Street Food In Thailand

[DJ Pat]

I am divided on this subject, purely because I eat about 50% of it. Fried rice (khao pat) Pad thai, Pad se-ewe, Krappow gai, gai guteum, khao man gai, tom mama gai, are all my favourites and I have regular places I visit and sit at if I have time. The taste is generally good at the places I frequent, including Soi 38 off Sukhumvit Road by thr BTS station, which has some of the best in Bangkok, and had a camera crew and TV presenter doing a spot there during the recent healthy clean food campaign.

However, as much as there are these great places to eat at, there are some truely terrible places masquerading as foodstalls, first instance that comes to mind is the small outlet by the bus stop along from Major Ekkamai, where sliced green beans far outweigh the quantity of meat you get, and the chicken still has the skin on, one of my pet hates. Add to that the fact that the rice it is served on is stone cold and of the super-cheapest tasteless variety.

The row of steaming offal and khao man gai stalls opposite Sukhumvit 38 by Thong Lor BTS absolutely are the pits. They stink of garbage can literally have you wretching if you're not careful, as there is a stretch of narrowing pavement where you often have to stop to let others pass so sometimes you're stuck in the steaming stench for 25 seconds, especially if a shuffling Thai is going past you and you've let him / her pass. Just round the corner is a blood clot (in the non-West Indian sense of the word) soup stall that also offers other body organs that look horrific. How anyone can bring themselves to lift a spoonful of that slime up to their mouths never mind eat and swallow it is a thousand miles away from anything I would have the guts to do (no pun intended)

Incidentally high levels of e-coli were found at many street stalls and they were promptly shut down, the most obvious being the sorry-arse row of filthy trollies at the beginning of soi 23 off Sukhumvit Road.

I bet a few places around Rama 4 by the Subway station and Wang Lang Pier have disappeared.

Hopefully I've now put you off your lunch.

[Jockstar]

I agree with you Pat. many of these street stalls are great and chaep. But there is also few that are <deleted>. Dont know about Sukhamvit area though. My farang friends who come visit are pleasantly surprised with the quality and price of these street vendors. Had a few dodgy meals but in general most i have experienced are good value and tasty. At a fraction of the cost.

[meom]

Same here. Some are good and some are terrible but once you know where to go you can eat good food very cheap and you don't have to dress up or something.

Been sick a few times and came down with dengue once but that's all part of the experience I suppose. At least it's not so bloody cold in the street as in some restaurants.

[cojones]

just bear in mind that the owners of these stalls probably live in a filthy hovel somewhere in the slums of BKK where hygene is minimal . he and his family are picking their noses and stratching their privates while cutting up the meat , with dirty hands.

having said that i have had good and bad .

[meom]

just bear in mind that the owners of these stalls probably live in a filthy hovel somewhere in the slums of BKK where hygene is minimal . he and his family are picking their noses and stratching their privates while cutting up the meat , with dirty hands.

having said that i have had good and bad .

Just drink Mekong with your food. Kills most of the bacteria.

[Dickie]

Don't eat anything from a stall on the riverside in Chiang Mai. I can't say the bottom fell out of my world, more like the other way round.

[DJ Pat]

I like to think I have a cast iron gut, and touch wood I have never had food poisoning from street food, and I've eaten some crap I'll tell you.

Only ever got the runs from Outback.

[Jockstar]

Same here. Some are good and some are terrible but once you know where to go you can eat good food very cheap and you don't have to dress up or something.

This is so true.

[DJ Pat]

I can be seen later munching some fine cuisine from Sukhumvit soi 38

[IamMaiC]

I am divided on this subject, purely because I eat about 50% of it. Fried rice (khao pat) Pad thai, Pad se-ewe

And your Skinny??

[IamMaiC]

I can be seen later munching some fine cuisine from Sukhumvit soi 38

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this one of your five GF's Pat or a new conquest??

[DJ Pat]

Actually I gave it a miss because I wanted to eat indoors....so I shamelessly had a Big Mac and fries. (sound of wretching in background)

[LivinLOS]

My diet consists of about 80% street stall style Thai food with rare falang food resturant trips thrown in (I get steak cravings and a 'full english' for a late breaker sometimes hits me)... The thing is nine times out of 10 the Thai is tastier and healthier and usually costs me about 1/10th the farang grub, I dont know why I dont learn or still get the urge but I do.

I am also pretty choosy about which kitchens I use, a quick look at how the keep thier work surfaces and if they are washing pans etc is a good idea and its not unknown for me to have a quick peek and run if it looks unclean. That said I have the iron stomach syndrome and nearly never get any problems even with all kinds of gutter foods.

Ohh and you can keep your McD's... If fast food I might v rarely hit a KFC as at least you get a chicken breat and not lips and &lt;deleted&gt; that 'burgers' are made of these days.

[DJ Pat]

I am ashamed to have said that I ate a Big mac but it was a craving...

Nothing like an omlette with minced pork (kai jeow moo sap) Krappow gai and rice to get the old taste buds tingling...

[IamMaiC]

I am ashamed to have said that I ate a Big mac but it was a craving...

Nothing like an omlette with minced pork (kai jeow moo sap) Krappow gai and rice to get the old taste buds tingling...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Your making me hungry I miss Thailand I love pad see ewe myself and pad thai if it's made right

[DJ Pat]

But if it's made in the US does it taste the same?????????????

[IamMaiC]

But if it's made in the US does it taste the same?????????????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah if the cook is Thai, Some Thai Restaurants are owned by Chinese or Vietnamese People.

[sua yai]

Just remember to eat your natural yoghurt every day. The culture breaks down most bacteria in bad food.

Travelled India a few times and that was essential. In Thailand, no problem. The longer you stay here the more accustomed your stomach becomes to slightly dirty food.

Wouldn't want to be drinking water out of a gutter though. Dysentry can be pretty bad!!

[IamMaiC]

Wouldn't want to be drinking water out of a gutter though. Dysentry can be pretty bad!!

Unless your really really thirsty!