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กำลังโหลด
กำลังโหลด
อาหารและมารยาท
Ordering food, spice levels, table manners, and essential street food vocabulary for navigating Thai cuisine.
Thai food culture is incredibly social. Meals are shared, and ordering involves communicating your preferences clearly -- especially about spice level, which can be life-changing for the unprepared.
ขอ
khaw -- To request / I'd like...
เช็กบิล
chek bin -- Check, please
อร่อย
a-roi -- Delicious
ไม่เอา
mai ao -- I don't want
เอาอันนี้
ao an nii -- I'll have this one
At street stalls and many restaurants, it's perfectly normal to point at what you want. Many menus have photos specifically for this.
Ordering pad thai at a street stall
How do you say 'delicious' in Thai?
Thai food is famous for its heat. Learning to communicate your spice preference is essential survival vocabulary.
ไม่เผ็ด
mai phet -- Not spicy
เผ็ดน้อย
phet noi -- A little spicy
เผ็ดปานกลาง
phet bpaan glaang -- Medium spicy
เผ็ดมาก
phet maak -- Very spicy
เผ็ดแบบคนไทย
phet baep khon thai -- Thai-level spicy
Thai vendors' idea of 'not spicy' may still have some heat by Western standards. If you truly want zero spice, say ไม่เอาพริกเลย (mai ao phrik loei) -- 'no chili at all'.
Thai table etiquette differs from Western customs. The main tools are a spoon (in the right hand) and a fork (in the left hand). Chopsticks are mainly for noodle soups.
ช้อน
chawn -- Spoon
ส้อม
sawm -- Fork
ตะเกียบ
dta-giap -- Chopsticks
จาน
jaan -- Plate
อิ่ม
im -- Full (not hungry)
The spoon is the primary eating utensil. The fork is used to push food onto the spoon. Putting a fork in your mouth is considered a little uncouth.
Thai meals are communal -- everyone orders different dishes to share. Individual plates of rice are the base, and you take small portions from shared dishes.