Useful Thai Phrases: When Ordering Food in Thailand

Just arrived in Thailand? Learn a few Thai phrases to use when ordering street food, and you’ll sound like you’ve been here a lot longer!

Earn smiles from the locals and maybe a bit of discount on your purchases too! From how to ask for your meal not spicy, without MSG, or tell the waiter you’re vegetarian, to how to order a beer, with or without ice, or your fruit shake without sugar – these useful Thai phrases will help you kin dee (eat well) in Thailand!

Related: (opens in new tab)

• Southeast Asian Food Guide
• 99 Thai Phrases for Travellers
• Northern Thai Cuisine

Watch our video below filmed at a night market in Mae Sot, Thailand and then see below for a glossary of terms…

Glossary of Thai Food and Restaurant Phrases:

When you arrive in a restaurant:

• Maynoo mee mai ka/kaap? – Do you have a menu please?
• Maynoo passa angrit mee mai ka/kaap? – Do you have an English menu?
• Mee arry arroy bang ka/kaap? – What do you have that’s good to eat?

Rice:

• Khao pad – Fried rice.
• Khao suey – Boiled rice.

Noodles:

• Goyteow – Noodle soup.
• Sen yai – Big noodle.
• Sen lek – Small noodle.
• Sem mee – Vermicelli rice noodle.
• Sen bamee – Yellow noodle.
• Haeng – Dry.
• Nam – Soup.

Foods:

• Moo – Pork.
• Moo daeng – Red pork.
• Gai – Chicken.
• Neua – Beef.
• Talay – Seafood.
• Gung – Prawn.
• Pla – Fish.
• Pak – Vegetable.
• Lookchin – Meatball (who knows what meat?).
• Kai dao – Fried egg.

Food preferences:

• Kin jay – Vegetarian.
• Mai sai namtang – No sugar.
• Mai sai pong choo rote – No MSG.
• Kin tua mai dai – I can’t eat nuts.
• Kin gung mai dai – I can’t eat prawns.
• Kin talay mai dai – I can’t eat seafood.
• Mai ped – Not spicy.
• Ped mak mak – Very spicy.
• Mai sai prik – No chili.

Some popular street food dishes:

• Pad Thai – Fried noodles Thai style.
• Pad see ew – Fried noodles in soy sauce.
• Gai pad med mamuang – Chicken cashew.
• Pad grapow moo/gai – Stir fried pork/chicken with holy basil.
• Moo grob – Crispy pork.
• Pak boong – Morning glory.
• Peyawan gai – Chicken curry.

Drinks:

• Beer – Beer (surprisingly).
• Nam – Water.
• Nom – Milk.
• Nam Som – Orange Juice.
• Gaffe yen/ron – Coffee iced/hot.
• Nam polamai – Fruit juice.
• Nam keng – Ice.
• Gaew – glass.

Other phrases:

• Arroy – Delicious.
• Chob mak mak – I liked it a lot.
• Im mak mak – I’m very full!
• Hong nam yootinai ka/kaap? – Where are the toilets?
• Kop khun ka/kaap – Thank you.
• Sawasdee ka – Hello/Goodbye.
• Cheur gan my – See you again.

Wrapping up:

• Tow ry ka/kaap? – How much?
• Chick bin ka/kaap – The bill.
• Kit tang ka/kaap – The bill (slang).
• Tang mod tow ry ka/kaap – Altogether how much?
• Sai tung dai mai ka/kaap? – Can you put it in a bag for me?
• Mai sai tung ka/kaap – I don’t want a bag, thanks.

See here for more useful Thai phrases for travellers.

Nikki Scott | Founder & Editor

Nikki is the founding editor of South East Asia Backpacker and The Backpacker Network. In her early twenties, she left her home in the North of England on a solo backpacking adventure and never returned! After six months on the road, she founded a print magazine that became legendary on the Banana Pancake Trail. The rest is history.

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