The Must-try 10 Most Popular Thai Dishes

There are many reasons to visit Thailand. One of those reasons is the Thai food.

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Thai cuisine is a celebration of the fresh and fragrant. Whatever your reason for visiting Thailand, the abundance of delicious flavors will make you want to extend and stay. Do not leave Thailand without tasting these popular dishes:

Phat Thai 

Invented in the 1930s by a Chinese-Thai chef, this dish of thin rice noodles stir-fried with egg, tofu and shrimp, and seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, tamarind, vinegar and dried chili has later reigned as the poster boy for Thai cuisine.

Tom Yum 

This herb-forward broth is often referred to in English-language menus as 'sour Thai soup'. The shrimp version – tom yam kung – is the most praised, and justifiably so: the combination of fatty prawns and a tart/spicy soup result in an unusual but delicious and definitely Thai amalgam.

 Laap 

Thailand’s northeast in one country dish; laap (also known as larb or larp) takes the form of minced meat seasoned with roasted rice powder, lime juice, fish sauce and fresh herbs. Be sure to eat it with sticky rice, short, fat grains of rice that are steamed and even more delicious when eaten using your bare hands.

Khao soi 

When in the northern part of Thailand, don’t miss this exceptional, curry-based noodle soup. Typically revolving around chicken or beef, the optional sides of lime, sliced shallots and crunchy pickled greens provide a satisfying contrast with the rich, spice-laden, coconut milk-based broth and soft, squiggly wheat-and-egg noodles.

Som tam 

Although its origins lie in Thailand’s rural northeast, this dish of strips of crunchy unripe papaya battered in a mortar and pestle with tomato, long beans, chili, lime and fish sauce, has found a foothold in almost every corner of the country. Couple the dish with a basket of sticky rice for a light yet spicy Thai meal.

Phat kaphrao 

This street food staple combines meat flash-fried with holy basil (the eponymous kaphrao) and a generous helping flavor of fresh chili and garlic. Served over rice and often crowned with a fried egg, it’s the embodiment of the Thai-style one dish meal.

Green curry 

For Thai food beginners, there’s probably no better starting point than this intersection of a hot/herbal spice paste and rich coconut milk. Remember to do as the Thais and couple the curry with a plate of jasmine rice – it’s not meant to be eaten on its own as a soup.

 Yam 

As a side dish or drinking snack, you’re bound to encounter this ever-present Thai 'salad' that combines meat or seafood with a tart/spicy dressing and fresh herbs. A good introduction to this kind is yam wun sen, slinky glass noodles paired with pounded pork and shrimp.

 Kai yang 

Thai-style grilled chicken owes its fame to the people of the northeast part of Thailand, who marinate the bird in a unique mixture of fish sauce, coriander root and garlic. Couple the bird with sticky rice and green papaya salad, and you have one of Thailand’s most legendary meals.

 Khao phat 

For many Thai people, fried rice is considered as a comfort food. The variations are endless, and the dish is often the result of improvisation and innovation of recipes, but a staple at seafood restaurants across the country is the simple but delicious khao phat puu, fried rice with hearty chunks of crab and egg.