From Bangkok to Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai, etc., every city/town in Thailand has numerous street food vendors. Therefore, when you are in the country, you can hardly avoid some tantalizing street food. Since a typical street vendor may not follow some food safety and hygiene regulations, you may be wondering whether the street food in Thailand is generally safe to eat or not.
Without mincing words, the street food in Thailand is generally as safe to eat as the food served in most restaurants. When buying a street meal, the street food vendor will likely offer you freshly made food that is even prepared before you. Even commenters on Quora noted that the street food in Thailand is generally safe
Despite the general safety of street food in Thailand, there are still some risks involved in eating it, especially if you are new to it. You need to watch out for some important clues before buying street food from many vendors. In this article, we will shed more light on the tips for buying and eating street food in Thailand.
How is Thai street food safe?
Although there may not be any strict regulations for cooking, there are always observances. In other words, people around the market are always watching the food vendors. If street meals are not prepared well, the market people will not patronize the vendors. Since the vendors know this, they try as much as possible to follow safe and healthy procedures when preparing food. Because of this fact, you can rest assured that street food is safe in Thailand.
Another reason why Thai street food is safe is that it is usually fresh. Unlike some expensive packaged meals, Thai street food is prepared with flavorful, natural ingredients in front of the buyers. The food does not have any chemical or inorganic ingredients that may be harmful to your health. When you walk to a street vendor, you will see noodles, pepper, fresh slabs of meat, fish, and lots more in the cart. So, the vendor will make likely make the food immediately as you bargain price.
Besides, you can tell what a street food vendor is using to make her meals. This is because you can see all the ingredients. You can also determine what you want them to add or remove from the meals. Therefore, when compared to meals sold at some medium-scale restaurants, you can have more confidence in the safety of freshly-made street food.
Why do lots of people eat street food in Thailand?
Here are the main reasons why some people cannot stop eating street meals in Thailand:
- They are cheap
If you are looking for cheap food in Thailand, street food is undoubtedly your best option. Although they come with amazing ingredients, Thai street meals don’t cost an arm and a leg. They are not expensive like the meals sold at restaurants in the country. Therefore, if a local or tourist wants to save money on food, they have to go for Thai street food.
- They are delicious
Despite the cheapness of Thai street food, they are made with nice natural ingredients. So, it is not strange that Thai street meals are super delicious. Regardless of your taste, you are bound to find Thai street food that suits it.
- They are quick and convenient
Lots of people also go for street meals in Thailand because they are quick and convenient. Generally, the food sellers already have all ingredients within their reach. Hence, you just need to specify what you want, and they will prepare what you need immediately.
Furthermore, you don’t have to go through the stress of preparing the meals yourself. This is why many workers in Thailand often take street food in the morning as they rush to work.
- They come in varieties
When you go to stalls of street food vendors in Thailand, you will notice that there are tons of food varieties available. You will come across many traditional Thai meals as well as food from other Asian countries.
Crucial tips for eating street food in Thailand
According to Stuff.Co.NZ and other reliable sources, these are some tips for eating street food in Thailand:
- Choose vendors with lots of customers
If you are new to street food in Thailand, you need to follow the crowd. In other words, you should buy street food from vendors that most people are buying from. In most cases, people are buying from such vendors because of the quality and safety of their food.
- Avoid your allergens
Are you allergic to anything? If yes, you need to avoid your allergens when buying food from a street vendor in Thailand. Foremost, make a list of the food ingredients you are allergic to and ask whether a vendor uses those ingredients. Make sure they don’t add such ingredients to your street food.
- Ask the food seller to reduce the spices
In Thailand, people love spicy food. For most foreigners, the regular spicy Thai meals are usually too spicy to consume. Therefore, you should ask a street food vendor to reduce the spicy in your meal. Over time, you can increase the number of spices in your Thai street food.
- Make sure your preferred food vendor observes some hygienic procedures
Do the street food vendors wear gloves? Do they wash their hands before preparing food for their customers? Do they wash their ingredients? These are pertinent questions that can assist you to decide whether a food vendor is hygienic or not.
- Eat at the regular time that locals eat
If you go to a street food vendor at the wrong time, you will likely not see anyone around him. Therefore, you should eat when locals also eat. This helps you to observe where the locals are buying their street food.
- Take only bottled water
Although locals may be drinking tap water, you should avoid doing so. You should always go for only bottled water when eating street food and other meals in Thailand.
It should be reiterated that street food in Thailand is generally safe. Nonetheless, don’t forget to observe the tips above when eating street food in Thailand.