I first went to Thailand in 1997 and immediately fell in love with the country. Thailand at that time to me was mysterious and exotic, full of potentials and pitfalls.
Fast forward to 2010 and here I am after 13 years and many trips to the LOS sharing, with the help of my 
True Thailand Flavor – Bangkok Street Food
Bangkok Street Food Offers Up Loads of Good Taste
If you love to eat and you’re headed for Bangkok then you’re in for a treat. Seriously, I’ve eaten all over the world and the street food in Bangkok is my choice for the best anywhere (Mexico is a close second).
No matter where you go in Bangkok you’re sure to see local Thai’s sitting down on those little plastic stools by the road and enjoying some delicious dish with their friends. Everything from noodles to pork and chicken to seafood is on offer and all of it is quite delicious. Honestly my mouth is watering just thinking of it.
Thai Street Food Variety
One of the great things about street food in Bangkok and Thailand is the huge variety on offer. Regional foods from the deep south of Thailand such as spicy curries, northeastern salad dishes and Chinese roast duck and pork are just a few of the flavors to tempt you. Start with some grilled meats on a stick (satay), or a bowl of rice noodles. Fried rice in many varieties are available as well as fried chicken, grilled sausages, sticky rice, fresh fruits and even more exotic samplings like dancing shrimp or fried crickets can be had as well. If you’re hesitant about the unusual dishes try some khao man gai (chicken rice) or khao moo dang (red pork rice). Both are very standard dishes at Thai street vendors and both are extremely delicious. Finish it all off with fresh coconut ice cream or another Thai dessert, perhaps lod chong or salim.
Popular Locations for Bangkok Street Food
While you can find street food pretty much anywhere in Bangkok obviously some spots are going to be more accessible to you as a tourist. The following spots are popular with both Thai’s and tourists for the variety of foods available as well as their accessibility.
Rama IV – You’ll find street food vendors all along Rama IV, especially in the areas of Lumphini Park and Lumphini Boxing Stadium. Golf and I especially like those near the Boxing Stadium, down the small soi’s. The area really gets hopping in the late afternoon and you’ll find all kinds of great dishes here. Spicy som tam and laab from northern Thailand are popular as are desserts such as sticky rice and salim.
Silom Road – Another great place to find street vendors. Golf and I have two favorites in this area. The first are the street vendors along Soi Convent (near the Sala Daeng BTS station). You’ll find that the ones farther up the soi towards BNH hospital tend to be better. The second is a small street restaurant all the way at the end of Silom at the intersection of Silom and Charoen Krung. It is on the right side of the street across from the State Tower. Everything we’ve tried there is awesome. Finally, you’ll find quite a few vendors on Silom offering seafood, everything from fish to clams to oysters and prawns are available freshly cooked to your liking.
Khao San Road – Probably not the best quality street food, but it is cheap and usually satisfying. Plus, most Bangkok tourists seem to make it out this way at least once. The vendors on Khao San itself leave a bit to be desired, but some great dishes can be had in the surrounding areas. Cheap pad thai, grilled meats and kebabs and fruit is the top draw here.
RCA – This is one of the top nightclub areas of Bangkok so it’s not surprising to find a large variety of street vendors set up to feed the hungry party go’ers before and after their clubbing. The food is decent and available quite late at night so that’s a plus.
Chinatown – Obviously this comprises a huge area, but I’ve found that pretty much anywhere in Chinatown serves up really great street food. Yaowarat Road is a perfect start and if you don’t want to wander around Chinatown you won’t have to go any farther than that to get a great cheap street side meal. If you love food then you have to go to Chinatown for some of the best Chinese food you’ll ever get outside China and Hong Kong.
Rules For A Safe Bangkok Street Food Experience
While the streets of Bangkok may be dirty and the air filled with smog (although better than in the past), eating at a street vendor in Bangkok need not be a worrisome affair. Yes, you’ll see the food is unrefrigerated and there is typically a big wash bin of dirty plates next to the cart, but believe me when I tell you that eating from street vendors in Bangkok is quite safe.
I’ve eaten probably hundreds of meals at street vendors all over Bangkok and have only gotten sick once in 12 years. Honestly I don’t even believe that was from the street food, I think it was from Chao Phraya river water getting splashed into my face during a trip upriver to Koh Kred.
Simply follow these suggestions and you should be fine:
- Go where everyone else is eating. The locals know the good food stalls and the ones that make them sick. If you follow the locals lead you should be fine.
- Make sure the food is freshly prepared. The food should be freshly cooked and not look as if it’s been sitting around for hours.
- Thai food is notoriously spicy and hot. If you don’t want too much heat then order your food “mai ped”. This means “not hot” and the chili’s will be left out. On the other hand if you think the hotter the better then order the food “ped mak mak”. This should get you food that is extra spicy although I have had mixed results. I think that some Thai’s don’t really believe that farang can eat spicy food so even if you order it extra spicy they make it “mai ped”.
- If you do get sick get to an emergency room. The hospitals are very used to dealing with food poisoning and will sort you out quickly to get you healthy. Thai hospitals are very cheap compared with Western hospitals so don’t worry about the cost.
Bangkok street food is some of the best and cheapest food in the world and I have yet to find anyone who doesn’t like something on offer at the street vendors. The amazing variety combined with the delicious taste makes it an experienced not to be missed. So, next time you’re in Bangkok pull up a plastic stool by the side of the road and have yourself a feast!
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Great post apart from tipping Khao San as having good street food. It’s the only place in Thailand I have ever had a bad meal. I will never eat from the street stalls there again!
The whole of the area shouldn’t be written off though, there are some decent places in the surrounding streets.
Cheers Richard!
Thanks for kicking off the comments…I know when I write about food I can get the creative juices flowing.
I hope you didn’t think I was endorsing Khao San food. I did say that it was “not the best quality” and that it leaves a bit to be desired.
You are absolutely spot on about the surrounding area though. I think it’s quite fair to say “Don’t eat from the vendors right on Khao San Road” and I’m actually not surprised you had a bad experience there. Once you get a couple blocks off Khao San though you can find some really good street vendors.
And I had to include it because I know so many tourists end up on Khao San at least one night. Hell I usually end up on Khao San for at least one night even after over a dozen visits to Bangkok.
Hey Steve
Great article. Made my mouth water too and the pictures are great! Makes me want to go back to Thailand just for the food. I do have a great restaurant in Plymouth Mass where I get great Chicken Red Curry but I do need to get back to the land of smiles. Hope u and Golf are well and we need to catch up!
Tony
Enjoyed your comments on the food poisoning issue. My friends from the area kept warning me not to eat from the street vendor stalls, to stick to the restaurants instead. I regret now that I followed that advice most of the time (most of the time) because afterwards I realized that they didn’t take that advice themselves, at least not consistently. I’ve worked at American restaurants that were scarier than anything on the street in Bangkok. Well, almost. You can be cautious or you can have fun. I think most of the food is well worth a gamble and if you live in the States you may never see it again. Thai food over here is dumbed down for the marketplace.
Sorry you followed their advice, but it just means you gotta get yourself back to Thailand as soon as possible. Honestly I’ve always found the food from street vendors to be both delicious and fresh. And I’ve worked in quite a few American restaurants as well so I know just what you mean about the scary factor. If people knew what happened in some of those kitchens…
Very nice article Steve. You should have regular street food takes!
Best -
BD
Thanks Dan,
I really do love the street food in Bangkok. Funny because I can remember the first time I was in Bangkok and being sooooo worried about every single thing I ate. I’m just glad the little lady cooks so damn well, it really helps with the cravings.
Looks delicous. Some of the food is a little interesting but it would be fun to walk up to a table full of delicious foods and pickup what you want.
I lived for a year in Bangkok, and I have a bit of advice: Don’t go near Khao San Road. Not for sleeping, not for eating and not for partying.
Simply put, it’s where all the other tourists go, and the Thais there have westernized everything for them. It is a Thai experience no more than Disneyland gives a real taste of America.
Too often, I heard from travelers who went to Khao San Road, hated it, then quickly left for the beaches of the south or the hill tribe treks in the north.
Please hear me: you will not have a good experience in Bangkok if you stay on KSR, and especially not if don’t at least venture into other non-touristy parts of that amazing city.
As for the street food, I wholeheartedly agree: I ate from street vendors every day and never once got sick. It’s the best food in the world.
1. As Socrates said: : It is not the poison but the dose/. To this can be added the sensitivities of the individual.
2. You cannot compare a foreigner to a Thai that has been eating off the street for decades. Look at their toilets – they have this hose for washing off the loose stools.
3. Most food poisoning is from anus to mouth. Look at the street food sellers. Where do they wash their hands ?
4. Ok you may be lucky. Eat hot wokked food. But where was that plate and spoon washed ???
4. Visit a restaurant. Go to the loo first off. If it is filthy leave. This is for the staff too!!!
Remember in these countries, true Typhoid is ryfe and the locals can be asymptomatic carriiers.Especially in the wet season.Everyone is terrified of malaria. usually not a problem. Their is no real successful vaccination against typhoid and cholera, and antibiotics do not work well.