Thailand Food & Drink Guides
What and where to eat across Thailand, from regional specialities and street food to markets, coffee culture and standout restaurants.
The Spiciest Thai Dishes: Thailand's Hottest Food and How to Survive It
The spiciest Thai food to brave in Phuket and beyond: fiery Southern dishes like khua kling and gaeng tai pla, and how to order and survive the heat.
Unusual Thai Foods to Try in Phuket (If You're Feeling Brave)
From fried insects and red ant eggs to dancing shrimp and balut, here are 10 unusual Thai foods to try in Phuket, what they are, and where to find them.
Healthy Thai Food: The Best Low-Calorie Dishes to Order in Phuket
The healthiest Thai dishes to order in Phuket if you want to lose a few kilos: low-calorie, high-protein street food, salads and soups, plus what to skip.
Thailand is one of the world's great eating destinations, and these guides help you make the most of it. Expect the four regional cuisines, the fiery salads of the north-east, the herbal richness of the north, the coconut-laced curries and seafood of the south, and the balanced classics of the central plains, plus the street food, markets and drinks that make dining here such a pleasure. We tell you what to order, where locals actually go, and how to eat well whether your budget is a 40-baht bowl of noodles or a tasting menu.
What these guides cover
Food in Thailand is regional, so we treat it that way. You will find primers on the dishes each part of the country does best, from khao soi and larb to massaman and southern seafood, along with how to read a menu, gauge spice levels, and order like you know what you are doing. We also cover the practicalities: hygiene and how to pick a safe street stall, vegetarian and halal options, and navigating the language barrier at markets and roadside spots.
Beyond the plate
Thailand's drink scene deserves attention too. We look at the country's fast-growing speciality coffee culture, night markets and their sprawling food courts, fresh fruit and juice stalls, and where to find a good meal at every price point. Where a city or island has a distinctive food identity, we point you to it, including the Baba-Chinese heritage cooking and market scene of the south covered in our Phuket guides.
The goal is to help you eat adventurously but confidently. Street food is the heart of Thai eating and, chosen sensibly at a busy stall with high turnover, it is both delicious and safe. We flag the dishes worth crossing town for and the tourist traps worth skipping, so your meals become a highlight rather than a gamble.
For the wider library, including travel and practical guides that pair well with a food-focused trip, browse the main guides index. Come hungry, keep an open mind about spice and unfamiliar ingredients, follow the crowds of locals rather than the tourist signage, and Thailand rarely disappoints at the table.