Get cooking! If you need a break from takeout but can’t part with Thai food – it’s time to cook it yourself. I’m a few years into “DIY pad Thai” and am pretty proud of the results. (Top tip? Order six bottles of fish sauce with every cookbook).

Below, find thirty-one superb Thai cookbooks for all skill levels, including four German-language books, plus niche options for noodle-lovers, lazy but greedy people and, fine, vegetarians, too. Why not try your hand at a homemade Thai curry? Enjoy!

Links below may include affiliates. I use affiliate links to recommended products and services. I receive a small commission on any resulting purchases at no cost to the customer. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. It keeps The Koh Samui Guide ad-free, never sponsored and 100% independent.

General Thai cookbooks

1. Thailand: The Cookbook

Thailand: The Cookbook

How to fulfill all your foodie dreams? Start here. “The definitive guide to Thai cuisine, with 500 authentic recipes from every region brought together in one comprehensive and beautifully produced volume.” Available in hardback.

*Also available in a German language edition: Thailand – Das Kochbuch

2. Maenam: A Fresh Approach to Thai Cooking

Maenam: A Fresh Approach to Thai Cooking

I bought this cookbook myself and liked it so much I bought another copy for friends. Prepare to amaze yourself – but stock up on fish sauce. And coconut milk. And hungry relatives. “More than 100 flavour-driven Thai recipes built on technique, balance, tradition, and innovation from award-winning chef Angus An.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

3. Simple Thai Food

Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen

“Thai takeout meets authentic, regional flavours in this collection of 100 recipes for easy, economical, and accessible Thai classics—from the rising star behind the blog She Simmers.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

4. Thai Food

Thai Food by David Thompson

This is my urgent plea: adopt David Thompson as your personal kitchen god. He’s the godfather of Thai cooking and I embarassed myself thoroughly when I met him once (I did not, could not, play it cool). I was given this encyclopaedic book for Christmas about 15 years ago and, besides occasionally dabbling, didn’t delve into its expertise until lockdown. It. Is. Superb. SUPERB. Thanks to this book, I – a truly terrible cook – can make fried rice I’ll gladly feed to other people. And then do that smug thing where you wait for the compliments. Available in hardback and paperback – get the hardback so it survives the next 20 years in your kitchen.

5. Pok Pok

Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand [a Cookbook]

“A guide to bold, authentic Thai cooking from Andy Ricker, the chef and owner of the wildly popular and widely lauded Pok Pok restaurants.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

*Also available in a German language edition: Pok Pok Gelebte Thai-Küche

6. The Principles of Thai Cookery

The Principles of Thai Cookery by Chef Mcdang

“[A] beautifully presented encyclopedia of Thai cuisine. Informative, instructional and inspiring, McDang’s warm narrative takes the reader on an extensive journey through the history, culture and style of Thai food that starts with background on eating habits, regional differences and foreign influences.” Available in hardback.

7. It Rains Fishes

It Rains Fishes: Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking

While this book was published in 1995, the reviews are so glowing it merits inclusion. Such as? “Actually the best book on cooking I’ve read, Period. This isn’t a “cookbook” where you just get a collection of recipes, this is a comprehensive textbook on the theories and history of Thai flavors and cooking.” Available in paperback with secondhand copies also available.

8. 101 Thai Dishes

101 Thai Dishes

At the time of writing, this new-in-2022 book is the #1 best-seller on Amazon for Thai cookbooks. Available for Kindle and in paperback and spiral-bound.

9. Night + Market

Night + Market: Delicious Thai Food to Facilitate Drinking and Fun-having Amongst Friends a Cookbook

“If you love to eat Thai food, but don’t know how to cook it, Kris Yenbamroong wants to solve your problems. His brash style of spicy, sharp Thai party food is created, in part, by stripping down traditional recipes to wring maximum flavor out of minimum hassle. Whether it’s a scorching hot crispy rice salad, lush coconut curries, or a wok-seared pad Thai, it’s all about demystifying the universe of Thai flavors to make them work in your life.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

10. Rosa’s Thai Cafe

Rosa’s Thai Cafe

“Rosa’s Thai Cafe. Born in the East. Raised in the East End. In keeping with its contemporary twist on authentic Thai cuisine (sometimes based on western ingredients), Rosa’s Thai Cafe celebrates traditional Thai cooking techniques and features over 100 recipes, including dishes from the menu at Rosa’s as well as family favourites and regional dishes”. Available in hardback and for Kindle.

11. Curry Guy Thai

Curry Guy Thai

Just released mid-2022 to rave reviews. Available in Kindle and hardback.

12. Baan: Recipes and Stories from My Thai Home

Baan: Recipes and Stories from My Thai Home

A self-described “Thai-born girl with a foreign face”, this book is an absolute gift for greedy people. Discover how to cook complete Thai feasts, or start by erasing all trepidation in the “how to cook rice” section. More from Amazon: “Born and raised in Bangkok, [author] Kay spoke Thai before she spoke English and has spent more than half her life in Thailand. Baan–meaning the hearth, the home, the community, the place where you come from–is a true homage to her childhood, to the delicious recipes that she was raised on, and a cuisine and country that she loves.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

Bangkok-style cookbooks

13. Bangkok

Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand [a Cookbook]

Another cookbook from Leela Punyaratabandhu, author of Simple Thai Food (above). “From one of the most respected authorities on Thai cooking comes this beautiful and deeply personal ode to Bangkok, the top-ranked travel destination in the world.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

*Also available in a German language edition: Bangkok: Rezepte und Geschichten aus dem Herzen Thailands

14. Busaba Bangkok Thai

Bangkok Thai: The Busaba Cookbook

“Bangkok Thai: The Busaba Cookbook takes everything the restaurants legions of fans love about Thai cookery and makes it available to the amateur chef. The book offers 100 recipes ranging from salads and soups to stir-fries, wok noodles, curries and chargrills, as well as Asian-inspired cocktails and desserts.” Available in hardback.

Reader favourite cookbooks

15. Pok Pok Noodles

Pok Pok Noodles: Recipes from Thailand and Beyond

“From chef and bestselling author Andy Ricker comes this definitive guide to the most delicious and time-honored noodle dishes of Thailand with recipes anyone can make at home.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

16. The Better than Takeout Thai Cookbook

The Better than Takeout Thai Cookbook: Favorite Thai Food Recipes Made at Home

“Create the exciting flavors of your favorite Thai meals in your own kitchen―no delivery necessary. The Better-than-Takeout Thai Cookbook reveals the secrets to making iconic dishes and introduces a menu of new options to discover.” Available in paperback and for Kindle.

17. Kin Thai

Kin Thai

Kin Thai? It means eat Thai – and we should. Pre-order now for its June release. Available in Kindle and hardback.

*Also available in a German language edition: Kin Thai: Moderne thailändische Küche

18. Quick & Easy Thai

Quick & Easy Thai

Weeknight Thai food, here you come. “100 authentic Thai recipes that can be prepared simply in thirty minutes or fewer by home cooks of all levels”. Available in hardback.

19. Hot Thai Kitchen

Hot Thai Kitchen

The much-lauded cookbook companion to the Hot Thai Kitchen YouTube channel. “Hot Thai Kitchen expresses perfectly all the reasons I fell in love with Thai food. It covers everything you need to know to get started cooking: how, what, where, and not to mention the beautiful recipes!” – Angus An, Chef/Owner of Maenam (cookbook mentioned above)

Thai street food cookbooks

20. Pok Pok: The Drinking Food of Thailand

Pok Pok: The Drinking Food of Thailand

“A cookbook featuring 50 recipes for Thai drinking food–an entire subset of Thai cooking that is largely unknown in the United States yet boasts some of most craveable dishes in the Thai canon, inspired by Andy Ricker’s decades in Thailand and his beloved restaurant, Whiskey Soda Lounge.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

21. Thai Street Food

Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions [a Cookbook]

We’re back in the supremely expert hands of David Thompson. Part cookbook, part coffee table book. “Thai Street Food transports readers straight into the bustling heart of Thailand’s colorful street stalls and markets–from the predawn rounds of monks fanning out along the aisles to the made-to-order stalls ablaze in neon and jammed with hungry locals after dark. Featuring nearly 100 authentic dishes plus lavish photography accompanying every recipe, this stunning cookbook is the definitive guide to Thailand’s culinary street culture.” Available in hardback and paperback.

22. Sweet, Savory, Spicy

Sweet, Savory, Spicy: Exciting Street Market Food from Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and More

This book includes a wide array of Southeast Asian food. “Explore the street food stalls, night markets and hawker centers of Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and more without ever leaving home thanks to chef and Masterchef Australia finalist Sarah Tiong’s satisfying Southeast Asian recipes.”Available in hardback and for Kindle.

Northern Thai cookbooks

23. Kiin: Recipes and Stories from Northern Thailand

Kiin: Recipes and Stories from Northern Thailand

“Kiin, which means “eat” in Thai, transports readers to northern Thailand on a journey to discover the ingredients, markets, and culture that inform all of the recipes.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

24. Hawker Fare

Hawker Fare: Stories & Recipes from a Refugee Chef’s Isan Thai & Lao Roots

“From chef James Syhabout of two–Michelin-star restaurant Commis, an Asian-American cookbook like no other—simple recipes for cooking home-style Thai and Lao dishes”. Available in hardback and for Kindle.

25. The Food of Northern Thailand

The Food of Northern Thailand: A Cookbook

With twenty years in Thailand and total fluency in Thai, Austin Bush’s resumé includes a who’s-who of food and travel publications – from Bon Appétit to Saveur. All you really need to know? This book draws high praise from Andy Ricker of Pok Pok. He writes: “The Food of Northern Thailand is now my go-to reference for this amazing cuisine; it should be yours, too.” A James Beard Award Finalist. Available in hardback and for Kindle.

Vegan and vegetarian Thai cookbooks

26. Rosa’s Thai Cafe (Vegetarian)

Rosa’s Thai Cafe: The Vegetarian Cookbook

“Finding strictly vegetarian food in Thailand can be tricky, where fish sauce is the king of the kitchen. This brilliant book adds a wealth of exciting new recipes to your vegetarian repertoire.” Available in hardback and for Kindle.

27. Vegan Thai Kitchen

Vegan Thai Kitchen

This is no personal endorsement for meat-less Thai food … but here you go.

German-language Thai cookbooks

In addition to the German language editions of Pok Pok, Kin Thai and others mentioned above, the following come highly reviewed:

• Simply Thai: Das superschnelle Thai-Kochbuch
• Thai-Küche: Pad Thai, Tom Yum & Co.
• Kochen Wie in Thailand
• Das Thai-Kochbuch: Bilder Geschichten Rezepte

Favourite Thai cookbooks

Love eating? Never stop thinking about food? Double or treble it if you’re talking Thai food. Hopefully these superb Thai cookbooks mean tasty times ahead but, until your Amazon order arrives, don’t miss these:

• Start here: How to travel Thailand like a pro
• My favourites: Thai snacks and drinks
• Books: The best novels about Thailand

P.S. You can find every tip for Thai food and drink in the archive (both Thai cooking at home as well as restaurant recommendations in Thailand), or subscribe by email and get all the details straight to your inbox. Enjoy!

• • Things to Do

Where to Eat on Koh Samui?

• Alex Hammond
• March 3, 2023

• • Thailand At Home

The 31 Best Thai Cookbooks [An Enormous Round-up]

• Alex Hammond
• December 6, 2022

• • Thailand 101

How to Find the Best Street Food in Thailand

• Alex Hammond
• December 3, 2022