The 15 Best Thai Dishes You Can’t Miss (By a Local)

Think Pad Thai is Thailand’s national dish? Nope. Let me introduce you to the real must-eats. Because if you’re anything like me, you’re already dreaming of what to eat when you land. Don’t worry, I’ve got you!

If you can only ask one blogger on the internet for the best Thai dishes (authentic ones) you should hunt for, I’m that blogger. Why? I was born and raised here! I’m Thai! 🤣

This Thai food guide will walk you through the most iconic Thai dishes, from famous stir-fries to lesser-known sweets, so you can eat like a local from day one. Because in Thailand, the hotel buffets are never it. 💀

Ready to eat your way through Thailand? Let’s find out which dishes locals actually crave.

Note: I originally published this post in March of 2024. I’ve recently updated it to include more recent and relevant information for you.

The List Foodies Shouldn’t Skip

Whether you’re surrounded by the beautiful beaches down south or the serene valleys up north, Thailand always gives you the best food.

That is… If you know what to look for. Order a bacon burger, and you’re guaranteed a disappointing meal because we weren’t born to make burgers. Why would you do that? 🤦🏻‍♀️

Anyway, that’s why I’m here. Without further ado, here are the best Thai dishes you shouldn’t skip when you come to Thailand!

The National Dishes of Thailand

There has been so much conflicting information about Thailand’s National Dish. Today, I’m putting it all to rest by listing everything that has been part of that argument.

1. Tom Yum Kung

Tom Yum refers to the spicy and sour soup with a base of lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and Thai chilis. Kung means shrimp or prawn. So, this dish is essentially a spicy and sour soup with prawns.

Are you surprised that Pad Thai doesn’t come first? I’m sure you’ve Googled “Thailand’s National Dish” before. The answer was Pad Thai, wasn’t it?

But Google “Thailand’s National Dish” in Thai and look up the Thai-language articles, and you’ll find Tom Yum Kung listed as our national dish.

True to its title, this spicy prawn soup is packed with so much flavor that you’ll forget about Pad Thai for a hot minute. It’s the truly perfect balance of salty, sour, and sweet.

2. Pad Thai

Pad Thai is arguably the most well-known dish among foreigners. It’s a stir-fried noodle dish with a balance of sweet, sour, and savory flavors, often featuring shrimp, tofu, chicken, or just eggs. 

Don’t get me wrong, I adore Pad Thai! Thanks to the word “Thai” in its name, Pad Thai has become the de facto national dish among foreigners because all the English blogs got it wrong. 😂

The best version, in my opinion, is either the traditional Pad Thai with eggs and nothing else or with shrimps.

To properly enjoy your Pad Thai, squeeze that lime on first (use the whole slice), mix it up, and then add chili flakes if you like spicy. I personally leave the crushed peanuts out because they stink (not sorry), but many people like to mix them in, too.

3. Bua Loy

Bua Loy is a traditional Thai dessert of colorful, glutinous rice balls in coconut milk, and our national dessert. Again, I know that the rest of the world usually thinks of something else when Thai desserts are mentioned.

This dessert is warm, cozy, colorful, and absolutely delicious. Depending on which color the ball is, you can tell what it’s made of. If it’s pastel purple, tapioca flour mixed with taro, or golden, pumpkin, green, pandan, and so on.

4. Mango and Sticky Rice

How could I skip this, right? Another dessert that’s so delicious, it has captured the heart of the entire world, Mango and Sticky Rice deserves to be on the pedestal, too!

It is what it sounds like, sweet, ripe Asian mangoes served with sweet sticky rice and coconut milk. Forget the traditional version for this one. I’ve fallen in love with this fusion Mango and Sticky Rice café, Make Me Mango.

While they have traditional Mango and Sticky Rice on their menu, their signature “Make Me Mango” set adds mango panna cotta and a scoop of mango ice cream to the plate as well. To die for.

Must-Try Thai Street Food

Below are the more common dishes that can be made quickly, so you’ll find them everywhere, from simple street carts to local restaurants.

5. Khao Mun Gai (Hainan Chicken Rice)

This poached chicken with seasoned rice first came to Thailand with the influx of Chinese immigrants in the 1850s. Today, Khao Mun Gai has become a staple in the Chinese-Thai ancestry line, which is at least half the country.

The rice itself is steamed with the seasonings, so it has an amazing aroma and taste. Put a teaspoon of spicy sauce on the chicken and a spoonful of the soup that usually comes on the side, and enjoy the various flavors dancing around in your mouth.

The trick is to request the hip or thigh meat when you order. Don’t let them serve you the lean, dry breasts!

6. Pad Kaprao (Holy Basil Stir-Fried)

The mother of all Thai stir-fried dishes, Pad Kaprao, sometimes misspelled as Pad Krapow, has been listed as the World’s best stir-fried menu by Taste Atlas. It’s a simple stir fry of ground meat, usually pork, with holy basil, and one of the most beloved dishes among locals.

Seriously, it’s a private joke among Thai people. When you’re hungry but don’t know what you want to eat, it’s almost automatic to order a Pad Kaprao! 😂

Another reason to try this dish when in Thailand is this: It’s different.

If you’d like to confidently say, “I’ve tried Pad Kaprao before in my hometown,” did you know that the Holy Basil, Kaprao leaves, simply don’t exist outside the South and Southeast Asian regions?

Sure, you will probably find some in countries closer to us. But if you’re from Europe or the Americas, forget it. You’ve been having “Basil Stir-fried,” and I guarantee you, they’re nothing alike. So don’t skip this one!

7. Kanom Krok (Coconut Pancakes)

Ah, these little guys… They’re essentially bite-sized coconut milk pancakes with various toppings, from savory green onions to sweet corn and pumpkins.

Whenever you stroll through street food markets, be on the lookout for any vendor cart with a strange-looking round pan with holes in it. When you find one, stop and get those mini-pancakes!

They’re usually sold in “pairs” with two facing each other and looking like little balls. Six pairs will fill you up.

Regional Thai Dishes to Try

If you’re also traveling to the north, northeast, and south, look for these in those regions! They’re available in other regions, too, but why try them in random places when you can eat the best in their birthplace?

8. Khao Soi (North)

When in the North, don’t miss out on this creamy, coconut-based noodle soup with crispy fried noodles on top. They come with either tofu, chicken thighs, or beef. Some specialty Khao Soi restaurants will sell other varieties, too.

I’d call them “mildly spicy.” They sometimes give a little bit of heat depending on the restaurant, but it is not the focus. If you’re worried that it might be too strong, just tell the staff your tolerance level when ordering.

9. Kanom Jeen Nam Ngiao (North)

This is Northern Rice Noodles in rich cotton flower stew, usually featuring pork, beef, or chicken. The soup is usually intense, with blocks of chicken or pork blood, and sometimes chicken feet.

You can ask the staff to exclude the feet for a less adventurous version. But I don’t recommend skipping the dish. It’s unique to the north and yet completely different from the tastes you get from Khao Soi.

10. Som Tum / Tum Lao (Northeast + Laos)

This is a spicy salad made from shredded unripe papaya, crushed with chilis, dried shrimps, tomatoes, and lime. If you’ve heard of Papaya Salad before, did you know it wasn’t a standard Thai dish?

Som Tum, or Tum Makhoung in Lao, is of Northeastern Thai and Lao heritage. Because of this, you get 2 distinct versions of it.

The Thai papaya salad, or Som Tum, tastes fresher, sweeter, with a clearer dressing and a topping of peanuts. The Lao papaya salad, or Tum Lao, tastes intense with the addition of Lao fermented fish sauce, and no peanuts.

The fermented fish sauce, or Plara, can be a hit or miss for people. I do prefer Tum Lao over the Thai version, but if you’re giving it a try, do so at your own risk!

11. Gaeng Tai Pla (South)

As you enter the south, expect more fiery flavors. Southern dishes are known for their heavy use of chilis, peppers, and herbs with stronger aromas like kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass.

One of my favorite fiery soups of the south is Gaeng Tai Pla, a strong, spicy fish curry, with small hints of lemongrass, usually eaten with rice to balance out the taste.

Where did the strong taste come from? A salty sauce made from fermented fish guts. I know. It originated from the fishing communities, who wanted to find a use for fish entrails.

It might not be a hit the first time you taste it, but it could grow on you. It slowly grew on me, too!

12. Kua Kling (South)

Kua Kling is a fierce, southern Thai stir-fry of minced meat, usually pork or chicken, and a Southern Thai-style curry paste. Is it a curry or is it a stir-fry? Well, I say it’s both!

This dish is inarguably the most typically “southern” of all. I grew up hearing about it more than anything else when it comes to Southern food.

And it is delicious.

Vegetarian-Friendly Thai Dishes

While most Thai dishes have less vegetables than meat and rice, the Thai cuisine is very vegetarian-friendly. Below are some options to help get you started.

13. Tum Ma Muang (Spicy Green Mango Salad)

Mamuang means mango. Hah! So, this is a spicy salad, with unripe mango pounded with chilis, fish sauce, lime, and other minor ingredients.

Think of this as papaya salad, but with raw mango instead. It is fiercely spicy, just like the papaya salad, but the spiciness level can be adjusted to your tolerance.

14. Guay Tiew Lui Suan (Thai Rice Noodle Salad Roll)

These are the Thai version of Spring Rolls, and the better, less greasy version, in my opinion. They’re basically rice noodle wraps with a variety of vegetables and herbs as the filling. You can sometimes get creative with the filling and add tuna, pork, for example.

They taste super refreshing! Some are stuffed with meat, so be sure to ask for the vegetarian version.

Of course, these are only a few of the options available to you. Most famous dishes can also come with tofu or vegetables instead of meat. Green Curry with tofu or Pad Thai with tofu are some examples that will remain just as delicious without meat.

A Hidden Dessert Gem

Finishing off this list with my favorite dessert that is less known to foreigners…

15. Tau Suan

Tau Suan, which originated in China and has become one of the most beloved desserts in Thailand, is a sticky, half-liquid mung bean pudding served in warm coconut milk. It honestly tastes like a warm blanket. I love it!

Because there is tapioca flour mixed in with the base, the sticky texture can be a little hard to get over at first, but mixing it well with the coconut milk helps to dissolve the intensity.

Where to Try These Dishes

Let me share some of my favorite food markets with you, so you know where to go hunt for these 15 authentic Thai dishes!

Wanglang Market – Bangkok (My all-time favorite market, all locals and no foreigners)

• ⏰ Hours of Operation: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily
• 📌 Location: 13.7561574, 100.4852584

Chatuchak Weekend Market – Bangkok

• ⏰ Hours of Operation (Friday): 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM
• ⏰ Hours of Operation (Weekend): 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• 📌 Location: Main Entrance 13.802282, 100.552077

Lard Yai Sunday Night Market – Phuket

• ⏰ Hours of Operation: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM on Sundays only
• 📌 Location: 7.8847173, 98.3872242

Black Crab Market – Krabi

• ⏰ Hours of Operation: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM daily
• 📌 Location: 8.0669132, 98.9139506

Ao Nang Landmark – Krabi

• ⏰ Hours of Operation: 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM daily
• 📌 Location: 8.0425748, 98.8087959

Recommended Street Food Experience

Are you dreaming of having all the authentic local food you can eat in less than a day? I highly recommend the tour below with over 15 tastings of the most local dishes.

But be careful not to finish everything early on, or you’ll be begging for dear life towards the end. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake. 😂

Final Thoughts

No matter where you are in Thailand, you’ll find these authentic dishes if you know what to look for. Save this list, trust your nose, and go where the locals eat. If there’s a hustler out front, run away from that restaurant immediately.

For real foodies, check out my Thai cuisine guide to learn more about the flavors behind our food.

Already planning your trip? Save these lists of foodie spots!

• Best Restaurants in Nan Province
• Best Local Restaurants in Phuket Old Town

FAQ: Thai Cuisine for First-Time Visitors

Get Ready For Thailand!

Check all the items off this list, and you should be good to go.

• Learn some local phrases
• Learn what to do and what not to do, culturally speaking
• Read about our culture so you can understand the people better.
• Figure out where to base yourself in Bangkok

Or browse for more ideas for your Thailand trip!

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