If you want a concise Budget Travel Guide to Thai Food: Street Food, Regional Cuisines and Must-Try Dishes, focus your money on local markets, night streets and food courts in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Isan, where classic Thai dishes like pad thai, tom yum and som tam still cost roughly 35–70 THB and can easily fit a S$30–S$40 daily food budget for Singapore travellers.[3]
This cluster guide supports Homejourney’s main pillar on Thai food and travel [Homejourney's Ultimate Thai Food Guide: Street Food, Regional Cuisines & Must-Tr... ] by going deeper into practical, budget-friendly strategies – especially for Singapore-based travellers who are also curious about living or investing in Asia.
Why Thai food is perfect for budget-conscious Singapore travellers
From Singapore, Thai food is often the first taste of authentic, affordable regional cuisine: where one plate of pad thai in Bangkok can cost less than a kopi and toast set at a CBD cafe.[3][4]
As someone who has flown Singapore–Bangkok and Singapore–Chiang Mai multiple times a year, the biggest difference you’ll feel is value: portions are generous, flavours are bold, and you can comfortably eat three full Thai street food meals a day for around S$15–S$20, if you avoid tourist-trap areas and stick to local spots.[2][3]
For Homejourney users, this guide is also a way to understand lifestyle costs in Thailand versus Singapore – useful context if you are comparing both destinations for work, living or future property investment.
Essential budget facts: costs, currency and when to go
Average street food pricing (2024–2025):
- Pad thai from street carts or night markets: about 35–50 THB per plate (roughly S$1.30–S$2.00).[3]
- Noodle soups (guay tiew): around 30–50 THB, filling enough for lunch.[3]
- Heavier stir-fries or rice dishes (e.g. basil pork, khao ka moo): about 40–70 THB.[1][3]
- Snacks like grilled pork skewers, sausage or coconut ice cream: 10–30 THB.[1][2]
From a Singapore perspective, that means a typical hawker-style meal which now averages S$5–S$7 at many food centres[4][6] can often be had in Thailand for under S$2 if you choose local markets and non-touristy neighbourhoods.[1][3]
Best time to visit for food and comfort
- November–February: Cooler and drier, best for night markets and walking streets.
- March–May: Hot season – great for mango sticky rice but prepare for intense heat.
- June–October: Rainy season, but food is still excellent; just plan around afternoon downpours.
For Singapore travellers used to humidity, Thai weather feels familiar, but outdoor street eating is most comfortable after sunset or early mornings.
Core Thai street food you must try on a budget
This Budget Travel Guide to Thai Food: Street Food, Regional Cuisines and Must-Try Dishes focuses on value-for-money classics you’ll find almost everywhere.
1. Pad thai – the beginner-friendly staple
Pad thai is a stir-fried rice noodle dish with egg, tofu or meat, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts, often flavoured with tamarind for a balance of sweet, sour and savoury.[3]
Budget range: 35–50 THB at street carts and night markets, up to 80–120 THB at sit-down tourist restaurants.[3]
Insider tip from a Singaporean traveller: In Bangkok, I avoid stalls right in front of big malls like MBK or near Asok BTS, where prices are inflated; I walk 5–10 minutes into side streets and find pad thai carts at almost half the price, very similar to how prices drop when you eat two blocks away from Orchard Road in Singapore.
2. Tom yum – spicy-sour soup that defines Thai cuisine
Tom yum is a hot and sour soup flavoured with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, galangal, chilli and lime. Popular versions include tom yum goong (prawns) and tom yum talay (seafood).
Budget range: Around 60–100 THB in local eateries; large seafood versions at tourist areas can be 150–250 THB.
If you’re used to Singapore Thai restaurants in malls where tom yum easily reaches S$10–S$15 per bowl, local Thai shophouses feel extremely affordable by comparison.[5]
3. Noodle soups (guay tiew) – your cheapest filling meal
Guay tiew refers broadly to Thai noodle soups – rice or egg noodles with pork, chicken, beef or fish balls in a clear, herbal or boat-style broth.
Budget range: 30–50 THB at markets and small shophouses, with the option to add extra noodles or meat for a small top-up.[3]
On days when I want to keep to a tight S$20 daily food budget, I make at least one meal a noodle soup bowl – it’s satisfying, cheap and widely available near BTS and MRT stations in Bangkok, much like popping into a hawker centre next to an MRT station in Singapore.
4. Som tam, grilled meats and Isan snacks
Som tam (green papaya salad) is a spicy, tangy salad from the Isan region, commonly paired with sticky rice and grilled meats like moo ping (pork skewers) or gai yang (grilled chicken).[1][3]
Budget range:
- Som tam: around 40–60 THB at street stalls.[2][3]
- Sticky rice: 10–20 THB.[1]
- Grilled pork skewers: roughly 10–20 THB each, depending on city.[1]
This trio is one of the best-value street meals you can get and ideal if you love spicy, punchy flavours similar to Thai salad stalls in Singapore’s food courts, but at a fraction of the price.
5. Sweet treats: mango sticky rice & coconut ice cream
Mango sticky rice (khao niew mamuang) is a famous Thai dessert of glutinous rice with coconut milk and ripe mango. Coconut ice cream is another street classic, often served in a coconut shell or bread roll.
Budget range: Mango sticky rice can be 40–120 THB depending on city and location, with Bangkok tourist zones at the higher end.[3] Coconut ice cream usually costs around 20–30 THB per scoop.[2]
Compared with a typical S$3–S$5 dessert in Singapore hawker centres, Thai street desserts can be significantly cheaper if you buy from neighbourhood markets rather than famous Instagram spots.
Regional Thai cuisines to explore on a budget
Beyond generic “Thai food”, regional cuisines add depth to your trip and can still be explored cheaply if you know where to go.
Bangkok – central Thai classics & mega night markets
Bangkok offers everything from 24-hour street stalls under BTS stations to massive markets like Ratchada and Victory Monument. I often stay near stations like Ari, On Nut or Saphan Khwai where rents and food prices are lower than in Siam or Silom, very similar to choosing Toa Payoh or Queenstown over Orchard for better value in Singapore.
Expect to find:
- Pad thai, pad kra pao (basil meat with rice), khao man gai (chicken rice).
- Boat noodles near Victory Monument.
- Seafood tom yum and stir-fries in Chinatown (Yaowarat) – pricier but still fair if you avoid tourist set menus.
Chiang Mai – northern herbs and gentler spice
In Chiang Mai, northern Thai dishes like khao soi (curry egg noodles), sai ua (northern sausage) and nam prik ong (tomato-based chilli dip) dominate. Prices can be even friendlier than Bangkok, especially outside the Old City.
Sunday Walking Street and Chiang Mai Night Bazaar are ideal for tasting many dishes at once, with most foods still hovering around 30–60 THB per portion as of 2025.[2][3]
Isan – bold, spicy and extremely budget-friendly
Isan (northeastern Thailand) is known for grilled meats, sticky rice and strong chilli–lime flavours. Cities like Khon Kaen and Udon Thani are far less touristy, so prices reflect local incomes.
Dishes like larb (minced meat salad), spicy Isan sausage and pork jaw often cost 40–70 THB, offering some of the best flavour-to-price ratios in the country.[1]
