How to Order Food in Thai: The Complete Guide

Thai food is world-famous — but ordering it can be an adventure when you don't speak the language. My first night in Bangkok I pointed at three random items on a menu written entirely in Thai script. The result: three variations of the same soup. Tasty, but not what I had in mind.

The good news: ordering food in Thai follows a clear, logical pattern. With a handful of key phrases and some basic vocabulary, you can order exactly what you want — including modifications for spice level, allergies, and portion size. This guide walks you through the whole process, from walking in to paying the bill.

The core structure: how to order

The magic word for ordering in Thai is khǎaw (ขอ) — which means "may I have" or "I'd like". Combine it with what you want and the politeness particle:

ขอ + [dish] + ครับ/ค่ะ = "I'd like [dish] please"

Example: khǎaw phàt thai khráp (ขอผัดไทยครับ) = "I'd like a pad thai please."

At street stalls or food courts you can also simply point at a dish and say ao an níi khráp/khâ (เอาอันนี้ครับ/ค่ะ) — "I'll have this one." Simple and universally understood.

Essential dishes to know

You don't need to read a whole menu — these ten dishes appear everywhere:

1. ผัดไทย (phàt thai) — stir-fried rice noodles. The national dish.

2. ข้าวผัด (khâao phàt) — fried rice. Available with chicken (gài), pork (mǔu), or shrimp (gûng).

3. ต้มยำกุ้ง (dtôm yam gûng) — spicy shrimp soup. Iconic Thai.

4. แกงเขียวหวาน (gɛɛng khǐiao wǎan) — green curry. Creamy with coconut milk.

5. ส้มตำ (sôm dtam) — green papaya salad. Deceptively spicy.

6. กะเพราหมูสับ (gà-phrao mǔu sàp) — minced pork with holy basil. The ultimate street food.

7. ผัดซีอิ๊ว (phàt sii-íu) — wide noodles with soy sauce.

8. ก๋วยเตี๋ยว (gǔai-dtǐiao) — noodle soup. Choose your noodles, protein, and broth.

9. ข้าวมันไก่ (khâao man gài) — Hainanese chicken rice. Simple and satisfying.

10. มะม่วงข้าวเหนียว (má-mûuang khâao nǐiao) — mango with sticky rice. The perfect dessert.

Customizing your order: spice, ingredients, and portions

Thai food can be very spicy — sometimes extremely spicy. As a foreigner, it's smart to specify your heat level. Thai cooks respect this — they sometimes even ask:

Adjusting spice level

• Not spicy — mâi phèt (ไม่เผ็ด)

• A little spicy — phèt nít-nɔ̀ɔi (เผ็ดนิดหน่อย)

• Medium spicy — phèt glaang (เผ็ดกลาง)

• Very spicy — phèt mâak (เผ็ดมาก)

• Spicy like a Thai person — phèt bɛ̀ɛp khon thai (เผ็ดแบบคนไทย) — only for the brave

Warning: "mâi phèt" at a Thai restaurant can still be spicy by Western standards. If you truly want zero chili, say mâi sài phrík (ไม่ใส่พริก) — "without chili".

Adding or removing ingredients

• Without [X] — mâi sài [X] (ไม่ใส่...)

• Extra [X] — sài [X] phə̂əm (ใส่...เพิ่ม)

• No sugar — mâi sài náam dtaan (ไม่ใส่น้ำตาล)

• No MSG — mâi sài phǒng chuurót (ไม่ใส่ผงชูรส)

Choosing your protein

With many dishes you choose your own protein. The standard options:

• ไก่ (gài) — chicken

• หมู (mǔu) — pork

• เนื้อ (nʉ́ʉa) — beef

• กุ้ง (gûng) — shrimp

• ปลา (bplaa) — fish

• เต้าหู้ (dtâo-hûu) — tofu

• ไข่ (khài) — egg

Ordering drinks

• Water — náam plào (น้ำเปล่า)

• Iced coffee — gaafɛɛ yen (กาแฟเย็น) — comes sweet with condensed milk by default

• Thai iced tea — chaa yen (ชาเย็น) — orange, sweet, and wonderful

• Beer — biia (เบียร์) — Singha, Chang, or Leo

• Soda — náam àt-lom (น้ำอัดลม)

Tip: if you want coffee or tea unsweetened (unusual in Thailand), say explicitly mâi wǎan (ไม่หวาน, "not sweet") or mâi sài náam dtaan (no sugar).

Paying the bill

The universal phrase to get your check:

chék bin khráp/khâ (เช็คบิลครับ/ค่ะ) — "Check, please."

At street stalls, you pay immediately when ordering or picking up. In restaurants you ask for the bill at your table. Tipping is not required in Thailand, but rounding up (e.g. 287 baht → 300 baht) is appreciated. Learn Thai numbers so you can check your bill.

Dietary needs and allergies

Communicating allergies and dietary needs is critical. The Thai Food and Drug Administration requires allergen labeling on packaged food, but at street stalls you'll need to ask yourself:

• I'm vegetarian — gin jee (กินเจ) — refers to the strict Buddhist vegetarian diet

• I don't eat meat — mâi gin nʉ́ʉa sàt (ไม่กินเนื้อสัตว์)

• Allergic to peanuts — phɛ́ɛ tùa lí-song (แพ้ถั่วลิสง)

• Allergic to seafood — phɛ́ɛ aa-hǎan thá-lee (แพ้อาหารทะเล)

• No fish sauce — mâi sài náam bplaa (ไม่ใส่น้ำปลา) — note: almost everything contains fish sauce

Dining etiquette

A few unwritten rules that will improve your dining experience:

• Eat with a spoon and fork — the spoon in your right hand goes to your mouth; the fork in your left pushes food onto the spoon. Chopsticks are only for noodle dishes.

• Share dishes — Thai meals are communal. Order multiple dishes for the table and share them. Ordering just for yourself is unusual.

• Rice is the foundation — dishes are accompaniments to rice, not the other way around. Always order khâao sùuai (steamed rice) on the side.

• Say arɔ̀i — if it's delicious, let the cook know. อร่อย (arɔ̀i, "delicious!") makes any cook's day.

Frequently asked questions

How do I ask to see the menu?

"Khǎaw duu menuu" (ขอดูเมนู) — "May I see the menu?" At street stalls, there usually isn't one — watch what's being cooked and point at what you want.

Do I have to tip?

Tipping is not expected but appreciated. In restaurants, leave small change or round up. At street stalls, no tip is expected. In upscale restaurants, a 10% service charge is often already included in the bill.

Is all Thai food spicy?

No. Many popular dishes are mild: khâao man gài (chicken rice), khâao phàt (fried rice), gǔai-dtǐiao (noodle soup). You can adjust the spice level on every dish. Start with "phèt nít-nɔ̀ɔi" (a little spicy) and work your way up.

Learn more Thai for everyday life

Ordering food is one of the most practical skills you can have in Thailand. Want to handle more situations? Check out our 50 essential travel phrases or start with the 20 most important Thai words.

Want to practice these phrases with native audio? At Pasaa you learn practical Thai with pronunciation exercises and spaced repetition. Create a free account and order your next pad thai in perfect Thai.