Thai food changes as you travel: fiery southern curries, northern khao soi, Bangkok's Chinatown night stalls and Isaan grilled specialities. For food lovers, the best plan is to eat your way across a few regions and take a class or two. These are the places to do it.
What to eat where
Bangkok for Chinatown street food and rooftop dining; Chiang Mai for khao soi and market breakfasts; the southern islands for fresh grilled seafood. A hands-on cooking class — usually starting with a market tour — is the single best food souvenir you can bring home.
Best destinations
Top experiences
Bangkok
- Street food in Chinatown (Yaowarat) — Bangkok's best evening food crawl - grilled seafood, dumplings, mango sticky rice and neon.
- Thai cooking class — Shop a local market, then cook green curry, pad thai and tom yum with a local chef.
- Chao Phraya dinner cruise — Glide past floodlit temples and the Rama VIII bridge over dinner.
- Tuk-tuk night food tour — Zip between hidden food stalls and old-town markets after dark.
Ayutthaya
- Ayutthaya night market — Riverside stalls with boat noodles and the famous giant river prawns.
- Boat-noodle & river prawn tasting — Ayutthaya's specialty: rich boat noodles and giant grilled river prawns.
Kanchanaburi
- Floating riverside restaurants — Dinner on the water with the river drifting past.
Sukhothai
- Sukhothai noodles — The town's namesake dish — sweet-savoury broth, pork and peanuts.
Chiang Mai
- Thai cooking class in the countryside — Pick herbs on a farm and master curries, spring rolls and khao soi.
- Khao soi food tour — Hunt down the north's famous curry noodle soup and street snacks.
Krabi (Ao Nang)
- Ao Nang seafood night market — Grilled Andaman seafood right on the waterfront.
Khao Sok
- Jungle Thai cooking — Cook a southern-Thai meal at a riverside homestay.
Koh Lanta
- Thai cooking class — Market tour and a hands-on southern-Thai kitchen session.
Koh Samui
- Fisherman's Village, Bophut — Boutique dining and the Friday walking-street market.
- Coconut & Thai cooking class — Samui's coconut country — cook curries and fresh seafood.
Trang
- Dim sum breakfast — Steamed baskets and buns at busy morning shophouses, a Trang ritual.
- Moo yang Trang — The town's famous crispy-skinned roast pork, eaten from early morning.
- Trang night market — Evening stalls of southern curries, grilled skewers and sweet snacks.
Hua Hin
- Hua Hin Night Market — Grilled seafood, noodles and mango sticky rice in the town centre every evening.
- Tamarind Market — Relaxed weekend street-food market next to Cicada under the trees.
Pattaya
- Naklua seafood market — Pick fresh fish, prawns and crab and have them cooked nearby.
Phetchaburi
- Khanom mo kaeng and palm-sugar sweets — Taste the baked custard and desserts Phetchaburi is famous for.
Prachuap Khiri Khan
- Prachuap night market — Seafront stalls grilling squid, fish and prawns at local prices.
- Dried squid and seafood snacks — Pick up Prachuap's famous dried seafood from shops along the bay.
Chumphon
- Chumphon night market — Busy evening market in town with southern curries and grilled seafood.
- Seafood at Thung Wua Laen — Beachfront restaurants serving squid, crab and fish at local prices.
- Kluai leb mue nang bananas — Chumphon's famous small, sweet 'lady finger' bananas, sold everywhere.
Chanthaburi
- Fruit orchards in season — Durian, mangosteen and rambutan buffets straight from the trees, May to June.
- Chanthaburi noodles (sen chan) — The town's famous thin rice noodles, often stir-fried with crab.
- Moo chamuang curry — Local pork curry soured with chamuang leaves, a true eastern speciality.
Sangkhlaburi
- Mon and Burmese food — Try Mon-style curries, rice noodles and tea-leaf salad in the market.
- Morning market — A lively mix of Thai, Mon and Karen stalls with snacks and produce.
Mae Hong Son
- Jong Kham Lake night market — Evening stalls with Shan snacks, grilled skewers and handicrafts by the water.
- Shan cuisine — Try khao soi, nam ngiao and Shan-style rice dishes in the morning market.
Mae Sot
- Mae Sot morning market — Burmese curries, samosas, fresh roti and tea-leaf salad at breakfast.
- Mohinga for breakfast — Myanmar's beloved fish-and-rice-noodle soup, served in simple market stalls.
Udon Thani
- UD Town night market — Evening food and fashion stalls beside the railway station.
- Isaan food trail — Som tam, larb, grilled chicken and sticky rice at local street stalls.
Khon Kaen
- Ton Tann Market — Stylish evening market with Isaan street food, crafts and live music.
- Khon Kaen Night Market — Classic downtown night market for grilled snacks and cheap clothes.
- Gai yang Khao Suan Kwang — Try the province's famous crispy grilled chicken with som tam and sticky rice.
Nong Khai
- Mekong river fish & Vietnamese snacks — Try grilled pla and naem nueang pork rolls at riverside restaurants.
Frequently asked questions
Which city has the best street food in Thailand?
Bangkok is the street-food capital — especially Chinatown (Yaowarat) after dark — with Chiang Mai a close second for northern specialities.
Are cooking classes worth it in Thailand?
Definitely — they're affordable, fun and start with a market tour, so you learn ingredients as well as recipes.
Is Thai street food safe to eat?
Generally yes — busy stalls with high turnover are your friend. Eat where the locals queue and drink bottled water.
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