One of the most ubiquitous foreign cuisines in the US and abroad, the scope of Thai food served outside the country is largely limited to dishes from Bangkok and central Thailand. But many diners consider these dishes wholly Thai without being aware of the various influences that created them. In fact, “Thai food” is a misnomer; the country’s food takes the form of regional cuisines from north to south. On our culinary walk of Bangkok, we explore Ko Ratanakosin, the artificial island that’s the birthplace of Thailand. We stop in at markets, stalls, restaurants, and malls to dive in to the various cuisines and cultures that have come to create Thai cuisine as exists in Bangkok today.
Below, Culinary Backstreets correspondent Austin Bush takes us behind the lens with photos on our latest food tour in Bangkok.
Vendors on our stop at The Old Siam Plaza spin delicate egg desserts. Foi Thong, Thong Yip, and Thong Yod take their name from the Thai word for “gold,” symbolizing prosperity and good fortune – and good eats. These yolk-y desserts were introduced by the Portuguese, who were the first Europeans to have contact with Thailand when they arrived more than 500 years ago.
Speaking of gold, we spot it in liquid and solid form on the table of a street vendor selling wild honey and comb.
A street seller takes a phone break outside a Buddhist statue factory – one of many in this specific trade neighborhood of Ko Ratanakosin.
Forget your pad thai and green curry. At Ban Wannakovit, inside a restored 20th-century Ratanakosin-style home, it’s all about those rare, old-school dishes you won’t find anywhere else.
We aim to keep our tours as sustainable as possible, but one thing that’s omnipresent in the Bangkok food world is the plastic bag. From fiery curries to drunken noodles to tea or cola, these single use babies are the delivery vehicle of choice.
Khanom tom is a traditional dessert made from sticky rice flour, coconut, and palm sugar. The colorful little bundles are often filled with sweet mung bean paste or coconut flakes.
At northeastern restaurant Kai Yang Boran, the laap is a flavor bomb of minced pork, herbs, chilies, and fish sauce. This fiery salad has its origins in northeastern Thailand and Laos, making its way to Bangkok with laborers in the ‘80s.
Pumpkin spice lattes have nothing on sangkaya fug tong, a traditional Thai dessert of creamy custard steamed inside a pumpkin and topped with delicate threads of egg yolk.
Making an offering at San Chao Pho Suea, or the Tiger God Shrine. Featuring a Southern Chinese architectural style, it has been in the neighborhood for 140 years and is a popular place of worship for local Chinese and Thai people.
Hia Chai runs a Chinese-style dry goods shop in the market.
Even still, some of the best sights in Bangkok are vendors selling the simplest local produce.
A monk’s bright robes have a lot to compete with at Trok Mor Market.
We’ll be sharing more food photos and stories from Bangkok, so keep an eye out!
Published on January 30, 2025