Asia · Southeast Asia

Thailand

Recipes connected with Thailand

Food and eating habits

How people eat in Thailand

50 indicators exploring everyday meals, ingredients and food culture. Information is completed progressively from documented evidence.

49 of 50 indicators with documented information

Not all data are comparable: food supply, purchases and intake are different measures. Check the period, population and method for each finding. Qualitative descriptions do not establish percentages or amounts.

Timing and company

7/8

Timing and company — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Meal times	Quantitative findingSurvey Mean breakfast time was 08:03 and dinner time 18:00, in local time. Scope, method and limitations Observation period Since October 2014; observation cutoff not reported Unit local time hh:mm Population or sample 2133 patients with prediabetes at a Bangkok hospital clinic; shift workers were excluded. Geographic scope Baseline data from a cohort started in October 2014; the 2018 article does not specify the observation cutoff. Definition and method Dietary recall for the previous twenty-four hours recorded the time of each eating occasion. Comparison limitations Partial clinical coverage with a high mean age, not national modal times. No lunch time is reported here, and publication year is not treated as collection year.
Meals per day	Quantitative findingSurvey Daily main meals: three, 89.4%; more than three, 4.1%; two without breakfast, 4.6%; two without lunch, 1.1%; two without dinner, 0.7%; one, 0.1%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2017 Unit % Population or sample People aged six and over in private households in Thailand. Geographic scope National food consumption behaviour survey, 2017; published percentages exclude unknown responses. Definition and method Household interviews and weighted estimates; official main-meal table, checked against the original count table. Comparison limitations Historical self-reports. Daily snack counts are not included; rounded percentages are neither added nor renormalised.
Meal duration	Insufficient data in the sources consulted
Daily energy distribution	Quantitative findingObserved intake Published daily energy distribution across breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks: men, 26%, 34%, 35% and 5%; women, 26%, 32%, 30% and 12%, respectively. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2012 Unit % Population or sample 215 healthy sedentary workers aged twenty to fifty from four Bangkok workplaces. Geographic scope February–April 2012; local convenience sample. Definition and method One-day recall and two consecutive non-weighed food-record days, Friday and Saturday; nutritional coding. Comparison limitations Partial historical coverage, with possible under-reporting. Not representative of the entire Thai population.
Weekdays and weekends	Quantitative findingSurvey Usual weekend lunch with family was reported by 75 participants in the inadequate dietary-diversity group and 119 in the adequate-diversity group. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023-2024 Unit participants Population or sample 304 schoolchildren aged ten to nineteen from three schools in Samoeng, a rural mountainous area of Chiang Mai. Geographic scope Interviews from October 31, 2023 to February 28, 2024; reported family habit. Definition and method Affirmative-response counts in the table by dietary-diversity group; no addition or conversion into new percentages. Comparison limitations Partial local coverage. Not a comparison of weekday and weekend timing or energy; food records covered school days only. Neither national prevalence nor causality is estimated.
Eating at home and away	Qualitative descriptionSurvey Most participants reported eating breakfast at the office. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2012 Population or sample 215 healthy sedentary workers aged twenty to fifty from four Bangkok workplaces. Geographic scope February–April 2012; local convenience sample. Definition and method One-day recall and two consecutive non-weighed food-record days, Friday and Saturday; nutritional coding. Comparison limitations Partial historical coverage, with possible under-reporting. Not representative of the entire Thai population.
Cooking frequency	Quantitative findingSurvey Average of 7.6 lunches or dinners personally cooked at home per week. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2022 Unit meals/week Population or sample People aged fifteen and over; Thai survey of 1000 face-to-face interviews, August 10 to October 27, 2022. Geographic scope Recall of the previous seven days; meals prepared at home from ingredients. Definition and method Probability-based, weighted survey; separate lunch and dinner questions. Figure read from the report’s country map. Comparison limitations Partial coverage: excludes breakfast, premade food and reheated leftovers. Pattani, Narathiwat, Yala and some districts were excluded for security, together representing less than 4% of the population. Not a count of recipes or portions prepared.
Eating together	Quantitative findingSurvey 11.1% reported eating alone four or more times per week, using the study definition. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2013 Unit % Population or sample Cohort of 39820 adults responding to the 2013 follow-up, recruited among distance-learning students living nationwide. Geographic scope Eating alone during the seven days before the questionnaire. Definition and method Self-administered questionnaire; reported frequency and classification in the study table. Comparison limitations Partial cohort coverage, not a nationally representative prevalence. This is not the share of all meals eaten alone and does not establish causal effects on wellbeing.

Pantry and recipes

2/2

Pantry and recipes — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Most consumed ingredients	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated food availability was 172.49 kg of rice and products, 71.68 kg of fruit excluding wine and 42.44 kg of vegetables per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Three selected product groups with original units. The rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Average availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake or rank all foods.
Ingredient prevalence in recipes	Quantitative findingRecipe sample Garlic appeared in 60% of preparations, brown sugar in 52% and palm oil in 51%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit % Population or sample 90 distinct curry-over-rice menu items from 13 shops at Chiang Mai University. Geographic scope August and September 2024 survey. Study published in 2026. Definition and method Interviews about menus offered throughout the year and a list of unique dishes. Recipes were standardized by cross-reviewing Wongnai entries. Comparison limitations Frequencies in the standardized recipe set. They measure neither intake nor sales. The Wongnai access date and exact rules for grouping variants are not detailed.

Cereals and plant foods

6/6

Cereals and plant foods — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Cereals and cereal products	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability was 172.49 kg of rice and products, 20.33 kg of wheat and products and 10.12 kg of maize and products per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units are retained. The rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Average availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake, consumption frequency or cooked serving weights.
Bread	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Roti Tae Chieo is described as a roti bread with a sesame and bean filling, sprinkled with brown sugar. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Bang Noi Floating Market, Samut Songkhram. Geographic scope Tourism guide, April 2020 edition. Definition and method Culinary description of the market in an official guide. Comparison limitations Local example. The source measures neither bread consumption per person nor frequency.
Pulses	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability of the pulses group was 2.79 kg per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units are retained. The rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Average availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake, consumption frequency or cooked serving weights.
Vegetables	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability was 4.26 kg of tomatoes and products, 1.66 kg of onions and 36.52 kg of other vegetables per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units are retained. The rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Average availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake, consumption frequency or cooked serving weights.
Fruit	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability was 10.11 kg of bananas and 7.42 kg of the oranges and mandarins category per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units are retained. The rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Average availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake, consumption frequency or cooked serving weights.
Potatoes, roots and tubers	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability was 5.12 kg of potatoes and products, 3.28 kg of cassava and products and 0.12 kg of sweet potatoes per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units are retained. The rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Average availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake, consumption frequency or cooked serving weights.

Protein foods

5/5

Protein foods — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Meat	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability per person per year was 12.67 kg of pigmeat, 10.23 kg of poultry meat and 1.45 kg of bovine meat. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units. Rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake. These are weights of balance categories, without equivalence to cooked servings.
Fish and seafood	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability per person per year was 11.29 kg of pelagic fish and 8.86 kg of freshwater fish. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units. Rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake. These are weights of balance categories, without equivalence to cooked servings. It does not separate fresh and preserved products.
Eggs	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated availability per person per year was 11.69 kg of eggs. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units. Rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake. These are weights of balance categories, without equivalence to cooked servings. The mass unit is retained, without conversion to egg counts.
Milk and dairy products	Quantitative findingFood supply In the milk excluding butter category, estimated availability was 31.93 kg per person per year. In the butter and ghee category, it was 0.22 kg. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units. Rows carry estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake. These are weights of balance categories, without equivalence to cooked servings. The milk aggregate does not separate liquid milk, cheese and yoghurt.
Protein sources	Quantitative findingObserved intake Median animal-protein intake was 30 g/day in men and 31 g/day in women, with interquartile ranges of 14 g and 11 g, respectively. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2012 Unit g/day Population or sample Convenience sample of 75 men and 140 women aged 20 to 50 in sedentary jobs at four worksites in metropolitan Bangkok. Geographic scope Data collected between February and April 2012. Definition and method A 24-hour recall and a two-day nonweighed food record. Nutrients calculated using the Thai database and medians analysed by sex. Comparison limitations Local observation with possible underreporting. It provides neither protein percentages from pulses, meat, fish, eggs and dairy here nor a national estimate.

Fats, flavours and condiments

3/3

Fats, flavours and condiments — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Cooking fats	Quantitative findingFood supply Estimated food availability was 3.66 kg of palm oil, 3.02 kg of soybean oil, 0.43 kg of coconut oil and 0.36 kg of rice bran oil per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Thailand’s population in the national balance. Geographic scope Year 2023. Definition and method National food balance. Original categories and units, with estimate flag E. Comparison limitations Availability for human food use. It does not measure individual intake, frequency of use or the distribution of oils in households.
Herbs and spices	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Thai cuisine is described as using fresh herbs and spices; examples given include garlic, galangal, coriander, lemongrass, shallots, pepper, kaffir lime leaves, and chilies. The institutional tomyum kung recipe lists lemongrass, galangal and shallots. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Description of Thai culinary tradition; not a population sample. Geographic scope Cuisine of Thailand; no regions are specified in the description. Definition and method Qualitative cultural description of ingredients and flavors; no recipe frequency was calculated. Comparison limitations The examples do not establish frequency or amounts, nor estimate prevalence in a defined recipe sample.
Sauces and condiments	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Thai meals are served with sauces and condiments to accompany dishes. One example is phrik nam pla, made with fish sauce, lime juice, chopped chilies, and garlic; dried chili flakes, sweet chili sauce, and chilies in rice vinegar are also mentioned. The institutional tomyum kung recipe combines fish sauce and lime juice. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Description of Thai culinary practices; not a population sample. Geographic scope Thai meals and restaurants in Thailand; no regions are specified in the description. Definition and method Qualitative cultural description of condiments and how they are served; use and amounts were not measured. Comparison limitations The examples do not establish frequency or consumption and do not describe every regional variation.

Meal composition

6/6

Meal composition — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Breakfast composition	Qualitative descriptionSurvey Office breakfasts described in the sample included coffee, pastries, sandwiches, congee and grilled pork with sticky rice. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2012 Population or sample Convenience sample of sedentary workers aged 20 to 50 at four worksites in metropolitan Bangkok. Geographic scope February-April 2012. Definition and method A 24-hour recall and a two-day nonweighed food record, with observations described by the research team. Comparison limitations Historical local observation. It gives no frequencies for each breakfast food and underreporting is possible.
Main meal composition	Qualitative descriptionSurvey Dishes in the surveyed set combined steamed rice with options such as curries, stir-fries, deep-fried dishes or other sides. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Population or sample Curry-over-rice shops at Chiang Mai University. Geographic scope August and September 2024 survey. Definition and method Interviews at all thirteen shops about menus offered throughout the year, identifying ninety unique menu items. Comparison limitations Meal format in a local sample. It establishes neither a national menu nor a fixed number of courses.
Dinner composition	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Northern khantoke dinner is described with sticky rice, chicken or pork curry, fried chicken, vegetables, soup, fried pork skin and chilli dips. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Culinary culture of northern Thailand. Geographic scope Description published in 2020. Definition and method Cultural description of khantoke dinner and its service. Comparison limitations Regional example. It does not measure everyday dinner or its population frequency.
Appetisers and snacks	Quantitative findingSurvey The table lists 46356496 people consuming snacks, 16105372 not consuming them and 610475 with unknown information, out of 63072343 people aged six or over. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2017 Unit persons Population or sample People aged six or over in private Thai households represented in the survey. Geographic scope Year 2017. Definition and method Weighted household-interview estimates, with nonresponse adjustments and calibration by age, region and municipal area. Comparison limitations The definition includes food and drinks between meals except plain water. These are published population counts, without calculated percentages or weekly frequency.
Desserts and sweets	Qualitative descriptionCultural context The description of Bang Noi Floating Market includes sweet coconut balls among its desserts. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Bang Noi Floating Market, Samut Songkhram. Geographic scope Guide, April 2020 edition. Definition and method Description of market products in an official guide. Comparison limitations Local example without a recipe, quantities per person or consumption frequency.
Portion sizes	Quantitative findingSurvey Mean total served weight of rice with two menu choices was 375 g, with a 95% margin of error of 6 g. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2025 Unit g Population or sample Rice dishes with two menu choices at Chiang Mai University’s Engineering canteen, within a sample of six hundred and fifty dishes. Geographic scope 30 January to 21 February 2025. Definition and method Point-of-sale weighing. Published mean for three hundred and forty-three dishes in this category and margin of error for total weight. Comparison limitations Observed served weight without leftover adjustment. It is neither a recommendation nor the mass of a single ingredient. Separate from the 2024 menu survey.

Techniques and equipment

5/5

Techniques and equipment — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Cooking techniques	Quantitative findingRecipe sample In the menu sample, 48% were stir-fried dishes, 27% curries and soups and 7% deep-fried dishes. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit % Population or sample Ninety unique menu items at thirteen curry-over-rice shops at Chiang Mai University. Geographic scope August and September 2024 survey. Definition and method Interviews about menus offered throughout the year and classification by preparation type. Comparison limitations Three selected sample categories, retaining published percentages without recalculation. They are not home-cooking frequencies.
Vegetable preparation	Qualitative descriptionSurvey Products collected at the markets included pickled or fermented mustard greens, bamboo shoots and ginger. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Commercial products collected from markets in different Thai regions. Geographic scope Study published in 2024. No collection period is specified here. Definition and method Collection of forty-five samples of ten fermented-vegetable types, followed by laboratory characterisation. Comparison limitations Product presence in the sample. It does not measure dietary shares of raw, boiled, roasted or stir-fried vegetables.
Food preservation	Qualitative descriptionCultural context One salted-fish process in Ranong involves salting, wrapping and sheltered burial in sand, followed by washing, air-drying without sunlight and refrigeration before packaging. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample One Sea-Salt-Sand preparation described for Ranong. Geographic scope Description published in February 2025. Definition and method Official description of one salted-fish producer’s process. Comparison limitations Example of a specific process. It estimates neither household practices, national prevalence nor a verified shelf life.
Fermented foods	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Pak-sian-dorng is described as fermented leaves or shoots of Cleome gynandra, prepared with salt and cooked rice. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Home-industry production described for northeastern Thailand. Geographic scope Descriptive record without a stated observation period. Definition and method Institutional record of pak-sian-dorng ingredients and production. Comparison limitations One documented preparation. It does not quantify consumption or frequency or establish a single formulation for all producers.
Kitchen equipment	Quantitative findingSurvey 84.5% of private households had a refrigerator or freezer and 19.5% had a microwave or oven, using the published combined categories. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2010 Unit % Population or sample Private Thai households in the population and housing census. Geographic scope Census date in September 2010. Definition and method National census, Table nineteen of the Whole Kingdom report. Percentages of households owning each appliance category. Comparison limitations Historical data. Refrigerator and freezer, and microwave and oven, are combined categories without separate percentages or measurements of cooking use.

Drinks

3/3

Drinks — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Everyday drinks	Quantitative findingObserved intake Mean daily consumption of the studied sugar-sweetened beverages was 474.0 mL in 2018 and 453.8 mL in the second wave, labelled 2019. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2018-2019 Unit mL/day Population or sample 5594 participants aged six or older present in both waves of a Thai household survey. Geographic scope First wave: May-December 2018; second: June 2019-January 2020. Definition and method Face-to-face interviews on typical-week frequency and servings using package pictures; multistage sampling. Comparison limitations Partial coverage: selected sugar-sweetened beverages only. It does not measure all water or beverage intake. One-litre packages were excluded. Self-report and attrition; no proof of a causal tax effect.
Coffee and tea preparation	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Cha nom yen is a sweet orange-coloured iced milk tea prepared with milk and condensed milk; it may include vanilla. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Culinary description of one Thai beverage type. Geographic scope An example served at stalls and cafés; no observation period specified. Definition and method Institutional description of ingredients and serving style. Comparison limitations Partial qualitative coverage: no serving volumes, added-sugar quantities, intake or coffee preparations quantified.
Drinks with meals	Qualitative descriptionSurvey In the worker sample, coffee was among the foods and drinks described for breakfasts eaten at the office. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2012 Population or sample 215 healthy sedentary adults aged twenty to fifty, recruited by convenience at four workplaces in metropolitan Bangkok. Geographic scope Data collected between February and April 2012. Definition and method Qualitative study observation, with one twenty-four-hour recall and a two-day food record. Comparison limitations Local partial coverage: no proportion drinking coffee with breakfast or complete beverage data by meal. It does not represent all Thailand.

Nutrition and dietary patterns

3/3

Nutrition and dietary patterns — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Energy and nutrients	Quantitative findingObserved intake In the national survey, daily means for men and women respectively were: energy 1597.4 and 1320.0 kcal; carbohydrate 241.2 and 199.1 g; protein 60.97 and 51.4 g; fat 40.4 and 35.1 g. In a separate local worker sample, median fibre intake was 7.8 and 8 g/day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2004-2005; 2012 Unit kcal/day; g/day Population or sample National survey: adults aged eighteen to seventy, excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women. Fibre: healthy sedentary adults at four Bangkok workplaces. Geographic scope Energy and macronutrients: January 2004-February 2005. Local fibre: February-April 2012. Definition and method National stratified three-stage sample, twenty-four-hour recall, frequency questionnaire and INMUCAL analysis. Local fibre: convenience sample, recall plus a two-day record. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported data. National means and local medians come from different samples; fibre is not a national estimate. These are neither recommendations nor food availability.
Salt and sugars	Quantitative findingObserved intake Estimated weighted mean sodium intake was 3636 mg/day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2019-2020 Unit mg/day Population or sample 1599 adults with valid twenty-four-hour urine collections in a nationwide sample of Thai adults. Geographic scope April 2019-May 2020 survey. Definition and method Multistage sampling and population weighting. Urinary excretion was increased by 10% to allow for non-urinary losses, following the published method. Comparison limitations Sodium estimate, without our own salt conversion or sugar data. Collections mainly at weekends, potentially incomplete samples and participation differences not fully adjusted for.
Dietary patterns	Quantitative findingSurvey In this sample selected for engagement with vegetarian eating, 31.1% identified as vegetarian, 28.2% as flexitarian and 10.4% as vegan. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2022 Unit % Population or sample 241 valid questionnaires from participants in Thailand; not a sample of the whole population. Geographic scope September-December 2022 survey. Definition and method English-language questionnaire with purposive, convenience and snowball sampling. Flexitarian: mostly vegetarian with occasional meat or fish; vegetarian excludes meat and fish; vegan excludes animal products. Comparison limitations Self-identifications in a sample already engaged with vegetarian consumption. Non-probability selection and overrepresentation of graduates prevent interpretation as national prevalence. Categories are not added together.

Shopping, prices and waste

7/7

Shopping, prices and waste — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Food expenditure	Quantitative findingPurchases Mean monthly household expenditure on food, beverages and tobacco was 8005 THB, or 35.9% of total expenditure. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit THB/household/month; % Population or sample Thai households covered by the nationwide socio-economic survey. Geographic scope January-December 2024; baht amounts for the survey period. Definition and method National household expenditure survey with monthly collection in municipal and non-municipal areas. Comparison limitations Combined category includes alcohol and tobacco; it is not food-only spending. Per household, without conversion to a per-person amount or another period. Includes valuation of consumption not paid for in cash.
Cost of a common basket	Quantitative findingPurchases The practical model basket for the pattern labelled 1600 kcal had a calculated cost of 73.08 THB per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2023 Unit THB/day per model basket Population or sample Prices from four selected Bangkok outlets: Ying Charoen and Klong Toei markets, a Ratchathewi market and a Big C supermarket in Saphan Khwai. Geographic scope Prices collected in September-October 2023. Definition and method Published scenario with twenty-one foods, item-specific quantities and equal serving allocation within each group. Available-price means and edible-portion/cooking adjustments are defined by the model and are not recalculated here. Comparison limitations Local modelled cost with auditable quantities in the supplement, without an observed complete purchase. No comparison with baskets of different foods or proof of nutrient adequacy, acceptability or household feasibility.
Cost of specific meals	Quantitative findingPurchases The most frequent prices for rice with one, two and three accompanying dishes were respectively 35, 40 and 50 THB per plate. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit THB/plate Population or sample Curry-over-rice shops at Chiang Mai University; table bases vary by number of accompanying dishes. Geographic scope August-September 2024 survey. Definition and method Shop-reported selling prices, retaining the published modes. Comparison limitations Local university sample, not national estimates or home-cooking costs. The table uses thirteen shops for one and two choices and four for three. No currency conversion or assumption of equal plate sizes.
Grocery shopping locations	Quantitative findingPurchases Mean expenditure shares at wet markets, supermarkets and other outlets respectively: fresh fruit and vegetables 55.5/36.8/7.6%; fresh meat 53.4/40.3/6.1%; fresh fish 62.4/31.0/7.1%; packaged goods 30.1/59.9/10.0%; beverages 17.9/69.1/13.0%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2007 Unit % product-category expenditure Population or sample 201 people responsible for most household food shopping in Bangkok and Chachoengsao. Geographic scope 2007 interviews; reported spending in a typical month. Definition and method Face-to-face interviews with age quotas in districts containing both wet markets and supermarkets. Mean reported shares by category. Comparison limitations Historical local sample. Published rounding and categories retained, without adding or adjusting percentages. Not national total food spending or current/online channel shares.
Shopping frequency	Quantitative findingSurvey At least weekly, 64% shopped in-store at local or convenience retailers, 50% at supermarkets and 29% used on-demand grocery platforms. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2025 Unit % at least weekly Population or sample 521 survey participants in Thailand. Geographic scope January-February 2025. Definition and method Self-reported use of each channel at least weekly, distinguishing in-store and online categories. Comparison limitations Categories overlap. Not expenditure shares, average visit counts or basket size. The summary does not establish national probability representativeness.
Prepared food and delivery	Quantitative findingSurvey 78% bought prepared foods at least once a week and 70% ordered a meal to their home weekly or more often. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2025 Unit % at least weekly Population or sample 521 survey participants in Thailand. Geographic scope January-February 2025. Definition and method Reported frequency of buying prepared foods and ordering meals to the home. Comparison limitations Categories may overlap. No expenditure or dish-type quantities and no established nationally representative prevalence. Not equivalent to all ultra-processed food intake.
Household food waste	Quantitative findingSurvey Estimated household food waste was 86 kg per person per year. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2022 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample National Thailand estimate assembled from local household waste data. Geographic scope Estimate for 2022 published in the 2024 report; underlying studies have different dates. Definition and method Synthesis and extrapolation of local data, with medium confidence assigned to the Thai estimate. Comparison limitations Includes food and associated inedible parts. Not a nationwide 2022 weighing survey or restaurant/retail waste. It cannot establish growth against another report edition.

Seasons and celebrations

2/2

Seasons and celebrations — Thailand
Indicator	Findings and context
Seasonal produce	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Salika durian from Phang Nga is typically in season from May to July. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Salika variety and the Kapong area in the southern province of Phang Nga. Geographic scope Indicative local calendar published in August 2026. Definition and method Institutional description of this variety’s season in its producing area. Comparison limitations Partial coverage of one fruit and region. Local conditions can shift the harvest; not nationwide year-round availability or imported fruit.
Celebration food	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Songkran takes place in mid-April. In a historical account of the central region, khao nio daeng and kalamae desserts were prepared as offerings to monks. In Si Racha, Kong Khao is described with food and sweets in banana-leaf containers, shared after the offering. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Songkran traditions in Thailand, with distinct examples from the central region and Si Racha, Chonburi. Geographic scope Cultural description of the calendar and regional practices; no consumption-frequency survey. Definition and method Documentary description of festive traditions and regional offerings. Comparison limitations Local and historical examples, without quantifying their current prevalence. They are not a complete festival calendar or ingredient inventory.

Coverage in progress

The editorial guide for this country is in preparation. You can already explore its recipes; regional attributions are added when documented.

Guide available in other languages: Español

Places and communities

One country, many cuisines

An initial selection of regions to explore. Culinary boundaries may differ from administrative divisions.

Thailand

Llanura central y Bangkok

Thailand

Isan y el nordeste

Thailand

Norte y repertorios Lanna

Cook