of northern Thai home cooking. Found at Talat Warorot (Chiang Mai’s main local market) and at market canteens. Approximately THB 40–60 per portion.

12. Kaeng Hang Le (แกงฮังเล) — A Burmese-influenced pork belly curry with garlic, ginger, turmeric, and tamarind. Less coconut-milk-heavy than central Thai curries, and deeply savoury with a long braised quality. Served at northern Thai restaurants and market canteens in Chiang Mai. Approximately THB 80–120 at local restaurants.

Isan dishes (northeastern Thailand)

13. Som Tam (ส้มตำ) — Green papaya salad pounded to order: shredded unripe papaya, tomatoes, long beans, dried shrimp, peanuts, lime, fish sauce, palm sugar, and bird’s eye chilli. The most commonly eaten salad in Thailand, originally from Isan. Always eaten with sticky rice and grilled chicken (gai yang). Som tam Thai (with peanuts) is the milder version; som tam poo (with fermented crab) is the intense Isan version. Approximately THB 40–60 as of 2026.

14. Larb (ลาบ) — A salad of minced meat (pork, chicken, or beef) dressed with toasted rice powder, fish sauce, lime juice, shallots, and a large quantity of fresh herbs. The toasted rice powder gives it a distinctive nutty, slightly gritty texture. Can be raw (larb dip) or cooked. A defining Isan dish, eaten with sticky rice. Approximately THB 60–80 at Isan restaurants, found throughout Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area.

15. Gai Yang (ไก่ย่าง) — Grilled chicken marinated in lemongrass, coriander root, garlic, and fish sauce, cooked over charcoal. The essential accompaniment to sticky rice and som tam. Available throughout the country at market stalls and Isan restaurants. Approximately THB 60–120 per half chicken as of 2026.

Southern Thai dishes

16. Massaman Curry (แกงมัสมั่น) — A slow-cooked curry of Persian and Muslim influence — tender meat (traditionally beef or chicken), potatoes, onions, and peanuts in a rich coconut milk sauce flavoured with cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and dried chilli. Milder than most Thai curries but more complex in flavour. Most authentically found in the deep south (Hat Yai, Pattani). Approximately THB 100–160 at southern Thai restaurants.

17. Gaeng Tai Pla (แกงไตปลา) — A southern Thai curry made with fermented fish innards, vegetables, and dried seafood. Intensely flavoured and pungent — one of the most challenging dishes in Thai cuisine for uninitiated palates, but beloved by those from the south. Found primarily in Hat Yai, Songkhla, and Phuket’s Hokkien Chinese-influenced food scene. Approximately THB 80–120.

18. Roti Canai (โรตี) — Flaky, layered flatbread (of Malaysian origin, common in Muslim-majority southern Thailand) served with a rich curry dipping sauce or condensed milk and sugar as a street dessert. Hat Yai’s morning markets are the best place to eat this. Approximately THB 15–30 per piece.

Across all regions

19. Satay (สะเต๊ะ) — Marinated pork or chicken on bamboo skewers, grilled over charcoal and served with peanut sauce and pickled cucumber. A Chinese-Thai hybrid common at markets and night markets throughout the country. Approximately THB 15–25 per skewer as of 2026.

20. Tom Kha Gai (ต้มข่าไก่) — Coconut milk soup with chicken, galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and mushrooms. Milder than tom yum, creamy and aromatic. A genuinely comforting dish and one of the better entry points for those new to Thai flavours. Approximately THB 100–160 for a shared bowl at restaurants.

A note on spice levels

Thai spice is calibrated to the cook’s interpretation, not a fixed point. The same dish can range from mildly fragrant to genuinely painful depending on the vendor. “Mai pet” (ไม่เผ็ด, not spicy) is understood everywhere but results vary. “Pet nit noi” (เผ็ดนิดหน่อย) means a little spicy. “Pet mak” (เผ็ดมาก) means very spicy — order this only if you mean it.

See also: Thai street food guide · Bangkok travel guide · Chiang Mai travel guide