The Ultimate Guide to the Best Food in Thailand

A comprehensive guide to the best food in Thailand.

Thailand is home to one of the most famous cuisines on the planet.

Thai restaurants and Thai dishes are abundant all over the world. But there is nothing quite as special as tasting the traditional food right at the source.

In Thailand’s food culture, the recipes are simple, the ingredients are fresh, and the food is always prepared and served with a smile.

Foodies flock from all over the globe to take a Thai cooking class where they can grind their own curry paste and sprinkle peanuts over their own, homemade Pad Thai.

Travel documentaries often show tourists trying fried scorpions and grasshoppers in the street or sipping fresh coconuts on the beach.

The quality and uniqueness of Thailand’s cuisine is no secret, and the food only adds to Thailand’s list of appealing qualities.

Thailand is very diverse and very cheap, which means there is so much different food to try and it is all affordable.

This article will serve as a guide to the best food in Thailand.

If you’re travelling to Thailand for the first time and asking yourself questions like “What are the best dishes to try? How much does it cost? And what’s the deal with street food?” then this is the article for you.

You’ll also learn about Thai food culture and see some recommendations for amazing places to eat around the country.

READ MORE: Plan your trip to Thailand with our Thailand Travel Guide.

Thailand Food Culture

No one loves the delicious and flavourful Thai cuisine more than the Thai people themselves.

Food is celebrated by the locals, and any significant events are always supplemented with food.

Because food is so central to the Thai culture, there are some specific customs, traditions and eating habits associated with Thai food that travellers should be aware of.

Thai Eating Habits

In Thailand, most meals are eaten family-style. This means a group of family or friends sit around a communal table, order lots of different dishes that everyone can share.

Shoes are usually removed before entering a restaurant or home, and locals often sit on the floor around a low table.

There are plenty of restaurants in Thailand that have normal tables and chairs, but if you are ever invited to a local’s home for dinner you can expect to probably sit on the floor.

Meals are eaten with a fork and a spoon. You usually don’t get a knife, and you use your fork to push rice onto the spoon before taking a bite.