#1 Yaowarat (Chinatown) – The Bangkok Street Food Markets

Yaowarat road is the most famous Bangkok Street Food Markets, cutting through the heart of Chinatown, but on the parallel Charoen Krung road, and down countless small market lanes, you’ll also find endless eating options.

Yaowarat is famous for its very popular food stalls balanced on the most impractical pavements, not to mention the dubious sanitary conditions. And yet, each plastic chair is occupied and a queue is patiently standing by, trying not to get hit by tuk-tuks and bikes passing by.

Just a short distance from Yoawarat is the community of Pahurat, known as Bangkok’s very Little India, and home to some great Indian street food restaurants like Toney Restaurant.

How to get there: Easiest way to get to Chinatown is by taxi, but alternatively, you can take the MRT to Hua Lamphong station, and then walk to Chinatown from there (10 mins) or take a tuk-tuk/motorbike.

Open hours: All day, but best in the evenings

#2 Charoen Krungand/Bangrak

A walk down the entirety of Charoen Krung Road is bound to end with a full stomach, the smell of stir-fried garlic, fragrant noodles, steamed dumplings, roasted duck, and freshly sliced fruit (during the season), permeates and saturates the air with a cloud of marvelous Thai street food.

Right at Saphan Taksin BTS station, you’ll find a decent boat noodle restaurant, and just a little way up the road, opposite the mall, is the famous Prachak duck restaurant. Also for vegetarian, just around the corner, check out Tien Sin.

Address: 4-6 Soi Saladang, Silom Road

How to get there: It’s easiest to take the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station and then just walk around the area. Alternatively, you can get there by taxi.

Open hours: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Closed on Sundays

#3 Ratchawat Market/Sriyan Market

These two are the most old and traditional Bangkok Street Food Markets. Ratchawat is first and includes a fine selection of restaurants serving roast duck, Kobe beef noodles, and unnamed restaurant where a man in a shower cap cooks up a stir-fried curry shark that burst’s with so much flavor.

Further down the road, about a kilometer, you’ll come to Sriyan Market, yet another culinary gem in Bangkok Street Food Markets segment. Both Ratchawat and Sriyan is that they filled with Bangkok street food, yet they have a relaxed and laid back feel to them – life moves at a bit of a slower pace in these areas than in the rest of the city.

How to get there: Easiest way to get to Ratchawat and Sriyan is by taking a taxi. Closest BTS station is Victory Monument, but from there it’s about a 10-minute taxi ride away.

Open hours: Daytime is best, and especially a good place to eat lunch

#4 Silom – Bangkok Street Food Markets

One of the most interesting districts of Bangkok, with a rich history of cultures and cuisines mixing. Start with a stroll down Soi Convent (near the BTS’s Sala Daeng Station). Silom is the central business district of Bangkok, and the only reason that’s important is that that means a lot of people, and in Thailand that translates into a lot of food. However, keep in mind this is also a giant business district, so at lunchtime, it’s common to see epic lines of locals waiting for their favorite street dish!

About 1 kilometer further south from the main part of Silom, almost in-between Silom and Bangrak is Silom Soi 20, which I think is a great Bangkok Street Food Markets. It’s especially good in the morning, from about 6 am – 9 am when the road is mostly closed to traffic and turns into a fresh market with lots of takeaway food.

How to get there: Take the BTS Skytrain Chong Nonsi station, exit #2, and then make a left on Silom Road, walk all the way until you reach the Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple, and Soi 20 is across the street on your right-hand side (15-minute walk)

Open hours: Morning market from about 6 am – 9 am, and in the evening you’ll find some restaurants open as well, but better in the morning.

#5 Petchaburi Soi 5

Pronounce ‘ped – bur – ree’ for short, this area is a short walk from BTS Ratchathewi Station and is among Bangkok’s most underrated areas for street food. Hidden in-between the modern shopping area of Siam and Victory Monument, and hidden in the Phaya Thai neighborhood, is Petchaburi Soi 5.

This soi especially comes alive in the evening, when you’ll find dozens of street food carts and restaurants with their doors open, catering to many people coming home from work. Another great reason to go to Petchaburi Soi 5 is to dine at P’Aor for a delicious bowl of tom yum goong noodles. The rice noodles swim in a thick and creamy broth that sweet and sour and milky from the shrimp head oils. It’s amazing.

How to get there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Ratchathewi station, exit #3, then cross over Petchaburi Road, make a left on Petchaburi, and walk until you get to Soi 5, and then turn right.

Open hours: Throughout the daytime some stalls and restaurants are open, but especially in the evening starting at around 5:00PM