Clay's Kitchen : Thai Food Glossary

When Thai words are represented as English equivalents (romanized), words are often spelled differently depending on the translator. A g may be written as a k, a t as a d, a k as a kh, an oo as a u, a bp (yes, that's a Thai consonant) as a b, etc. I have used the Royal Thai General System of Transcription to spell the words. I have attempted to provide alternative spellings of the words I've seen in recipes. But, as my Thai language teacher says, you need to be flexible.
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English Representation Thai Word or Phrase Meaning

aeppen แอปเปิ้ล Apple
Literally, "apple" from the English word.
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ahan อาหาร Food

ahan thale (a haan ta lee, ahan taley, ahan thelah) อาหารทะเล Seafood
Pronounced "ah-haan tah-lay".

apchoei (awp-cheeuy, ohp-cheeuy) อบเชย Cinnamon

arigano ออรีกาโน Oregano
Origanum vulgare, spelled phonetically from the English word.

aroi อร่อย Delicious

aroi mak อร่อยมาก Very delicious!

aroi mak mak อร่อยมากๆ Very, very delicious!

ba mi (ba me) บะหมี่ Egg Noodle
Similar to spaghetti noodles (pronounced "bum-mee")

bai ใบ Leaf, Leaves

bai chi (bai chee) ใบชี Cilantro Leaves

bai horapa ใบโหระพา Sweet Thai Basil
Tastes rather like anise, looks like European sweet basil. It is often eaten raw, served on a plated of herbs to accompany a meal. They are served with lab or used in spring roll wraps. They are also used in stir-fried chicken or beef and in red and green curries.

bai kaprao (bai graprow, bai ka phrao) ใบกะเพรา Thai Holy Basil Leaf
Ocimum Sanctum. Green with purple reddish tinged leaves, holy basil has a clove-like taste.

bai kluai (bai gluay) ใบกล้วย Banana Leaves

bai krawan (bai grawan) ใบกระวาน Bay Leaf

bai maeng lak ใบแมงลัก Lemon Basil or Hairy Basil Leaf
Lemon basil leaves have a sweet fragrance, and they are used for adding a fragrance to foods including Gaeng Liang, แกงเลียง, and kanom chin (curried Chinese noodles). The seeds are eaten as a sweet with syrup and crushed ice.

bai makrut (bai magroot) ใบมะกรูด Kaffir Lime Leaf
See pew magroot

bai toei (bai toey) ใบเดย Pandanus Leaf Essence
Pandanus leaf essence, also called "toei hom", "bay toei" or screwpine leaf flavoring, is Thailand's equivalent to vanilla flavoring. It has an earthy fragrance and taste and is usually added to coconut milk based sweets. A common dish is Kai Ho Bai Toei (Chicken wrapped in Pandanus Leaf) ไก่ห่อใบเดย

bai tong ใบตอง Banana leaf wrappers

bekon saenwit เบค่อนแซนวิช Bacon Sandwich

bia เบียร์ Beer

bia chang เบียร์ช้าง Chang Beer
Chang beer is a 6.4% ABV pale lager created in 1994 in a joint-venture with Carlsberg beer. It is now owned by ThaiBev, and has managed to win a considerable size of the market.

bia leo เบียร์ลีโอ Leo Beer
A 6% ABV lager brewed by Boon Rawd Brewery.

bia sing เบียร์สิงห์ Singha Beer
Singha is 6% ABV pale lager brewed by Boon Rawd Brewery.

brung ปรุง To season, mix, prepare, or cook

brung ahan ปรุงอาหาร To prepare food
To cook food.

brung rot ปรุงรส To season, flavor

buai (bouy) บ๊วย Salted Plums
These dried shriveled plums are about the same size as olives. They are grayish brown and covered in a fine layer of salt. They are sold in decorative clear plastic containers or wrapped in cellophane. Salted plums are used to flavor steamed fish or other Thai dishes. The plums and juice are used to make a sweet and sour dipping sauce.

buai leng ปวยเล้ง Spinach
Spinacia oleracea, also called ผักปวยเล้ง, phak buai leng.
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buap liam บวบเหลี่ยม Sponge gourd, angle gourd, angled luffa
Also known as angle gourd, angled luffa, or Chinese okra. Fruits have raised ridges running from end to end, resembling okra. The ridged fruit is 1-2 ft. long and 2 inches across and is lighter than the Smooth Skin Luffa. This variety is very popular for cooking use in China and Vietnam. Flesh is very tender and delicious.

bup (boop) บุบ To grind, pound lightly
In Thailand, this task is efficiently accomplished with a motar and pestle.

cha (jay) เจ Vegetarian

chaom ชะอม Acacia Leaf
Acacia pennata. The feathery shoots are used in soups, curries, omlettes, and stir fries.

chae แช่ Soak, steep, immerse
As in "chae nam" แช่น้ำ - to "soak in water", or kung chae nam pla - shrimp "soaked in nam pla".

chai ไชฟ์ Chive
Allium schoenoprasum, spelled phonetically like the English word, but the final "v" sound is not pronounced.

cham ชาม Bowl, dish
A more formal word, bi noht baat บิณฑบาตร, specifically means a "food bowl" or "alms dish". The act of putting food into a monk's bowl is called sai baat, ใส่บาตร.

chan จาน Plate

chap chai จับฉ่าย Hotchpot, medley, mélange, as in Tom Chap Chai (Vegetable Stew) ต้มจับฉ่าย.

chaplu (chaploo, shaploo) ชะพลู Wild Pepper, Cha-Plu
Piper sarmentosum. Sometimes wrongly identified as Piper betle, which doesn't have glossy and tender leaves. The leaves are heart-shaped, light green when young and shiny dark green when mature. The upper side of the leaf is smooth while the underside is somewhat rough. The leaf has a pleasant fragrance and a refreshing taste. I once had it served with laab muu as a wrapper for the minced pork.

cha ฉ่า Sizzle
A sizzling sound as in pla duk phat cha ปลาดุกผัดฉ่า.

chiao (jiao, jiaw, jeow) เจียว Crisp fry, to fry in oil

chim จิ้ม Dip in, to try, to have a taste
Dip food into sauce, as in the many nam chim น้ำจิ้น recipes.

chin ชิ้น Piece of food
Also a numeric classifier for food.

chin nuea gae ชิ้นเนื้อหแกะ Lamb chops

chin nuea mu ชิ้นเนื้อหมู Pork chops

chit saenwit ชีสแซนวิช Cheese Sandwich

chok โจ๊ก Congee
A Chinese rice porridge, like Hong Kong Congee, chok hong kong, โจ๊กฮ่องกง. Congee may be served plain, or with additions including chicken, pork, "pork liver innards", shrimp, fish, and with salted or fresh egg.

chom pu ชมพู่ Rose Apple
Euginia jambos, also known as Pink Rose Apple or Malay Apple.
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chon (chawn, chorn) ช้อน Spoon
Pronounced "chawn".

chon cha ช้อนชา Teaspoon

chon glang ช้อนกลาง Serving Spoon

chon som ช้อนส้อม Cutlery, silverware
Literally a spoon and a fork.

chon to ช้อนโต๊ะ Tablespoon

chu chi ฉูฉี่ A Thai Curry

churot ฉูรส Flavoring, seasoning, spice

chueam เชื่อม To boil in syrup
Boiling in syrup like the dessert dish กล้วยเชื่อม (Bananas boiled in syrup).

chuean เฉื้อน To slice
To slice, carve or cut

chuet (juet, jued) จืด Bland, tasteless.
In Thailand, Chinese-style soups are called "bland" soups, like kaeng chuet wunsen (noodle soup) แกงจืดวุ้นเส้น or nam kaeng chuet (beef stock) น้ำแกงจืด.

chup ชุบ To coat (with)
As in the dish gan chiang pu chup paeng thot, กรรเชียงปูชุบแป้งทอด, which is crab legs (skulls) coated with flour and deep fried.

dawk chan (dok jan) Mace

dipli ดีปลี Long Pepper
Piper longum, sometimes called Javanese, Indian or Indonesian long pepper, is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Long pepper has a similar, but hotter, taste to its close relative Piper nigrum - from which black, green and white pepper are obtained. The word pepper itself is derived from the Sanskrit word for long pepper, pippali.

dip ดิบ Raw, unripe, green, undercooked when refering to meat, rare, uncooked

dong ดอง Pickle, pickled, fermented

dueat เดือด To boil, froth, foam.

duem ดื่ม Drink

fak thong (pak thong, fuck thong) ผักทอง Pumpkin
Cucurbita moschata, also known as Cushaw, Butternut Squash, or Winter Squash.
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fu ฟู To rise, to be fluffy
Like dough rising — I've also seen a dish called pla dook foo ปลาดุกฟู which was described as a Deep fried catfish sour-hot salad or Yum pla dook foo ยำปลาดุกฟู which was described as a Crispy catfish green mango salad. Shredding the catfish then frying it makes it fluffy and crispy.

kuichai กุยช้าย Chinese Chive
Allium tuberosum, also known as garlic chives, the flavor is more like garlic than chives, though much milder. Both leaves and the stalks of the flowers are used as a flavoring similarly to chives, green onions or garlic and are used as a stir fry ingredient. In China, they are often used to make dumplings with a combination of egg, shrimp and pork. The flowers may also be used as a spice.

haem saenwit แฮมแซนวิช Ham Sandwich

haeng แห้ง Dry, Dried
Pronounced "haang" with a very long "a".

haeo (haew) แห้ว Water Chestnut

han หั่น To slice, cut into pieces

het เห็ด Mushroom
Pronounced "head" in a low tone, barely pronouncing the "d".

het fang เห็ดฟาง Straw Mushroom
Volvariella volvacea

het hom (hed horm, hed hom) เห็ดหอม Shiitake Mushroom
Lentinus edodes, also known as Chinese Mushrooms or Japanese Black Mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms have a pale brown to dark reddish brown cap that is generally two to four inches wide. The young mushrooms have an edge rolled inward, which nearly flattens out with age. The stems are tough and fibrous and are generally detached and discarded. The cap has creamy white gills on its underside and its flesh is firm and white. The mushroom grows in clusters on hardwood, such as oak, chestnut and beech. The flesh is meaty textured with a rich, smoky flavor and goes well with all foods. These mushrooms are supposed to be good for baby's cartilage.
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het hu nu khao เห็ดหูหนูขาว White Jelly Fungus
Tremella fusiformis. A white jelly fungus, also called Pen Tsao or Silver Ear. These mushrooms are supposed to be good for sperm, semen, and kidney.

het hu nu si nam tam เห็ดหูหนูสีนำ้ตาล Jew's Ear Mushroom
Auricularia auricula. They are usually purchased in dry form and a reconstituted with water prior to use. They swell to triple the dried size and have a cartilage-like texture. These mushrooms are supposed to be good for clean lungs.

het hu nu เห็ดหูหนู Cloud Ear Mushroom
Auricularia sp. Also known as wood ear or tree ear, these mushrooms are commonly used in Chinese cuisine.

het kon เห็ดโคน Termite mushrooms
Termitomyces albiceps and Termitomyces fuliginosus (also called เห็ดขาไก่, hed kha kai). Hed kon is a popular edible mushroom in Thailand. Hed kon is supposed to be good for the brain and memory. These mushrooms are a symbiotic fungi. They can only exist with the help of termites. In this photograph from Thailand, the sign indicates เห็ดโคนญี่ปุ่น, "hed kon yee-bpoon", or Japanese mushrooms.

het lom เห็ดลม Het Lom
Het Lom is one of the most widely cultivated edible mushrooms in northern and northeast of Thailand.

het mun เห็ดมูล Hed Mun
Termitomyces sp., a variety of edible mushrooms.

het nang rom (het nang lom) เห็ดนางรม Oyster Mushroom
A fan-shaped mushroom that is white, light gray, light gray with a bluish tinge, pale yellow or pinkish in color. It has a slight odor similar to anise or licorice and a tender texture with a mild oyster-like flavor.

hio nam (hiu nam) หิวน้ำ Thirsty

hio หิว Hungry

hoi (hawy) หอย Shellfish, clam, oyster, snail, shell
Pronounced with a rising tone.

hoi chen หอยเชลล์ Scallop
Amusium pleuronectes

hoi kap หอยกาบ Clam, Cockle

hoi kraeng หอยแครง Cockle
Anadara granosa and Anadara nodifera. Also known as arc shell and blood cockle.
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hoi lai หอยลาย Clam
Paphia undulata, Undulated Surf Clam.
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hoi maelang phu หอยแมลงภู่ Mussel
Perna viridis, green mussel, also called hoi maeng phu หอยแมงภู่, in Thai.
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hoi nang rom หอยนางรม Pacific Oyster
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hom หอม Shallot
Green or Spring onions are "ton hom", ต้นหอห, literally "onion plant".

hom daeng chiao, hawm daeng jeow, hom daeng jiaw หอมแดงเจียว Fried Red Shallot
A delicious topper for rice and noodles and other Thai dishes.

hom daeng หอมแดง Red Shallots
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hom yai หอมใหญ่ Onion
Literally "big" shallot or onion.

hot dok ฮอทดอก Hot Dog
Spelled phonetically like the English words

ho ห่อ To wrap
To wrap, as in kai ho bai toei (Chicken wrapped in Pandanus Leaf) ไก่ห่อใบเดย

hua หัว Bulb, tuber, rhizome or rootstock

hua chai po หัวไช้โป Pickled Radish
Made from salted and pickled daikon-like turnips. It is both salty and sweet and makes a nice contrast fried with rice noodles. Rinse well before adding to Pad Thai.

hua hom หัวหอม Onion

hua hom yai หัวหอมใหญ White onion

hua phak kat หัวผักกาด Radish
Raphanus sativus, also rae-dit แรดิช.

hua phak kat daeng หัวผักกาดแดง Carrot
Also, kee rot แครอท
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hua phak kat khao หัวผักกาดขาว Daikon
Raphanus sativus, Chinese radish, white radish or oriental radish.

hua wasabi หัววาซาบิ Wasabi

hung (hoong) หุง Slow blanch, to boil or cook

im อิ่ม Full (of food), had enough to eat

kae rot แครอท Carrot
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kaeng (gaeng) แกง Typical Thai dish, half-way between a soup and a stew. It may be clear and thin or spicy and thicken with coconut cream.

kaeng chuet (kaeng juet) แกงจืด Bland Soup, usually Chinese-style

kaeng khiao wan (gaeng kiew wahn) แกงเขียวหวาน Green Curry Paste

kaeng lueang (gaeng lueang) แกงเหลือง Yellow Curry Paste

kaeng masaman (gaeng masamun) แกงมัสมั่น Masamun Curry Paste

kaeng pa (gaeng pah) แกงป่า Jungle Curry

kaeng panaeng (gaeng panaeng) แกงแพนง, แกงพะแนง Panang Curry Paste

kaeng phet (gaeng ped) แกงเผ๊ด Red Curry Paste
A thick spicy curry

kaeng som แกงส้ม Popular fish soup in Thailand, like Gaeng Som Pla (Sour Soup) แกงส้มปลา.

kaeo mang kan thai nuea khao แก้วมังกรไทยเนื้อขาว White Dragon Fruit
Dragon Fruit is also known as pitaya, huŏ lóng guŏ, strawberry pear, nanettikafruit or thanh long. Its flesh is eaten raw and is mildly sweet, sometimes likened to that of the kiwi fruit due to a prevalence of sesame-sized, black crunchy seeds.

kaeo แก้ว A Glass

kaep mu แคบหมู Fried pork skin, pork cracklings

kafae กาแฟ Coffee
Spelled phonetically from the French word, café. Printed on the coffee creamer package in the picture, it is spelled phonetically like the English word, กอฟฟี่ (khawf-fee).

kai (gai) ไก่ Chicken

kai thot (gai tawd, gai tot) ไก่ทอด Fried chicken

kai yang ไก่ย่าง Grilled Chicken

kalam dok กะหล่ำดอก Cauliflower
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kalam pli กะหลำ่ปลี Cabbage
Cabbage is commonly eaten with laab, som tum, and yam, or used in salads or clear soups. For Chinese Cabbage, see phak kat chin, ผักกาดจีน.

kan chiang pu กรรเชียงปู Crab Sculls
The hind-most pair of legs on a crab. They are flattened blades with which the crabs row through the water.

kan kae salak polamai การแกะสลักผลไม้ Fruit carving

kan phlu กานพลู Cloves
The very fragrant flower buds of the tree Caryophyllus aromaticus, thought to be native to insular Southeast Asia.

kan plu (kan plou) กานพลู Cloves
Engenia caryophyllata Cloves are the dried flower buds of a member of the myrtle family and can be used whole or in powder form. In Thai cuisine. They are added to curries but they also mix well with tomatoes and salty vegetables.

kang กั้ง Rock Lobster
A mantis shrimp of the genus Squilla, also called kung hin, กุ้งหิน

kaolao เกาเหลา A Chinese-style clear soup that has no noodles
In Thai "noodle" is sen, เส้น, so ordering kaolao means not eating sen. In Thai slang mai gin sen, ไม่กินเส้น, means "do not like or love each other", so kaolao could mean the same. In fact, there is a cartoon series in the Thai newspaper, Matichon, มติชน, called kaolao ruam mit, เกาเหลารวมมิตร, or "gathering of people who don't like each other".

kapi (gabi, gapee, gabpi, gkapki, ka-peei) กะปิ Shrimp paste
Made from ground shrimp and rice. Kasma Loha-unchit has a very good article about kapi.

kaprao (gapraw) กะเพรา Stir-fried dish with holy basil (bai grapaw) and chile (prik kee noo)

kare (garee, karee) กะหรี่ Curry
From the English word "curry". Used only when refering to Indian curry.

kati (gati, gkati) กะทิ Coconut Milk/Cream

kha ข่า Galangal
Alphinia galangal, is a larger and lighter-colored relative of ginger and has its own distinctive taste.
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kha min ขมิ้น Tumeric
Curcuma longa, is a small ginger with brown rhizones. Inside the flesh is bright orange.

kha mu ขาหมู Pork Hock
Literally means "pig leg".

khai ไข่ Egg

khai ไข Animal Fat or Lard

khai chiao (kai jeow, kai jee-o) ไข่เจียว Omelette

khai khao ไข่คาว Fried eggs

kham คำ A mouthful or bite, morsel

khana คะน้า See phak khana

khanom ขนม Candy, sweets, cake
Pronounced "ka-nome", it is a generic term for sweet dainties, candied foods, puddings, and pastries.

khanom chin ขนมจีน Thai Spaghetti Noodles
Literally "Chinese pastry", kanom jeen is Thai vermicelli made from rice flour.

khanom pang ขนมปัง Bread
Literally means "expensive cake".

khanom pang ping ขนมปังปิ้ง Toast

khanun (kha nuu) ขนุน Jack Fruit
The jackfruit is the shape of a large melon. The fruit has a green-greyish skin, and contains a great number of pips or kernels which are about the size of a pigeon's egg. These, when roasted, taste like chestnuts. The fruit is yellow and succulent, of a sweet taste and powerful smell. Thais eat the yellow flesh alone, with ice cream or mixed with other fruits and coconut milk in a compote. The cooked seeds find their way into many dishes.

khan คั้น Squeeze, squash, crush
nam som khan, น้ำสัมคั้น, is fresh-squeezed orange juice.

khao ขาว Savory
Pungently flavorful without sweetness.

khao (kao) ข้าว Rice

khao chao (kao chao) ข้าวเช้า Breakfast
Literally, "morning rice". A more formal way of refering to breakfast is "a-han kao chao", อาหารข้าวเช้า, which just means "food morning rice".

khao hom mali (kao hom mali) ข้าวหอมมะลิ Jasmine Rice
Pronounced "cow homme-mah-lee".

khao kua (kao koor) ข้าวคั่ว Powdered Fried Rice

khao niao (kao niow) ข้าวเหนียว Sticky Rice
pronounced "cow-knee-owh".

khao niao dam (kao niow dom) ข้าวเหนียวดำ Black Sticy Rice
Pronounced "cow-knee-owh dumb". Black sticky rice is nutty and flavorful like wild rice. Soak and steam or boil to cook. Serve savory, combined with cooked white sticky rice, for a nutitious rice dish. Or sweeten with palm sugar and serve with coconut milk for a delicious Thai dessert (kanom).

khao phat (kao pad) ข้าวผัด Fried Rice

khao plao (kao plao) ข้าวเปล่า Steamed Rice, Plain Rice

khao pod ข้าวโพด Corn
Usually baby corn (ข้าวโพดอ่อน, literally young corn) is used in Thai cuisine

khao pon (kao pon, khua pon) ข้าวป่น Roasted Rice

khao soi kai ข้าวซอยไก่ Chicken with Noodles in Curry Soup

khao soi nuea ข้าวซอยเนื้อ Beef with Noodles in Curry Soup

khao soi ข้าวซอย Rice noodles in soup, but today egg noodles are mainly used.

khao thiang ข้าวเที่ยง Lunch
Literally, "noon rice"

khao tom ข้าวต้ม Rice soup, rice gruel, congee, rice porridge

khao yen ข้าวเย็น Dinner, supper
Literally, "evening rice". "yen" is the early evening hours between 4:00pm and 6:00pm.

khem เค็ม Salty taste

khetchap เคทชัพ Ketchup

khi mao ขี้เมา Habitually drunk, a drunkard, very drunk.

khiao (keow, khiew, kiao, kiew) เขียว Green
As in kai Phat Khiao Wan (Chicken Stir-Fried with Green Curry Paste) ไก่ผัดเขียวหวาน or Nam Phrik Kaeng Khiao Wan (Green Curry Paste) น้ำพริกแกงเขียวหวาน.

khiao เคี่ยว To boil down

khing dong ขิงดอง Pickled Ginger

khing ขิง Ginger
Zingiber officinale, grows from underground stems, or rhisome. Mature ginger stems are buff-colored; young or fresh ginger, king awn ขิงอ่อน, is white and is eaten fresh and pickled, as well as cooked.
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khlao เคลา To mix together, roll, knead

khlok โขลก Pound, Pulverize
To crush or pulverize by using great force, as one would do with a motar and pestle. For example, rak phak chi khlok, รากผักชีโขลก, (cilantro root pounded with motar and pestle)

khom ขม Bitter taste

khot klet pla ขอดเก็ลดปลา Scale fish
To remove the scales from the fish.

khrim ครีม Cream

khrok ครก Mortar

khrueang เครื่อง Ingredients, food, ware, utensil

khrueang brung เครื่องปรุง Condiments

khrueang chu rot เครื่องฉูรส Spice

khrueang krapong เครื่องกระป๋อง Canned Food

khrueang nai เครื่องใน Guts
Literally "stuff inside" meaning innards, giblets, guts, internal organs, or offal

khrueang puang เครื่องพวง Ring of Spices
Usually served with noodles, the spices are dried chile powder (Prik Pom), vinegar with chile slices (Prik Dong), fish sauce (Nam Pla), sugar. View Additional Information.

khrueang thad เครื่องเทศ Spices

khua (khuaa, krua) คั่ว To roast, to pop (corn)

khuen chai ขึ้นฉ่าย Chinese celery
Apium graveolens, Chinese celery has thin, hollow stalks and a much stronger flavor than common celery found in Western markets. It is commonly used in salads and stir-fry.

khuen chia ขึ้นฉ่าย Celery
Also spelled phonetically like the english word, เซเลอรี, sa-lo-re.

khwak ควัก Scoop out
to pick out; to scoop out; to gouge; to dig out; to take out; to spoon out. A usage of the word is khwak sai, ควักไส้ (scoop out intestines or guts — when you clean a fish)

kiao (geow, kiow) เกี๊ยว Wonton
Square sheets of wheat dough enclosing pork, boiled in soup stock.

kin (gin) กิน To eat or drink

kin khao (gin khao) กินข้าว To eat food, literally, "eat rice"

klet เกล็ด Scales
A usage of the word would be khot klet pla, ขอดเกล็ดปลา (remove fish scales, or scale the fish).

kluai (gluay, kluay) กล้วย Banana

kluea (gluea) เกลือ Salt
Pronounced "glue-uh".

kluea samut เกลือสมุทร Sea Salt

kluea thale (gluea talay) เกลือทะเล Sea Salt

kra chiap keow กระเจี๊ยบเขียว Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus, also known as Lady's Fingers, gombo, gumbo, quingombo, okro, ochro, bamia, bamie, quiabo. In Spanish okra is quibombo; the French word is gombo, bamia or bamya, in India it is bhindi, and in the eastern Mediterranean and Arab countries bamies.

krachai (grachai) กระชาย Krachai
Boesenbergia pandurata, sometimes classified as Kaempferia pandurata or Kaempferia panduratum, Fingerroot or Chinese Keys is a rhizome that grows bunches of slender and short yellow-brown tuberous roots and is used in fish dishes. Sometimes mistakenly called "lesser galangal". In Thai cuisine, it is eaten raw in salads, added to mixed vegetable soups and curries, especially those made of fish. It is also pickled.

krachet กระเฉด Water Mimosa
Neptunia oleracea. Water Mimosa is a popular Thai vegetable that is most often cooked in spicy salads or fried with meats. It is particularly delicious in Gaeng Som soup.

krachon กระชอน Strainer, sieve

kraduk กระดูก Bone
As in, gradook moo กระดูกหมู, which is "pork bone" or spareribs.

krapao pla กระเพาะปลา Fish Maw
Krapao pla is the air bladder of a fish. It is fried to preserve it, and it is soaked in water to reconstitute it.

krapong กระป๋อง Can
Tin can.

kratha กระทะ Frying pan
A Thai frying pan is made of cast iron and has a round bottom.

krathin กระถิน Lead Tree
Leucaena leucocephala, also known as Horse Tamarind, Jumbie Bean, Leucaena, Wild Mimosa, Wild Tamarind, and White Popinac. Lead Tree is a type of mimosa tree. In Thailand, the young shoots found on the top of the tree are eaten. Young pods are also cooked and eaten as vegetables. Seeds can be used as a substitute for coffee, and when cooked can be eaten like popcorn.

krathiam กระเทียม Garlic
Allium sativum, sometimes pronounced "grow-tee".

krathiam chiao (gratium jiaw) กระเทียมเจียว Fried Garlic
A convenient delicious topping for noodles and rice dishes.

krathiam dong กระเทียมดอง Pickled Garlic

krawan กระวาน Cardamon
Amomum xanthoides Grown in South Eastern Thailand,Cardamon has been used since ancient times. These aromatic pods can be either green, white or black, and are used in a variety of sweet and savoury Thai dishes, especially in curries.

krin chit saenwit กริลชีสแซนวิช Grilled Cheese Sandwich

krong กรอง To strain, filter, sift.

krop กรอบ Crispy

kuaitiao (guay dtiow) ก๋วยเตี๋ยว Rice Noodles, Rice Stick Noodles
Kuaitiao, from a Chinese word, are opaque ribbon-like rice noodles. They are called "gway tee-ow" in Thai, "chow fun" in Chinese, or "ban pho" in Vietnamese. Pre-soak in warm water to soften, before frying or adding to soups. These noodles are used to make Pad Thai

kuaitiao sen lek ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเส้นเล็ก Thin Rice Noodles
Resembling spaghetti, these noodles are sold both fresh and dried. The city of Chanthaburi is famous for dried sen lek noodles, which are sometimes called Jantoboon noodles after the nickname for the town.

kuaitiao sen yai ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเส้นใหญ Wide Lane Noodles, Rice River Noodles
Sold both dried and fresh, although the latter form is more popular. When fresh they tend to be rather sticky and need to be separated before cooking.

kung (goong, gung) กุ้ง Generic term for shrimp or prawn
In the USA, people commonly call large shrimp "prawns", but that's not correct because some prawns can be smaller than shrimp. Some people think shrimp are saltwater and prawns are freshwater. That's not correct either. This is the difference:

The structure of the gills is different between shrimp and prawns. If you turn a shrimp over and look at its "belly", the side plate of the second segment of the abdomen overlaps the segments in the front and behind. If you do the same to a prawn, all of the abdominal side plates overlap like tiles from the front.
Shrimp "brood" their eggs like a chicken (the eggs are held in their swimming legs — See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleopod). Prawns don't brood — They just shed their eggs into the current.

In Thailand, there are mainly three types of prawns served in restaurants: White Prawns, Tiger Prawns, and Spiny Clawied Prawns.

kung chae buai กุ้งแชบ๊วย White Prawn
Penaeus merguiensis. Also known as Banana Prawn, it has a white body with small rust-colored dots. Fully grown, they obtain a length of 20 cm (8 inches) or more, but they are harvested before they reach half that size. The small ones are sorted and sold as กุ้งชีแฮ้. This is the prawn that is found in recipes that just indicate "prawns".

kung foi (goong fawy) กุ้งฝอย Small Prawn
Macrobrachium lampropus. Small prawns grown in still, fresh water.

kung haeng (goong haeng, gung haeng) กุ้งแห้ง Dried Shrimp
Shelled, salted, and sundried shrimps. Add to Pad Thai noodles for an authentic Thai taste. Mildly salty, with a fragrant aroma, pre-soak in warm water before adding to salads or grind or chop and add to chile pastes, soups, stir fries, sauces, or as a topping.

kung hin กุ้งหิน Rock Lobster
hin หิน, means "rock" in Thai. Also called gang, กั้ง.

kung kam kram กุ้งก้ามกราม River Prawns, Spiny-Clawed Prawn, Giant Freshwater Prawn, Freshwater Lobster
Macrobrachium rosenbergii. I've also seen them called goong maae nam, กุ้งแม่น้ำ, literally "river prawns". These are the prawns with the long second walking leg and a large spiny pincher. Spiny-clawed prawns with blue bodies are more tender when broiled or baked than those with grey-green bodies. Smaller spiny-clawed prawns are called goong naang กุ้งนาง.
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kung kuladam กุ้งกุลาดำ Tiger Prawn
Penaeus monodon. It has black and white stripes — I've seen tiger prawns called goong laay, กุ้งลาย, striped prawns. These are giant among Asia prawns. The females grow to over 30 cm (1 foot) long.

kung mang kan กุ้งมังกร Lobster

kung nae nam กุ้งแน่น้ำ River Prawns
(see goong gaam graam กุ้งก้ามกราม).

la iat ละเอียด Fine, powdered
A usage of the word is sap la iat, สับละเอียด (finely chopped).

lae แล่ To slice
To slice, to cut, to carve

laek แหลก Crushed
[is] crushed, [is] broken into pieces.

lalai ละลาย To dissolve or melt.

lam yai ลำไย Longan
Euphoria longana is a small, round, undistinguished-looking fruit. The brittle light brown skin encloses delicious translucent, juicy soft flesh around a single large, black inedible pit. The Chinese name for this fruit is long yan rou, which literally means "dragon eye flesh". In the grocery markets, Euphoria fruits are simply known as longans.

lang ล้าง Clean
Clean, wash or rinse, as in ล้างไก่ (clean chicken).

lao alakun เหลาองุ่น Wine
Also spelled phonetically like the English word, lao wai, เหลาไวน์. Red wine is lao wai daeng เหลาไวน์แดง, or simply wai daeng, ไวน์แดง. White wine is lao wai khaao, เหลาไวน์ขาว, or simply, wai khao, ไวน์ขาว.

lao เหลา Alcohol, liquor

lap ลาบ Minced meat salad, ground meat, chopped meat, minced meat

lok ลอก To peel a fruit or vegetable

lon (lohn) หลน Stew or simmer
Stew or simmer, as in Pu Lon (Crab Dip) ปูหลน.

luak ลวก Blanch (vegetables), soft-boil (an egg)

lueat เลือด Blood
Don't you wonder why blood appears in a food glossary? I once had lap pat (ground duck salad) with the fresh duck blood poured over it.

luk (look) หิน A small ball or a fruit

luk chan (look jan) ลูกจัน Nutmeg

luk chin (look chin) ลูกชิ้น Meatballs

luk krawan ลูกกระวาน Cardamoms
Amomum krevanh, appear like minature unhusked coconuts. The off-white bulb-shaped capsules reach about 1 cm in length and slightly more than this in diameter. Inside is a densely-packed cluster of angular, dark brown seeds, which are aromatic and have a slightly hot taste.

luk phak chi ลูกผักชี Whole Thai Coriander Seeds

luk sali หินสาลี่ Pear
Chinese Pear
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ma fueang มะเฟีอง Carambola Fruit

ma khaen มะแข่วน มะแข่น in Lao, Zanthozylum limonella Alston — An acrid pungent spice from Northern Thailand used in making Lap.

ma kham piak มะขามเปียก Tamarind Paste
Literally, wet/moist tamarind

ma kham มะขาม Tamarind
Tamarind is a large evergreen tree that grows in the tropics. It is native to Asian and, probably, to Africa. The tree may grow 75 feet(23 meters) tall. It ha leaves that consist of 10-18 pairs of leaflets and small, pale yellow flowers. The tamarind tree produces brown pods that are 2 to 6 inches(5 to 16 centimeters) long. The pods contain an acidic pulp that may be eaten fresh or used to make jams, sauces, syrups, and drinks. The seeds of the tamarind may be roasted and eaten. The tamarind grown as a shade tree in southern Florida, U.S.A

ma khuea มะเขือ Eggplant
Solanum spp., are eaten with nam prik.

ma khuea fuang มะเขือพวง Pea Eggplant
Solanum torvum, small pea-sized green eggplants with smooth skin. The young fruit is eaten as a fresh vegetable, put in nam prik, or used in curry, green curry, and kaeng kai.

ma khuea muang มะเขือม่วง Purple Eggplant
Solanum melongena

ma khuea pro (makhuea poh) มะเขือเปราะ Thai Eggplant
Solanum melongena, also known as Brinjal, Thai eggplants are small and round and a a creamy white color with green stripes. They are eaten as a fresh vegetable with nam prik, or used in curry and in Gaeng Paa (Jungle Curry) แกงป่า

ma khuea sida มะเขือสีดา Cherry tomato

ma khuea thet มะเขือเทศ Tomato

ma khuea yao มะเขือยาว Eggplant
A long, thin, green eggplant.

ma kok มะกอก Hog Plum
Spondias pinnata, also known as Thai olives, ambra in Laos, and buah amara in Malaya. Thai olives are similar in size and shape to the green olives most people know. The astringent and tart tropical green olive is most frequently pickled, to be nibbled on any time of day dipped in or sprinkled with a mixture of crushed chiles, salt and sugar. It is also frequently sliced up and pounded into a spicy green papaya salad.

ma krut มะกรูด Kaffir Lime
Citrus hystrix.

ma muang มะม่วง Mango
Pronounced "ma-moo-ung". There are several varieties of mango in Thailand including Kiao Sawoei, Nam Dorkmai, Choke-Anan, Ok-Rong, and Apple Mango. The mango in the picture to the right appear to be Nam Dorkmai mangos. The ripe fruit is often eaten with sticky rice.
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ma muang dong มะม่วงดอง Pickled Mango

ma muang himaphan มะม่วงหิมพานต์ Cashew Nut
mamuang means "mango", but in the full formal Thai language mamuang himaphan is a cashew nut; the logic is as follows: himaphan refers to the Brahministic equivalent of the Garden of Eden, and the bean in which the cashew nut grows is similar to a small mango, hence the cashew is the "mango of paradise".

ma nao มะนาว Lime
Also used for lemon which is not commonly available in Thailand.

ma prang มะปราง Marian Plums
Bouea burmanica, Bouea macrophylla. Small tree with edible orange fruit that looks like a small mango or apricot. Also called ma yong, มะยง. Maprang fruits, especially the sweet varieties, are consumed fresh or eaten cooked in syrup. Entire immature fruits are chopped and used as an ingredient in the spicy condiment sambal, and are pickled to prepare asinan. Young leaves are also consumed in salads and eaten with sambal.

ma prao มะพร้าว Coconut

maeng kaphrun (maeng gaproon) แมงกะพรุน Jellyfish
Dried jellyfish has little taste but is valued for its crunchy texture. It is the salted and sundried skin of the mantle of the jellyfish

mai sai sai ไม่ไส่ไส้ Without intestines :)

malako (malakaw) มะละกอ Papaya
Originally a native of Mexico, the papaya has been grown in Southeast Asia since the 16th century and the long yellow or orange fruit, rich in Vitamins A and C, is a well-established component of Thai cuisine. In perhaps its most popular use, green papayas are sliced into thin strips and ground together with dried shrimp, garlic, and hot chilies to produce a fiery salad called som tam.
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mali มะลิ Jasmine

man มัน Yam, potato
Also means oil, fat or grease

man farang มันฝรั่ง Potato, an Irish potato

man farang ob มันฝรั่งอบ Baked potato

mangkhut มังคุด Mangosteen
Southern Thailand is the home of the mangosteen, which appears on markets in May and continues through most of the rainy season. This delicious fruit has a thick, dark-red skin, inside which are creamy white segments with a sweet, slightly tart flavor; as a general rule, the more segments a mangosteen has, the fewer seeds one will find. A knife is used to slit the skin around the middle, after which it opens easily and the flesh can be eaten with a fork as a memorable after-meal treat.
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masaman มัสมั่น "Musselman" or Islamic origin
As in Gaeng Massaman Kaa (Curry Paste) แกงมัสมั่นข่า

mat tad มัสตาร์ด Mustard
Spelled phonetically like the English word. Also spelled, มัสตาด.

met เม็ด Seed, kernel

mi lueang หมี่เหลือง Yellow noodles

miang เมึ่ยง A savory
A savory wrapped in leaves, like hors d'oeuvre.

min มิ้นท์ Mint

mo หม้อ Cooking pot
An earthen pot or kettle.

mo fai หม้อไฟ Fire pot
A hot pot, usually has a fire beneath to serve steamed fish and squid dishes with lime.

mo kaeng หม้อแกง Soup pot

mo khao หม้อข้าว Pot for cooking rice

mo tun หม้อตุ๋น Steaming pot

mu (moo) หมู Pork
Pronounced "moo".

mu han หมูหัน Pig suckling roasted over an open fire.

mu pa หมูป่า Wild boar

mu sam chan หมูสามชั้น Pork Belly
Literally, three layer pork — This is the same cut of pork that is used for making bacon, with a layer of red meat, fat and skin. Pork belly is regarded as one of the tastiest cuts of the animal despite its fatty content and it is a particular favorite, whether fried until crisp or slowly cooked with five-spice powder. The long cooking method makes the pork particularly tender and also helps render much of its excess fat. Cooked this way, it is often served with plain boiled rice and vegetables. Pork belly is often used minced as a secret ingredient in other dishes to provide flavor and moistness. It is often combined with prawns (shrimp) in prawn cakes and also with beef to give certain lightness.

mu yang หมูย่าง Whole pig roasted over an open fire.

mu yong หมูหยอง Shredded pork, dried and preserved.

nam น้ำ Water, liquid, juice
If you want water to drink, you can't just ask for "water", น้ำ — You need to be specific and ask for nam blao (plain water) น้ำเปล่า, nam duem (drinking water) น้ำดื่ม, or nam yen (cold water) น้ำเย็น

nam aep ben น้ำแอปเปิ้ล Apple juice

nam chan น้ำจัฌฑ์ Alcohol, liquor

nam cha น้ำชา Tea, hot or cold

nam chim น้ำจิ้ม Sauce, Dip

nam duem น้ำดื่ม Drinking Water
Sometimes, you might hear nam gin, น้ำกิน.

nam gin น้ำกิน Drinking water

nam gok น้ำก๊อก Tap Water

nam kaeng (nam geeng, nam gaeng) น้ำแกง Soup, or the liquid part of curry

nam kati น้ำกะทิ Coconut milk

nam khaeng น้ำแข็ง Ice
Pronounced "nam kang".

nam khem น้ำเค็ม Brine, Salt Water

nam khing น้ำขิง Ginger Ale

nam khuat น้ำขาว Soft drink
Literally bottled water/liquid.

nam ma kham piak น้ำมะขามปียก Tamarind Juice

nam ma khuea thet น้ำมะเขือเทศ Tomato juice

nam ma prao น้ำมะพร้าว Coconut juice, coconut milk

nam man hoi (nam muen hoi) น้ำมันหอย Oyster sauce
Sweetened soy sauce with oyster extract added

nam man ngah (nam muen ngah) น้ำมันงา Sesame Oil

nam man puet น้ำมันพืช Vegetable Oil
พืช ("puet") means vegetation or plant in Thai.

nam man tua น้ำมันถั่ว Peanut Oil

nam manao น้ำมะนาว Lemonade
Literally "lime juice".

nam mao น้ำเมา Alcoholic beverage

nam maw Fermented Sausage

nam nom น้ำนม Milk

nam oi น้ำอ้อย Sugarcane juice

nam phrik น้ำพริก Hot Chili Paste Sauce
A watery sauce of shrimp paste and chili used as a condiment

nam phrik pao (nam prik phao, nam prik pow) น้ำพริกเผา Roasted Chile Paste in Bean Oil
An excellent accompaniment to steamed jasmine rice. Made primarily from roasted red chilis and ground dried shrimp, it has a wonderful mellow taste. It is often added to 'tom yum' soup.

nam phrik siracha น้ำพริกศรีราชา Chili Garlic Sauce. View Additional Information.

nam pla น้ำปล่า Fish Sauce (pronounced "nam plah")

nam pla phrik น้ำปล่าพริก Fish Sauce with thinly sliced prik ki nu

nam pla phrik ma nao น้ำปล่าพริกมะนาว Chili fish sauce
This sauce is made by mixing 2 tablespoonfuls of fish sauce, 2 teaspoonsful of lime juice, and I teaspoonsful of chiles. It is used as a sauce to accompany fried foods or as a condiment with rice.

nam pon la mai น้ำผลไม้ Fruit Juice

nam pueng น้ำผึ้ง Honey
"pueng" means "bee", so nam pueng is liquid from a bee.

nam salat น้ำสลัด Salad dressing, mayonnaise.

nam sapparot น้ำสับปะรด Pineapple juice

nam si io น้ำซีอิ๊ว Soy sauce

nam som น้ำส้ม Orange juice or any citrus juice

nam som ma kham น้ำส้มมะขาม Tamarind juice
Made by mixing some of the fruit with water and squeezing out the juice

nam som sai chu น้ำส้มสายชู Vinegar

nam sup (nam soop) น้ำซุป Chicken Stock

nam tan น้ำตาล Sugar
The sugar palm tree is call dton dtan, ต้นตาล, "nam dtan" is the liquid from the palm tree.

nam tan kruat น้ำตวลกราด Rock sugar

nam tan ma prao น้ำตาลมะพร้าว Coconut palm sugar

nam tan pep น้ำตาลปี๊บ Palm Sugar
Made from the sap of the sugar palm, or palmyra palm, Borassus Flabellifera, called taan in Thai. The sugar is a light golden brown paste or dried cake with a distinctive flavor and fragrance. It is put up in five-gallon kerosine cans, called peep in Thailand.

nam tan sai น้ำตาลทราย Granulated Cane Sugar
Colors range from white to reddish and textures from fine to coarse. Some people find the reddish sugar tastier than the more refined white.

nam tan sai daeng น้ำตาลทรายแดง Granulated Brown Sugar
Less refined than nam tan sai.

nam tan sot น้ำตาลสด Palm Juice
Coconut juice taken from a tender coconut when it was still green.

nam to nik น้ำโทนิก Tonic water
A very handy word when you need a vodka tonic or "wot-ka to-nik", วอดก้าโทนิก.

nam wan น้ำหวาน Soft drink, flavored syrup

nam yen น้ำเย็น Cold Water

nang หนัง Animal hide, skin, flesh

nang mu หนังหมู Pork Skin
Used as it is or deep-fried, pork skin is a Thai specialty. It is made by removing all the hair and fat from the skin, which is then scraped clean, boiled until tender, and then sliced. It can be found in the frozen food section of Asian stores. It can be used in soup or stir-fried with vegetables.

na หน้า Garnish, topping

ngah งา Sesame Seeds
Sesamum indicum, has small oval seeds which are white and have dark hulls. They are usually sold hulled.

ngah khao งาขาว White Sesame Seeds

ngah dam งาดำ Black Sesame Seeds

ngo เงาะ Rambutan
The fruit is called luk ngaw ลูกเงาะ. Ruby red and covered with fine green-tipped hairs, the rambutan is one of the most attractive Thai fruits and also one of the most delicious when eaten at the peak of ripeness between May and September when it is most plentiful. Thai rambutans are noted for their sweetness and considerable quantities are exported both fresh and canned; the main growing areas are Chanthaburi and southern provinces such as Surat Thani.
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no mai หน่อไม้ Bamboo Shoots

noei เนย Butter

nok นก Bird

nok grata นกกระทา Quail

nuea (nua-wua) เนื้อ Beef, or the meat of any animal
If not specified, hope it is cow meat!

nuea bot เนื้อบด Ground meat
Pronounce "bote".

nuea gae เนื้อแกะ Lamb meat

nuea kai เนื้อไก่ Chicken meat

nuea luk wua เนื้อลูกวัว Veal or calf meat

nuea mu เนื้อหมู Pig meat (Pork meat)

nuea pat เนื้อเป๊ด Duck meat

nuea pla เนื้อปลา Fish meat

nuea san nai เนื้อสันใน Tenderloin
Literally meat inside backbone. The loin is located on both sides of the backbone starting at the shoulder and continuing back to the hind leg. The tenderloin comes from the center cut or the middle section of the loin. The tenderloin is a narrow muscle that runs along the bottom edge of the loin, starting approximately in the middle and extending back to the leg. It is a very tender, lean, and boneless cut, which can be roasted, braised, pan-fried, grilled, or broiled but must not be overcooked. It is sometimes cut into smaller pieces, such as cutlets, medallions and scallops, before cooking. The tenderloin is not always removed as a separate cut and may be cut so that sections are left in the chops or roasts.

nuea san nok เนื้อสันนอก Sirloin
Literally meat outside backbone. The loin is located on both sides of the backbone starting at the shoulder and continuing back to the hind leg. The sirloin is the section of the loin closest to the rump.

nuea sap เนื้อสับ Minced meat

nuea tun เนื้อตุ๋น Steamed beef

nuea yang เนื้อย่าง Roast Beef (or roast meat)

nueng นึ่ง Steam

ok อก Breast
อกไก่ (ok kai) is chicken breast.

oi (awy, eoy) อ้อย Sugarcane

ongkuli องคุลิ An old unit of measure from the tip of your index finger to the first joint
It is named after Ongkuliman, องคุลิมาล, an ancient villain in Buddhist scripture. Ongkuliman was deceived by his teacher and told that the only way he will attain enlightenment is to kill 1,000 people. He tries to kill only bad people, and to keep track of his victims, he cuts off a finger from the right hand of his victims. He wears the fingers around his neck to keep track of them (thus earning the name Ongkuliman, "the wearer of a garland of fingers". Eventually, he meets Buddha and he becomes a Buddhist monk. How does this relate to Thai food? — It is how you measure the depth of the water in the rice pot when steaming rice (regular pot or rice cooker, it doesn't matter). Pour in water until you can touch the rice on the bottom with the tip of your index finger and the water comes up to your first joint — One ongkuli.

op (awb) อบ To bake, roast, broil. To cook in the oven.

op choei (awb cheeuy) อบเสย Cassia
Cinnamonum cassia, Cassia is often mistaken as true cinnamon, Cinnamonum zeylanicum, but true cinnamon is almost never used in Thai cuisine. True cinnamon is the dried bark of a tree native to Sri Lanka that is tightly rolled into thin pale reddish-brown sticks. It has a delicate fragrance and sweet flavor. Cassia is indeginous to China and it is dark brown, thicker, with a strong flavor than true cinnamon.

oua อั่ว A bean curry

pa ป่า Wild
Wild, as in wild boar หมูป่า (mu pa) or wild mushrooms เห็ดป่า (het pa).

paeng แป้ง Flour
A generic term for flour, powder, meal or starch

paeng ho แป้งห่อ Spring Roll Wrappers
Literally, "flour wrapping", also called rice paper. Made from a mixture of rice flour, water, and salt these are rolled out by machine to paper thinness and then dried in the sun. They are used extensively for wrapping Thai fresh spring rolls and deep fried spring rolls. Deep fried spring rolls are wrapped with crispy fresh lettuce and herbs and finally dipped in a sweet, sour hot sauce.

paeng khao chao แป้งข้าวเจ้า Rice flour

paeng khao pot แป้งข้าวโพด Corn flour

paeng kiao แป้งเกี๊ยว Wonton Wrappers
These wafer-thin wrappers are made from egg and wheat flour. They are available both fresh and frozen.

paeng sali แป้งสาลี Wheat flour

paesa แป๊ะซะ A whole fish
Usually pla chon, ปลาช่อน, steamed and eaten with a sauce.

panaeng พะแนง, แพนง Dry Curry
A dry curry cooked in a pan rather than a pot, like Panaeng Nuea (Stir-Fried Beef Curry) พะแนงเนื้อ or Panaeng Kai (Penang Curry with Chicken) แพนงไก่.

pat เป๊ด Duck

pha ผ่า Slit, cut open, cleave, split

pha lo ผะโล่ Chinese Five Spice Blend
Pong pae-lo, ผงผะโล้, is Chinese Five Spice Powder. It is made from cinnamon, coriander seed, bay leaves, anise and allspice.

phak ผัก Vegetable

phak bung ผักบุ้ง Generic term for Swamp Cabbage, Water Spinach, Water Morning Glory, Water Convolvulus

phak bung thai ผักบุ้งไทย Thai Water Morning Glory, Thai Water Convolvulus
Ipomoea Aquatica. Thai water convovulus is an annual aquatic plant that spreads its stems on the water surface. The stem is succulent, crisp, green in color and segmented. The leaves are heart-shaped and commonly used in kaeng teop, sour spicy soups, fried with pork, used in yen ta fo and eaten as a fresh vegetable with nam prik.

phak chi ผักชี Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum, is of the parsley family. The leaves and stems are eaten fresh and used frequently as a garnish. The root and the seeds are ingredients in many dishes.
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phak chi farang ผักชีฝรั่ง Sawtooth Coriander, Stink Weed, Long Leaf Cilantro
Eryngium Foetidum. Sawtooth Coriander has been cultivated in Europe since the 17th century and is thought to be introduced to Southeast Asia by China. It is an annual plant with a short clumpy stem. The leaves are long-shaped, about 3 to 4 inches and 1/2 inch wide with dark green, with jagged edges. They are smooth and have a pleasant fragrance and a characteristic slightly sour taste with a hint of cilantro and mint. The leaves are eaten as a fresh vegetable and used to give fragrance to foods. They are often added to strong smelling dishes to mask unpleasant odors.

phak chi lao ผักชีลาว Dill
Literally "Laotian Cilantro". Commonly seen with street food vendors to add a taste to soups.

phak guang tung ผักกวางตุ้ง Cantonese Vegetable
Literally, "Guangdong vegetable", Guangdong is located in Canton, Chinese. Also know as yao choy, yu choi, edible rape, green choy sum or sarsun (in India). It has long stalks, skinny leaves, and yellow flowers. It is a little more bitter than bok choy.

phak khana ผักคะน้า Chinese broccoli, Chinese Kale
Brassica alboglabra, also known as as gai lohn, kai lan, and Chinese kale. The plant resembles regular broccoli, although the leaves appear to be a bit broader and the stems somewhat longer than broccoli. The flowers form first into diminutive heads and then elongate rapidly into flower stalks bearing yellow flowers.
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phak kat (phak kard) ผักกาด Lettuce
I've also seen lettuce referred to as สลัด, "Salad".
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phak kat chin ผักกาดจีน Chinese White Cabbage
Brassica pekinensis also called ผักกาดขาว, pak gaat kao. The leaves of Chinese cabage are light green and crinkly. Chinese cabbage is commonly used for soups, fried, or eaten as a raw vegetable with laab or nam prik.
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phak kat dong ผักกาดดอง Pickled Cabbage
Chopped crunchy white cabbage is pickled in vinegar, salt and sugar for minimum of 3 days. It is served as a relish or added to dishes while cooking to give a salty, slightly sour flavor.

phak kat hom ผักกาดหอม Romaine Lettuce
Lactuca sativa. Literally means "vegetable like cabbage pleasant-smelling".

phak kat kaeo ผักกาดแก้ว Iceberg Lettuce

phak kat khiao pli ผักกาดเขียวปลี Chinese Mustard Green
Brassica juncea. Also called Leaf Mustard or Mustard Green

phak khom ผักโขม Chinese Spinach
Amaranthus lividus, Amaranthus blitum, Amaranthus oleraceus, also known as Green Amaranth. It is similar to spinach, only it's prettier, tastier, and more nutritious.
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phak khom ผักขม "Spinach"
Amaranthus spinosus. also known as spiny amaranth, prickly amaranth or thorny amaranth.

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