24 Sept 2026 · 4 min read
Order noodles in Thai with five words
Noodle, soup, meat, spice and 'thank you' — enough for any stall.
Most Bangkok noodle stalls have no English menu, but ordering is easier than it looks.
1. Pick a noodle
Sen lek (thin), sen yai (wide), ba mee (egg) or woon sen (glass) — or just point.
2. Soup or dry
'Nam' means with soup; 'haeng' means dry, tossed in sauce.
3. Spice level
'Mai phet' (not spicy) or 'phet nit noi' (a little), then season at the table.
