Bangkok, Thailand's Best Street Food
Tasty Thai Food Can Be Found On The Streets of Bangkok
Oct 27, 2009
Citizens of Bangkok can often be found amid the bustle of the city pulling up to a sidewalk table with their friends to eat Thai cuisine. A wide variety of regional dishes and street vendors provide many opportunities to have a quick snack or a longer meal with friends. Although street food can be found throughout the city, some locations are particularly popular and more accessible to visitors.
Variety Of Thai Street Food
Thai food possesses great variety from spicy southern curries to the salads of the northeast. Just about every variety of Thai food can be found on the streets of Bangkok. Bowls of noodles, sticky rice, grilled meats and seafood, desserts, and fresh fruit to more exotic fare ensure that gourmands are never left hungry. Some street locations specialize in certain dishes, while others are only open at night, or in the morning. Exploring different street food locations will expose travelers to different parts of the city.
Breakfast In Bangkok
On their way to work, commuters making use of Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain will often buy breakfast or perhaps lunch. Although donuts and fresh coffee are available in various locations, most Thai people will purchase small plastic bags of different curries, vegetable dishes, or fried meat dishes. Deep fried chicken, spicy omelettes, and grilled skewers of pork and squid are also readily available. Many vendors will sell food close to major stops on the Skytrain, with popular spots being the Victory Monument, Ari, Phrom Phong, Silom, and Ratchadamri stations.
In addition to breakfast and lunch, fresh fruits are also widely available. Freshly squeezed orange juice for 15 – 20 Baht can be purchased along freshly cut mangoes, watermelon, guava, pineapple, papaya, and rose apples depending on the season. Most fresh fruit will cost between 10 – 20 Baht depending on the fruit and location. Vendors will also hack open young coconuts or prepare a fresh juice smoothie for thirsty customers.
Popular Street Food Locations In Bangkok
Street food is ubiquitous in Bangkok which is filled with fresh markets and night markets allowing visitors to eat at any time of the day. These locations are particularly popular for the foods they offer and their accessibility.
- Lumphini Park – Between the Ratchdamri and Silom Skytrain stops on the western end of the park, a small parking lot is lined with tables and food stalls beginning in the late afternoon. Standard Thai fare along with Isaan (Northeastern) dishes such as papaya salad (Som Tam), sticky rice, and laab (spicy minced meat salad) can be found. Hot Pot (shabu shabu) is very popular here as raw vegetables and meat are provided for customers to stew.
- Central World – Along the sidewalk leading to the Pratunam intersection next to the Central World Plaza, street vendors offer fresh seafood. Snapping clams, iced shrimp, and salted fish being grilled along with Hot Pot is available here from the early evening onwards.
- Sukhumvit Road, Soi 38 – Downstairs from the Phrom Pong Skytrain station, the top of Soi 38 offers a night market. Noodle dishes are popular here along with other vendors offering fruit smoothies, mangoes with sticky rice, and other standard Thai dishes.
- RCA – One of Bangkok’s nightlife destinations, the road outside of RCA is lined with tables and food vendors catering to the post – 2AM crowd leaving bars and clubs. The food is serviceable and available until late although visitors may be forced to watch people who’ve had a tipple take a topple while they eat.
- Khao San Road – The extremely popular backpacker destination offers mounds of cheap pad thai along with grilled meats, kebabs, fruits, and fruit juices. The food is passable, and the quieter Soi Ram Buttri across from Khao San offers late night street food for night owls or people with jet lag.
- Lumphini Stadium – The road outside of Lumphini Boxing Stadium is littered with vendors selling mostly fried treats to passersby on fight nights. The atmosphere is crowded, and the food quick but interesting.
Bangkok’s sidewalks can be grimy and looking at a wash bin of dirty plates may turn a visitor’s stomach. Here are two rules of thumb for eating on the street.
- Make sure the food is hot and freshly prepared, if it looks like it has been sitting a long time, avoid it.
- Places that are crowded indicate the vendor’s reputation, and if the locals approve, it means they are not likely getting sick.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
