🍉 Thailand Seasonal Food Calendar

Eat What Locals Eat — Every Month

Seasonal = authentic + cheap. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and dishes change dramatically month to month in Thailand. Pick your travel month to see what is at its absolute best.

🍜 30+ foods tracked

📅 All 12 months

💰 Real Bangkok Baht prices

When are you visiting?

July

🌧️ Rainy Season

Heavy rain periods, lush green landscape. Gulf coast (Koh Samui area) is still relatively dry — its monsoon runs Sep–Dec.

Market tip: Longan season peaks in the north. Rambutan everywhere and cheap. Best month for rainy-season vegetables.

★ Best Picks This Month

These are at absolute peak — freshest and cheapest right now.

Durian

ทุเรียน (Thurian)

PEAK

60–150B/kg for Monthong, 200B+ for Musang King

Rambutan

เงาะ (Ngo)

PEAK

20–40B/kg (rainy season), 60–80B/kg (early season)

Mangosteen

มังคุด (Mangkhut)

PEAK

40–80B/kg

Showing 29 items available in July

Durian

ทุเรียน (Thurian)

PEAKfruit

The "King of Fruits" — divisive smell, extraordinary custard-like flesh. Monthong (Golden Pillow) is the most common variety. Gulf islands (Koh Samui) peak a month earlier than the north.

💰60–150B/kg for Monthong, 200B+ for Musang King

📍Dedicated durian stalls, Chatuchak market, any large morning market

💡Buy from stalls that open fresh — never pre-packed. Press the spines gently: a slight give means ripe. Pair with sticky rice for the full experience.

Rambutan

เงาะ (Ngo)

PEAKfruit

Red, hairy, and extraordinary — the flesh is translucent, lychee-like, mildly sweet. Prices crash in the rainy season when supply floods markets. Buy a whole bag for 20B.

💰20–40B/kg (rainy season), 60–80B/kg (early season)

📍Morning markets, roadside piles in southern Thailand

💡Bright red with long, flexible spines = freshest. Avoid dull-coloured or dry-spined fruit. They go off quickly so buy just what you will eat that day.

Mangosteen

มังคุด (Mangkhut)

PEAKfruit

Called the "Queen of Fruits" for its delicate, sweet-sour flavour. The white segments inside are perfumed and cooling. Traditionally paired with durian to "balance" its heat.

💰40–80B/kg

📍Morning markets and fruit stalls in eastern and southern Thailand

💡Look at the bottom — the number of petal-like dots indicates how many segments are inside (and fewer seeds). Dark purple, undamaged skin = best.

Longan

ลำไย (Lamyai)

PEAKfruit

Sweet, translucent, grape-like — a smaller cousin of lychee. Chiang Mai is famous for its Lamyai Festival in August. Buy by the bunch — extraordinarily cheap at peak.

💰20–40B/kg at peak season

📍Chiang Mai markets (Warorot Market), northern Thailand roadside stalls

💡Buy on the bunch (still attached to the branch) — they stay fresh longer and are sweeter. If you are in Chiang Mai in August, visit the orchards directly.

Dragon Fruit

แก้วมังกร (Kaeo Mangkon)

PEAKfruit

Visually striking — bright pink skin, white or red flesh with tiny black seeds. Mild sweetness, high water content, excellent for the heat. Red-flesh variety (Pitaya) has more flavour.

💰30–60B each (40–80B/kg off-peak, 20–40B/kg peak)

📍7-Eleven, any market, fruit smoothie stalls

💡The red-flesh (Hylocereus costaricensis) variety tastes significantly better than the white-flesh standard type. Ask for "Kaeo Mangkon Daeng" for the red flesh.

Banana

กล้วย (Kluay)

PEAKfruit

Thailand has 30+ banana varieties — the finger-sized Kluay Khai (egg banana) is the sweetest and most prized. Always 10–20B for a whole bunch. Sold grilled, fried, or fresh.

💰10–20B per bunch (5–7 bananas)

📍Everywhere — 7-Eleven, markets, street stalls

💡Try Kluay Khai (small yellow variety) — much sweeter and more flavourful than the Cavendish export variety. Also try Kluay Nam Wa for a starchy, dessert-style banana.

Coconut

มะพร้าว (Maprao)

PEAKfruit

Fresh coconut water (Maprao On) is the ultimate Thailand hydration — cheaper and better than any bottled drink. The jelly-like young flesh is a bonus. Used in countless curries, desserts, and drinks.

💰20–35B per whole young coconut

📍Everywhere — street stalls, markets, beaches. They cut it with a machete on the spot.

💡Look for the pale green young coconuts (not the brown mature ones) — they have more water and soft jelly flesh. On beaches, this is the best heat remedy.

Morning Glory

ผักบุ้ง (Pak Bung)

PEAKvegetable

A Thai street food staple — stir-fried with garlic, oyster sauce, and chilli. Grows in water and reaches peak freshness in the rainy season. 40–60B a plate at any street stall.

💰40–60B/plate (stir-fried)

📍Any street stall or market restaurant

💡Order "Pak Bung Fai Daeng" — the "flying vegetable" version where the cook theatrically throws the dish through the air. It's both a performance and genuinely delicious.

Thai Basil

กะเพรา (Kaprao)

PEAKvegetable

The backbone of Pad Kra Pao (holy basil stir-fry) — Thailand's most-eaten dish. Peppery, slightly anise-flavoured. Rainy season abundance means cooks use huge handfuls fresh from the garden.

💰10–20B/bunch at market; 50–80B for Pad Kra Pao

📍Every morning market; Pad Kra Pao available at any food stall

💡Thai basil (horapah) is more fragrant; holy basil (kaprao) is peppery and distinctly different. The best Pad Kra Pao uses holy basil — demand kaprao if you want the authentic version.

Lemongrass

ตะไคร้ (Takrai)

PEAKvegetable

The citrusy, floral backbone of Tom Kha, Tom Yum, and countless curry pastes. Fresh stalks are fibre-hard — only the tender inner core is eaten. Rainy season growth = extra aromatic.

💰10–20B/bunch (5–6 stalks)

📍Every morning market, fresh herb sections

💡Fresh lemongrass has a clean, bright citrus scent — the dried version has a fraction of the flavour. In rainy season, you can sometimes buy it freshly harvested from small farms.

Baby Corn

ข้าวโพดอ่อน (Khao Phot On)

PEAKvegetable

Whole tiny corn cobs — sweet, crunchy, entirely edible. A fixture in Thai stir-fries and curries. Unlike Western markets, Thailand's baby corn is genuinely fresh (not canned) in season.

💰20–30B/kg at market

📍Morning markets (vegetable section), often used fresh in roadside restaurants

💡If a restaurant uses fresh baby corn in their stir-fry in May–August, it means they are sourcing locally — a sign of quality. The canned version tastes completely different.

Yardlong Beans

ถั่วฝักยาว (Thua Fak Yao)

PEAKvegetable

Long, flexible green beans — used raw in Som Tum, stir-fried, or blanched in curries. Rainy season growth is abundant, making them exceptionally cheap and fresh.

💰15–25B/bunch

📍Morning markets, already included raw in Som Tum dishes at street stalls

💡Fresh yardlong beans snap cleanly — limp, bendy beans are old. In Som Tum, ask for raw (dip) to appreciate the crunch of fresh season beans.

Kaeng Som

แกงส้ม (Sour Curry)

PEAKdish

A sharp, sour, orange-coloured soup-curry made with fish and seasonal vegetables — no coconut milk. The souring agent and vegetables change with the season. Best in rainy season when fresh veg floods markets.

💰50–80B/plate with rice

📍Southern Thai restaurants, local canteens (raan khao), any sit-down street restaurant

💡The southern version is spicier than the central version. In rainy season, ask what vegetable is in the curry that day — if the cook picks it fresh, you are eating at the right place.

Pad Pak Ruam

ผัดผักรวม (Mixed Veg Stir-fry)

PEAKdish

Simple stir-fried mixed vegetables in oyster sauce — the "house vegetable" at most street restaurants. In rainy season, cooks use whatever just arrived from the market: morning glory, baby corn, beans, mushrooms.

💰40–70B/plate

📍Any raan khao (rice shop/canteen), point at the vegetables in the display if unsure

💡Point-and-choose restaurants (raan khao) let you mix and match from fresh pre-cooked dishes. In June–September, the vegetable section will have 3–4 times more variety than in dry season.

Durian Sticky Rice

ข้าวเหนียวทุเรียน (Khao Niao Thurian)

PEAKdish

Like mango sticky rice but with fresh durian — richer, more pungent, unmistakably Thai. A cult dish among durian devotees. The custardy durian flesh against the salted coconut rice is extraordinary. Only exists in durian season.

💰80–150B/portion

📍Street dessert stalls near durian markets, Chatuchak market, eastern Thai towns in season

💡Monthong variety is the most common and affordable. For the ultimate experience, find a stall that cuts the durian fresh to order — not pre-portioned plastic trays.

Jackfruit

ขนุน (Khanun)

IN SEASONfruit

The world's largest tree fruit — can weigh 35kg. Sweet, tropical-smelling yellow pods inside. Sold pre-cut in markets for 10–20B per portion. Young jackfruit is used as a meat substitute in curries.

💰10–20B per portion (pre-cut), 15–30B/kg whole

📍Any market, sold pre-cut in bags

💡The sticky white latex is hard to remove from hands — markets sell pre-cut pods, saving you the trouble. Young (green) jackfruit in curries is a completely different, savoury experience.

Papaya

มะละกอ (Malako)

IN SEASONfruit

Dual use — ripe for eating (soft, orange, sweet) or unripe (green, crunchy) for Som Tum salad. Year-round availability makes it a staple, but ripe papayas are especially good in hot season.

💰20–40B each (ripe), 10–20B (green for som tum)

📍Markets, som tum carts (green papaya), smoothie stalls

💡Green papaya (for Som Tum) is deliberately unripe — it shreds easily and absorbs the dressing. Ripe papaya should yield slightly to thumb pressure and smell fragrant.

Banana Flower

หัวปลี (Hua Plee)

IN SEASONvegetable

The deep purple blossom of the banana plant — eaten as a vegetable in curries, salads, and soups. Slightly bitter, artichoke-like flavour. A year-round ingredient rarely seen outside Asia.

💰20–30B each

📍Morning markets, typically in the fresh vegetable section

💡Often used in Nam Tok (Thai beef salad) and some noodle soups as a garnish. Vendors at markets usually have it pre-sliced in acidulated water to prevent browning.

Som Tum

ส้มตำ (Papaya Salad)

IN SEASONdish

Thailand's most iconic street food — green papaya shredded and pounded with tomatoes, beans, lime, fish sauce, and chilli. Best when papaya is fresh from the April–June harvest.

💰40–60B/plate

📍Som Tum carts everywhere — look for the stone mortar. Most abundant near markets.

💡Specify your chilli level: "Pet nit noi" (a little spicy), "Mai pet" (not spicy), or "Pet mak" (very spicy). Lao-style Som Tum (with fermented crab) is funkier and more intense.

Larb

ลาบ (Spicy Minced Meat Salad)

IN SEASONdish

A northern Thai and Lao salad of minced meat (pork, chicken, or beef) toasted with khao khua (roasted rice powder), fresh herbs, lime, fish sauce, and dried chilli. Widely eaten at cool-season festivals and temple fairs.

💰50–80B/plate

📍Northern Thai restaurants, Chiang Mai night markets, temple festivals in cool season

💡Larb Moo (pork) is the most common. Larb Dip is the raw version — only try it at reputable northern Thai restaurants. The toasted rice powder texture is essential — insist on it.

Mango

มะม่วง (Mamuang)

LIMITEDfruit

Thailand grows over 200 mango varieties. April–May = the golden window: Nam Dok Mai (yellow, sweet, no fibre) floods markets for 15–20B each. The heat ripens them to perfection.

💰15–30B each / 40–80B/kg

📍Any morning market, roadside stalls, 7-Eleven in peak season

💡Ask for "Mamuang suk" (ripe mango) — vendors often keep underripe stock for export. The soft Nam Dok Mai variety is the sweeter pick.

Lychee

ลิ้นจี่ (Linchi)

LIMITEDfruit

Intensely sweet and floral, with rose-like perfume. Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces grow the finest Thai lychees. A short but spectacular window — catch it in May.

💰50–100B/kg

📍Northern Thai markets, Chiang Rai province, Warorot Market in Chiang Mai

💡Rough, bright-red skin with no dark patches = fresh. Peel and eat immediately — lychees deteriorate within days once off the tree.

Pineapple

สับปะรด (Sapparot)

LIMITEDfruit

Thai pineapples are smaller and much sweeter than imports — sold pre-cut on a skewer for 10–15B, or whole for 20–40B. Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phuket produce the finest varieties.

💰10–15B per skewer (cut), 20–40B whole

📍Roadside carts, market stalls, beach vendors in season

💡Smell the base — a strong sweet smell means ripe. The gold-variety Phuket pineapple (grown in acidic soil) is particularly sweet and less fibrous.

Pumpkin

ฟักทอง (Fak Thong)

LIMITEDvegetable

Sweet, dense, orange-fleshed Thai pumpkin — used in Kaeng Fak Thong (pumpkin curry with coconut milk), stir-fries, and as a base for custard desserts. Best in cool season.

💰20–40B/kg

📍Morning markets, often sold cut into wedges

💡Sangkaya Fak Thong (pumpkin custard) is a must-try dessert — steamed egg custard inside a whole pumpkin. Available at traditional dessert shops, best in November–February.

Mango Sticky Rice

ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง (Khao Niao Mamuang)

LIMITEDdish

The perfect Thai dessert — sweet coconut sticky rice with ripe Nam Dok Mai mango and a drizzle of salted coconut cream. Only truly worth eating in mango season (April–June). Off-season versions use inferior, unripe mangoes.

💰60–100B/plate

📍Street dessert carts, markets, Yaowarat (Chinatown Bangkok) at night

💡The mango should be Nam Dok Mai variety — flat, yellow, aromatic. If the mango is green-tinged or firm, walk away and wait for a better stall. Quality varies enormously.

Squid

ปลาหมึก (Pla Muek)

LIMITEDseafood

Best in cool, dry months when calmer seas allow better squid fishing. Grilled whole on a skewer, stir-fried with basil, or in soups — extraordinarily fresh and cheap on the Gulf coast in December–February.

💰80–150B/plate (stir-fried), 30–60B per skewer (grilled)

📍Coastal markets and seafood restaurants; grilled squid sold at beaches and night markets

💡Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Coast have OPPOSITE monsoon seasons. Gulf coast (Koh Samui, Hua Hin) peaks Nov–Feb. Andaman (Phuket, Krabi) also peaks Nov–Mar. Summer = reduced fishing on both coasts.

Crab

ปู (Pu)

LIMITEDseafood

Blue swimmer crab is most common — steamed with yellow curry powder or used in Pad Pong Karee (crab fried with egg and curry powder). Best October–January on the Gulf coast. Andaman coast peaks November–March.

💰150–350B/kg (whole crab), 200–400B/plate (cooked dish)

📍Coastal seafood restaurants, morning markets near fishing villages

💡Heavy crab = more meat. Buy live from morning markets and ask the vendor to cook it — often cheaper than restaurant prices. Mud crab (Pu Thalae) is meatier and pricier than blue swimmer.

Tiger Prawns

กุ้งกุลาดำ (Kung Kula Dam)

LIMITEDseafood

Large, sweet, firm-fleshed prawns — grilled, fried with garlic, or in Tom Yum. Wild-caught are best December–March from the Gulf. Farm-raised are available year-round but significantly less flavourful.

💰200–400B/kg (market), 150–300B/plate at seafood restaurants

📍Coastal markets, seafood restaurants on the Gulf and Andaman coasts

💡Ask explicitly for "wild-caught" (Kung Thammachat) vs farmed (Kung Lieng) — vendors at coastal markets know the difference. Wild prawns have a sweeter, firmer flavour.

Local Fish (seasonal catch)

ปลาสด (Pla Sot)

LIMITEDseafood

The variety available depends on the coast and season. Calm-sea months (Oct–Mar) bring snapper, barramundi, mackerel, and grouper in abundance. Rough-sea months see fishing boats stay ashore — prices rise, quality drops.

💰100–200B/kg (market), 80–150B for a whole grilled fish

📍Coastal morning markets, beachside restaurants with fish displayed on ice

💡Gulf and Andaman coasts have OPPOSITE monsoon seasons. When the Andaman is in monsoon (May–Oct), the Gulf is often calm and has excellent fresh fish — and vice versa. Plan your seafood meals by coast and month.

🗺️ Planning your Thailand trip?

Combine this calendar with our other tools to plan the perfect trip around Thailand's food seasons.

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📅 About Thailand's Food Seasons

Thailand has three seasons — cool (Nov–Feb), hot (Mar–May), and rainy (Jun–Oct) — each with its own distinct produce. Hot season brings the most spectacular tropical fruit; rainy season means cheaper vegetables; cool season is best for seafood and northern Thai specialties.

Gulf vs Andaman Coast: These two coasts have opposite monsoon seasons. When the Andaman (Phuket, Krabi) is stormy in June–October, the Gulf coast (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan) is often calm — and vice versa from November to April. This affects seafood availability significantly.

Morning markets (talat chao) open at 6–9am and are where to find the freshest seasonal produce at local prices — always cheaper than tourist-facing restaurants or 7-Eleven.

Seasonal availability is based on typical growing patterns across Thailand and varies by region and year. Prices are estimates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and tourist coastal areas. Always check local markets for current availability.