Top 10 Dishes to Try in Thailand

#1. Tom Yum Soup (Hot And Sour Soup)

When it comes to Thai food, the first thing that many people think of is definitely Tom Yum soup. And Tom Yum Soup is indeed the "national soup" of Thailand, and almost every restaurant will serve it, and each has its own characteristics.

Tom Yum Soup is actually a hot and sour soup. It is cooked with ingredients unique to Thailand, such as fragrant lemon grass, galangal root, kaffir lime leaf, bird’s eye chilies, etc. There are hundreds of variations of Tom Yum depending on the main ingredient of the dish. Tom Yum is usually made with prawns (Tom Yum Goong), chicken (Tom Yum Gai), fish (Tom Yum Pla) or mixed seafood (Tom Yum Taleh) and mushrooms. It is sour and spicy, especially appetizing. Many people are not used to eating it for the first time, but they will like it more and more. Don't miss it when you come to Thailand.

#2. Pad Thai (Thai-style stir-fried noodles)

Pad Thai is the most famous cheap food in Thailand. This "national food" can be found in street stalls and restaurants all over Thailand.

Your trip to Thailand is not complete without trying Pad Thai. Generally speaking, Pad Thai is to fry the eggs half-cooked first, then add flat rice noodle, squid, fresh shrimp, dried tofu, Thai sweet and spicy sauce, etc. and stir well. Pad Thai is the national dish of Thailand so it is obviously the go-to for tourists grabbing lunch on Kho San Road.

This fried noodle dish is cheap and delicious and is mixed in a peanut sauce with either chicken or shrimp.

#3. Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)

When dining in a restaurant in Thailand, the green papaya salad is a must for the appetizers. It consists of a spicy, sweet, tart dressing, shredded unripe papaya, and other ingredients that can include mango, cucumber, tomato, garlic, peanuts, and dried shrimp. Originating in the northeastern part of Thailand (Isaan), bordering the country of Laos, the dish is a staple for the entire area. Nowadays, you’ll now find green papaya salad everywhere across Thailand, as well as on just about every street corner in the entire city of Bangkok.

#4. Bu Pad Pong Karee (Fried Crab with Thai Curry)

Stir-fried crab with Thai curry is a famous dish in Thailand, which is not only popular among Thai people, but also very popular with tourists. This dish features crab that is cooked together with a curry sauce made of yellow curry powder, eggs, milk, and a few Thai sweet and savory sauces. White and green onions, Chinese celery, and red peppers add some additional freshness and texture to the dish. In Thailand, this dish is most commonly cooked with entire sections of crab in the shell. If you travel to Phuket, you can go to the famous Cliff Restaurant to have this dish. Not only does this restaurant have top-notch food, but it also has a top-notch view and is well worth a visit.

#5. Khao Niaow Ma-Muang (Mango Sticky Rice)

If you want to choose the most distinctive dessert snacks in Thailand, then mango sticky rice will definitely be at the top of the list. This dessert is available almost everywhere, from street stalls to fine dining restaurants, and it almost never disappoints.

Thanks to its sweet and sour taste, it is the perfect complement to spicy dishes. It consists of nothing more than steamed sticky rice, which is then mixed with coconut milk, and sliced ripe mango. For those yet to sample this dish, the pairing of rice with mango may seem like an unusual combination, but once you tried it then you’ll love it. The mango is sweet and tart, and the tartness blends wonderfully with the sweetness of Thai sticky rice soaked in fragrant coconut milk. It can be said that mango sticky rice is a delicacy to eat every day when traveling to Thailand!

#6. Khao Soi Gai (Chiang Mai curried noodles)

Chiang Mai noodles, also known as curry noodles, are the representative of northern Thai cuisine. This dish is to simmer chicken drumstick and yellow curry soup until soft and delicious, then topped with crispy fried egg noodles, which give the dish crunch and that nutty, rich flavor you can only get from the deep fryer, and finally sprinkle with a little minced green onion or add two fish balls, served with sauce and vegetables are delicious and fragrant.

#7. Khao Kaa Moo (Thai Pork Knuckle Rice)

As one of the most popular lunch dishes in Thailand, Thai Pork Knuckle Rice included stewed pork knuckle, served with rice and boiled eggs, dressing with brown sauce. It’s available at hundreds of street food corners, kind of like the pork version of chicken rice. However, there are some extremely notable Pork Knuckle Rice stalls in Thailand, one of the more legendary being the unforgettable Cowgirl lady in Chiang Mai. And in Bangkok, one of the ultimate places to eat Thai Pork Knuckle Rice is Charoen Saeng Silom which located down a side alley behind the corner of Silom and Charoen Krung Road in Bangrak (near to Silom)

#8. Kaeng Kari Gai (Yellow Thai Chicken Coconut Curry)

It has to be said that Thai people combine curry with local spices to create a lot of deliciousness. The curry is divided into yellow curry, green curry and red curry from not spicy to spicy. Among them, the more famous and delicious is the Thai yellow curry chicken. Yellow Thai Chicken Coconut Curry is perhaps one of the most commonly known dishes served at Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. The creamy sweetness of the coconut and the subtle flavors of cumin, coriander, and just a hint of Thai chili make it very enjoyable for people who don't normally eat spicy foods.

#9. Pad Kra Pao(Thai Basil Stir-fry)

Pad Kra Pao is a very popular dish for local Thais. It is a Thai street food with fantastic flavor, best for a quick lunch. When people don’t know what to order, they just order Kra Pao! This dish is quick and delicious.

"Pad" means "fried" and "Kra Pao" is Thai name of Holy basil that is one of the main ingredients. Thai holy basil enhances the taste of stir-fry dishes especially Pad kra Pao. The slight tinge of peppery taste and fragrance makes it flavorful and appetizing. Fish sauce is the other core ingredient that brings up the taste of the gravy of this dish that goes wonderfully well with rice. Pad Kra Pao can be cooked with chicken, pork, beef, seafood, tofu, or whatever you want. It is served with rice. You can order a fried egg (Khai Dao) on top too.

#10. Tom Ka Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

Thai coconut chicken soup is quite a famous Thai dish. Coconut milk is used as the soup base, and ingredients such as galangal, lemongrass, coriander, chili pepper, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar soften the coconut milk. A bit creamier than Tom Yum soup, you will especially welcome this soup's fragrance and comforting warmth during the winter. But this soup is not spicy like Tom Yum soup. You’ll love it if you don’t like spicy soup.