Ordering Noodles in Thailand

Thailand’s noodle culture is a vibrant cornerstone of its street food scene. Whether you’re exploring the bustling streets of Bangkok or the quiet alleys of Chiang Mai, knowing how to order a delicious bowl of noodles will enhance your culinary adventure. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate Thai noodle stalls with confidence, even with minimal Thai language skills. Ordering noodles in Thailand is easy if you know the basic phrases.

Popular Thai Noodle Dishes You Must Try

Pad Thai ผัดไทย (pàd Thai)  

Perhaps Thailand’s most famous stir-fried noodle dish. Pad Thai consists of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, tofu, bean sprouts, and either shrimp, chicken, or no meat. It’s seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste and topped with crushed peanuts.

Gravy-Covered Noodles ราดหน้า (râad nâa)  

Wide rice noodles topped with meat, vegetables, and a thick, savory gravy.

Sweet and Savory Stir-Fried Noodles ผัดซีอิ๊ว (pàd see éw)  

Any restaurant that sells ราดหน้า (râad nâa) will also sell ผัดซีอิ๊ว (pàd see éw) because the principle is the same – stir-frying wide rice noodles in a wok until they become fragrant. ราดหน้า (râad nâa)  has sauce poured over it, while ผัดซีอิ๊ว (pàd see éw)  is a dry stir-fried noodle dish with egg.

Egg noodles in a spicy coconut curry broth ข้าวซอย (kâaw soy)

Served with chicken or beef, topped with crispy fried noodles, shallots, pickled vegetables, and lime. A Northern Thai specialty.

Noodles ก๋วยเตี๋ยว (gŭay dtĭaw)

This is the general term for noodle soup and comes in countless variations. The soup base is usually made from pork, chicken, or beef, flavored with herbs and spices.

Tom Yum Noodles ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำ (gŭay dtĭaw dtôm yam)

Normally when we order plain noodles ก๋วยเตี๋ยว (gŭay dtĭaw), we get clear broth noodles น้ำใส (náam săi). But Tom Yum noodles here are different from the famous Tom Yum Gung. Tom Yum noodles are seasoned with roasted peanuts, lime, fish sauce, and roasted chili powder. It has a complete flavor profile – sour, sweet, and salty. If you cannot handle spicy food, ask for ‘less spicy’ เผ็ดน้อย (pèd nóoy) or ‘no chili powder.’ไม่ใส่พริก (mâi sài príg) It’s a very delicious noodle dish. I highly recommend it.

Pink Noodle Soup เย็นตาโฟ (yen dtaa foo)

This distinctive pink noodle soup gets its color from fermented red bean curd paste เต้าหู้ยี้ (dtâo hûu yée). It is very delicious because while other noodle dishes use bean sprouts as vegetables, เย็นตาโฟ yen dtaa foo includes blanched morning glory, fish balls, shrimp balls, and fried wontons. For people like me who do not dare to eat organ meat, you should specify ‘no blood cubes.’ ไม่เอาเลือด (mâi ao lêuad). And the crispy dried squid has a somewhat strange taste, in my opinion. If you do not want it, ask for ‘no crispy squid.’ ไม่เอาหมึกกรอบ (mâi ao mèug gròrb)

Boat noodles ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ (gŭay dtĭaw reua)

Originated from vendors who sold noodles from boats along Thailand’s canals. The distinctive feature is its rich, dark broth, which traditionally contains a small amount of pig’s or cow’s blood for thickness and flavor. The broth is infused with cinnamon, star anise, and other spices, served in small bowls (historically, so they wouldn’t spill on the boats), many places still maintain this tradition.

Thai Sukiyaki สุกี้ (su gêe)

Unlike Japanese sukiyaki, the Thai version combines Chinese and Thai influences with glass noodles, fresh vegetables (morning glory, cabbage, celery), various meats (pork, chicken, beef), seafood, eggs, and tofu. สุกี้น้ำ (su gêe náam) served in a flavorful broth and สุกี้แห้ง (su gêe hâeng)  is stir-fried glass noodles with the same ingredients.

The No-Noodle Option (เกาเหลา) gao lăo

Many Thai women who concern their weight order เกาเหลา gao lăo to enjoy the flavorful soup and proteins without the carbohydrates from noodles. It’s essentially a Thai version of a low-carb meal. The vendor will sometimes ask “Would you like plain rice with that?” เอาข้าวเปล่าด้วยไหม (ao kaaw bplaaw duay mai?). This gives you the option to have some carbohydrates on the side rather than mixed into the soup. Some locals prefer this because the rice doesn’t get soggy in the soup.

Types of Noodles

When ordering, you’ll need to specify which type of noodles you want:

• Wide flat rice noodles เส้นใหญ่ (sên yài)
• Thin rice noodles เส้นหมี่ (sên mèe)   
• Medium rice noodles เส้นเล็ก (sên lég)    
• Yellow egg noodles บะหมี่ (ba mèe)

Glass noodles made from mung bean starch วุ้นเส้น (wún sên)

How to Order Noodles in Thai

Basic Ordering Phrase:

“I would like noodles…” ขอก๋วยเตี๋ยว… (kŏor gŭay dtĭaw…)/เอาก๋วยเตี๋ยว… (ao gŭay dtĭaw…)

 Specifying Your Protein:

– Pork หมู (mŭu)

– Chicken ไก่ (gài)

– Beef เนื้อ (néua)

– Shrimp กุ้ง (gûng)

– Meat Ball ลูกชิ้น (lûug-chín)

– Fish Ball ลูกชิ้นปลา (lûug-chin-bplaa)

– mixed sea food ทะเล (ta-lay)

– mixed version รวมมิตร (ruam-míd)

– vegetarian เจ/มังสวิรัติ (jay/mang-sa-wi-rád)

 Soup or Dry:

– With soup น้ำ (náam)

– Dry (without soup) แห้ง (hâeng)  

Understanding Menu Size Options in Thailand

When ordering noodles in Thailand, you’ll encounter two common size options that affect both portion size and ingredients:

Regular Portion ธรรมดา (tam-ma-da)

Price range: Usually 40-60 baht depending on location

Extra Portion พิเศษ (pí-sèed)

Typically costs 10-20 baht more than the regular version

Example:

– “Regular-sized dry pork noodles with yellow egg noodles, please. ” เอาบะหมี่หมู แห้ง ธรรมดาค่ะ/ครับ (ao ba-mèe mŭu hâeng,  tam-ma-daa kâ/kráb)

– “Regular-sized pork tom yum, medium rice noodles please.” ขอเส้นเล็กหมูต้มยำ ธรรมดาค่ะ/ครับ  (kŏor sên lég mŭu dtôm yam, tam-ma-daa kâ/kráb) 

– “Special-sized boat noodles with wide flat rice and extra meat and toppings, please.” เอาก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ เส้นใหญ่ พิเศษค่ะ/ครับ  (ao gŭay dtĭaw reua sên yài, pisèed kâ/kráb) 

– Special-sized pink soup with extra seafood and fishballs, no noodles please. ” (เอาเกาเหลาเย็นตาโฟ พิเศษค่ะ/ครับ)  “ao gao lăo yen dtaa foo, pi-sèed kâ/kráb ” 

Spicy Levels

Normally, noodles are not spicy food, except for Tom Yum noodles that you should be careful when ordering. (To see the spicy level descriptions, please click on ‘Ordering Food in Thai’).

Thai Noodles Experience: Practical Ordering Dialogue

This authentic dialogue shows Michael ordering Noodles at a Thai street food stall. After learning basic noodle vocabulary, watch how he navigates ordering dry tom yum noodles, specifies his spice preference, and completes payment – demonstrating essential phrases for enjoying Thailand’s vibrant street food culture.

Vendor: Hello, what would you like to order?

สวัสดีค่ะ รับอะไรดีคะ (sawàddee kâ ráb arai dee ká)

Michael: I’ll have the special tom yum noodles, dry style.

เอาบะหมี่ ต้มยำ แห้ง พิเศษครับ (ao ba-mèe dtôm yam, hâeng, písèed kráb)

Vendor: For here or to go? กินนี่ หรือ เอากลับบ้านคะ (gin nêe rŭe ao glàb bâan ká)

Michael: For here, please. กินนี่ครับ (gin nêe kráb)

Vendor: Regular spicy level? เผ็ดปกติไหมคะ  (pèd bpa-ga-dtì mái ká)

Michael: No chili flakes please,

ไม่เอาพริกป่นครับ (mâi ao príg bpòn kráb)

and extra roasted peanuts. ขอถั่วลิสงเยอะๆ (kŏor tùa lísŏng yóe yóe)

Michael finishes eating and asks for the bill.

Michael: How much is the total?

ทั้งหมดเท่าไหร่ครับ (táng mòd tâo rài kráb)

Vendor: Special noodles 60 baht, bottled water 10 baht, ice 2 baht.

พิเศษ 60 น้ำเปล่าขวดละ 10 น้ำแข็ง 2 บาท

(písèed 60, náam bplàaw kùad lá 10, náam kăeng 2 baht)

Total is 72 baht.  ทั้งหมด 72 บาทค่ะ (táng mòd 72 baht kâ)

Michael: I have a 500 baht bill. มีแบงค์ 500  (mee báeng 500)

Do you have change? มีทอนไหมคะ (mee toorn mái kráb)

Vendor: Yes, your change is 428 baht.

มีค่ะ ทอน 428 บาท (mee kâ, toorn 428 baht)

Michael: The noodles were very delicious.

ก๋วยเตี๋ยวอร่อยมากครับ (gŭay-dtĭaw aròy mâag kráb)

I’ll come back again. จะมากินอีกนะครับ (dja maa gin èeg ná kráb)

Vendor: Thank you. ขอบคุณค่ะ  (kòorb kun kâ)

Condiments

Thai people like to adjust the flavor of noodles to suit their own taste, even though sometimes the noodle broth is already delicious and doesn’t need additional seasoning. I recommend that you taste the broth first if you want to add any seasonings. Condiments at noodle shops are always placed on the table, including:

– Fish sauce น้ำปลา (náam bplaa)  

– Vinegar with chili น้ำส้ม (náam sôm)

– Sugar น้ำตาล (náam dtaan)

– Dried chili flakes พริกป่น (príg bpòn)

– Pepper พริกไทย (príg Thai)

Proper Noodle Eating Etiquette in Thailand

Understanding Thai noodle etiquette will help you blend in and show respect for local customs:

Using Chopsticks ตะเกียบ (dta-gìab)

In Thailand, there are two common ways to eat noodles with chopsticks:

1. Direct Method: Some Thais, particularly in casual settings, pick up noodles with chopsticks and eat directly from them. This is perfectly acceptable but can sometimes result in splashing.

2. Refined Method: Many Thais, especially women or those in more formal settings, prefer a neater approach:

   – Pick up a small portion of noodles with chopsticks

   – Carefully place the noodles in your spoon

   – Eat from the spoon rather than directly from chopsticks

   – This method is considered more elegant and helps prevent splashing

Soup Etiquette

One of the most important differences between Thai and other Asian noodle cultures:

– Do not lift the bowl to drink the soup directly – this differs from Chinese, Japanese, or Korean customs

– Always use your spoon to sip the broth

– Take small, quiet sips rather than loud slurps

– It’s acceptable to leave some broth in your bowl when finished

Enjoy your meal! กินให้อร่อยนะ gin hâi aròy ná!