One of the best things you can do while traveling is to eat and Bangkok street food can be an exciting culinary adventure!
No doubt about it. Trying out the local cuisine, and especially eating like the locals themselves, is one of the things that makes visiting a new land, or returning to see a favorite locale, so much fun. Often, it is through enjoying local cuisine that you learn so much about the culture and history of the place you are traveling.
Bangkok street food is a perfect example. It’s a real treat and with a little know how, you can have a popular Thai cuisine experience that will not soon be forgotten.
The History of Street Food in Thailand
The history of street food in Thailand goes back to the early 1800s. During that time, floating markets featured food sold by vendors from boats. But it was really about 1960 or so that saw a truly remarkable rise in popularity with locals and travelers alike, especially in Bangkok.
This new demand for Thai street food was created primarily by the quick growth in urbanization and increased mobility in the city. This created demand for quick, convenient, and portable food offerings for workers, university students, and business travelers on a tight schedule.
Thus, Bangkok street food became a highly affordable and easily accessible feature in food markets. These employed the rich culinary traditions of the agricultural way of life in Thailand.
You can find some delicious, nutritious, and fulfilling street food in Bangkok today that is high in quality, since the vendors rely heavily on the strength of their reputation among locals.
If you’re looking for some of the most popular and flavorful Thai food, you should look no further than the many food stalls in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand offering this unique and educational experience right in the streets.
If you’re looking for some of the most popular and flavorful Thai food, you should look no further than the many food stalls in Bangkok and other cities in Thailand offering this unique and educational experience right in the streets.
Following are some of my recommendations for the new visitor to this land so rich in culinary offerings.
Enjoying the delicious street food is one of the best things to do in Bangkok. Street food can be found all over the city, but one of my favorite culinary areas is Silom Road, from Suriwong Road to the other side of Silom Road and from Rama IV Road to Naradhiwat Rajanagarindra Road. It’s where the Sky Train makes a left turn.
If you are new to Thai food and need some starter tips, try the following.
Pad Thai
Pad Thai is a very popular and well known street food in Thailand.
Pad Thai is one of the signature dishes of modern Thai cuisine. It’s one of the most common street-food dishes in Thailand. But it’s not a centuries-old traditional Thai dish. Rather, it was only invented in the mid-20th century and the cooking technique and most ingredients were actually introduced by Chinese immigrants 250 years ago.
But pad Thai is still a favorite among locals and tourists and you’ll often see students and office workers on a lunch or dinner break enjoying a plate of this popular fare.
It is made with stir-fried rice noodles, eggs, chopped tofu, fish sauce, shallots, garlic, either shrimp or chicken, and the pulp of tamarind. Bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and lime are served on the side and ground chili and spicy vinegar can be added to taste.
A vegetarian version can be had that substitutes soy sauce for the fish sauce and features tofu in place of the meat.
Thai Green Curry
Thai green curry is a mildly spicy and delicious icon of Thai cuisine.
A truly rich and delicious dish that is an icon of Thai cuisine is Thai green curry. It’s made with curry paste, which is a mix of green chilies that are not too spicy, garlic, ground onion, lemongrass, black pepper, limes, and cumin. The paste is mixed with coconut milk, giving it a spicy-creamy flavor.
The curry sauce is heated and then your choice of chicken, pork, or fish is added, along with whole dried mint leaves. You can often find a vegetarian version of Thai green curry. The dish is served over steamed white rice.
Tip: In Bangkok, you can try this yummy dish at the street food vendor on Surawong Road near Thaniya Road, in the Silom area. It’s just down from the Jim Thompson silk shop. They have other great selections of Bangkok street food as well.
In addition to green curry, there are red curry and yellow curry Thai dishes, each with a unique taste, but all equally delicious.
Chicken with Rice
Chicken with rice is a simple but delicious street food found all over Thailand.
Chicken and rice is a very simple dish, but it is a tradition in Thailand. It’s simply boiled chicken breast served over rice. It’s almost always a nice plump and juicy breast of the chicken.
It is traditionally served with a sauce on the side that you can add to taste. The sauce is a little spicy. It’s what gives this dish its great flavor and the more you can take it, the better the food will taste. An order of this dish also comes with a nice light chicken-broth soup with a bit of white rice in it.
This is the perfect dish when you want something light but fulfilling. You will see the boiled chickens hanging in a widow of a restaurant or food stall that serves this delicious dish.
Thai Noodle Soup with BBQ Pork
Noodle soup with pork is a favorite street food with both locals and travelers alike.
Thai noodle soup with BBQ pork is a tasty dish that you’ll see served all over Thailand.
This dish is quick, cheap, and easy, so if you’re short on time, give this treat a try. It’s simply made with boiled egg noodles, scallions, wontons, and a delicious, slightly sweet, thinly sliced BBQ pork.
Many street food stalls in Bangkok specialize in this dish, especially around the Silom Road area. If you find yourself near Silom and Convent Road, and can get a seat there, it’s a place I highly recommend.
Chicken or Pork Skewers
Chicken or pork skewers make a great meal on the run or a delicious late-night snack.
BBQ chicken or pork skewers are a mainstay in many parts of Thailand and can be found every evening all over Bangkok. If you’re in the Silom Road area at night, you will see skewer carts all up and down the streets. They make a great quick meal or late-night snack.
Marinated chicken and pork are speared onto a wooden skewer and then barbecued over hot coals right on the cart from which they are served. They are quite satisfying and taste delicious!
Papaya Salad
Papaya salad, also called “som tam,” is a delicious treat while traveling in Thailand.
This dish is a spicy salad made with shredded green (unripe) papaya, lime juice, cherry tomatoes, sweetened fish sauce, palm sugar, and chili peppers pounded in a mortar.
The truly authentic Thai version also contains crushed water crabs, but this may be an “acquired taste” for many Westerners. It’s no problem to ask your server to leave them off. I always do and it’s never been a problem.
This dish is also popular in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In Thailand, it is also known as “som tam.”
It’s best to eat papaya salad with sticky rice. In Thailand, sticky rice is usually served in a small bamboo basket with a plastic bag inside. Just remove the top of the basket and, leaving the bag of rice inside, break off a small piece with your fingers (it’s perfectly acceptable), roll it into a ball, and dip it into the juice on the plate. It’s delicious!
Mango with Sticky Rice
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a lovely serving of mango with sticky rice.
OK, I had to include one dessert in this list. We have to satisfy our sweet tooth after a great Bangkok street food meal. And you can’t get much better than mango with sticky rice.
We have to satisfy our sweet tooth after a great Bangkok street food meal. And you can’t get much better than mango with sticky rice.
This is a rich and creamy dessert that is famous throughout Thailand. It’s not as easy to find as other Thai street food dishes, but if you come across it, it’s certainly something not to miss.
It’s simple to make, really. It’s a mango peeled and sliced into an appropriate size served with sticky rice, all of which is topped with coconut milk.
One of my favorite spots to get mango with sticky rice is at a stand on Surawong Road in the Silom area, in between the Jim Thompson silk shop and Thaniya Road. You’ll usually see a line forming near the cart but it goes quickly and it’s worth the wait.
Wes is originally from Florida, but has been living and working in Vietnam since 2008. He has traveled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and enjoys taking photographs and writing about his experiences in order to share with others. See his story or feel free to contact him.