Bangkok, Thailand

Top food to try in Bangkok

6 dishes to eat in Bangkok, what is in them, and where they belong.

Last updated 2026-08-08

1. Pad thai

Wok-fried rice noodles with tamarind, dried shrimp, egg and peanuts. Ubiquitous, and much better from a specialist stall than from a general restaurant menu.

Map: Find nearby
Cost: 60–120 THB from a street stall
Tip: The chilli, sugar, vinegar and fish sauce caddy on the table is there for you to finish the dish yourself — that is the intended process, not an insult to the cook.

2. Som tam

Green papaya pounded in a mortar with lime, fish sauce, chilli, tomato and long beans. Sour, sharp and frequently much hotter than expected.

Map: Find nearby
Tip: Ask for 'phet nit noi' (a little spicy). The default at a local stall is calibrated for Thai tolerance.

3. Boat noodles (kuay teow reua)

Small, intense bowls of dark, spiced broth, historically sold from canal boats. Ordering several bowls in a row is normal and expected.

Where: Victory Monument has a well-known cluster
Map: Find nearby
Cost: 20–40 THB per bowl

4. Mango sticky rice

Ripe mango with coconut-soaked glutinous rice and a salted coconut cream. Seasonal at its best, available year-round in practice.

Map: Find nearby
Best time: March to May for peak mango season

5. Khao soi

A northern curry noodle soup with both boiled and crisp-fried egg noodles, coconut curry broth, pickled mustard greens and lime. Not native to Bangkok but widely and well cooked here.

Map: Find nearby
Cost: 60–100 THB

6. Street-side grilled pork skewers (moo ping)

Charcoal-grilled marinated pork with a bag of sticky rice — the standard Thai breakfast, sold from carts on residential corners.

Map: Find nearby
Best time: Early morning, when carts are busiest and turnover is highest
Cost: 10–15 THB per skewer