Bangkok Street Food are three words that are basically inseparable.
Many foreigners visit Bangkok just to explore the legendary street food scene.
But there are some misconceptions.
First of all, the street food scene in Bangkok changed drastically due to the government’s policy.
Secondly, the definition of street food is not always correct.
For example, Netflix’s series Street Food covers the famous eatery named Jay Fai, which is technically a restaurant, not a street food vendor.
Lastly, street food is not always as hygienic as you want it to be.
Luckily, there are plenty of night markets nowadays with relatively good hygienic standards.
In order to prepare you to the fullest for your trip to Bangkok where you will go on your own food tour, we’ve come up with this up-to-date street food guide.
This will definitely help you find the most exciting and – of course – cheapest street food options the city has to offer.
Many Thai street food dishes, such as noodles, crispy pork, curries and soups can also be found in restaurants.
But there are many typical street food dishes that you won’t find in restaurants.
Oh, and many Bangkokians tend to buy street food from vendors and eat it at home.
This form of take-away food is not suitable to eat on the streets.
The best street food and finger food can therefore best be found at night markets, which Bangkok has many.
This will all be explained in the next paragraphs, so let’s start.
In this in-depth article, which is a long read, we cover the following aspects of Bangkok street food:
From our point of view, there is a big difference between Bangkok street food and local Thai restaurants.
A street food vendor serves a quick meal, either fully prepared or almost ready-to-serve within minutes and focuses on a handful of different foods.
The street food vendor usually does not have tables and chairs for you to eat the street food, with a few exceptions there, and the food is served in public, not inside (a restaurant).
You should not wait for someone to pick up your order.
No, instead, you go straight to the hawker, order what you want, and start eating almost instantly after.
Other Bangkok street food-related articles on the internet do not seem to understand this difference.
If you really want to know about Bangkok street food, then keep reading.
In recent years, Bangkok’s street food scene has changed enormously due to new government policies.
In many areas, selling street food from a cart is now forbidden, and hawkers have been relocated to designated food zones, such as night markets or less busy roads.
The reason for cleaning up the streets is simple: the carts were blocking the always-busy roads of Thailand’s capital.
In most areas, the new policy has drastically improved the sidewalks, but Bangkok has lost a part of its authenticity.
The street food at one of Sukhumvit’s most popular food streets — Sukhumvit Soi 38 — is completely gone.
However, this doesn’t mean that street food in Bangkok has vanished entirely.
The best places to find street food in Bangkok are popular (night) markets such as Jodd Fair Market, Chatuchak Weekend Market, and Srinakarin Train Market as well as common street food areas such as Chinatown (Yaowarat), Udom Suk Road, Petchaburi Soi 5 and around Khao San Road.
Each recommended area are displayed on the map below.
Due to the new government policy, a large number of street food vendors were forced to move to designated areas such as night markets to sell their street food.
Night markets are part of the way of life in Thailand and can be found all over the country.
You can expect a wide variety of street food, both international and Thai, and the prices are quite cheap.
But some night markets want to stand out from their competitors and these night markets create completely new experiences to attract locals and tourists alike.
The most popular night markets in Bangkok are Jodd Fairs Train Market, Chatuchak Weekend Market on Friday nights, Chinatown at night, and Srinakarin Night Market.
Apart from delicious street food, these markets also offer a wide variety of products such as souvenirs, vintage, clothing and art.
In addition to all the shopping, these markets also have many small local bars, making them great for a night out.
You can find more details about these markets in our article on the best night markets in Bangkok
Below, you’ll find the best areas to enjoy street food in Bangkok. These areas are easily accessible for travelers, and we highly recommend visiting them if you want to explore Bangkok’s vibrant street food scene.
Chinatown, or Yaowarat, is one of the oldest areas in Bangkok and is in our opinion, the best place to find amazing street food in Bangkok.
The majority of the shops are open from six o’clock in the evening until midnight and from the moment they open their shops, this area transforms into one big, chaotic food heaven.
In every alley of Yaowarat Road, you will find food carts with plastic chairs and aluminum tables where you can grab cheap, delicious food.
Keep in mind that on Mondays, the majority of the shops and restaurants are closed.
If you’re planning to visit Chinatown for food, make sure to read our article about the best food in Chinatown Bangkok and the best street food in Yaowarat.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 18:00 – 24:00
Note: There are many shops closed on Monday.
Petchaburi Soi 5 is located near Ratchatewi and Phaya Thai BTS Station, a popular area for hostels.
Phaya Thai BTS is a popular area in particular as it has a direct BTS connection with the Airport Link.
A five-minute walk will lead you to one of the best street food areas in Bangkok.
Right after four o’clock in the afternoon, this area completely transforms into a street food heaven that will let every foodie’s heart beat faster.
Expect grilled chicken, fresh seafood, curries, noodles, grilled sausages, smoothies, fresh fruit, stir-fried veggies, deep-fried chicken wings, and many more.
Petchaburi Soi 5 is also a great area to find halal restaurants and one of the best tom yum restaurants in Bangkok, namely Pe Aor.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 16:00 – 23:00
In and around Khao San Road, you’ll find plenty of street food that’s especially accessible to foreigners, as the area is a well-known hotspot for tourists.
Street food isn’t limited to Khao San Road itself — the surrounding streets, such as Soi Rambuttri and other nearby alleys, are also lined with vendors offering a variety of local snacks and meals.
You can enjoy familiar favorites like Pad Thai or sweet crepes, but you’ll also find more traditional Thai dishes that offer a more authentic taste of the local cuisine.
Compared to Bangkok’s night markets, Khao San Road clearly caters more to Western palates. That makes it a convenient and easy place to find something you’re likely to enjoy, especially if you’re new to Thai food or prefer milder flavors.
However, this also means you might miss out on some of the bold, spicy dishes that locals truly love.
If you’re a bit of a picky eater, Khao San Road won’t disappoint. But if you’re feeling more adventurous and want to dive into the flavors locals crave, consider heading to areas like Chinatown or one of the city’s larger night markets.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 16:00 – 23:00
Silom Soi 20 is located in an older area of Bangkok where multiple cultures live together.
This reflects the variety of street food that can be found on this popular street.
In the middle of the street is a fresh market where many restaurants and street food vendors buy their ingredients freshly in the early morning.
This market closes at around eleven o’clock in the morning and a few hours later, the majority of the street food vendors are open.
You can find local restaurants and street food vendors in the morning, but the street gets to life during the day.
At Silom Soi 20 you can find typical local street food options such as Khao Moo Grob, Roasted Duck with Rice, or the hugely popular chicken biryani.
But if that’s too adventurous for you, you can also sit down and enjoy a Pad Thai with an ice-cold beer for a hundred baht together.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 12:00 – 22:00
This is not a typical street food area where locals grab a bite every day, however, as this article is written for tourists, it’s useful to mention that behind these two hugely popular tourist attractions, several small streets can be found that serve good street food.
If you want to grab a quick noodle soup, a pad Thai, or mango sticky rice from the streets, you should definitely take a look here.
If you prefer to visit a restaurant, there are plenty of options to choose from on the same street.
Good options are Elefin, ERR Urban Rustic Thai and Baan Tha Thien.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 11:00 – 18:00
Victory Monument is an area right above the city center that is a busy place due to its connectivity with public transport.
For many Thais, this is the place to get on the bus and travel to their work, school, or another destination.
When there are people, there are street food vendors and this is exactly why Victory Monument is a great spot to find a wide variety of street food vendors.
When you walk around the Victory Monument itself, which is a roundabout, you can find several vendors.
However, right in front of the shopping Century The Movie Plaza Victory Monument, there is a small area solely with street food vendors.
Around twenty carts serve all sorts of street food, such as skewers, curries, yum salads, and many more.
At Ratchatwithi Soi 18, near the west exit of the roundabout, you will find another alley where they serve street food.
This alley will lead you to one of the best boat noodle restaurants in Bangkok, which we will describe further in this article.
The street food at Victory Monument is not as concentrated in one particular street compared to other popular street food areas in Bangkok.
The street food vendors around the monument itself near the busses are open all day.
The street food vendors at Century The Movie Plaza Victory Monument and Ratchatwithi Soi 18 are open after four o’clock in the afternoon.
Every day at four o’clock in the afternoon, the street right next to Paseo Shopping Mall in Lat Krabang is transformed into a nice little street food market which is among the highest quality of all street food areas in Bangkok in this article.
The only downside is that this street food area is located far from the city center.
But if you are staying near Suvarnabhumi Airport, Paseo Shopping Mall is a great area to enjoy clean, high-quality street food options.
Some of the highlights are fried chicken, mango sticky rice (seasonal), coconut slushies, a variety of grilled seafood (prawns, whole white fish), and a huge variety of skewers.
Inside Paseo Shopping Mall, you will also find plenty of great Thai and international restaurants such as Inter and Ran Kong Por.
Keep in mind that this is not a market for entertainment, but purely for street food.
You won’t see many foreigners here due to its location. Prices are cheaper than street food markets in the city center.
At around eight o’clock, the market closes and the majority of the vendors have sold out their goods already.
We recommend you visit this street food market at five o’clock as all vendors are fully stocked and open.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 16:00 – 20:00
Local food tip: Some of the night markets, and especially Jodd Fairs, aren’t as authentic as you might expect.
While a brand-new market like Jodd Fairs or a well-organized night market like Srinakarin comes with a few perks such as a good hygienic standard and an abundance of food and drinks, it might not be the authentic night market you’d expect to visit.
For those who seek true authenticity when it comes to street food in Bangkok, check out the following markets:
There you have it, our recommendations when it comes to street food in Bangkok.
