How to Order Thai Food Without Getting Lost: Spice, Requests and Paying

The good news: you can order without speaking Thai

Most visitors order by pointing at a picture or at a dish on the next table, and it works fine. Still, a few words make a big difference between a dish you love and one that brings tears to your eyes.

This guide covers the most confusing parts: menus, spice levels, asking to leave things out, table condiments and paying. The pronunciations here are approximate, and Thai is a tonal language, so do not worry if you are not understood on the first try.

Reading a menu and finding what suits you

Stalls and tourist restaurants usually have an English menu with photos. At more local places there may be only a Thai sign, so you point at what looks good or ask what is popular. Many places specialize in one dish, and there is no point asking for something else.

Look for three things: the type of protein, the cooking method and the name of the dish. If you cannot choose, our must-try Thai dishes guide will help you get started.

Thai meals are usually shared, so it is a good idea to order a few dishes for the middle of the table, with rice for each person.

Spice levels: four words that save the day

If you are sensitive to heat, start with mai phet, meaning not spicy. If you want a little, ask for phet nit noi. A truly spicy dish is phet mak. Spicy in Thailand can be very spicy, even when it is described as mild.

Note that even when you say mai phet, some dishes carry chili in the sauce or in the toppings on the table. The red sauce on the side is usually the hot one. If you overdo it, rice, milk or mango help more than water.

Asking for no heat is perfectly fine and nobody will be offended. Staff are used to it, and at tourist places the dish is often already tuned to a mild palate.

No peanuts, no shrimp paste: how to ask

To leave out peanuts, say mai sai tua lisong. To leave out shrimp paste, say mai sai kapi. And for fish sauce, mai sai nam pla. Ingredients like these are in many dishes as a base sauce, and you do not always see them on the menu.

Vegetarian and kosher requests need more explaining, so read our vegetarian and vegan guide and our kosher travel guide. More useful sentences are in the essential Thai phrases guide.

If you have a severe allergy, do not rely on a spoken request alone. Prepare a written note in Thai and check with your doctor how to manage it, because nobody can guarantee what happens in the kitchen.

Table condiments, stall versus restaurant, and paying

Almost every table has four containers: sugar, dried chili flakes, fish sauce with chili and vinegar with chili. Each is added to taste. For locals, this is part of the dish and not a sign that something is wrong.

At stalls you usually order, receive, eat and then pay. In restaurants you sit, order and ask for the bill, typically with the words check bin. Many places take cash only, so keep some small notes. In Bangkok and the bigger cities some places take cards, but do not count on it at stalls.

For tipping, read the answer in our tipping guide before you head out.

Summary: one phrase for every situation

Three requests are enough to start: phet nit noi if you like a little heat, mai sai tua lisong if you skip peanuts, and check bin at the end. If needed, point, smile and do not be shy about asking.

After three meals you will feel like a local. And if you get stuck, remember you can always point at a dish on the next table.