Friday Travel Tip - Thailand - Street Food

Thailand is truly a street food country. There is not one street corner or large public space that doesn't offer you some kind of street food. Life in Thailand revolves around street food with many Thai people eating street food as one or more of their daily meals. For the foreigner in Thailand, street food might come off as intimidating. While a majority of the food on the streets is likely safe for you to eat, you should keep in mind that sanitation conditions aren't the same as back at home.  Depending on the person making it, you might have a problem explaining any food allergies you might have as well.

Having said that, experiencing street food in Thailand is more often than not safe, and is a great way to get into the local culture.  For the most part, street food vendors offer one food item, sometimes they'll have a few variations, however variety is rare at each street food vendor.  Because of this you'll often find street food vendors in groups each offering something different.  This can be a great way to sample different dishes in a group.  Often what you see is what you get, so don't be afraid to watch them cook other people's food, to get an idea of what to expect.

Many street vendors also offer a few low tables to eat at.  At busy times, at popular vendors, these seats can fill up fast.  The seats are nothing fancy, but will allow you to take in the local atmosphere while eating dinner.  In some cases, when vendors clump together, you'll find that they have almost a mall food court situation for dinning. This can be a great way to relax and maybe meet a few locals.

Later