Thai street food favorites

When you visit Thailand, or live here like I do, you will certainly find yourself eating most kinds of Thai street food available on every corner (literally anywhere you go). After my various experiences with street food in Bangkok, I thought I would share with you my favorites, as well as some tips to remember. Don't be nervous about ordering street food and only eat western style food when you are in Thailand, it would be such an opportunity missed.

There are also many fancy Thai restaurants that offer a selection of authentic foods, but I find that you are then paying double the price for a meal that could be cooked more authentically right on the streets like the locals have it. The language barrier makes ordering food a slight challenge but just pointing to things and hoping for the best often works! Here are the Thai names and descriptions to help you out a bit. Street food is the best!

Papaya Salad (somtam thai)

Papaya salad is possibly my favorite of all the street foods! It is crispy and fresh, with the main ingredients of unripened papaya, carrots, sprouts and peanuts. Added to the mix is flavors such as garlic, palm sugar and fresh chilli (be sure to ask for 'mai pet' if you're not into too much spice). It is great for a lunch time meal with sticky marinated chicken (gai yang) added to it. You will be able to spot a somtam stand by the big piles of shredded papaya in the glass window. Make sure to specifically ask for somtam 'Thai' if you're not a fan of tiny dehydrated baby shrimp being thrown into the mix (they're kind of off-putting).

Expat life in BKK

What is it really like for an expat living in Bangkok? Well let me just say it is not easy to begin with, but it is a lifestyle I wouldn't be able to afford back in South Africa that is for sure. When I decided to  move to a foreign country I had to realise that I was not just here to visit for a few days, I needed to find an apartment and settle in. This whole process of making bkk my home was unexpectedly easy in some ways and equally frustrating in others. What I did have to accept straight off the bat was that my life back in South Africa could in no way be replicated in great big Bangkok (as much as I tried).