The biggest mistake visiting Thailand is skipping street food. Here’s how to do it safely.
Thai street food offers some of the most incredible flavors you can find anywhere in the world. The sizzling woks, aromatic spices and fresh ingredients create unforgettable meals at bargain prices.
Many travelers worry about getting sick from street food. This fear keeps them from experiencing one of the best parts of visiting Thailand.
Despite eating street food around the world for the last 15 years I’ve only had food poisoning once, and that was in Toronto!
I personally believe that what travelers call food poisoning is actually their body adjusting to new foods, intense heat and travel stress.
And the bonus with street food is that with street food you actually see how clean the kitchen is because it’s made in front of you. You cannot guarantee that with a restaurant.
Over 75% of food I eat in Thailand is from a street stall or at a market and I have never been sick.
Let me share how to enjoy Thai street food safely and keep your stomach happy throughout your trip.
1. Choose Busy Food Stalls with High Turnover
The most important rule for eating street food safely is to find stalls with lots of customers. Busy vendors sell fresh food constantly.
Look for lines of locals. Thai people know which vendors maintain good standards. In Bangkok there are well known food streets, Song Wat road and Bangrak are fantastic local spots.
Food that sits around for hours can develop harmful bacteria. Busy stalls cook fresh batches frequently.
Morning and evening rush hours are ideal times to find the busiest vendors. If you see Thai office workers lining up at a stall at lunchtime that’s usually a safe bet.
Watch how quickly food moves from the cooking area to customers. Fast turnover means fresher food.
Avoid nearly empty stalls with lots of premade food sitting out. This is especially important in less touristy areas where vendors might not get steady business.
2. Watch Food Preparation Practices
Pay attention to how vendors handle food. Good vendors maintain clean workstations. Look for vendors who keep raw and cooked foods separate. This prevents cross contamination.
Notice if cooking surfaces and utensils appear clean. Many good vendors wipe down their areas frequently.
Fresh ingredients should be stored properly. Meat and seafood should be kept cool until cooking.
Vendors should handle money and food separately or wash hands between these tasks. Many busy vendors have someone handle cash, usually if there’s a second person I hand to them first.
3. Start with Cooked Foods
If this is your first time away from home and you’re not an adventurous eater you need to go slow. It takes time for your stomach to adjust to different food, water and safe bacteria.
But the more you eat away from home the stronger your gut becomes eating the unfamiliar.
Thoroughly cooked street foods are the safest place to start. High heat kills most harmful bacteria.
Soups that stay at a rolling boil like tom yum or boat noodles are excellent choices. The boiling liquid sterilizes the ingredients.
Chiang Mai Food
Freshly grilled satay skewers or other items cooked over high heat are also safe options.
Pad Thai and other stir fried dishes reach high temperatures during cooking. Watch the vendor make them fresh for you.
Foods that have been deep fried reach very high temperatures. Fresh spring rolls fried right in front of you are both delicious and safe.
Save raw or fermented dishes for later in your trip after your stomach has adjusted to Thai cuisine.
4. Build Up Your Gut Flora Before and During Travel
Start taking probiotic supplements a few weeks before your trip. This helps strengthen your digestive system.
Yogurt drinks like Yakult available at any 7-Eleven in Thailand contain beneficial bacteria. Drink one daily to maintain gut health.
Many 7-Elevens sell probiotic supplements if you forget to bring them from home.
Digestive enzymes can help your body process unfamiliar foods. These are also available at pharmacies and some 7-Elevens.
Fiber supplements help maintain regular digestion during travel. Look for psyllium husk products at pharmacies.
Eating small amounts of fermented foods like kimchi can also help build beneficial gut bacteria.
And if you’re really nervous, I travel with Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate) on me at all times. They are great for when your stomach doesn’t feel great and you aren’t sure if it’s indigestion, nausea or something worse.
5. Pace Yourself with New Foods
Introduce new foods gradually rather than trying everything at once. Your digestive system needs time to adjust.
Start with milder dishes before moving to very spicy options. Thai spice levels can shock unprepared stomachs.
Mix new foods with familiar ones. Rice is a good staple to include and you should eat it if served on a plate. I’ve learned that on their own some dishes are very spicy or salty, but mixed with rice they are perfect.
Popular Chiang Rai Foods
Pay attention to how your body responds to different ingredients. Everyone reacts differently to new foods.
Take a day off from adventurous eating if your stomach feels unsettled. Return to simple foods like rice soup.
Remember that digestive issues often come from trying too many new things at once rather than from food safety problems.
And if you still want to try traditional Thai food but want to get off the street most malls have food courts in the basement with street food pricing but air conditioning too, locals go there as well.
And for the most interesting Michelin food experience try the Thai Bus Food Tour.
6. Stay Hydrated and Limit Alcohol
The Thai heat can quickly dehydrate you which affects digestion. Drink more water than you think you need.
Electrolyte drinks like Pocari Sweat from 7-Eleven replace minerals lost through sweating. Drink one daily. Coconut water is an excellent natural hydrator. Fresh coconuts are available at many street stalls.
Alcohol irritates your digestive system and dehydrates you. Limit drinking especially when trying new foods. If you do drink take breaks to have water between alcoholic options.
Oral rehydration salts packets are available at all 7-Elevens and pharmacies. Use these if you feel dehydrated.
Seriously, there is a reason why foreigners love 7-Eleven, it has everything and is on every corner.
7. Be Cautious with Fresh Produce
Fresh fruits and vegetables are delicious in Thailand but require some caution. If you have a weak stomach choose fruits you can peel yourself like bananas, mangoes and rambutan.
Fruit that vendors peel and cut should come from stalls with proper refrigeration and clean knives. You’ll see many vendors have fruit on ice in aquarium like glass boxes. These are great options.
Fresh vegetables in stir fries are usually safe because they cook at high temperatures.
Som tam papaya salad is safe at busier stalls. The lime juice has some antibacterial properties.
Be more careful with leafy green salads. These are less common in Thai street food anyway but are not for beginners. And if you don’t love veggies anyway try Thailand’s meat salads like larb.
Most important: Wash your hands before eating fruits or any finger foods to avoid transferring germs from your hands. You’d be amazed at how many things you’ve touched.
And clean your phone with an anti-bacterial wipe, our phones are probably the dirtiest things we’ll encounter in Thailand.
8. Water and Ice are Better Now
At one time purified water was expensive and difficult to find. And so a lot of street food tips are geared toward warning you about the water and using a straw.
Today a bottle of icy, cold water at the market is 15 cents and just a bit more in stores.
You also don’t need to order drinks without ice. It has also become very cheap and inexpensive for even street vendors.
Ice in Thailand is generally factory produced and safe in established areas. Look for ice with holes in it which comes from regulated factories.
Coconuts, canned drinks and bottled beverages are safe hydration options. Hot tea and coffee are safe because the water reaches boiling temperatures.
9. Know Peak Meal Times for Freshest Options
Many street vendors prepare specific dishes only at traditional meal times. This ensures freshness.
Morning markets from 6AM to 9AM offer the freshest breakfast options like rice porridge (above), known as congee in China, bubur in Indonesia and jok in Thailand. It’s perfect for an upset stomach.
Lunch vendors are busiest from 11AM to 1PM. This is when office workers eat providing high turnover.
Evening food markets usually start setting up around 5PM with peak freshness between 6PM and 8PM.
Some night markets run later but quality can vary after peak hours.
Visit famous food streets when they first open for the evening to get the freshest options.
Learn which vendors specialize in breakfast lunch or dinner options. Some vendors only operate for specific meals.
10. Listen to Your Body and Adjust Accordingly
Pay attention to how you feel after trying new foods. Minor digestive adjustment is normal.
Distinguish between serious food poisoning and normal travel stomach. Real food poisoning includes fever and severe symptoms.
And your body will decide that everything needs to leave it NOW.
For mild stomach discomfort you can also try Smecta or activated charcoal available at any 7-Eleven or pharmacy.
Mild diarrhea can be treated with Imodium or similar products from 7-Eleven.
Take a break from spicy food if your stomach feels sensitive. Try bland rice dishes until you feel better.
Stay hydrated and rest if you experience any digestive issues.
Seek medical help if symptoms are severe or last more than 24 hours. Thailand has excellent hospitals and clinics in tourist areas.
Take it slow listen to your body and you can enjoy all the delicious street food Thailand has to offer.