Thailand is an absolute dream destination for food lovers.
Whether you’re into rich curries, fresh noodles, tropical fruit, or you just love wandering night markets seeing what’s cooking, Thai food becomes part of the adventure not just something you grab between activities.
We’ve spent a lot of time traveling around Thailand as a family, and honestly, some of our strongest memories aren’t just temples or beaches… they’re eating coconut ice cream in the heat, sharing pineapple fried rice on the beach, and watching my husband casually eat things I refused to even touch 😅
In this post, I’m sharing:
- The must-try classic Thai dishes
- The best street food and sweet treats
- And the slightly terrifying night market foods you’ll definitely see (even if you don’t eat them)
Thai Food: One of the Best Parts of Traveling in Thailand
One of the best things about Thailand is how easy and affordable it is to eat well.
Food is everywhere:
- Street stalls
- Night markets
- Tiny local restaurants
- Beach cafés
Most meals cost just a few pounds, everything is cooked fresh, and you can try so many different things without spending much at all.
And if you’re traveling with kids? Thailand is surprisingly brilliant for family-friendly food too (more on that later).
The Comfort Classics: Thai Dishes You Have to Try
These are the dishes we came back to again and again.
🍜 Khao Soi (Northern Thailand)
If you’re in Chiang Mai or Northern Thailand, Khao Soi is unmissable.
It’s a creamy coconut curry noodle soup, usually with chicken, topped with crispy noodles on top. It’s rich, comforting, and not usually spicy unless you ask for it.
This is proper comfort food and one of our favourite meals in the north. It is one of our favourite things about the north in general it is that good!
🍝 Pad Thai
The famous one and for good reason.
Pad Thai is:
- Cheap
- Everywhere
- Almost always good
It’s a great “safe choice” if you’re unsure what to order, and perfect for kids or fussy eaters. You’ll find it cooked fresh on street stalls all over the country. I have two memorable favourites – one when we did the Floating River Market trip and the second was around 70baht so around £1.70 and it was at a little locals market at the back of our favourite hotel in Chiang Mai which you can read about here: Our Chiang Mai Family Adventure: Where to Stay, What to Do & Why We’ll Be Back
🍍 Pineapple Fried Rice
Yes, it often comes served inside an actual pineapple.
It’s slightly sweet, slightly savoury, usually with cashews and curry spices, and it’s one of those dishes that feels a bit touristy… but is actually really good.
We had amazing pineapple fried rice in Koh Yao Yoi, often paired with fresh smoothies on the beach absolute holiday perfection.
🧋 Thai Tea
That bright orange, super sweet, super creamy iced tea you’ll see everywhere.
It’s:
- Cold
- Sugary
- And incredibly refreshing in the heat
A lifesaver on hot days of exploring. One of the best memories I have is of Jacobs’ face tasting this for the first time! Make sure you record any kids taking their first sip lol.
🥭 Honourable Mentions
You’ll also see and probably love:
- Mango sticky rice
- Massaman curry – this is the best option for kids. For the adults I am team red curry and my husband is team green curry!
- Fried rice & omelette (a total kids’ staple)
- Spring rolls and satay skewers
Street Food in Thailand: This Is Where the Magic Happens
Thailand’s street food scene is next level.
Night markets and street stalls are:
- Cheap
- Fast
- Fresh
- And full of atmosphere
You can walk around, point at what looks good, grab a few bits, and suddenly you’ve built yourself an accidental feast.
Some of our favourite simple wins:
- “Chicken on a stick” (the boys loved these)
- Fresh pad thai cooked in front of you
- Grilled meats and rice dishes
- Fresh fruit shakes and smoothies
Honestly, some of the best meals we’ve had in Thailand came from tiny stalls with plastic chairs in markets all over the country.
🥣 Smoothie Bowls & Fruit Shakes (Especially in Chiang Mai)
Chiang Mai in particular felt like smoothie and smoothie bowl heaven.
So much fresh fruit:
- Mango
- Dragon fruit
- Pineapple
- Banana
- Passionfruit
Everything tastes unbelievably fresh, and it’s such an easy way to get kids happily eating loads of fruit without any effort.
The “Would You Actually Eat That?” Foods 😅
Now… let’s talk about the stuff you’ll definitely see at night markets, even if you don’t plan to eat it.
- 🦂 Scorpions
- 🦗 Crickets
- 🐛 Silkworms
- 🪲 Various other crunchy-looking creatures
These are usually:
- Fried
- Crispy
- And sold more as a novelty experience
Did I try them?
Absolutely not.
Did my husband try them?
Of course he did. He’ll eat anything. 😂
Apparently, they mostly taste like… salty, crunchy nothing. But I was very happy sticking to noodles and mango sticky rice, thanks.
Is Thai Food Kid-Friendly?
Honestly? Yes very.
Our kids loved:
- Chicken skewers
- Fried rice
- Noodles
- Spring rolls
- Fruit shakes
- Coconut ice cream
Most places will happily:
- Do things not spicy
- Keep it simple
- Or just serve plain rice and egg
And, if all else fails you can pop yourself to 7-11 for a cheese toastie haha. You can find some tips over on this post to find out how to order your food spicy or not! How to make the most of Thailand
Final Thoughts: Thai Food Is Part of the Adventure
Thailand is one of those countries where food becomes part of the memory-making.
You can:
- Play it safe with noodles and fried rice
- Or go adventurous at the night markets
- Or (like us) do a bit of both
From Khao Soi in the north, to smoothies and pineapple fried rice on the beach, to watching your husband eat a scorpion while you absolutely refuse to… it’s all part of the experience.
And honestly? It’s one of the many reasons we keep going back and has become the reason my husband took up cooking whilst at home 😉
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