10 Classic Thailand Snacks Everyone Needs To Try

Whether it’s a street food stall, a roadside vendor, the local markets, or a quintessential supermarket (ahem, 7-Eleven), Thailand snacks are always readily available, at every hour! 

I lived in Phuket for six months a couple of years back. 

Then, during my time living in Hanoi, Vietnam, I’d always pick Thailand as an easy visa-run destination. If time was of the essence, I’d often stay in the airport or head out of the airport and stay close by, with limited local food options around me outside (airport dependent). 

All in all, I got to know Thai cuisine really well, including Thailand snacks! 

Wondering what the locals love to munch on? My list of the 10 yummiest Thai snacks is based on food bites I used to frequently spot, eye out, and buy all over the country, all of which are local favorites! Enjoy, and don’t forget to stock up on your personal favorites before departing, so you’re never without! 

1. Fried chicken 

Fried chicken? In Thailand?… Yup, you are reading right, and during my time living on Phuket, fried chicken was one of my ultimate late-night Thailand snacks. At the time, I was working for an American company, and so my hours were evenings. 

On my scooter drive home (which was from one side of the island to the other), I always looked forward to stopping over at a roadside store to pick up a delicious, piping hot piece of fried chicken! You’ll especially notice this snack in the South of Thailand. 

Or, if you’re headed to Phi Phi Island, count how many stalls you spot selling chicken schnitzel. 

As one of the yummiest Thailand snacks, it’s an especially filling, quick, and cheap option! The way it’s done is that there is always the perfect ratio of crispy batter and skin, and the seasoning is always on point. The batter is also slightly darker, like a little bit orange. Ain’t nobody got time for KFC, here! 

2. Fruit Cups and Smoothies 

Every single time I leave Thailand, the thing that I miss the most is the roadside fruit cups, smoothies, and freshly squeezed juices, available at pretty much every corner! 

Plastic smoothie containers are filled with an array of bright tropical fruit, easily catching your eye as you walk or drive by. Strawberries, mango, pineapple, watermelon, combo options…It’s the best of the Thailand snacks to munch on, especially in the Land of Smiles’ scorching weather (most times of year). 

Again, my favorite fruit cups and fruit smoothies have always been in Phuket and the Southern islands. 

Find them at street vendors or the local markets. There are also street stalls that sell the whole fruit, and you can request that they chop it up for you, determining how much fruit you want to buy. 

3. Thung Thong

Otherwise known as crispy Thai dumplings, or going by its super cute nickname: “Thai money bags” (due to its shape), think of thung thong as in between a steamed dumpling and a crispy wonton. 

The moment you bite into one, a combination of minced meat and juices should hit your palate. I could eat a hundred of them in one go; they’re just that more-ish. 

Typical fillings include ground minced pork and shrimp, sometimes combined, or sometimes just one of the two. The vegetarian option is usually with shitake mushrooms. 

Side note: you also find thung thong filled with meat as well as mushrooms. I am NOT a mushroom fan whatsoever, so I always ask first if a thung thong has mushrooms in it. 

It pairs perfectly with a sticky soy Thai dumpling dipping sauce. When purchasing it from a street vendor, they’ll plonk them in a takeaway bag, along with a separate smaller bag for the sauce. 

4. Durian Chips 

This next munchie on my list of iconic Thailand snacks might be “controversial” for some, but not in the negative sense. Rather, when it comes to taste, or as a byproduct, that is not everyone’s cup of bubble tea! 

Durian chips almost look similar to a dried plantain chip/ sweet potato chip — you know the kind when you buy a packet of veggie chips? Or, like extremely crispy, lightly salted Lays. 

Sold fresh at the local night markets, or mass-produced as a packet of chips/crisps vibes (this version found at the supermarkets), if you’re not a durian fan, then skip this one! However, if you’ve never tested out the stinky Asian fruit before, go for it! You’ll never know until you try, right? 

Usually, durian chips are seasoned with salt and turmeric, and they’re deep-fried. 

5. Instant Noodles

Before you go asking yourselves, “Isn’t this a typical snack across Asia?” I’ll answer your question for you. YES, it is. However, in Thailand, you find popular/iconic Thai flavors, like Thai green curry, but in instant noodles form. 

The easy, affordable snacks are eaten around the world. But never have I seen something so consumed as when I lived in Asia. I’ll never forget departing Bangkok, and our flight was delayed. Hanging out in the airport, and reading a book near a hot water dispenser, I must have counted five locals coming to the water dispenser for hot water for their 2-minute noodles in the space of an hour. 

It’s literally one of the most popular Thailand snacks, and excellent for backpackers on a budget. 

But I love how Thailand spices their flavours up — literally AND figuratively. Other yummy flavors include tom yum shrimp, seafood pad kee mao, tom yum kung, pad thai, and more. Popular brands to try are Mama, Wai Wai, and Maggi. Find them at every 7-Eleven. 

Word of warning: I cannot handle anything extremely spicy. The number of times I have blown my head off from instant noodle packets…Even if the packaging doesn’t list or show a chili icon, I suggest always tasting a tiny bit of the seasoning packets, just to be double sure! 

6. Khanom Phing

Until I tried these yummy little cookies, I always thought that these Thailand snacks were like the Hello Panda cookies, you know, the ones filled with chocolate! 

The texture is sort of the same, but after I finally bought a jar as a souvenir at the airport, I realised that they’re actually coconut-based! 

Made from coconut milk, tapioca flour, sugar, and egg yolks, the outer shell is crispy, and the inside is super creamy. The cookie is shaped like a little half-circle, and the bottom layer shouldn’t be too thick. As you bite into it, it should crumble, break, and melt in your mouth. 

Khanom phing is also called a Thai coconut cookie. If you’re in places like Sukhothai, they still make these cookies the traditional way, baking them in a terracotta kiln. 

7. Satay 

Satay is not only one of the most iconic street foods in this country, but one of the most popular of the Thailand snacks! 

It’s another one of those local quick bites that you spot all over, no matter if you’re in the North, South, East, or Central parts of the country. 

But on that note, your positioning does influence the type of satay. For example, in the South, where you are close to the ocean, you’ll find satay sticks comprising octopus, crab sticks, fish balls (albeit the processed kind), and even prawns. Whereas in the North, it’s more meaty sticks, like sausages, pork, and chicken. Veggie ones you can spot all over, usually offered with green peppers, onions, tofu, etc. 

Find satay at the markets and local street food vendors. 

8. Gluay Khaek 

If you had to hear the words, ‘gluay khaek,’ you’d have absolutely no clue what I was referring to (unless you speak Thai, of course). But this is another sort of universal snack that also happens to be well-loved among the Thailand snacks category, and is best as soon as they’re done frying. 

Thai fried bananas are commonly found at local markets, both day and night. For anyone with a sweet tooth like me, they are best enjoyed with a side serving of condensed milk. Dipping the battered fruit into this sweetness is heavenly! 

I also love that Thai bananas boast a really light batter. This is thanks to its rice flour coating, which I always find to be a lot lighter than a traditional flour batter, like the type you find in Western countries. 

A common way of making gluay khaek is to add a sprinkling of sesame seeds to the tops of the battered bananas as they’re frying. 

P.S. They are also known as ‘kluay kaek.’ You might have noticed that depending on which part of the country you’re in in Thailand, words/spelling are slightly different by one letter. 

9. Tod Mun Pla 

If you love: seafood, spicy things, and Thai curries, you’re in for a treat with tod mun pla, i.e., Thai fish cakes! 

Minced white fish, like snapper, basa, or sometimes catfish — in areas where there are more rivers than ocean — is then mixed with Thai red curry paste, herbs like Thai basil, and long beans (chopped up, don’t mistake these for green chilis, they’re not). 

It’s then rolled into a patty-like shape and deep-fried. The texture is different from a British fish cake, and should be a little “bouncier.” 

It’s another one of the Thailand snacks commonly spotted at the markets. And they’re best eaten with a fish sauce-based dipping sauce. 

Foodie tip: Many Thailand snacks are available from the supermarkets, but in processed form. For the best tod mun pla, find a vendor that makes them fresh, and not simply a processed, frozen version! 

10. Khaep Mu

For me, khaep mu are super nostalgic! I grew up eating these crispy pork rinds. Looking back in hindsight, they’re not the healthiest snack, but they are darn delicious! 

I did a super happy dance the first time I traveled to Thailand and spotted them in just about every single supermarket, like Big C, and 7-Eleven, usually in the chip aisle. 

Also known as pork crackling, it’s literally the fatty rind of a pork chop/cut that is then deep-fried. Think of it like roast pork crackling, but on steroids! I wouldn’t recommend going overboard on these for the sake of your cholesterol. But I did eat tons of them, especially if I was ever on a long bus ride in Thailand. 

During the drive from Chiang Mai to Pai, we stopped off at a viewpoint/restaurant/street stall, and they sold local packets of them by the dozen! 

Speaking of Chiang Mai and food, how well do you know Northern Thai cuisine? Jump straight in with my list of must-try Chiang Mai street foods! Or, if you’re visiting the capital city for the first time, here are Bangkok’s best street food bites, including mango sticky rice and Thai boat noodles!

I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. My day is never complete without something sweet (no matter how many times I’ve tried giving up sugar). Tuck into my list of the yummiest Thai desserts next time you’re in Thailand. Lastly, if you’re planning an extensive adventure around the Land of Smiles, check out our ultimate 10-day Thailand itinerary.  

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