Bangkok Street Food are three words that are basically inseparable.
Many foreigners visit Bangkok just to explore the 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 named Street Food covers the famous eatery named Jay Fai, which is technically a restaurant, not a street food vendor.
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 that helps you find the most exciting and of course cheapest street food options the city has to offer.
Keep in mind that many Thai street food dishes such as noodles, crispy pork, curries and soups are also available in restaurants.
But there are many typical street food dishes that you won’t find in restaurants.
Many Bangkokians tend to buy street food and eat it at home, which makes it not easy to eat on the street and is definitely not finger food.
At night markets, which all be discussed in this article, you can find that typical street food that you probably have seen on social media and is meant to eat on the street.
So, with that being said, let’s jump to our guide.
In this in-depth article, which is a long read, we cover the following aspects of Bangkok street food:
1. Our definition 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.
Street food in Bangkok at its finest. Plastic chairs, aluminum foldable tables, and tasty food that is ridiculously cheap!
2. A new street food policy in Bangkok
In the last few years, the Bangkok street food scene changed enormously due to the current policy executed by the government.
In many areas, selling street food from a cart is forbidden and hawkers are appointed to sell their delicious treats in designated food areas, such as night markets or non-busy roads.
The reason for cleaning up the streets is simple: the carts were blocking the always-busy streets of Thailand’s capital.
In most areas, the new policy drastically changed the sidewalks in a positive way, but Bangkok lost a part of its authenticity.
The street food at one of the more popular street food streets in Sukhumvit, namely Sukhumvit Soi 38, is completely gone.
But it does not mean that street food in Bangkok has completely vanished.
3. What are the best places to find street food in Bangkok?
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.
In this article, we dive deeper into where to find the best street food in Bangkok and what street food in Bangkok you should not miss.
One of the best places for street food: Jodd Fairs Market. A brand-new market full of finger food with a high-quality standard (clean food)
Map of all the Bangkok Street Food areas that will be discussed in this article.
4. Markets with amazing street food
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.
5. Common and Easily Accessible Street Food Areas in Bangkok
a. Chinatown
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 articles about the best food in Chinatown Bangkok and the best Yaowarat street food.
Location: Google Maps
Opening times: 18:00 – 24:00
Note: There are many shops closed on Monday
An impression of what Chinatown has to offer. In our opinion, the best place to find street food in Bangkok!
b. Petchaburi Soi 5
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
An impression of Petchaburi Soi 5, a street food area in Bangkok where you barely find tourists.
c. Khao San Road
In and around Khao San Road, you can find plenty of street food specifically accessible to foreigners as this area is popular among tourists.
Once Thailand is open for tourists again, we shall update this part of the article and map out the street food at Khao San Road to give you the most valuable and updated information.
Some of the street food available at Khao San Road
d. Silom Soi 20
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
An impression of what Silom Soi 20 has to offer, a street food area in Bangkok that attracts both Thai and foreigners.
e. Grand Palace & Wat Pho
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
An impression of the street food area behind the Grand Palace, ideal for tourists to grab lunch.
f. Victory Monument
Victory Monument is an area right above the city centre that is a busy place due to its connectivity with public transport.
For many Thai, 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.
The five pictures above are taken at Century The Movie Plaza Victory Monument
Tip: there is also a beer garden in front of Century The Movie Plaza Victory Monument. Combining street food with cheap beers in the middle of Bangkok is a pretty cool experience!
Ratchatwithi Soi 18 Street Food
Location of Century The Movie Victory Monument street food: Google Maps
Location of Ratchatwithi Soi 18 street food: Google Maps
Opening times: 16:00 – 21:00
g. Paseo Shopping Mall Lat Krabang (near Suvarnabhumi Airport)
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 centre.
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 centre.
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
An impression of the street food at Paseo Mall, a market that grows rapidly. Popular among Thai, but tourists who stay near Suvarnabhumi visit this market as well.
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:
- Hua Mum
- Liab Duan
There you have it, our recommendations when it comes to street food in Bangkok. If you’re travelling to Bangkok solely for its food scene, make sure to read our article about where to stay in Bangkok for street food.
Check out our relevant articles below for more useful travel and food information about Bangkok.
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