I’ll never forget my first taste of Thai food at a street stall on the Khao San Road in Bangkok.
The sweet chili tingled on my tongue and I fell in love.
There may be more “recognised” schools of cookery but for me, there’s nothing better than a hearty Thai meal.
And that’s why I’ve put together a list of the best Thai food cookbooks, so that you can create spicy masterpieces without even having to get on a plane!
Thai Food by David Thompson
This is one of our top 40 cookbooks of all time, so, of course, it made our list of the best Thai Food cookbooks too.
David Thompson is the pre-eminent expert in Thai food and while occasionally he gets a little academic, this is a superb resource full of practical tips and tasty recipes!
Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions by David Thompson
And what “Thai Food” does for Thai restaurant food, David’s other work “Thai Street Food” does for Thailand’s most famous food culture – street food.
If you’ve ever roamed the streets of Thailand seeking out mango and chili or honeyed pork BBQ, this is for you.
Pok Pok: Food and Stores From The Streets, Homes and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand by Andy Ricker and JJ Goode
Pok Pok is the work of another “farang” (the Thai word for “foreigner”) that has made their visit to Thailand into a Thai food empire.
Pok Pok is full of Northern Thai (“Lanna”) recipes that really hit the spot and we can’t imagine trying to experience Thai food to the fullest without it.
Hot Thai Kitchen: Demystifying Thai Cuisine with Authentic Recipes to Make at Home by Pailin Chongchitnant
Pailin is a YouTuber first and foremost and the first authentic Thai chef to see the opportunity of online video to reach the whole world with Thai cookery.
Her recipes are super easy to make and have been designed with supermarket shopping for ingredients in mind.
Maenam: A Fresh Approach to Thai Cooking
Ivan starred on Netflix’s Chef’s Table and that’s because he moved to Japan in order to become the best ramen chef on earth.
According to the Japanese, he succeeded.
If you love ramen, there’s no finer guide to it anywhere on the planet than this one.
Spice I Am: Home Style Thai Recipes by Sujet Saenkham
Sujet Sanekham’s a Thai-chef who took his local cuisine to Australia and he’s now based in Sydney where he wrote this book.
If you’re looking for Thai family-friendly meals that have a touch of each Thai region about them, look no farther this is the ultimate guide to spice the way you like it!
Quick and Easy Thai by Jean-Pierre Gabriel
Some of us work and that means we don’t have hours to fuss around making meals every day.
Fortunately, Jean-Pierre Gabriel gets that and each of these high-quality Thai recipes can be cooked in just under 30 minutes!
Yum.
Night + Market: Delicious Thai Food to Facilitate Drinking and Fun-Having Amongst Friends by Kris Yanbamroong and Garrett Snyder
If you’ve ever set foot in a Thai night market then you’ll know that you can have an incredible culinary adventure that pairs perfectly with a cold beer.
This brilliant book aims to demystify the complicated stuff about Thai food so that you can make all the flavors work for you.
Lemongrass and Lime: Southeast Asian Cooking at Home by Leah Cohen and Stephanie Banyas
OK, this covers a bit more than Thai food (touching on the entire region) but the Thai section is substantial enough to justify its inclusion.
If you’re looking for one book to provide an incredible variety of super tasty recipes, this is the one you’re looking for.
Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes From The Thai Home Kitchen by Leela Punyaratabandhu
Leela is behind “She Simmers” the excellent and accessible food blog and this is her take on Simple Thai Food.
You’ll find 100 very easy to make recipes inside that are still authentic and delicious.
Final Thoughts On Thai Food Cookbooks
So, there you have it, 10 giants of the Thai cookery scene that can help you make the perfect Pad Thai and much, much more.
If you’ve enjoyed this, you may also enjoy our best Thai food recipes and top Thai food blogs!
