Ordering street food in Thai

How do you order food in Thai?

You order food in Thai by pointing and saying "this one", or ao and the name of the dish, and Mooteach's food lessons have you say each phrase out loud, with speech recognition checking it.

Kǒr, "may I have", is a slightly softer way to ask than ao. Add kráp or kâ to the end of each phrase to keep it polite.

• เอาอันนี้I'll have this oneao an níi
• อันนี้this onean níi
• เอาสองอันI'll take twoao sǒrng an
• จานนึงone platejaan nueng
• ขออีกจานone more platekǒr ìik jaan
• เมนูmenumee-nuu

To ask what something is, point and say นี่อะไรnîi à-rai. Many rice dishes come with ไข่ดาวkài-daao, a fried egg, on top if you ask for one.

How do you say "not spicy" in Thai?

Street food is often spicy. Say how much heat you want before the cook starts. To leave the chili out altogether, say mâi sài prík, "no chili".

• ไม่เผ็ดnot spicymâi pèt
• เผ็ดนิดหน่อยa little spicypèt nít nòi
• เผ็ดมากvery spicypèt mâak
• กินเผ็ดไม่ได้I can't eat spicygin pèt mâi dâi

How do you ask for no ice, no sugar or no vegetables?

Mâi sài means "don't put in", so you can put any ingredient after it. Drinks come sweet and on ice unless you say otherwise; for a drink that is less sweet rather than unsweetened, say wǎan nói.

• ไม่ใส่น้ำแข็งno icemâi sài náam-kǎeng
• ไม่ใส่น้ำตาลno sugarmâi sài nám-dtaan
• หวานน้อยless sweetwǎan nói
• ไม่ใส่ผักno vegetablesmâi sài pàk

How do you order vegetarian or vegan food in Thai?

Say you are vegetarian with มังสวิรัติmang-sà-wí-rát. Food labeled อาหารเจaa-hǎan jeeis jee: made with no meat, fish, eggs or dairy, and traditionally without garlic or onion either. Stalls that sell it often hang a yellow flag.

How do you say you are allergic to a food in Thai?

Páe means allergic to. A man says ผมแพ้ถั่วpǒm páe tùaand a woman ฉันแพ้ถั่วchǎn páe tùa, "I'm allergic to peanuts"; put another food in place of the peanuts. Mâi sài only asks the cook to leave something out, and a busy stall shares pans, oil and sauces, so it may not be able to keep a dish free of it. For a serious allergy, carry a card that explains it in Thai and show it before you order.

How do you say eat here or takeaway in Thai?

The cook will often ask whether you are eating at the stall or taking it with you. Say กินที่นี่gin tîi-nîito eat at the stall, or ห่อกลับบ้านhòr glàp bâan, "wrap it to take home".

How do you ask the price and pay in Thai?

Ask the price before or after you eat. Many stalls take payment by QR code as well as cash. At a stall people also ask to pay with gèp dtang, "collect the money".

• เท่าไหร่how much?tâo-rài
• เช็คบิลthe bill, pleasechék-bin
• จ่ายตรงไหนwhere do I pay?jàai dtrong nǎi
• สแกนจ่ายscan to paysà-gaen jàai

The price comes back as a number of baht; Thai numbers covers how to understand it.

Do you tip at a Thai street food stall?

No, a tip is not expected at a stall. At a sit-down restaurant, leaving the small change is a common thank you.

How do you say the food was delicious?

Cooks like to hear it: อร่อยà-ròi, or อร่อยมากà-ròi mâak, "very delicious".

Is there an app for learning to order food in Thai?

Yes, there is an app for learning to order food in Thai: Mooteach, whose food lessons teach these phrases at a stall and whose Spot & Speak scenes have you name what you see at a street food cart.

See how Mooteach compares with other Thai apps.