Vegetarian & Vegan in Thailand

Thailand is much easier for vegetarians and vegans than most Asian countries — but there are pitfalls you need to know.

The Problem: Fish Sauce & Oyster Sauce

Even dishes that look vegetarian almost always contain fish sauce (Nam Pla) or oyster sauce. Fried rice, Pad Thai, soups — Nam Pla is everywhere. You must explicitly exclude it, or it will be added by default.

Useful Phrases

• "Gin jeh" (กินเจ) — I eat vegan (strict, no animal products, no garlic, no onions — this is the Buddhist fasting variant)
• "Mang sa wirat" (มังสวิรัติ) — I eat vegetarian (may contain dairy and eggs)
• "Mai sai nam pla" (ไม่ใส่น้ำปลา) — Without fish sauce
• "Mai sai nam man hoi" (ไม่ใส่น้ำมันหอย) — Without oyster sauce

Where to eat vegan/vegetarian?

• Jeh Restaurants: Look for the yellow sign with red lettering เจ (Jeh). These purely vegan restaurants are found in every city — inexpensive (30–50 Baht), usually buffet-style. Especially numerous during the Vegetarian Festival (September/October).
• Bangkok: Excellent vegan scene — May Veggie Home, Broccoli Revolution, Ethos Vegetarian.
• Chiang Mai: Thailand's vegan paradise — Free Bird Café, Anchan Vegetarian, Pun Pun.
• Islands: On Koh Phangan, Koh Lanta, and Pai, there are many vegetarian/vegan cafés (yoga/wellness tourism).