Street meals are undoubtedly some of the most famous things about Thailand. Every part of the country has various locals that offer delicious street meals. So, if you are visiting the Land of Smile, you should have a taste of the culinary delight of Thailand by enjoying some of the country’s best street meals. But how much will a street meal cost you in Thailand?
Factually, there are different kinds of street meals in Thailand. On average, you will have to spend about 30 to 100 Thai baht to get a street meal in Thailand. This means that you can get street food in Thailand for about US$1 to $3, but fancier food will cost you more.
However, all the street meals in Thailand are not sold for a fixed price. So, we will consider different types of street meals and how much they can cost you.
Snacks – 10 to 30 Thai baht
The streets of Thailand are the hub of numerous snacks. If you are interested in eating a stick of barbequed pork snack and sticky rick, you should be ready to spend around 20 Thai baht. However, you may get the same snack at a lower or higher cost depending on where you are getting it.
Similarly, if you would like to go for healthy snacks such as papaya, rose apple, guava, dragonfruit, mango, etc., a small bag will likely cost around 10 to 20 Thai baht. Sausages packed with chili and vegetables will also cost around the same price. Sai graawk is one of the best sausages in the country.
Standard meals – 30 to 60 Thai baht
On Thailand streets, you can also get a single-serve meal. This is a standard meal that you can eat at once whether as breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This could come as a plate of rice with a dish or just a bowl of delicious noodles. Some of the best dishes usually served include pad grapao and pad thai gung.
For such a standard meal, you should budget about 30 to 60 Thai baht. However, many of the meals may be considered small for some individuals. So, buying two servings may be necessary if you intend to eat a lot.
It should be noted that the street meal sellers in Thailand have food stands. So, you can decide to sit and eat your single-serve meal at the stand. Otherwise, you can buy and take it home.
Shared dishes – 50 to 100 Thai baht
Some street sellers provide meals that look like those offered at restaurants. Various people may need to share such meals. A shared dish could come in handy for you and your family or friends. You can get grilled pork neck, kaaw muu yaang, or another similar dish for a little as 50 to 60 Thai baht.
However, you can step up your culinary enjoyment by going for costlier meals such as a bowl of soup or curry with rice. For such a meal, you should be ready to spend around 80 to 100 Thai baht. If you want a street meal seller to serve you a big fish, you will have to spend 200 Thai baht or more. To get sticky rice along with your other servings, it will cost you 10 to 15 Thai baht for each person.
Again, it is worthwhile to realize the prices of the meals may differ from one street seller to another. Besides, most of the prices above apply to Bangkok and other big cities in Thailand. However, the meals may be cheaper in small towns and cities by about 10 to 30%. So, where you are buying the meal may be a major determinant of how much you will pay for a street meal in Thailand.
In addition, some street food sellers allow people to bargain. As a result of this, two people may get the same food at different prices from the same seller.
The common types of street food in Thailand
Street meals in Thailand are made with an array of ingredients. Nevertheless, they can be categorized into the following types:
- Noodles such as bah mii, sen yai, woon sen, sen lek, sen mii, and gieow wonton.
- Fried quail eggs
- Curry rice
- Wonton mee
- Steamed sticky rice and mango (Khan niew ma mung)
- Crepes (roti kluai khai)
- Grilled squid (pla meuk yang)
- Papaya salad (Som tam)
- Thai omelette (khai jiao)
- Fried chicken (gait tod)
- Grilled pork skewers (moo bing)
- Grilled chicken skewers (gai bing)
- Fish cake (tod man pla)
- Ice creams such as coconut cream and ice cream mocha
- Thai tea
- Carbonated drinks
There are other types of street meals that you can come across in the street of Thailand.
Why are street meals cheap in Thailand?
When you look at the average cost of a street meal in Thailand, you will agree that it is cheaper than what is obtainable in most western countries around the globe. But why is street food cheap?
- Low cost of production
To prepare street meals, you don’t have to spend lots of money. In fact, most sellers don’t pay for electricity, rent, and other common bills associated with running a restaurant. Ingredients and cooking utensils are the most important items needed to start street meals in Thailand.
- Low cost of living
The cost of living in Thailand is relatively low. In Bangkok, the average monthly salary is estimated to be 25,500 Thai Baht (less than US$800). The average monthly is even much lower in other regions in Thailand. Therefore, it is only reasonable for the average cost of a street meal to be cheap for most people to be capable of buying it.
Conclusion
The average cost of a street meal in Thailand is around 30 to 100 Thai baht ($1 to $3). However, the cost could be lower and higher, depending on the type of street meal you want to take. So, if you want to enjoy Thai delicacies, you should have a budget that covers this specified amount.
