Enjoying Thai Food: Useful Tips For Vegetarian Travellers In Thailand

Useful basic Thai phrases for vegetarians

Ordering vegetarian food in areas where English is not widely understood (and when you have a limited knowledge of the Thai language) can be a bit tricky. There isn’t actually a word in the Thai language for vegetarian, and sometimes you may need to explain your requirements in greater detail.

Whilst not foolproof by any means, there are a couple of basic phrases that can help out. I have tried to spell these as they sound, but it would be really useful to print them out in the Thai script to show to people as well – getting the Thai tones right can be very tricky! I have also omitted all the linguistic niceties, such as using ka or krap (for females and males respectively) at the end of sentences, for simplicity.

“Gin Mang Sa Wee Rat” translates loosely into you don’t eat meat. But, it only excludes visible chunks of meat; it doesn’t cover things like meaty broths and fish sauce, a common ingredient in many Thai dishes.

“Gin Jay” is similar to saying that you follow a vegan diet. It has more restrictions than veganism though, with all animal products, including eggs and dairy, omitted in addition to ingredients that are thought to be bad for the digestive system. Strict jay food does not contain chilli, onion, garlic, or other pungent foods. Interestingly, the word jay comes from Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, not from the Thai language or from Theravada Buddhism (the most followed branch of Buddhism in Thailand).

“Mai Sai Nam Pla” informs the vendor or server that you don’t want fish sauce in your meal.

“Mai Sai Nam Hoi” means that you don’t want oyster sauce in your dish.

Eat at dedicated "jay" restaurants

Although vegetarianism isn’t particularly common or all that well-understood in Thailand, most towns do have at least one restaurant that only serves jay food. You may not be able to communicate with the members of staff, and you might not know what the various dishes actually are, but at least you will know that anything you tuck into will be totally meat-free and suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. Don’t be put off if dishes look like they contain meat – the use of tofu, soya, and other plant or mushroom-based proteins is quite typical.

Many jay restaurants have a selection of ready prepared meals in large heated containers in a glass display. Just point at what you would like to try and a serving will be dished up for you. You can mix and match too if you’re unsure of what you actually fancy.

Can you see the flag at the right-hand side of the image with a symbol that looks a lot like the number 17? This is the symbol for jay food. Anywhere you see these characters, usually in red on a vibrant yellow background, you can be sure that your food will be jay. It appears outside of eateries, on food carts, and on packaging.

Don’t shy away from street vendors and market stalls

Many street and market stalls serve just a small selection of dishes, and the open nature of the preparation and cooking means that it is usually pretty easy to see the ingredients used. You can often find a good selection of veggie-friendly meals and snacks at the markets, and, with most ingredients clearly on display, you can always point at what you want and stand and watch whilst your food is prepared.

A lot of markets have a stand that serves salad, often already pre-packaged in a plastic bag and tied with an elastic band. The crisp and tasty salads often contain lettuce, shredded cabbage, raw carrot, tomato, cucumber, sweetcorn, kidney beans, onion, and chunks of fruit, such as banana and apple. Some vendors also add cubes of cooked sweet potato, and you may also find boiled egg within the bag. If you don’t eat egg, the vendors are usually happy to make a fresh bag for you as you wait.

Other things to look out for at the markets include vegetable tempura, grilled sweet potatoes, omelettes (if you are not vegan), stir-fried vegetables, and stir-fried noodles. Fresh fruits are also often abundantly available.

Be wary of places that use broths or sauces though; a seller may say that they can make a vegetarian dish but then use a meaty broth or fish sauce. It is also worth keeping in mind that in some parts of the country, particularly in the Isan region, pig fat oil is used instead of vegetable oil.