Including the 10 Best Street Food Spots
Heading to Bangkok? Here’s the ultimate travel guide for FOODIES! Including the best street food spots, where to stay, and more.
Fine dining aside… Sometimes, all you need is a simple meal. And Bangkok is famous for that. So much that it is often called the “street food capital of the world”.
We absolutely loved gobbling down Thai curries, stir-fries and spicy papaya salads, seated outdoors in colorful plastic chairs. And we’re sure you’ll enjoy it, too.
My partner and I hopped from food cart to food cart in Bangkok. And trust us when we say, we tried more stalls than the average traveler would (yep, we’re huge foodies 😁). During the process, we handpicked some of the must-try street foods in Bangkok. So you can skip the hassle and get to the best part.
Keep reading for a Bangkok travel guide for foodies, including the 10 best street food spots!
How to Get to Bangkok
Most international flights will land at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). Affordable options often start around $400 -$700 from Australia the U.S. or Europe. From nearby Asian countries, you can find even cheaper flights.
Taking the train or bus is another way to get to Bangkok. This gives you beautiful views along the way but can take more time. You want to take a train to Hualamphong Station. Or catch a bus from terminals like Ekkamai or Mo Chit.
How to Get Around Bangkok
There are many ways to get around Bangkok, including:
- BTS Skytrain
- MRT Subway
- Taxis
- Buses
One of our favorites was the tuk-tuk. This unique ride—with three wheels—covers short distances. And if you’re out to sample street food, you’ll probably be in the same tuk-tuk. (The pun was intended 😁)
A Little History of the Bangkok Food Scene
Let’s move back to the 17th century. Bangkok was a trading hub along the Chao Phraya River. At that time, busy merchants didn’t have time to cook at home. That’s when food vendors saw the opportunity and began making simple meals. This included classics (like Pad Thai, sticky rice, etc.)
As the city grew, so did its street food scene. And fast forward to today, street food is a way of life in Bangkok. You can find practically everything from Michelin-starred treats to comforting family recipes. Apart from the delish taste, it’s (obviously) convenient as well as affordable.
We’d like to mention even the recent inflation hasn’t increased the prices of street food in Bangkok much. For example, the price of a simple dish—such as pad gaprow (stir fry with Thai holy basil) or khao man gai (Thai chicken and rice)—can be as little as 45 to 60 baht (which will be $1.25 to $1.70).
Let’s just say… Food is more than a meal in Thailand’s capital. It’s a part of Bangkok’s heartbeat.
And to experience it, head to one—or all ten😉—of the places below.
Raan Jay Fai
This is a renowned street food restaurant with some amazing Thai-Chinese cuisine. It is even recognized by Michelin. We had their famous crab omelette and seafood fritter—prepped by Supinya Junsuta (who is both the owner and the chef).
Charoen Saeng Silom
Silom is Bangkok’s Wall Street, so you can expect plenty of upscale restaurants. One of the best eats we had here was at Charoen Saeng Silom—a hole-in-the-wall stall. They serve gelatinous steamed pork legs in soup. (Bonus points if you have them with rice).
Roong Rueng
Unpretentious street food at its best! You want to rush to this Michelin-recommended stall for the hot-and-sour, shrimp-based soup called tom yam. What we found fun about eating here is that you can choose your type of noodle: wide white noodles, egg noodles, glass noodles… you get plenty of options.
No Name Noodle BKK
You can tell how special this place is by the fact that they serve only 35 bowls of noodles per day. The counter has seven seats—where you can watch Chef Shin skilfully prep the meal. We made sure to call at 9 am on the day we wanted to visit; doing so helps reserve a seat.
Heng Hoi Tod Chaw Lae
This place specializes in hoi tad, which is basically stir-fry oysters and a pancake. We enjoyed their special: the seafood cheese tod. This is a crispy pancake with shrimp, mussels, oyster, and crab sticks 😋
Baan Ice Restaurant @ICONSIAM
Great for folks looking for something beyond the usual Pad Thai. Here, you can find southern reaches of Thailand. Think hot and prickly flavors. Some acidic elements. A playful level of spice. We instantly fell in love with their sour-sweet recipes!
Sae Phun
Sae Phun is the ultimate place to enjoy some good ol’ chicken stew. This stall is as old as it gets (it’s been on the same locale for some 80 years!). Plus, their recipe is nice and comforting: tender chicken, rice, fried egg, and chicken sausage.
Jon Prince
The specialty at this modest stall is rice porridge. We got the option to add century or soft-boiled egg, chunky pork meatballs or offal to our porridge. Regardless, it’s always served with spring onions and fresh ginger. We followed the locals’ lead and sprinkled quite some white pepper and soy sauce. And, let’s just say, the locals know how it’s done 😉
Jok’s Kitchen
Chinatown is Bangkok’s street food mecca—and among the best places to try here is the humble Jok’s Kitchen. This is a tiny three-table eatery serving up delish Chinese fare, like crab claws, abalone, and Cantonese wontons. You want to keep in mind that this is a cash-only spot (we may have learnt it the hard way) and you’ll need a reservation in advance.
Mae Varee
Everyone loves a little dessert—especially when it’s mango sticky rice. Head to Mae Varee to enjoy this addictive sweet treat. The shop is take-away only, but you want to make sure to eat it soon after you pick it up. We say so because the best time to enjoy mango sticky rice is when the magoes are fresh and the rice is warm.
Speaking of sweets… If you see a vendor selling Kluay Tod (fried bananas) or Luk Chup (miniature fruit-shaped sweets)—grab them 😋
Where to Stay in Bangkok
During our trip, we stayed at the Banyan Tree. The food was simply outstanding. Particularly their famous rooftop bar, Vertigo. This overlooked the Bangkok skyline and was a great spot to relax with a cocktail. Plus, this luxe accommodation had a swimming pool, spa, sauna… all those good things.
If you’re a backpacker, you can try one of:
Final Words
There’s no denying that—if street food is on your bucket list, Bangkok is deffo one of the first places to head. And with this guide coming to a wrap, we hope you know exactly which spots to try the Thai capital’s yummiest street food 😉 We loved it, and can’t wait for you to fall in love with it, too 😋
