The Ultimate Guide to Bangkok's Best Street Food

Bangkok is one of the world's great street food cities. For a few dollars, you can eat better on a plastic stool on the sidewalk than in most restaurants back home. Here's where to go.

Yaowarat (Chinatown)

Bangkok's Chinatown comes alive after dark. The main strip of Yaowarat Road fills with seafood vendors, roast duck stalls, and mango sticky rice carts. Don't miss:

T&K Seafood — grilled prawns and crab, enormous portions
Nai Mong Hoi Tod — the best oyster omelette in the city
Mangkorn Khao — roast duck and crispy pork rice

Or Tor Kor Market

Less famous than Chatuchak but better quality, Or Tor Kor is where Bangkok's best produce and prepared foods end up. The mango sticky rice here uses the finest Nam Dok Mai mangoes when they're in season (April-June).

Khao San Road Area (Skip the Road Itself)

The backpacker strip is overpriced, but the sois (side streets) surrounding it are excellent. Wander off the main road and you'll find:

Boat noodles served from actual boats
Grilled skewers for 10 baht each
The cheapest pad see ew you'll ever eat

Bang Rak (Si Phraya)

Locals come here for breakfast — rice porridge, fried dough, and strong Thai coffee with condensed milk. The morning market on Si Phraya road is picture-perfect and tourist-free.

Practical Tips

When to eat: Thais eat all day. The best street food hours are 7-9am for breakfast, 11am-2pm for lunch, and 6pm-midnight for dinner and late-night snacks.

What to drink: Always choose bottled water or drinks from vendors you can see preparing them. Fresh-pressed sugarcane juice and Thai iced tea are the best choices on a hot day.