VEGAN GUIDE TO BANGKOK, THAILAND
THE ‘MUST-EAT’ LIST
Need help prioritising? Here’s my guide to seeking out vegan friendly versions of traditional Thai food as well as the list of my top Bangkok unique vegan experiences and eats you cannot miss.
MY BANGKOK VEGAN MAP
During my hunting I pinned over 125 vegan friendly finds on an interactive google maps list, so save it then when you’re in town you can pull it up and see what vegan food I found near you!
COME TO THAILAND WITH ME
I’m going back Oct ‘24 for Jae Festival: a vego & vegan food celebration.. & you can come with! Sign up for details here so I can show you all this in person on a life-changing vegan foodie group tour.
What makes Thailand so good for vegan foodies?
Thailand can be a vegan’s paradise, especially in the larger cities. Compared to many other travel destinations, there’s hundreds of dedicated plant based food eateries. This is in large part due to the popularity of the Jae diet in Thailand. You can recognise jae dishes by the yellow and red symbol pictured, which looks like the number 17. The traditional Thai cuisine is abundant in vegetables, tofu and coconut milk which also sets the vegan traveller up for success when finding something they can eat. It won’t be hard though, as the large plant based community in Thailand means that you’ll discover local plant based food, delicious dairy-free drinks and unique vegan versions of world cuisine as you explore the land of smiles.
Want to learn how to cook Thai vegan food?
I can recommend the May Kaidee cooking school (see my experience in this video!) that’s located in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and New York. The class is completely vegetarian and very easily adapted to vegan so you can feel safe that you’re learning exactly how the vegans of Thailand cook dishes like Pad Thai, Khao Soi and Tom Yum!
Also in Bangkok is the Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy. They’re well versed in making their classes vegan friendly, so while you’ll be cooking alongside other students who are likely using animal products, the instructors are all good to guide you through making sure you can cook everything without animal products.
What is Jae in Thailand?
Jae/Jay diets (like Jain vegetarianism) omit animal products as well as spiciness, onion and garlic which makes it perfect for vegan diets as well as those on low FODMAP diets. You’ll see it across Thailand year round, but in full force during the 9 day Jae Festival in October. During this time, big businesses like 7-11 and Starbucks to small food stalls around the country (adorned in the signature yellow and red flags) pump out plant based options for the whole 9 days.
Your Break Glass In Case Of Emergency Meal
Never fear! You can find jae food year round like this quick vegan stir-fried veg protein meal at all Thai 7-11s (notice the jae symbol on the packaging)! It’s delicious with a little extra sauce, and they’ll heat it up for you on the spot or you can do it yourself after you sweat your way back to your accomodation.
I also always grab a Vamino brand black sesame soy milk while I’m in the 7-11. Fun fact: in Thailand, 7-11’s also sell alcohol except for between 2pm and 5pm each day.
Looking for street eats?
Check out this video to see what sort of food I tracked down while hunting through Thai food courts and markets. Spend some time going through my must eat list of Bangkok to see the sorts of street eats I look out for when in Thailand like mango sticky rice, jae pad thai, roti sai mai, coconut dumplings, fresh soy milk, intriguing tofus and more!
THAI PUMPKIN SOUP RECIPE
VEGAN PAD THAI RECIPE
COME TO THAILAND WITH ME