As you can see from our selections below, Thailand excels in street food and cheap eats; it may well be the world champion in this category, if not a major contender.  Frankly, many of these dishes could be slipped into the kitchens of first-class hotels and restaurants, put on fine china, and served to their appreciative guests, who would probably want to compliment the chef.

The good news for the budget traveler is that this incredible variety of excellent cuisine is available to you throughout Thailand at prices to please even the most discriminating spendthrift.Many dishes can be had for about US$1/dish, cheaper than you could make it yourself.