Thailand’s food scene was every bit as colorful, energetic, and unpredictable as the country itself. Markets and sidewalks were filled with vendors cooking over open flames, tossing ingredients into sizzling woks, grilling skewers, cutting fresh fruit, and serving meals from tiny stalls surrounded by plastic tables and chairs. The smells of garlic, chilies, grilled meat, herbs, coconut, and tropical fruit seemed to follow us everywhere.

Thai cuisine is known for balancing sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and savory flavors, sometimes all in the same dish. Popular foods include pad Thai, curries, boat noodles, grilled meats, fresh tropical fruit, and mango sticky rice. In many markets, meals are prepared right in front of you, making the food itself part of the experience.

Our visit to the floating market gave us an entirely different look at Thailand’s food culture. Vendors sold fruit, snacks, drinks, and freshly prepared meals from small wooden boats and stalls lining the canals. Some cooked directly from their boats and passed dishes to customers along the water. It was crowded, colorful, fascinating, and unlike anything we had experienced before.

Back in Bangkok, however, my enthusiasm for culinary exploration had limits. We saw raw chicken sitting in open buckets along the street in the tropical heat, which did absolutely nothing to increase my appetite. We also passed vendors carrying trays piled with cooked scorpions. Sarah is normally the adventurous eater in our relationship, but even she was not volunteering for that one.

I was perfectly happy to appreciate Thailand’s more adventurous food offerings visually—from several feet away.

Phuket offered another side of the country’s food scene. Its tropical setting meant plenty of seafood, fresh fruit, coconut-based treats, and restaurants near the water. It was also where Sarah encountered a hamburger topped with a fried egg, something that seemed unusual to us at the time but that she was willing to try. Even during our short visit, the relaxed coastal atmosphere made eating in Phuket feel very different from the busy markets and crowded streets of Bangkok.

For me, food was honestly one of the more challenging parts of the trip. I have never been a big fan of Thai food, and unfamiliar dishes are generally not where my adventurous side appears. Sarah was far more willing to explore the local cuisine, although even she decided to skip much of the street food.

Meanwhile, I spent a surprising amount of time searching for something familiar, recognizable, and preferably still sealed in its original packaging.

We were also cautious about drinking water and carried bottled water with us throughout the trip. In Bangkok’s intense heat and humidity, staying hydrated quickly became essential, so bottled water became something we kept with us everywhere.

My increasingly desperate search for familiar food eventually became one of the funniest memories of the trip. Between vending machines, questionable culinary options, and the glorious moment I finally found something I actually wanted to eat, Thailand proved that sometimes the funniest travel stories happen when your stomach and your sense of adventure have very different ideas. You can read the full story in our Funny Moments section.

One of Sarah’s favorite Thai dishes was Chicken Panang Curry, or Panang Gai. This rich and creamy curry is made with chicken, coconut milk, fragrant curry paste, and makrut lime leaves. The sauce is thick, slightly sweet, savory, and mildly spicy, making it a flavorful option for travelers who want to try a Thai curry without something overly hot or soup-like.

Of all the desserts available in Thailand, my personal favorite was not mango sticky rice, coconut ice cream, or anything remotely traditional.

It was a Good Humor ice cream bar.

After days of navigating unfamiliar dishes, street food, cooked scorpions, and buckets of raw chicken, finding something sealed, recognizable, and completely predictable felt like hitting the culinary jackpot. Was it culturally adventurous? Absolutely not. Did I care? Also absolutely not. At that particular moment, it may have been the greatest ice cream bar ever produced.

Traditional Thai-style coffee is often strong, sweet, and served over ice with condensed or evaporated milk. We generally stuck with regular coffee, which was more familiar and better suited to our tastes. Thailand also has plenty of modern cafés, particularly in Bangkok and other tourist areas, so travelers who prefer espresso drinks, cappuccinos, or less-sweet coffee should have plenty of options. If ordering Thai-style coffee, it can be worth asking for less sugar if you prefer it on the less-sweet side.