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Food & Dining in Thailand

From 40-baht street noodles to beachfront seafood, you can eat like royalty on a modest budget.

Quick answer

What does food cost in Thailand?

A street meal costs ฿40 to ฿70, a sit-down Thai restaurant ฿120 to ฿250, and a Western dinner with a drink ฿350 to ฿700. Eating out every day costs most expats ฿9,000 to ฿18,000 a month. Cooking at home runs ฿6,000 to ฿10,000.

Food is where Thailand’s low cost of living shines. A delicious street meal runs ฿40–฿70, a sit-down Thai restaurant ฿120–฿250, and a Western dinner with a drink ฿350–฿700. Many expats spend ฿9,000–฿18,000/month eating out daily.

What it costs

  • Street food & markets: ฿40–฿70 per dish
  • Local Thai restaurants: ฿120–฿250 per meal
  • Western / tourist restaurants: ฿350–฿700
  • Cooking at home: ฿6,000–฿10,000/month groceries

Where locals eat in the Pattaya area

Jomtien’s night market, Thepprasit market, and the Bang Saray fishing-village seafood spots are favorites. We cover the best value eats in the full ebook.

Ordering in (delivery)

The delivery scene here is excellent. On apps like Grab and LINE MAN you can order from highly rated local favorites, from Sunrise Tacos and Route 66 Diner to OHKAJHU salads, Curve Coffee, and Jok porridge by Bowwy. The full ordering-in list, sorted by cuisine, is in the ebook.

Street foodMarketsSeafoodCafésWestern

A wood-fired pizza, the Western end of the price range Prawns with garlic and chilli at a local restaurant Fried rice at a local restaurant in the Pattaya area

From the local guide

Where the locals actually eat

There is Italian worth crossing town for, a "chef's table" where a husband-and-wife team just keep the plates coming, farm-to-table salads from a family with its own organic farm, Michelin-recognized local kitchens, and country spots carrying the classic Shell Chuan Chim seal, like the one near Pattaya famous for chicken curry cooked inside a young coconut shell. That is barely the first page.

Our companion ebook maps out dozens of restaurants, cafés, and beachfront spots, each with a local's honest take on what to order and why.

Get the full local food guide

Frequently asked questions

Is Thai street food safe to eat?

Generally yes. Busy stalls with high turnover are the safest bet because the food does not sit. Watch that it is cooked in front of you, and be more cautious with pre-cut fruit and raw seafood.

Can you eat Western food on a budget?

Occasionally. A Western meal costs roughly five times a Thai one, so most long-term residents eat Thai food daily and treat Western dining as a weekly outing.

How much does cooking at home cost?

About ฿6,000 to ฿10,000 a month for one person. It is not always cheaper than eating Thai food out, which is why many expats rarely cook.

Next step

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