Thai Dinner for Two in Bangkok: Three THAM Budgets

Start with contrast, not just price

A good shared order usually has contrast: rice beside noodles, something crisp or stir-fried beside something saucy, and a fresh or cool finish after savoury food. Ordering two very similar plates may cost the same, but it gives you fewer textures to explore. Begin by choosing two mains with different characters, then decide whether a shared dessert or an extra side matters more to you.

It also helps to check the rice. Chicken Khao Pad, Pork Pad Kra Pao, Chicken Massaman and Garlic Pepper Chicken are listed with rice. Tom Yum with Prawns is not, so adding jasmine rice changes that order by 15 THB. That small detail is easy to miss when you compare only the headline prices.

If one diner prefers gentle food, read our guide to non-spicy Thai food in Bangkok. THAM prepares dishes non-spicy by default, and chilli can be requested separately. That makes it possible to share a base order while giving each person control over the heat.

Budget one: rice, noodles and one dessert — 470 THB

Choose Chicken Khao Pad at 140 THB and Prawn Pad Thai at 170 THB. Add one Mango Sticky Rice at 120 THB and two still waters at 20 THB each. The calculation is 140 + 170 + 120 + 40, for a total of 470 THB.

This is the most varied of the three lower-cost combinations. Fried rice brings tender grains, chicken, egg and onion; Pad Thai contributes chewy noodles, prawns and a sweet-sour tamarind profile. Lime and bean sprouts help keep the noodle dish lively, while the fried rice offers a calmer savoury counterpoint. Our Prawn Pad Thai guide explains how the noodles, sauce and table garnishes work together.

One Mango Sticky Rice makes an easy shared ending. Mango adds fruit and acidity, while coconut-rich sticky rice changes the texture completely from the two mains. If you would rather have a full dessert each, adding a second plate raises the total to 590 THB. The original 470 THB example is not presented as the correct amount of food for everyone; it is simply a balanced route for diners who enjoy sharing.

This order is also useful when two people want different formats without committing to a soup or curry. One person can start with rice, the other with noodles, and both can taste the other plate. Browse the street-food menu guide if you want to compare those dishes with the rest of THAM’s current selection.

Budget two: basil, soup and two sweets — 540 THB

For more aromatic contrast, order Pork Pad Kra Pao at 150 THB and Tom Yum with Prawns at 170 THB. Add one portion of jasmine rice at 15 THB, Mango Sticky Rice at 120 THB, Khanom Tuay at 60 THB and one sparkling water at 25 THB. The total is 150 + 170 + 15 + 120 + 60 + 25, or 540 THB. A second sparkling water brings the total to 565 THB.

This combination moves between basil, garlic, citrus and coconut. Pad Kra Pao is a stir-fry of pork and holy basil served with rice. Tom Yum offers a fragrant broth built around ingredients such as lemongrass, galangal and makrut lime leaves, with prawns as the main protein. Because the soup is listed without rice, the extra portion is included in the calculation. You can skip it if the rice already served with the basil pork is enough for the way you like to share.

The two desserts are deliberately different. Mango Sticky Rice is substantial enough to divide; Khanom Tuay arrives as small steamed coconut cups with a soft, custardy texture. Together they let two diners compare a fruit-and-rice dessert with a compact coconut sweet. If dessert is not your priority, remove one or both and use the difference for another drink or a main-dish extra.

One caution matters more than the arithmetic: this is the combination with the widest range of aromatics and ingredients. Tell the team about allergies before ordering, especially if prawns, fish sauce, coconut or any other ingredient is a concern. A menu description is helpful, but it is not a substitute for a direct allergy conversation.

Budget three: curry, chicken and two desserts — 570 THB

For a richer meal, choose Chicken Massaman at 190 THB and Garlic Pepper Chicken at 150 THB. Add Mango Sticky Rice at 120 THB, Coconut Ice Cream at 60 THB and two sparkling waters at 25 THB each. The total is 190 + 150 + 120 + 60 + 50, or 570 THB.

Massaman curry brings coconut milk, potatoes and peanuts in a gently spiced sauce. Garlic Pepper Chicken stays drier and more direct, with garlic and pepper giving it a savoury lift. Both are listed with rice, so there is no automatic need to add another portion. For a closer look at the curry’s ingredients and character, see our Chicken Massaman guide.

The two desserts work as a choice of temperatures and textures. Mango Sticky Rice is chewy, creamy and fruity; Coconut Ice Cream is cold and simple after a rich curry. You could share both, choose one, or replace dessert with nothing at all. The point of showing the full 570 THB calculation is to make the trade-off visible.

Massaman contains peanuts, and coconut appears in both the curry and desserts. Anyone with allergies should confirm ingredients and kitchen handling before ordering. Diners looking for a lighter finish may prefer one dessert between two rather than two separate sweets.

Decide whether an extra earns its place

Extras make sense when they solve a specific preference. A fried egg on Pork Pad Kra Pao costs 15 THB. Extra pork for that dish is listed at 39 THB for a 100 g raw portion. Khao Tom has its own choices: three extra pork meatballs for 39 THB, a poached egg for 15 THB or extra mushrooms for 15 THB. These options belong to particular dishes, so do not assume every add-on can be attached to every main.

If you have a firm ceiling, select the two mains first. Then choose between more protein, an egg, dessert or drinks. For example, the 470 THB rice-and-noodles dinner becomes 485 THB with an eligible 15 THB add-on, while adding another Mango Sticky Rice would make it 590 THB. Those choices serve different needs: one changes a savoury plate, the other changes how dessert is shared.

Raw protein weights on the menu refer to weight before cooking, while the extra jasmine rice is listed at 150 g cooked. This distinction keeps the menu precise, but appetite is still personal. If you are especially hungry, ordering a third main may be more satisfying than stacking several small extras onto two plates.

Plan the evening on Yen Akat Road

These totals use the named items and listed prices at the time of publication. They are not bundles, discounts or fixed-price offers, and prices can change. Delivery arrangements can also affect the final amount, so confirm the complete total if you are ordering to a hotel or another address rather than dining in.

THAM accepts cash, cards, QR-code payments and Alipay, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express. No reservation is required. Before travelling, check Visit Us and the FAQ for the current address, opening information and contact options.

The simplest way to choose is to decide what kind of evening you want. Pick rice and noodles for variety at the lowest example total; basil and soup for a bright aromatic meal; or curry and garlic-pepper chicken for something richer. Then adjust drinks, desserts and extras openly. A good-value Thai dinner for two is not necessarily the cheapest combination—it is the one where both diners understand the order and look forward to sharing it.