Thailand Street Food

Cooked to order on the sidewalk, often faster than a drive-thru.

5 street food dishes from Thailand — what each one is, why it's made that way, and what to expect when you order it.

Signature street foods of Thailand

Street-Cart Classic · Thai Iced Tea Cha Yen (Thai Iced Tea) Its signature orange color traditionally comes from ground tamarind seed and food coloring blended into the tea, not just the milk. Cha yen is strongly brewed black tea, often spiced with star anise or tamarind, sweetened with sugar and condensed milk, then shaken over ice and topped with a pour of evaporated milk… Main · All-day staple Pad Kra Pao (Thai Basil Stir-Fry) A wok fire hot enough to finish a plate in under 90 seconds. Minced meat stir-fried with holy basil, chili, and garlic over extremely high heat, usually topped with a fried egg and served over rice. Vendors cook each order individually, right at the… Breakfast · Grilled Moo Ping (Grilled Pork Skewers) Sold at dawn as a grab-and-go breakfast. Pork marinated in coriander root, garlic, and palm sugar, skewered and grilled over charcoal — a classic morning routine for commuters grabbing food on the way to work. Skewers · Morning Grill Moo Ping (หมูปิ้ง) Vendors often marinate the pork in sweetened condensed or coconut milk overnight — the secret behind its caramelized, slightly charred edges. Bite-sized pieces of pork are marinated in garlic, cilantro root and white pepper, threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal at sidewalk carts each morning, then eaten with… Dessert · Night Market Classic Khao Niew Mamuang (Mango Sticky Rice) Old-school vendors traditionally only sold this dessert during Thailand's mango season, roughly March through June — though imported and frozen… Glutinous rice is steamed, then soaked in sweetened, salted coconut cream until glossy and rich, served alongside slices of ripe mango and finished with a drizzle of extra coconut sauce…

More street food in Asia

• Mongolia
• Vietnam
• India
• Japan
• Indonesia
• South Korea
• China
• Philippines
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Myanmar
• Sri Lanka
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• Nepal
• Bhutan
• Saudi Arabia
• United Arab Emirates
• Lebanon
• Israel
• Jordan
• Iran
• Kazakhstan
• Uzbekistan
• Maldives
• Brunei