Central World Square Street Food

Think of this as street food with the edges sanded off. It sits right by CentralWorld in Pathum Wan, a cluster of stalls under cover with prices posted clearly and a canteen area you can retreat into when the heat or a downpour makes outdoor tables miserable. Ordering is simple, the lighting is good, and nobody's going to hustle you. That's the appeal, and it's a real one if you've just landed and don't fancy hunting down a proper roadside stall on night one.

The trade-off is the bill. Reviewers report 100 baht for a Thai tea or a fruit juice and 200 baht for a pad thai, with portions on the small side. The pad thai gets decent marks, though it runs sweet. Seafood is where opinions turn, with shrimp singled out as weak more than once. Stick to the simpler noodle and rice plates, treat it as a convenience stop between shopping and your hotel, and save your real street food money for somewhere without the mall postcode. Walk ten minutes and you'll eat better for less.