Local Dishes

1. ผัดไทย

   Phàt thai

   Pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles)

   Usage

   On almost every menu. Not spicy as served — adjust it yourself with the chilli, sugar and crushed peanuts on the table

2. ผัดซีอิ๊ว

   Phàt si-ío

   Pad see ew (rice noodles stir-fried in soy sauce)

   Usage

   Wide rice noodles (sen yai) fried with soy sauce, egg and greens. Not spicy — a safe choice for children

3. ราดหน้า

   Rât nâ

   Rat na (noodles under a thick gravy)

   Usage

   Lightly fried noodles topped with a thick starch-based gravy. Not spicy. Locals add a little of the table chilli vinegar

   Grammar Note

   Menus may spell it out as "kuaitiao rat na", adding the word for noodles

4. ก๋วยเตี๋ยว

   Kǔai-tǐao

   Kuaitiao (rice noodle soup)

   Usage

   The street-food staple. You will be asked which noodle width and soup or dry. The four table condiments (sugar, chilli, vinegar, fish sauce) are meant to be used — the bowl arrives deliberately under-seasoned

5. ข้าวซอย

   Khâo soi

   Khao soi (northern Thai curry noodles)

   Usage

   A northern specialty (Chiang Mai). Boiled egg noodles in coconut curry broth, topped with crisp fried noodles. Add the pickled greens, shallots and lime yourself

6. ขนมจีน

   Khà-nǒm chin

   Khanom chin (fermented rice noodles)

   Usage

   Despite "chin" (Chinese) in the name this is not a Chinese dish. Thin fermented rice noodles served with a curry ladled over them — the curry varies by region, and southern versions are very hot

7. ข้าวมันไก่

   Khâo man kài

   Khao man kai (poached chicken over rice)

   Usage

   Rice cooked in chicken broth, topped with poached chicken. Not spicy. The ginger-and-bean-paste sauce comes on the side — add it yourself. Some shops also serve a fried-chicken version

8. ข้าวผัด

   Khâo phàt

   Khao phat (Thai fried rice)

   Usage

   Choose the protein — mu (pork), kai (chicken) or kung (shrimp). Squeeze the lime wedge over it first. Not spicy, so it is the reliable fallback dish

9. ผัดกะเพรา

   Phàt kà-phrao

   Phat kaphrao (holy basil stir-fry)

   Usage

   The single most-ordered dish in Thailand, served over rice. Adding a fried egg (khai dao) is standard. It is genuinely hot — say how spicy you want it when ordering

10. โจ๊ก

    Chók

    Chok (Thai congee)

    Usage

    A morning street-food staple, served with pork meatballs, ginger and a raw egg stirred in. The version where the grains stay whole is a different dish, khao tom

11. ต้มยำกุ้ง

    Tôm yam kûng

    Tom yam kung (hot and sour prawn soup)

    Usage

    Hot and sour is the point of this soup. It comes either cloudy (with coconut milk) or clear. Thais eat it as a shared dish alongside rice, not as a starter

12. ต้มข่าไก่

    Tôm khà kài

    Tom kha kai (chicken in coconut galangal soup)

    Usage

    A creamy white coconut-and-galangal soup. Much milder than tom yam — the safe order for anyone in your group who cannot take chilli

13. แกงเขียวหวาน

    Kaeng khǐao wǎn

    Green curry

    Usage

    A coconut-milk curry coloured by green chillies. The "wan" (sweet) in the name does not mean mild — it is a hot curry. Eaten with rice or with khanom chin noodles

14. แกงมัสมั่น

    Kaeng mát-sà-màn

    Massaman curry

    Usage

    A mild, slightly sweet curry with potato and peanuts, scented with cinnamon and cardamom. Widely eaten in the south

15. พะแนง

    Phá-naeng

    Panang (thick dry curry)

    Usage

    A thick red curry reduced in coconut cream, with much less liquid than other Thai curries. Pick chicken, pork or beef; eaten spooned over rice

16. ห่อหมก

    Hò mòk

    Ho mok (steamed fish curry custard)

    Usage

    Fish or seafood folded into curry paste and coconut cream, then steamed in a banana-leaf cup. Mild. Sold ready-made at markets

17. ส้มตำ

    Sôm tam

    Som tam (green papaya salad)

    Usage

    Usually very hot — say "mai phet" if you want it mild. "Som tam thai" (with peanuts) is the gentlest version; the one made with fermented fish (pla ra) has a strong smell

18. ลาบ

    Lâp

    Larb (minced meat herb salad)

    Usage

    An Isan (northeastern) and Lao dish, dressed with lime, chilli and toasted rice powder, eaten with sticky rice. Some shops make it with raw meat — check that yours is cooked

19. ไก่ย่าง

    Kài yâng

    Kai yang (Thai grilled chicken)

    Usage

    Charcoal-grilled chicken. The classic Isan combination is kai yang + som tam + sticky rice (khao niao). Stalls sell it by the half or whole bird

20. หมูปิ้ง

    Mǔ pîng

    Mu ping (grilled pork skewers)

    Usage

    A morning street-food fixture — pork marinated in coconut milk and grilled over charcoal. Bought by the single skewer, usually with sticky rice for breakfast

21. หมูสะเต๊ะ

    Mǔ sà-té

    Mu satay (pork satay)

    Usage

    Pork skewers coloured yellow with turmeric, served with peanut sauce and a cucumber relish (achat)

22. หอยทอด

    Hǒi thôt

    Hoi thot (crispy mussel or oyster omelette)

    Usage

    Brought to Thailand by Teochew immigrants. Comes either crisp-battered or soft-battered. Look for it at night markets and in Chinatown

23. ไข่เจียว

    Khài chiao

    Khai chiao (Thai omelette)

    Usage

    A thick, puffed omelette fried in plenty of oil. Usually served over rice at cheap eateries. Not spicy

24. หมูกระทะ

    Mǔ krà-thá

    Mu kratha (Thai BBQ hotpot)

    Usage

    Meat grills on the domed centre of the pan while soup and vegetables simmer in the moat around it. Usually all-you-can-eat and eaten in big groups

25. ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง

    Khâo nǐao má-mûang

    Khao niao mamuang (mango sticky rice)

    Usage

    Sticky rice soaked in sweet coconut milk, served with ripe mango. Mango season peaks in the hot months (roughly March–May), though many shops serve it year round

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