The best Thai dishes to try
The top 3 according to 74 votes from people: Tom yum goong · Som tam · Massaman curry. (Updated Aug 23, 2026.)
The Thai dishes that every Thailand food guide, cooking school and Lonely Planet list tells you to eat, from Bangkok street stalls to the northern khao soi.
Top 20
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1
Tom yum goong
Hot and sour prawn soup with lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime and chilli; UNESCO intangible heritage since 2024.
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2
Som tam
Pounded green papaya salad with chilli, lime, fish sauce and palm sugar, from Isan and Laos.
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3
Massaman curry
Mild southern curry with beef, potatoes and peanuts, influenced by Muslim cooking.
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4
Pad thai
Stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind, egg, tofu or prawns, peanuts and bean sprouts.
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5
Khao man gai
Hainanese-style poached chicken on rice cooked in chicken fat, with ginger-soy sauce.
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6
Larb
Minced meat salad with lime, fish sauce, toasted rice powder and herbs.
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7
Gaeng som
Sour orange curry with fish and vegetables, from the south.
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8
Khao soi
Northern curry noodle soup with crispy noodles on top, the dish of Chiang Mai.
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9
Tom kha gai
Coconut milk chicken soup with galangal and lemongrass.
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10
Pad see ew
Wide rice noodles stir-fried with dark soy, Chinese broccoli and egg.
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11
Moo ping
Grilled marinated pork skewers, a Bangkok breakfast with sticky rice.
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12
Yam woon sen
Spicy glass noodle salad with shrimp and pork.
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13
Green curry (gaeng keow wan)
Coconut curry with green chillies, Thai basil and aubergine.
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14
Pad kra pao
Minced pork or chicken stir-fried with holy basil and chilli, over rice with a fried egg.
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15
Boat noodles (kuay teow reua)
Small bowls of rich, dark noodle soup once sold from boats on Bangkok's canals.
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16
Panang curry
Thick, slightly sweet red curry with kaffir lime leaves.
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17
Khao pad
Thai fried rice with egg, lime and nam pla prik.
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18
Mango sticky rice
Sweet coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, the classic Thai dessert.
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19
Gai yang
Isan grilled marinated chicken, eaten with sticky rice and som tam.
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20
Roti gluay
Street roti with banana, condensed milk and sugar.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (1)
Khao soi in Chiang Mai is life changing. Should be top 3.