Thai cuisine, a popular international specialty, is characterized by its freshness, exotic aromas, and diverse spices. Among the most famous Thai dishes are Pad Thai and fried rice, but there are many other delicious dishes you absolutely must try, such as various Thai curries, the steaming hot pot, and the spicy shrimp soup. They will all tantalize your taste buds. Here, we present the 30 best Thai gourmet dishes you absolutely must try in Thailand.

1. Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

The unique flavor of this soup, rightfully famous worldwide, comes from the combination of fragrant lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, lime juice, fish sauce, fresh chilies (or chili paste), and succulent shrimp. Its fresh and rich exotic taste will instinctively shape your perception of Thai flavors!

2. Tom Kha Kai (Thai Chicken Coconut Soup)

Tom Kha Kai is a soup related to Tom Yum Goong. Similar spices such as galangal, shallots, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves define the soup's basic flavor, though chili peppers are optional this time. Tender strips of chicken and aromatic Asian mushrooms form the mild base of the soup, while creamy coconut milk is added and blends harmoniously with the other ingredients.

Tom Kha Kai is possibly the best Thai dish for people who don't like spicy food, yet it still offers them the same high-quality taste of Thai freshness.

3. Guay Tiew Reua (Noodle Soup)

While less of a main course than the dishes mentioned above, this noodle soup is a popular choice at Bangkok's street restaurants. Originally served from boats on the canals (hence the name "boat noodles"), the noodles are cooked in a delicious meat broth flavored with typical Thai spices and meat. Depending on the meat chosen—for example, chicken, pork, or seafood—the soup can be ordered in various ways.

4. Pad Thai (Thai-style fried noodles)

Pad Thai, a quintessential Thai dish, should be on the menu of every restaurant in Thailand – from bustling street stalls to Michelin-starred establishments in Bangkok. It consists of rice noodles (thin or wide) stir-fried with plenty of fresh shrimp, crunchy bean sprouts, eggs, delicious tofu cubes, onions, and finely grated peanuts. A squeeze of lime juice completes the dish before it delights every palate.

5. Khao Pad (Thai-style fried rice)

This is a simple dish that's easy to find, as it's served almost everywhere in Thailand. The ingredients include rice, egg, garlic, onions, and a protein source such as chicken, shrimp, crabmeat, or beef. Preparation is incredibly easy too: simply put everything in a pan and stir-fry until the flavors have melded.

6. Gaeng Daeng Gai (Red Curry with Chicken)

A generous amount of fresh or dried red Asian chilies are crushed with garlic, shallots, ginger, and lemongrass. These ingredients form the base of the red curry paste. The chicken breast slices are infused with a rich red curry flavor before being blended with creamy coconut milk. Eggplant, mushrooms, or tomatoes are added and gently simmered in the coconut milk. A touch of fresh kaffir lime and sweet basil leaves complete the creamy curry aroma. The dish is served with jasmine rice.

7. Gaeng Keow Wan Gai (Green Curry with Chicken)

This is Thailand's hottest curry, its paste based on green chilies. It's a true delight for lovers of spicy food, but a challenge for those who don't like it too hot. The sauce is made with coconut milk and enhanced with spices and herbs such as Thai basil, shallots, ginger, garlic, turmeric, and kaffir lime leaves. Vegetables like eggplant or potatoes are added. Most people order it with chicken, but green curry is also available with seafood or beef.

8. Kaeng Lueang (Yellow Curry with Chicken)

Yellow Thai curry has a significantly milder curry paste than the spicy red and green curries. Yellow Thai curry with chicken is a popular dish for those who prefer milder flavors and is especially suitable for children. Instead of large quantities of red or green chilies, the yellow curry paste contains a high proportion of turmeric and curry powder, which are blended with coriander, cumin, lemongrass, galangal, shrimp paste, garlic, shallots, coconut cream, and coconut milk. The vegetables and chicken are added only during simmering.

9. Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice)

Shrimp and pineapple fried rice remains a popular, easy-to-prepare, and very tasty dish. Thai jasmine rice, fresh shrimp, and pineapple make this dish a worthy addition to this list of the best Thai dishes. Curry powder, shrimp sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce are the key sauces that give this dish its delicious flavor.

10. Pad Kra Pao Moo (Fried minced meat with Thai basil)

This is a popular dish frequently ordered in Thai restaurants. You'll often be asked if you'd like an egg with it. With a touch of fish sauce, oyster sauce, and a little sugar, this delicious dish achieves a balanced blend of sweet and spicy flavors. Preparation is quick and easy: Add chopped shallots, garlic, and chilies to a pan and sauté until fragrant. Then add the ground meat and mix well with the remaining ingredients before stirring in the Thai basil leaves.

11. Gai Pad Med Ma Muang (Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts)

If you could only order one stir-fry dish in Thailand, this would be the truly authentic one. The name says it all. The main ingredients are cashew nuts and chicken breast. Both are briefly deep-fried before being mixed with onions, shallots, garlic, chilies, and mushrooms. Spicy, sweet, tender, and crispy all at once. The ingredients harmonize perfectly.

12. Som Tum (spicy green papaya salad)

This is another excellent example of a simple yet incredibly tasty dish. The ingredients are remarkably basic: a small green (unripe) papaya, tomatoes, carrots, long beans, peanuts, garlic, chilies, palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. Together, they create five vibrant flavors: sweet, savory, spicy, salty, and sour.

13. Yum Nua (spicy beef salad)

Anyone who likes spicy food will love this spicy Thai salad.

Tender strips of beef are mixed with fresh vegetables and herbs such as fresh mint, coriander, spring onions, red onions, sweet tomatoes, and seedless cucumbers. Then everything is marinated in a fiery and spicy sauce made from Thai chilies, fresh lime juice, fish sauce, and stevia.

14. Khao Soi (Thai Coconut Curry Noodle Soup)

This is probably the most famous northern Thai dish, especially in Chiang Mai, where it has been influenced by Burmese cuisine. The wheat and egg noodles are served in a fragrant curry broth. Many like to add pickled vegetables and sliced ​​shallots. A squeeze of lime completes the dish.

15. Khao Niao Mamuang (Mango Sticky Rice)

Mango sticky rice is one of Thailand's most popular traditional desserts. Kao niew ma muang is a simple dish made with sticky rice, fresh mango slices, and plenty of sweetened condensed milk.

16. Gaeng Massaman Gai (Massaman Chicken Curry)

Massaman curry is less liquid than the other curries mentioned above and has a mild, slightly sweet flavor. It is a dish derived from Indian curry with Persian influences. It originally comes from southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia, an area formerly inhabited by Muslims.

17. Gaeng Panang Gai (Panang Chicken Curry)

Thai Panang chicken curry is distinguished by its thicker curry paste. The dish is less runny and is often served with rice. The paste consists of coriander seeds, cumin, shrimp sauce, peanuts, and red curry paste, all ground together. Use coconut milk instead of water to thicken the sauce, and add a few fresh kaffir lime leaves before adding the chicken. This gives the dish a wonderfully fresh flavor. The chicken is then slowly cooked along with the paste. It pairs perfectly with rice.

18. Pad See Ew or Pad Siew (Flat noodles, stir-fried with soy sauce)

Pad See Ew, another frequently ordered fried noodle dish in Thailand, consists of flat, slippery rice noodles stir-fried with garlic, onions, egg, seasonal vegetables, and meat (usually chicken or pork). The addition of oyster and soy sauce gives the dish its finishing touch, making it a tasty choice for any occasion.

19. Mookata Thai BBQ

This dish is a great choice for a relaxed meal with family and friends at a street food stall with a grill. Paired with a few beers, it's a classic hot pot, perfect for a laid-back meal. There are no set ingredients, as it's more like a hot pot buffet. You simply choose vegetables, meat, or fish to your liking. The pot itself is a clever invention. On the domed surface, pork tenderloin or other slices of meat are grilled, while the surrounding pit holds the flavorful broth in which your chosen vegetables cook.

20. Pla Nueng Manow (Steamed fish with spicy lime sauce)

Pla nueng manow is a delicious, steamed Thai-style fish dish that you absolutely must try. It's most often made with snapper. The spicy sauce is prepared with chili, garlic, coriander, fish sauce, lime juice, and chicken broth. You'll be amazed by the exciting flavors.

21. Tod Mun Pla (Thai fish cake)

Tod Mun Pla is an excellent appetizer. This fish cake is made with fresh fish, lime leaves, Thai basil, and long beans. After deep-frying, it is served with a bowl of spicy-sweet Thai dipping sauce. The spicy sauce is the heart of the dish. It typically contains chopped cucumbers, chilies, shallots, peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, and vinegar.

22. Poh Pia Tod (Thai spring rolls)

Thai spring rolls are made with minced meat, carrots, shredded cabbage, rice noodles, and onions, all wrapped in spring roll dough and deep-fried until golden brown. The crispy coating creates a harmonious blend of fresh flavors, making this dish an excellent appetizer.

23. Banana Roti (banana pancakes)

This is a delicious treat from street vendors that few can resist, even though it's not low in sugar. A pancake is fried until golden brown and crispy on both sides and filled with banana slices. The crispy pancake is then sprinkled with condensed milk and sugar. Some people also add strawberries or replace the filling with strawberries.

24. Mah Hor (Galloping Horses)

A small snack originating in the royal palace that you absolutely must try. Mah Hor is delicate yet highly aromatic, made with tangerines or pineapples and topped with pork, chicken, peanuts, sugar, peppercorns, and coriander. The result is a combination of sweet fruits and a savory topping – a taste sensation you won't forget.

25. Sai Oua (Northern Thai Sausage)

This oblong sausage is readily available in Thai markets and food stalls. Its exterior is reddish-brown, while the interior is golden yellow with green and yellow hues. Its characteristic flavor comes from lemongrass, kaffir lime, and galangal. It is typically made from pork and grilled, which imparts a smoky aroma.

26. Nam Prik Ong (Spicy pork and tomato dip with vegetables)

This dish is very popular in northern Thailand. It is served on a plate and in a bowl. The small bowl contains a thick dip made from sweet cherry tomatoes and minced pork. The plate is filled with slices of raw cabbage, beans, okra, cauliflower, and eggplant. In some places, it is served with fried pork rinds, boiled eggs, and Thai sausage.

The flavor is garlicky, sweet, and usually slightly spicy. It's a welcome change from the usual flavors, as it doesn't contain lemongrass, galangal, or soy sauce. It's excellent as an appetizer.

27. Khanom Jeen Nam Ngiaw (spicy noodle soup)

A noodle soup with a dark red broth made from beef or pork and dried, smoked chilies. Vegetables such as cabbage, pickled mustard greens, bean sprouts, cilantro, and fried garlic round out the smoky, spicy flavor. It's a hot dish, and the broth is slightly oily. With a bit of luck, you might also find a version with braised oxtail: particularly tender and highly aromatic.

It also contains some unusual ingredients such as the stamens of the dried red cotton tree blossom and some dark red cubes of blood.

28. Gaeng Som (Sour and Spicy Fish Curry)

This sour curry is a typical dish from southern Thailand – a soup bursting with flavor that awakens all the senses. The base is fish, combined with curry paste and turmeric, which gives the dish its characteristic yellow color. It is usually prepared with bamboo shoots, green papaya, or pieces of pineapple.

29. Khua Kling (Thai dried meat curry)

A dry curry, optionally made with pork, beef, or chicken. The meat absorbs the spices well; it is injected with curry paste, chili, garlic, and lemongrass, and seasoned with kaffir lime leaves, resulting in small, tender pieces with concentrated flavor.

30. Gaeng Sataw (Thai stink beans with shrimp)

The main ingredient in Gaeng Sataw is stink beans, which are very popular in southern Thailand. The beans are stir-fried with shrimp paste and meat. Don't be put off by the smell; similar to durian, the aroma and taste are completely different. Simply ignore it and enjoy this delicious dish by focusing instead on the spiciness of the curry and the wonderful flavor of the beans.

Can't get enough of Thai flavors? Then check out our Thailand culinary tours and experience the whole world of Thai cuisine.

Tips for an optimal Thai dining experience

1. Thais often cook with sugar or add it to almost everything. If you follow a sugar-free diet, don't forget to tell the waiter you don't want any sugar.

2. There are so many popular Thai dishes to try that it's easy to get overwhelmed. Therefore, remember this: Thai soups, such as spicy shrimp soup, and Thai curries are the best choice. So be sure to try these dishes.

3. From the northern and southern islands to the central plains, each region of Thailand has its own popular cuisine, so the Thai dishes that are popular in Phuket are not exactly the same as those served in Chiang Mai.

4. Northern Thai cuisine differs significantly from the rest of the country due to its mountain vegetables, unusual ingredients, and distinctive flavors. It is heavily influenced by China, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Vietnam.

5. Southern Thai cuisine is robust and intense, with many spices and herbs. Seafood and coconut milk are favored ingredients.