Thai street-food apps help tourists

Three Thai street-food apps have been launched offering tourists details of the nation’s top roadside eateries.

Street Food Bangkok, Street Food Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai and Street Food Phuket have been launched simultaneously to promote Thai food to foreign visitors as well as enhance Thailand’s tourism image. It is a venture of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in co-operation with the Thailand Foundation, an independent agency founded in 2007 to promote better understanding of Thailand.

The Thai street-food apps, both Android and iOS, are free for foreign visitors to download and all information is available in English or Chinese.

The Bangkok Street Food App includes information on street food from 120 shops and stalls, covering 25 types of dishes.

Street Food can be searched by dish or by location, and users can save favourite stalls to a quick-access menu. The descriptions usually include information on the restaurant’s history and owners, as well as their particular take on their speciality dish.

The apps link with Google Maps to help users find their preferred outlet. The name and directions to each restaurant are given also in Thai script so visitors can show it to their taxi driver.

The database may be expanded in the future under the second phase of the program.