Three Cheap Thai Food Options

Want to know where to look for cheap Thai food? Some of the quickest, tastiest meals can also be the most affordable food options. These are three types of places to keep in mind when searching for delicious budget friendly Thai food.

We have consistently found that some of the most full-flavored and authentic Thai foods can be found in three types of places: food stalls, small shophouse kitchens, and curbside takeaway vendors. Keep in mind these little operations are not often listed on TripAdvisor, so stay on the lookout while perusing town. Here’s what you can expect from these gems:

Food Stalls

Probably the most well-known option for cheap Thai food are food stalls, which can be found on street sides as you cruise through town. These self-sufficient mobile carts are easily recognized by their colorful awnings advertising food in big Roman or Thai letters.

At night, they are lit up and are hard to miss. Typically the food stalls cluster together and set out rickety metal tables, plastic stools, and Thai style condiments for awaiting customers.

Food stalls typically specialize in just a handful of dishes including stir fries, noodle soups, or rice dishes, and advertise as such. These vendors pump out food efficiently, so you don’t have to wait long for a hot meal.

Vendors selling cheap Thai food can usually be found in the same spot at the same time almost every day. When they run out of fresh ingredients, they pack up and go home.

How to Eat at a Food Stall: Order directly from the food stall vendor. Often they provide a single page menu or the food selections are listed on the front of the cart. Take a seat at any open table and get your food delivered directly to you. When finished eating, leave the empty dishes on the table and pay the vendor. No tipping required.

Small Shophouse Kitchens

These mom and pop kitchens are sometimes hard to spot because they often lack a large, eye-catching sign written in English. At the very least, they are easily overlooked in favor of more established looking restaurants.

If you slow down and take a closer look, these open-aired kitchens usually often offer a dozen or two cheap Thai food dishes for about a dollar a serving.

These opened-aired kitchens are eclectic and cozy. They have metal tables and plastic stools, similar in setup as the food carts. You may have to serve yourself  water and grab your own silverware from a nearby bin.

In some of less touristy areas, there’s a good chance that the cook won’t speak English or the menu is written in Thai. If you are searching for cheap Thai food in the more touristy areas, many have menus written in both Thai and English and there’s a good chance there are pictures.

At first we were a bit shy venturing into these small establishments. Now we enjoy them and think it’s awesome to get a front row view of our food being prepared in one of the fiery woks. Best of all, lunch or dinner costs about $1 (30 baht).

How to Eat at a Small Shophouse Kitchen: Order directly from the cook. These kitchens often provide a single paged menu or display a list of their entrees on the wall or right in front of the kitchen. Take a seat at any open table and get your food delivered directly to you. When finished eating, leave the empty dishes on the table and pay the cook. No tipping required.

Takeaway Vendors

There are some vendors that don’t have tables set up and instead offer Thai food strictly to-go, often called “takeaway.” They can be easily recognized by their set up of large metal bowls brimming with soups, curries, stir fries, noodles, salads, and more. These bowls are often several rows wide and deep and offer a great variety.

We find it entertaining (and pretty impressive) to watch the vendors quickly scoop the food into clear plastic bags and skillfully rubber band them shut into takeaway packets.

Sauces and other condiments are typically tossed in a large bag along with plastic ware, and there we have it: lunch or dinner to go in about a minute.

A bag of any given dish costs around 30 baht and a bag of steamed or sticky rice costs between 5 and 10 baht. Buy three or four different dishes and have a mini smorgasbord back at home (with plenty of leftovers) for less than $5 USD.

You can also find food to-go from some of the food carts who choose not to set up tables. It is not uncommon to buy skewered grilled meat (chicken, pork, and seafood) or vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, corn), cups of iced coffee or smoothies, or even bags of papaya salad and sticky rice from street stalls.

How to Order from Curbside Takeaway Vendors: Using an open hand, gesture to the dishes you would like and request bags of rice (steamed or sticky). Pay right then and there and take off down the road with your little bags of heaven swinging from your motorbike’s handlebars.

In the Mood for Cheap Thai Food?

Food stalls, shophouse kitchens, and curbside takeaway vendors may not be fancy, but they are so budget friendly that it’s hard to resist sampling the local cuisine from them. Eating Thai food from one of these places is a must do when in Thailand.