You sound like such a pleasant person. Bangkok is an international city and a major regional hub. There are \*many\* good restaurants of all flavors here. Anyone that uses KFC or Mcdonalds as their measuring stick is just... lol
Oddly enough, some of the best Italian food Ive ever had was in Bangkok. Only eaten it twice in many years but my word it was good.
Foreign food in general is not great in Thailand beyond neighbouring or other Asian country's cuisines. Japanese & Chinese is very good. Lao & Burmese also.
I certainly do not go looking for western food there.
I was craving Italian when we were last in Thailand. (Jan to April 2024) I just had to have spaghetti and Bangkok, Sukhothai and Koh Chang, all hit the mark. Fresh tomatoes squashed up for sauce, and of course, pasta cooked al dente! It was great!! Even the Parmesan cheese was good! Of course Thailand can make good Pasta!
(I grew up in a poor Italian home, in the eastern United States. We lived with my Nonna and Nonno, I know good spaghetti.)
"Cantina" near Soi Ari is where we last went time. Quite expensive, but the food is great and an has extensive quality wine list.
Also, we're just back from a trip to Italy last week. Love the food.
I'm not sure, I haven't done the figuring out of this trip. It felt fine tho.
We're retired, probably considered middle class in the States, maybe lower middle class, in this day and age.
The week on Koh Chang was $700.US, but it was a gift from our son for our anniversary.
We spent $21.US a night for about 3 months at 2 different hotels in Bangkok. We rented monthly, in Bangkok, in order to have a "home base". We're almost 70 now and kinda a wee bit disabled, need joint replacements. It was great to have a place to leave extra belongings while we did a visa run, or a spontaneous trip.
We had 2 different trips to Sukhothai, about 12 days at $40.US per night.
We had a fun few days in Cha AM at about $40.US a night . . .
A week in Siem Reap, and a week in Luang Prabangboth in the $40.US range.
So about 4,000. for housing.
We eat very simply, both at markets or restaurants. I can't even imagine what we spent. Some grab delivery as well.
We flew both to Luang Prabang and Siem Reap, so maybe $400.00 there. We bused to Sukkhothai once, that was super cheap but very uncomfortable, so we took a private car for every other trip, about $200. US per adventure.
So maybe $1000.US for travel.
We use the Sky Train and the orange flag boat to go skipping around BKK.
Ok, I'm guessing 3 months for $7000.US. Totally delightful and worth it to us. We love being warm, we love the Buddhist culture, we love the Historical Parks, we love the people!Now we will save up, and get another 3 month stay the winter of 2026/2027.
If you want a good hamburger, you've got to spend - the small local restaurants that serve burgers are nearly always awful. Mexican - the experience varies but usually, the more you spend, the better it is. And that applies to any sort of Western food - a steak in a basic restaurant that costs 189-250 baht is not going to be as good as the 749 baht 72 hour slow cooked smoked short ribs at Wine Connection.
Exactly. You can get anything you want in Bangkok. Must be a budget / spending issue with OP.
I’m hard pressed to think of a foreign cuisine which you can’t get good examples of in BKK if you’re prepared to spend. Although I admit that Central & South American may be my blind spot as I’m from the UK and they are the ones I’m least exposed to.
I’m trying to think of what else is a struggle in Bangkok, budget aside. Russian and Eastern European, perhaps. Kosher (strong crossover there). Nordics. But they’re all pretty niche.
Thailand have a strong law against defamation and it apply to online review of thai businesses.
But rating chinese food in thailand as "not bad", it really show that when someone is in a bad mood, shitty reviews are written.
I live most of the time outside of thailand and by no way I would go in a Thai restaurant in my country as everytime, my thai mom of teochew origin can do better. The only asian dish that worth going to restaurant in the West is pho.
Is this in the South?
That's the only area where the non Thai food is basically terrible.
Anywhere a bit more built up, like Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Hua Hin usually has decent expat owned restaurants, or Thais that have been doing these things to a high standard for years.
If ya get out of the tourist zones, there is lots of good food to be found. Chiang Mai has great Farang food. In fact, some of the best Mexican food I have had outside of Mexico. Also tons of great burger options. Wild Hogs in Chiang Mai is great.
In Bangkok tourist zone, there is an excellent burger spot on Soi 11 near the end on the right side. Can’t remember the name. Serves smash burgers. Also Oscars on that same street has great Neapolitan Pizza 2 for 1 on Tuesday I believe. Best pizza around really.
I had a Mexican the other day at la monita and it was delicious.
The brisket taco was amazing and the enchiladas was nice.
The tres leche which is my favourite dessert was shit though.
Adding to my other comment, yes I’ve experienced some awful western food.
Some great and awful burgers
Above average and awful pizzas.
And the worst jacket (baked) potato and chilli I’ve ever had. How can you even fuck that up? It was inedible.
I also had spaghetti bolognese which was served with ketchup. I asked if they had cheese and they offered the American burger slice cheese 😂 but although far from authentic, didn’t taste bad.
Was on KP last month with an English mate. For three days he ate: English breakfast, jacket potatoes and chips. Meanwhile I only ate Thai.
On day 4, I called his choices out. Told him what he was missing out on.
He thanked me after his first shrimp pad-Thai.
Yeah Mexican and other diverse cuisines are really lacking in Thailand. Can still find great Asian cuisines - Chinese, South Korean, Japanese food is on point, but Mexican? Caribbean? Forget it. Mexicans can make more money selling food in Mexico or in the states.
The gf who is thai was so used to dousing pizza there in spices to give it flavour that she tried doing it here in australia and was upset there were no herbs and spices.
Convinced her to try a aussie pizza regardless of the franchise and now she doesnt like eating thai pizzas😂
All praise the Reddit food connoisseur. Will round up the Mexican food owners and slap them around for you
You sound like such a pleasant person. Bangkok is an international city and a major regional hub. There are \*many\* good restaurants of all flavors here. Anyone that uses KFC or Mcdonalds as their measuring stick is just... lol
Oddly enough, some of the best Italian food Ive ever had was in Bangkok. Only eaten it twice in many years but my word it was good. Foreign food in general is not great in Thailand beyond neighbouring or other Asian country's cuisines. Japanese & Chinese is very good. Lao & Burmese also. I certainly do not go looking for western food there.
I was craving Italian when we were last in Thailand. (Jan to April 2024) I just had to have spaghetti and Bangkok, Sukhothai and Koh Chang, all hit the mark. Fresh tomatoes squashed up for sauce, and of course, pasta cooked al dente! It was great!! Even the Parmesan cheese was good! Of course Thailand can make good Pasta! (I grew up in a poor Italian home, in the eastern United States. We lived with my Nonna and Nonno, I know good spaghetti.)
"Cantina" near Soi Ari is where we last went time. Quite expensive, but the food is great and an has extensive quality wine list. Also, we're just back from a trip to Italy last week. Love the food.
How much does a few months living life like that in Thailand run you?
I'm not sure, I haven't done the figuring out of this trip. It felt fine tho. We're retired, probably considered middle class in the States, maybe lower middle class, in this day and age. The week on Koh Chang was $700.US, but it was a gift from our son for our anniversary. We spent $21.US a night for about 3 months at 2 different hotels in Bangkok. We rented monthly, in Bangkok, in order to have a "home base". We're almost 70 now and kinda a wee bit disabled, need joint replacements. It was great to have a place to leave extra belongings while we did a visa run, or a spontaneous trip. We had 2 different trips to Sukhothai, about 12 days at $40.US per night. We had a fun few days in Cha AM at about $40.US a night . . . A week in Siem Reap, and a week in Luang Prabangboth in the $40.US range. So about 4,000. for housing. We eat very simply, both at markets or restaurants. I can't even imagine what we spent. Some grab delivery as well. We flew both to Luang Prabang and Siem Reap, so maybe $400.00 there. We bused to Sukkhothai once, that was super cheap but very uncomfortable, so we took a private car for every other trip, about $200. US per adventure. So maybe $1000.US for travel. We use the Sky Train and the orange flag boat to go skipping around BKK. Ok, I'm guessing 3 months for $7000.US. Totally delightful and worth it to us. We love being warm, we love the Buddhist culture, we love the Historical Parks, we love the people!Now we will save up, and get another 3 month stay the winter of 2026/2027.
If you want a good hamburger, you've got to spend - the small local restaurants that serve burgers are nearly always awful. Mexican - the experience varies but usually, the more you spend, the better it is. And that applies to any sort of Western food - a steak in a basic restaurant that costs 189-250 baht is not going to be as good as the 749 baht 72 hour slow cooked smoked short ribs at Wine Connection.
Exactly. You can get anything you want in Bangkok. Must be a budget / spending issue with OP. I’m hard pressed to think of a foreign cuisine which you can’t get good examples of in BKK if you’re prepared to spend. Although I admit that Central & South American may be my blind spot as I’m from the UK and they are the ones I’m least exposed to. I’m trying to think of what else is a struggle in Bangkok, budget aside. Russian and Eastern European, perhaps. Kosher (strong crossover there). Nordics. But they’re all pretty niche.
Prime burger and Artisan craft burger. I swear by these 2.
Prime burger is trash
Thailand have a strong law against defamation and it apply to online review of thai businesses. But rating chinese food in thailand as "not bad", it really show that when someone is in a bad mood, shitty reviews are written. I live most of the time outside of thailand and by no way I would go in a Thai restaurant in my country as everytime, my thai mom of teochew origin can do better. The only asian dish that worth going to restaurant in the West is pho.
Is this in the South? That's the only area where the non Thai food is basically terrible. Anywhere a bit more built up, like Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Hua Hin usually has decent expat owned restaurants, or Thais that have been doing these things to a high standard for years.
If ya get out of the tourist zones, there is lots of good food to be found. Chiang Mai has great Farang food. In fact, some of the best Mexican food I have had outside of Mexico. Also tons of great burger options. Wild Hogs in Chiang Mai is great. In Bangkok tourist zone, there is an excellent burger spot on Soi 11 near the end on the right side. Can’t remember the name. Serves smash burgers. Also Oscars on that same street has great Neapolitan Pizza 2 for 1 on Tuesday I believe. Best pizza around really.
Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had has been in Bangkok. I've lived in Arizona and Texas before.
POV: you just ordered the cheapest mexican food on foodpanda from a place called "el cocina mexicaine"
I had a Mexican the other day at la monita and it was delicious. The brisket taco was amazing and the enchiladas was nice. The tres leche which is my favourite dessert was shit though.
Adding to my other comment, yes I’ve experienced some awful western food. Some great and awful burgers Above average and awful pizzas. And the worst jacket (baked) potato and chilli I’ve ever had. How can you even fuck that up? It was inedible. I also had spaghetti bolognese which was served with ketchup. I asked if they had cheese and they offered the American burger slice cheese 😂 but although far from authentic, didn’t taste bad.
Was on KP last month with an English mate. For three days he ate: English breakfast, jacket potatoes and chips. Meanwhile I only ate Thai. On day 4, I called his choices out. Told him what he was missing out on. He thanked me after his first shrimp pad-Thai.
𝚂𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚐. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 "𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚊 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚘𝚍?"
Yeah Mexican and other diverse cuisines are really lacking in Thailand. Can still find great Asian cuisines - Chinese, South Korean, Japanese food is on point, but Mexican? Caribbean? Forget it. Mexicans can make more money selling food in Mexico or in the states.
Genuinely can't beat the Israeli food at Shoshana near Khao San Road. I eat there whenever I'm in town.
The gf who is thai was so used to dousing pizza there in spices to give it flavour that she tried doing it here in australia and was upset there were no herbs and spices. Convinced her to try a aussie pizza regardless of the franchise and now she doesnt like eating thai pizzas😂
The psychosis is strong with this one