Thai dishes to order on a first trip
Order these twelve if you want the Thai table past Pad Thai. Street stalls run 50 to 120 THB. Sit-down rooms run 180 to 350 THB. Say `pet nit noi` for a little heat or `mai pet` for none.
Pad Thai is the gateway plate. The useful first-trip set is twelve others. Start with `pad kra pao moo krob` (crispy pork holy basil) and a fried egg `khai dao` on rice. Add `som tam thai` if you want peanut and palm sugar, or `som tam poo pla ra` if you want fermented crab and fish sauce and can handle the smell. `Khao soi` is the northern coconut noodle. Eat it at lunch in Chiang Mai.
`Gaeng massaman` is the mild peanut-and-potato curry. Southern `gaeng som` is sour turmeric, not coconut-sweet. `Tom yum goong nam khon` is the creamy prawn soup; `nam sai` is the clear, sharper version. `Moo ping` grilled pork with sticky rice `khao niao` (ข้าวเหนียว) is the market snack. Street plates are 50 to 120 THB. Restaurant plates are 180 to 350 THB. Say `pet nit noi` for a little heat, `mai pet` for none. For neighbourhoods, start at the [Thai food hub](/thai-food).
Twelve orders past Pad Thai
Also learn `khao man gai` (chicken rice), `gaeng keow wan` (sweet green curry; ask how sweet), `khao niao mamuang` (mango sticky rice when mangoes are in), and boat noodles if you want a dark broth. Do not order every chili condiment on the first night. One new heat word is enough.
| Dish | What you get | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Pad kra pao moo krob + khai dao | Crispy pork holy basil, fried egg | Any lunch stall, 50 to 80 THB |
| Som tam thai | Green papaya, peanut, palm sugar | Central / tourist-friendly |
| Som tam poo pla ra | Fermented crab and pla ra | Isan rooms; ask first |
| Khao soi | Coconut curry noodles | Chiang Mai lunch |
| Gaeng massaman | Mild peanut-potato curry | Sit-down rooms, 180 to 350 THB |
| Gaeng som | Sour turmeric curry | South; not coconut-sweet |
| Tom yum nam khon | Creamy prawn soup | Restaurants and some stalls |
| Tom yum nam sai | Clear, sharper tom yum | If you want lime more than cream |
| Moo ping + khao niao | Grilled pork, sticky rice | Markets, 15 to 25 THB a stick |
| Khao man gai | Chicken rice and dip | Shophouse lunch |
| Gaeng keow wan | Green curry | Ask how sweet before you order |
| Khao niao mamuang | Mango sticky rice | 100 to 150 THB in season |
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Common questions
- How do you ask for less spice?
- `Pet nit noi` is a little spicy. `Mai pet` is no heat. `Pet mak` is very spicy. Say it when you order, not after the first bite.
- Street stall or restaurant?
- Street for kra pao, som tam, moo ping, and khao soi at 50 to 120 THB. Sit-down for massaman and a creamy tom yum at 180 to 350 THB.
- Is fermented som tam safe?
- It is a normal Isan order. The smell is the point. If raw fermented crab worries you, stay on som tam thai.