Eat like a local
Order at the drink cart
Thai drinks come very sweet unless you say otherwise. Choose your drink and how sweet you want it, and you’ll get a sentence to say at the cart, in Thai and in English letters.
More words for the cart and the noodle shop
| Thai | Say | Means |
|---|---|---|
| กาแฟร้อน | kafae ron | Hot coffee. Ron means hot, yen means cold. |
| กาแฟโบราณ | kafae boran | “Old-style” coffee, brewed through a cloth sock filter at street carts. |
| ไม่ใส่น้ำตาล | mai sai nam tan | No sugar added at all. Stronger than mai wan. |
| น้ำเปล่า | nam plao | Plain water. |
| ใส่ถุง | sai thung | In a bag. Drinks to go often come in a plastic bag with a straw. |
| กลับบ้าน | glap baan | Takeaway (literally “going home”). Kin thi ni is “eat here”. |
| เส้นเล็ก · เส้นใหญ่ · บะหมี่ | sen lek · sen yai · ba mee | At a noodle shop: thin rice noodles, wide rice noodles, egg noodles. |
| น้ำ · แห้ง | nam · haeng | With soup, or dry. |
| ไม่เผ็ด | mai phet | Not spicy. Phet nit noi is “a little spicy”. |
| เช็คบิล | check bin | The bill, please. |
Chain coffee shops often ask for sweetness as a percentage instead: 0, 25, 50 or 100. If the default is too much, 25 or 50 is what many locals pick.
At the table
- Fork pushes, spoon eats. Use the fork to load the spoon. Chopsticks are for noodles.
- Season your own noodles. The caddy on the table holds sugar, chilli flakes, fish sauce with chillies and vinegar with chillies. Taste first, then adjust; that is how it is meant to be eaten.
- Share the dishes. Order several plates for the table. Everyone gets their own rice.
- Sticky rice is eaten by hand. In the north and Isan, roll a small ball with your fingers and use it to pick up the food.
- Busy carts move fast. Point, say the dish and the noodle, and step aside. Pay the vendor when your food is handed over.
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Questions
How do I order a Thai drink less sweet?
Say “wan noi” (less sweet) or “mai wan” (not sweet), for example “cha yen wan noi”. Thai milk tea is made with sweetened condensed milk, so even mai wan is a little sweet.
What is the difference between cha yen and cha dam yen?
Cha yen is the orange Thai iced tea with milk. Cha dam yen is the same tea iced, without milk.
What is oliang?
Thai old-style iced black coffee, sweetened, traditionally brewed from a blend of coffee and roasted grains.
Why does the coffee shop ask for a percentage?
Many chain coffee shops in Thailand let you pick sweetness as a percentage, such as 0, 25, 50 or 100. Pick 25 or 50 if you find the default too sweet.