Street Food

Thai Street Food

Street Food in Thailand

You can literally find food in every market and on every corner in Thailand. It is even cheaper than eating in a restaurant and is the best choice for budget travelers. You can try as many new things as you can stomach and the fare ranges from stir fry to deep fried insects and spiders. There are BBQ carts everywhere offering different meats, tofu, and seafoods on a wooden skewer which sells for around US 40 cents.

To avoid a bad stomach, follow these golden rules of Thai street food:

Eat only what is cooked in front of you – especially with Thai street BBQ. This insures that meat has not been sitting out in the sun all day. The owner may protest and try to hand you one of the dozens that always seem ready, but inevitably they want your sale and will cook a new one for you.

Eat only in busy Thai street food places. Places that do not enjoy a lot of traffic may have old ingredients which they refuse to throw out.

If there is no seating, move a little away from the food area to eat…it will probably be much cleaner and less hectic.

Despite the appearance, Thai street food is usually quite safe and completely delicious. The market stalls can be hectic with people shouting orders, pots clanking, and hot oil sizzling. Add the buzz of excitement to a small meal that costs .25 – .50 cents and it can be addictive!

Here are some quick photos of street food I found in Dec 2007.