Thailand is well-known for its mouth-watering cuisine. From coconut-style curries to spicy stir fries to sticky rice desserts, the Thai cuisine is brilliantly balanced to combine the traditional salty, sweet, sour and hot flavours of the region.

Let's take a look at 12 of the best Thai dishes in Thailand:

Guay Teow
A very popular dish to taste on the Thailand holiday is Guay teow (noodle soup) which is easy to order anywhere on the travels. This is a type of noodle soup dish with base ingredients of either egg or nice noodles and a choice of beef, pork or chicken. This Thai dish is rarely vegetarian-friendly. Other ingredients include meatballs or wontons added to the broth. Also, the noodle soup is finished with a few condiments, such as fish sauce, lime juice, dried chilli peppers and sugar. Guay Teow is a versatile meal and great to eat in the morning, lunchtime or at night.

Tom Yum Goong
Tom Yum Goong (also called Tom Yum Kung) is a type of sour and hot soup that is typically cooked with shrimp. It is made with local Thai ingredients to create the spicy, aromatic and bold dish. Typical ingredients include fresh lime juice, shallots, kaffier lime leaves, galangal, chilli, and lemongrass. Also, other favourite ingredients include mushrooms and prawns, while a creamy version is Tom Yum Goong and served with the addition of coconut cream.

Tom Kha Gai
A bowl of Tom Kha Gai (Thai coconut soup) is much like Tom Yum with similar flavours, but with a little less spice. In addition to the reduction in spice, the tom kha gai is also quite unique in that it includes plenty of coconut milk to create a rich and beautifully tasting sweet soup. Even though this dish is usually made with chicken, it is easily adapted to make a vegetarian-friendly option.

Som Tam
Som Tam (green papaya salad) is a common dish throughout SE Asia and is especially popular in Thailand. Som Tam has plenty of different variations, but the classic serving of this dish is based on shredded unripe papaya, garlic, lime juice, tamarind pulp, palm sugar, runner beans, dried shrimp, peanuts, carrots, tomatoes, chillies, and fish sauce. This type of Thai dish has the ability to combine all four tastes – salty, sweet, chilli and sour. Also, the ingredients are typically mixed using a mortar and pestle to help enhance the flavour for a truly delicious dish.

Yum Talay
Yum Talay is a Thai-style spicy seafood salad that is quite versatile and easily made with any combination of seafood. Typical ingredients are likely to include crabmeat, scallops, mussels, shrimp, and squid. Beyond the seafood, the salad includes a medley of rice noodles, onions and tomatoes. Yum Talay is a healthy and delicious meal option.

Larb
Larb is a type of spicy salad that originated in the north-eastern province of Islan. This spicy salad has several variations with mushroom, pork and chicken typical ingredients, as well as herbs, onion, lime and chillies. Larb is a dish that is particularly spicy and not likely to appeal to the tourists on the Thailand tours unable to handle spice.

Phanang
Phanang is a red Thai-style curry that is sweet, salty and thick, and milder than most other curry dishes in Thailand. Its flavour is influenced by nearby countries, such as India, Myanmar and Malaysia. The mild nature of this dish makes it a popular choice with tourists because it means staying in the spicy safe zone. A main ingredient for this dish is shrimp, although there are plenty of different variations of the dish, including vegetarian options.

Gaeng Keow Wan
Gaeng Keow Wan is a Thai inspired green curry that originated in central Thailand. The green-style of Thai curry is the spiciest option with a wonderful balance of sweetness that is a result of the coconut milk. Gaeng Keow Wan is made with a delightful mixture of ingredients, including plenty of coconut milk, eggplant, ginger, and green chillies. The spicy nature of the dish is slightly lessened when eaten with lot of steamed rice.

Khao Soy
Khao Soy is a creamy coconut-style curry noodle soup that is typically served in northern Thailand. This mouth-watering dish is available with pork, beef, chicken or vegetarian options. It is created with a base of rich coconut-style curry and garnished with ground chillies, lime, shallots, pickled mustard greens, and deep-fried crispy egg noodles. Any travellers on the Thailand travel packages exploring the north of the country, especially in the region of Chiang Mai should taste this dish.

Gai Tod
Gai Tod is Thai fried chicken – often small drumsticks or wings – that are marinated in a mixture of spices, then coated in rice flour for the more crispy finish. Even though this dish isn't unique to the region, it is something of an obsession in Thailand. Also, the fried chicken is served with nam jim, which is a type of spicy dipping sauce to give a little extra flavour. It is typically sold from street carts to make a wonderful on-the-go snack.

Pad Phak
Pad Phak is a classic and simple Thai dish of stir-fried vegetables. Many traditional Thai dishes aim to combine a variety of flavours to make a very vibrant and tasty dish, which is the intention of this stir-fry. The fried vegetables are blended with spices, salt and sugar to create the most harmonious blend that is very healthy and low on calories.

Kai Jeow
Kai Jeow is a Thai-style omelette that is a wonderful protein-rich meal that is typical on the street food scene. The omelette is usually served with sweet chilli sauce and rice. A further version of this omelette dish is kai jeow pak which includes extra vegetables. For travellers on the Thailand tour packages, a Thai omelette like kai jeow is a wonderful way to start the day.

Read our: A Food Lover’s Guide to Thailand's Mouth-Watering Cuisine