Cheap Eats in Thailand
 

I have been perusing guidebooks looking at various restaurant options (I cannot wait to eat there!). Am I doing the conversions correctly----if it says in a particular review that "most dishes are about B120" is that about $3.50 in US dollars? Can that be? Is it really that inexpensive to eat there? Also--I am curious about the local cuisine--what are some favorite dishes?

The conversions are correct. there are many cheap places to eat in Thailand. There are also so more expensive ones that are really good and still cheap by western standards.

A couple of Thai dishes are Papaya Salad and Pomelo Salad. We became addicted to Fried Fish with Chili sauce.

Haha. You can eat a meal for as low as US$1.50 and remember that the food is not necessarily better the more that you pay. Some of the cheaper foods can be the best. Enjoy

That is a fairly expensive place you have there.

Prices, as you might imagine, range wildly. You can eat at very upscale Thai restaurants where you might pay US$10 for a dish, or eat at a street stall (note that there is controversy about whether to eat at street stalls - I don't) where a dish might cost less than a dollar.

Some of my favorite dishes?

Banana flower salad, Tom Ka Gai (coconut milk and chicken soup), lots of curries : green, red and Penang (choose the meat/seafood/tofu you want), various noodle dishes such as the classic Phad Thai. I could go on and on.

its about $4...remember like all restaurants some dishes are big and others are small...most thai dishes will not feed one....3 dishes is a decent meal for two...beer and bottled water are cheap...wine is very expensive..

if you wnat my restauranr list please ask at [email protected]

be very careful about eating street food where 120B would be a lux meal...

Wait--$10 US dollars for an upscale meal?? I paid almost $8.50 at the foodstore salad bar yesterday for lunch (and it was by no means upscale!). This is going to be quite a culinary adventure......

rhkkmk--I shouldn't stay away from all streetfood, should I? I thought that was part of the fun.....

Whether to stay away from street food depends on your digestive system and how willing you are to spend part of your vacation sick. Read - memorize - food and water precautions (wwwn.cdc.gov/travel) and make well-considered decisions as to when to violate those precautions.

Great advice Kathie--thank you!! I would rather be less brave and not sick!

Yes, paranoia can be your best friend, FTTA

There are ways of getting the 'street food' experience without actually eating on the street. The food court at MBK is one example. Other people will probably suggest alternatives.

I have found that the food in Thailand, while awesome, is still more expensive than either Laos or Cambodia.

Enjoy!

Food glorious food! I second the whole fried fish and chilli sauce thing. Totally addictive, but sadly affordable only very rarely in Australia.

My favourite was always reflections in Ari. http://www.reflections-thai.com/

I think it's always lovely to dine by the river at night and one of my favourite places to do this would be http://samsenrestaurant.com/gallery.html - a nice view of the Rama VIII bridge really does it for me.

Both of these places are a little out of the way, but I think are quite lovely.

Don't forget to try the Thai 'kanom' - their deserts are to die for. Tub Tim Krob - water chestnuts in coconut milk is my absolute fave on a hot day. Sweet roti was a must at the office on Friday - you can buy them for 10 bht streetside, but they are also available at the Emporium food hall. And don't forget mango sticky rice. I've forgotten what they're called but also try the little square banana leaf parcels of a white jelly like substance - and the multicoloured square jelly like substance - divine. If you're in Siam Square also try Ice Monster. Not totally unusual, but lovely on a hot day.

To eat streetfood or not? Well I figured if it was hot and just off the grill why not - so the pork satay sticks are a good in between meals snack.

Oh how I miss living in Thailand - only 9 months before we go back for a visit...

Some street food are fine but do try and avoid those with obvious sanitary problem. Obvious = food items served on dishes with no dish washing facility, seafood with no refrigeration or those with flies landing on the food etc. I've seen vendors scratching their arse or picking their noses before handling food so use your judgement as getting sick from food poisoning is not fun!

Apart from the food court in the malls there are very clean local markets where you can taste and experience all kind of Thai food with proper hygiene. One good example is "Bon Marche" market, very clean and with all sorts of hard to find Thai food and suites.

http://www.bonmarche.co.th/Default.aspx?pageid=1

First time, let me clarify my comment on $10 - that was for one dish at at upscale Thai restaurant. For two of us, we typically order two dishes we share. As noted beer and water are quite inexpensive.

Hanuman,

Bon Marche market looks great. Could you please tell me where it is as the map on the wen site is in Thai.

...oops, just realised my mistake. The foodhall is actually in Paragon mall, not Emporium, though the latter does have a foodhall - it's just not so 'Thai'.

streetfood - key is to look for somewhere busy so that the higher turnover of food means it is fresh as well as the things hanuman pointed out. The same goes for those hotel buffets - don't assume you are safe because you are in a 5* hotel, wouldn't touch them unless the food is being replaced frequently. Especially rice.
BB

shanek,

I've found the location on google map - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...27fb17078e372b

It's sort of near Chatuchak(weekend) market and if you're heading that way then perhaps just drop by for a look and snack.

Allow me to comment in defence of the street food of Asia. Notwithstanding the potential hygeine problems, it would be a great shame to ignore the street food in Thailand as this really does reflect the true cuisine of the country. I do have a comparatively sensitive gut but have never had a problem eating street food in Thailand but was violently ill after eating in a 5* hotel in Vietnam - you just never know.

I particularly like Hanuman's comment "I've seen vendors scratching their arse or picking their noses before handling food " -it took me back many years to my time as a student when I had a part time job in the kitchen of a VERY exclusive hotel restaurant and saw FAR worse!! Does anyone seriuosly beleive that hands are washed after every visit to the toilet by restarant staff? At least on the street you can see what is going on..

Stick to clean looking, busy stalls that Thais are using, piping hot food and you won't go far wrong (but take some anti-biotics with you just in case!!)

yes it may be part of the fun, but our opinion is that you are taking chances and who wants food poisoning on vacation, esp one which is limited...esp. when good "safer" food is also available cheaply... only you can judge

It is not difficult to find something good to eat at 120 baht or under. You can always find something good to eat at a food court. Food courts are in many malls with a variety of foods to choose from. Regular ordinary Thais eat there so the price must be good!

There are several supermarket chains that have in store restaurants. Foodland on Sukhumvit Soi 5, Bangkok,is one store that is popular with tourists and locals. Some Tops and newer Villa Market supermarkets have in store restaurants or mini food courts.

If you choose to eat in classier places then you pay more money! If you choose to eat in places with midget waiters, free condoms in fancy containers, half naked women or fancy floor shows then you pay more money for your meals!

You're missing one of the great experiences of Thailand if you avoid street food!!

Well, I've found the condoms, the half-naked women and some floorshows best not canvassed in here - but where are the midget waiters? I wanna go there.

Re the free condoms! Not sure if SirHalberd and I are on the same wavelength but there is a rather nice restaurant (in the cheap category) called Cabbages and Condoms on one of the sois off Sukhomvit road. You get a condom instead of an after dinner mint! Its in the Lonely Planet and is a charity place.

I read about Cabbages and Condoms in one of my guide books--but wasn't sure what it was all about. Silverwool---what did you mean when you said this was a charity place?

Has anyone else noticed the Dogsters obsession with midgets? Thsi seems strange, even to me. Fascinating, but strange.

Ahh... and did you notice his preference for midget "waiters" and not waitresses!

I believe the charity part of cabbage and condoms comes from their fight on aids and other stds. Part of the profits go towards that.

For cheap eats we love the food court at MBK.....and the way they keep track of what you ate is cool to!

As for midgets.....as the Gods honest truth I have a midget for a client, and she is awesome! Last time I saw her she was in the psych hospital because the cops caught her running around her front yard naked! The she punched me in the butt when I showed up to interpret for her! You can't make this stuff up!

the C&C charity is world birth control...a good service for sure...the food mthere is real dumbed down and not very good, imo...next door at crepes & co the food is much better

The more I hear about the Dogster from you guys the more I realize the degree of mental warp-age that exists. I don't think he can ever be re-programmed and fit into a civil society. Seems far too late.