Bangkok Street Food Guide: Best Cheap Eats & Top Markets

Bangkok is every street food lover's dream come true. Not only can you savour Michelin-calibre meals while sitting on a plastic stool on the side of the road, but the street eats in Bangkok are absurdly affordable. So whether you're searching for budget eats or on a quest to visit the city's best food markets, you're going to love eating your way through Thailand's buzzing capital.

While most tourists know about Thailand's most popular dishes, like pad thai and mango sticky rice, Bangkok's food scene is actually a diverse mix of Thai, Chinese, Isaan, and Malay influences. From cheap Chinese delicacies in Chinatown to Isaan specialities around Victory Monument and Thai classics at Wang Lang Market, each foodie hotspot in Bangkok offers something new and unique. 

Not sure where to begin? This Bangkok street food guide has got you covered with all the must-try dishes, must-visit markets, and tips and tricks to help you get your street food fix like a total pro.

From curries to noodle soups, there are so many different street foods on offer in Bangkok, but here are just some of the classics...

Pad thai is stir-fried noodles with a sweet tamarind sauce topped with chicken or tofu, peanuts, bean sprouts, egg, sugar, and a spritz of lime.

Som tam is a popular Thai salad made from shredded green papaya, chillis, garlic, peanuts, fresh tomatoes, and dried shrimp, all tossed in a zesty sauce.

This ubiquitous Bangkok street food consists of grilled pork skewers slathered in a sweet and salty marinade. 

Simple yet delicious, pad kra pao is made up of pork, holy basil, and fresh chillies served with a side of steamed rice. 

Mango sticky rice, or khao niao mamuang in Thai, consists of a sugary, coconut milk-infused sticky rice topped with fresh mango and a drizzle of the sweet coconut milk sauce. 

One of many fragrant Thai soups, tom yum goong is a sour and spicy soup featuring shrimp, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, herbs, and chillies.

Much like a crispy pancake, oyster omelettes are made from eggs, a starchy batter, fresh oysters, and bean sprouts. All fried to perfection.  

The Thai capital appears to have no end of street food stalls, morning markets, and night markets, but here are some of the best places to get street food in Bangkok.

Yaowarat is Bangkok’s Chinatown. This is where you'll find some of the cheapest street food in the city, all packed into one of the world's largest Chinatowns.

Sure, you'll find Thai street food staples here, but you'll also find unique Chinese delights, from Peking duck to dim sum and fish maw soup. While you can meander the streets and pop into the shops and markets during the day, the real action comes alive at night, when food vendors set up shop in the streets and lines form outside of Chinatown's ubiquitous duck and dumpling joints. 

With its picturesque neon signs, the main drag of Yaowarat Road is where you'll find endless budget eats. But the true hidden gems are tucked away down Yaowarat's unassuming alleyways. 

Not sure where to go? Head to Jay Fai for Michelin-starred crab omelettes, Nai Ek Roll Noodle for kway chap (an intensely peppery pork rolled-noodle soup), T&K Seafood for affordable and fresh Thai seafood, and Khao Gaeng Jek Pui for rice and curry (try the stir-fried crab curry topped with Chinese sausage).

Insider tip: If you're looking for a budget-friendly hotel near Chinatown, ibis Styles Bangkok Silom is a great option. This place is an easy walk to the Silom MRT Station, making getting to Chinatown a breeze. What makes ibis Styles Bangkok Silom stand out is that it offers luxury perks, including a rooftop pool, a buzzing pool bar, and retro rooms with smart TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi, all at affordable prices. 

For cheap eats with few tourists, Ratchawat Market in Dusit is one of the most traditional food markets in Bangkok. This small covered market is where you want to go if you want a taste of local flavour and local life.

Browse the stalls and you'll find cooks whipping up everything from oyster omelettes and beef noodles to congee, roasted duck, fishball noodles, and moo krob (crispy pork belly). When in doubt, just order as the locals do.

While you're in the area, be sure to pop by Sawasdee Ratchawat, which has been serving up some of the best pad thai and fried oyster omelettes in Bangkok for decades.

Insider tip: Ratchawat Market is best paired with a visit to Sriyan Market, another local favourite that is right down the road.

Looking to sample all of Bangkok's cheap street food staples in one place? Then you really can't beat munching your way through the Victory Monument area in Ratchathewi District.

The top dish to try here is boat noodles, which you'll find in spades along the canal in "Boat Noodle Alley." Boat noodles are generally a concoction of pork or beef (or a mixture thereof), rice noodles, pork blood, herbs, and a dark, fragrant, and viscous broth. 

You'll find loads of variations in the Victory Monument area. Toy Kuay Teow Reua is a longtime local favourite for its saucy boat noodles, while Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong is another delicious option. Explore the sois (alleyways) around Victory Monument and you'll also find vendors dishing out Isaan (North Thai) specialities from papaya salad to larb (minced meat salad) to sai krok Isan (fermented sausage). 

Wang Lang Market is another top food market in Bangkok. Centrally located on the Chao Phraya River, near Wat Arun and Wat Rakangkositaram Woramahavihan, this is a convenient place to get budget eats while ticking off some of Bangkok's most famous attractions.

Unlike many of the city's nighttime markets, Wang Lang Market is in full swing from around 10 am to 5 pm. You can get all sorts of goodies here, from oyster omelettes and pandan-stuffed pancakes to egg roti, fresh spring rolls, BBQ squid, fresh sushi, mango sticky rice, and so much more. 

• Bring cash: While some street food vendors in more tourist-oriented markets may accept cards, it's always best to bring cash, as most food stalls are cash-only. As a general rule, you should always have small bills on hand. Oftentimes, food vendors will refuse to change large bills. 

• Be aware of pickpockets: Food markets in Bangkok are generally crowded, especially at night. This means that you should be mindful of your wallet, phone, backpack, or purse. While Bangkok is generally safe, petty theft does happen.

• Language barriers: Street food markets that see a large influx of international tourists will often have signs in multiple languages, including English. However, some markets may only have signs in Thai or Chinese. It's best to learn a few phrases in Thai. However, you can have a local write down your exact order ahead of visiting a specific stall. Otherwise, Google Translate is always a handy app to have on your phone. 

• Do as the locals do: Street food can be hit or miss, even in a foodie haven like Bangkok. That's why it's always best to do as the locals do and check out the stalls they frequent. If a Bangkok local is willing to wait in a long line for a meal, chances are it's worth waiting for.

• Thai spice: Spice levels in Thailand are no joke. You will often be asked what level of spice you'd like. For no spice, say "mai ped." If you prefer a little spice in your life, say "ped noi" for a little bit of spice and "ped mak" for a lot of spice.