Worst Mistakes To Avoid When It Comes To Thai Street Food

From street vendors to night markets and Michelin-starred restaurants, Thailand is a foodie paradise. But with all the food on offer, travelers can make plenty of mistakes from missing out on the best Thai food to eating the wrong food and ending up in the hospital on an IV.

I’m going to cover the most common mistakes that travelers make when it comes to food here in Thailand.

Mistake #1: Avoiding Street Food Altogether

If you’ve never visited Thailand, you’ll probably be shocked by all the sights, sounds, and smells of this city. Bangkok is the street food capital of the world, and this is very different from most Western cities. You’ll find street vendors on each and every corner with a wide range of different food, and you may be concerned about food hygiene and safety when you’re ordering food out here on the street. But don’t be so fearful that you avoid the street food altogether this is a mistake.

The vast majority of food from street vendors and shops is safe to eat. Actual food poisoning is relatively rare. I’ve had it three times in 9 years in Thailand, and believe it or not, it was never from street food.

Mistake #2: Eating Food That’s Been Sitting Out Too Long

But there are a few key mistakes that you should avoid. Thailand is a tropical country with a hot climate, and it can be a mistake to eat food that’s been sitting out for long periods of time, especially if you’re a newcomer and you’ve got a busy travel itinerary.

You’ll find plenty of shops with buffet-style trays sitting out front, and you can load up a variety of different Thai foods. It’s extremely tasty, but you need to be cautious. This is a hot climate, lots of sun, and that is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria. This can cause an upset stomach or the famous “Bangkok belly.” It’s not food poisoning, but you may need to go to the toilet very frequently. This isn’t ideal for a busy travel schedule.

If you’re traveling, it’s normally ideal to eat food that’s cooked freshly in front of you.

Mistake #3: Eating Raw Foods

You should normally avoid any raw foods, like the famous street food sushi. It’s very popular in many of the markets, and this is much more likely to get you sick.

After raw fish, your second most likely cause of food poisoning is fresh fruit and smoothies. Fruit is uncooked and it can sit out for long periods of time, and it may come into contact with unsanitary surfaces like a cutting board. The smoothies are normally made with water, which leads to many potential points of contamination.

Now don’t be too worried I’ve drank hundreds of smoothies here over the years. But I did get food poisoning once from a smoothie in Krabi, and in retrospect the area around the smoothie vendor wasn’t exactly clean. This is something you should keep an eye out for, especially in those beach areas.

Mistake #4: Assuming Higher-End Restaurants Are Safer

But don’t assume that food in higher-end restaurants is safer to eat, because one of the other most common causes of food poisoning here in Thailand is hotel buffets. Food at buffets can also sit out for long periods of time, and you can’t actually see what’s happening behind the scenes in the restaurant. As with street food, it’s best to eat food that’s cooked right in front of you.

Mistake #5: Eating at Restaurants with No Local Customers

If you walk into a Thai restaurant or shop and there aren’t any Thai people eating there, you’re probably making a mistake. These are normally restaurants which rely on tourists as customers, and this type of restaurant generally has a one-off business model. They know that most of their customers won’t return, and there isn’t a huge incentive to serve high-quality food.

In contrast, restaurants with more local customers are incentivized to serve the best food at the best prices. These restaurants rely on happy customers that come back day after day. So if you want the best food, find the places that are popular with the locals.

Been doing a lot of filming, a lot of talking about food, and I’ve worked up an appetite. Let’s find the spot with the most local Thai customers. I’m going to take my own advice.

So I’ve been taking a walk, and this was definitely the busiest restaurant. Got a chicken egg noodle soup.

This is how to choose the best restaurants when you’re out just go somewhere that’s really busy, lots of Thai people sitting around eating, and the food will normally be very good, very fresh. And that’s one of the things people don’t understand about the street food in particular. They think because it’s sitting on the street somehow it might be dirtier, but in reality that’s visible. You see everything when they’re on the street. When you’re in the back room of a restaurant, you don’t see anything that happens.

Add a little bit of vinegar to it, got a bit of chili. That was fantastic.

That’s a great way to try new foods as well go out and look where you see the most Thai customers, and just walk up and order whatever that place serves.

Mistake #6: Not Sampling a Wide Range of Food

It’s a mistake not to sample a wide range of different food. If you visited a Thai restaurant in a Western country, chances are you’ve only seen a small fraction of all the different cuisine that’s available in Thailand. Each region of this country has its own unique cuisine, and they’re vastly different. You should definitely sample it all, and you might just find your new favorite food.

Mistake #7: Ordering Western-Style (One Dish Per Person)

If sampling a wide range of different foods is optimal, it’s also a mistake not to eat Thai style. Thai people typically order many different dishes and share. That way, they can try everything. Westerners often order one dish just for themselves.

If you want to try the widest selection of different foods, you should order like a Thai person get plenty of different dishes and share. The best part about eating with this particular method is that you can sample a lot of foods you might not have ordered if it was just your dish.

But there’s a second, more important reason for sharing. When you order food at a restaurant, it often doesn’t come out in any particular order. You may receive one main course first, maybe an appetizer, or several dishes could arrive at the exact same time. The food delivery process can differ substantially from most Western restaurants. If you order individual dishes, you risk one member of your group not eating for a very long time if they happen to get a late dish.

Mistake #8: Eating Too Much Deep-Fried Food

When it comes to street food, if you’re concerned about your health, it can be a mistake to eat too much of certain foods. The vast majority of Thai food is very healthy, especially when compared with the overly processed food you’ll find in Western countries. But some street food can be downright unhealthy, and particularly anything that’s deep fried. These foods are often fried in reused oil that can be very old and very carcinogenic. It doesn’t mean that you should avoid these foods altogether, but you might not want to make them a staple of your diet.

Mistake #9: Ignoring the Spice Level

Thai food can also be very spicy. It will normally disrupt your stomach, and it can be a mistake to ignore the spice level of any given dish. But normally when you order Thai food, you can specify the level of spiciness.

• For no spice, you can say “mai pet”.
• For a little bit spicy, you can say “pet nit noi”.
• If you want to test yourself, you can say “pet mak” that means very spicy.

Mistake #10: Negotiating for Food

When you order Thai food, whether it’s at a restaurant or from a street vendor, it’s always a mistake to negotiate. Negotiation is normal in markets when you’re buying physical items like electronics or clothes, but it’s not normal to negotiate for food.

But it’s a mistake not to ask the price of the food before you order. The vast majority of restauranteurs and vendors are honest and reasonable, but you can encounter restauranteurs and vendors in more touristy areas that will overcharge tourists. Just make it a habit to ask the price first, and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Mistake #11: Taking Food Recommendations from Taxi or Tuktuk Drivers

Speaking of overpriced food, it’s a mistake to take recommendations from taxi or tuktuk drivers for any restaurant. This is a common scam here in Bangkok, and you’ll get taken to a very overpriced seafood restaurant. The touts and drivers that recommend the restaurant receive a hefty commission for bringing unsuspecting tourists.

Never take any advice from taxi or tuktuk drivers or any tout that approaches you on the street in a touristy area. This applies for absolutely anything restaurants, gem shops, tourist attractions. Simply ignore it.

Mistake #12: Not Using Food Delivery Apps

Sometimes you may want to escape the hustle and bustle of this chaotic city and relax in your hotel room or condo. And it’s a mistake not to download and use the food delivery apps: Grab Food, FoodPanda, and Lineman.

You’ll find most restaurants and even street food vendors on the apps, and you can order a wide selection of different food. Most of the apps offer great discounts that make them very affordable.

Mistake #13: Eating Too Much Western Food

Whether you choose to dine in or order out, it can be a mistake to eat too much Western food. Of course, this is a matter of opinion, but Western products tend to be subject to higher taxes and tariffs that make them more expensive, and you simply won’t get very high-quality food compared to the Thai food on offer.

If you’re looking for a fast food fix, stop in at a Thai-style food court much better than the Western fast food here in Thailand. You’ll find them in almost every mall here in Bangkok and around the country, and you can find a wide range of different food on offer for as little as $1 to $2 per meal. It’s healthy, excellent, and inexpensive.

Mistake #14: Not Washing Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Speaking of food poisoning, it’s a big mistake not to wash fresh fruit and vegetables that you buy at the market. The shipping and storage methods can leave them at risk for contamination, and you should wash them very well.

Mistake #15: Drinking Tap Water

Another mistake that you want to avoid is drinking the water. Water in Bangkok actually passes international standards, but the storage facilities often have corrosion and contamination by bacteria, and this makes the water unsafe to drink. But bottled water is very inexpensive and easy to buy, or you can get a water filtration system for your condo.

If you want to play it safe, you can use bottled water to brush your teeth, but it’s normally safe to shower and even brush your teeth using the tap water here in Bangkok.

Mistake #16: Worrying About Ice

When it comes to the ice, it’s normally made with filtered water. It’s clean and safe to use in cities like Bangkok and major tourist areas.

Mistake #18: Not Keeping Essentials Handy

Just in case you do get food poisoning or sick, it’s a mistake not to keep a few essentials around with you. It’s very easy to walk into any pharmacy here in Bangkok, buy some doxycycline, maybe some azithromycin. Now I’m not advocating self-medication here, but picking up a few antibiotics that will help you out in case you have a stomach issue can definitely help when you’re laying on the ground and you don’t want to move.

But if you’re very sick, it’s easy to stop in at one of the many hospitals the medical services here are excellent.

Mistake #19: Not Having Health Insurance

This brings me to my next mistake. If you need to go to a hospital like St. Louis right behind me, you’re going to want medical insurance. Personally, I use a company called Safety Wing when I travel abroad outside of Thailand, as it’s very easy to register for their health insurance. It costs me $50 a month, and I get accident coverage and coverage in case of sickness. I highly recommend getting yourself a decent health insurance package. You can use the calculator in the description to see how much it’ll cost you with Safety Wing, but there are plenty of great providers. Make sure you’re covered in case you deal with any injuries or sickness.

Got some temple cats hanging out back here.

Mistake #20: Not Feeding the Cats (and Dogs)

Speaking of food, if you come to Bangkok, it’s always nice to get some cat food, walk around, feed the cats. Cats are your friend here they keep the snakes away. This is one of the reasons that cats are so prevalent in a city like Bangkok. Snakes can be absolutely everywhere, and the cats are actually the defense system and the early warning mechanism. So it’s a mistake not to feed the cats while you’re here.

And of course, don’t forget the dogs.

Mistake #21: Eating or Drinking on Public Transportation

Public transportation system here in Bangkok brings me to the last mistake, and that’s eating or drinking on the public transportation here in the city. It’s forbidden, and you can actually get fined. But that’s how they keep the public transportation system so clean here in the city.

That’s it for our food mistakes. Enjoy your trip in Thailand and enjoy all the food.