Thailand’s food trends to watch in 2026

Eating is now also seen as a multi-sensory experience.

In Thailand, major food brands are finding new ways to connect with customers beyond the restaurant, according to USDA and GAIN’s report.

Limited-edition merchandise and retail products let diners take a piece of the experience home.

Restaurants are now selling items like branded clothing, packaged speciality foods, and take-home artisan products tied to their menus and events.

Bar B Q Plaza, for instance, has expanded beyond dining by selling its signature BBQ sauce alongside apparel and collectables featuring its "Barbergon" mascot. Visitors can leave with sauces, curry pastes, or keepsakes that mark their visit.

After You Dessert Cafe has similarly branched into retail with pancake mixes and ready-to-eat Kakigori cups, allowing customers to enjoy its desserts at home.

These moves create additional revenue streams whilst keeping customers connected to the brand.

Nostalgia in Thailand’s food scene is being updated with a modern twist. Classic recipes are reworked with healthier ingredients, new techniques, and global influences.

Meat Avatar, for example, offers a plant-based version of Crispy Pork (Moo Krob) that keeps the familiar texture whilst providing a lower-impact alternative.

Chocolatier Kad Kokoa is highlighting Thai cacao on a global stage, using single-origin chocolate to tell the story of local terroir.

Flavour trends are moving toward complexity and depth. Multi-layered profiles that balance sweet, sour, and spicy notes are growing in popularity, whilst regional dishes like Isaan-style green papaya salad are gaining attention for their authenticity.

Chefs are also experimenting with texture, adding elements like crispy chilli oil or puffed grains, and updating comfort foods with richer umami flavours.

In 2026, eating is increasingly seen as a multi-sensory experience. Food emphasises texture, aroma, colour, and visual presentation, with contrasts like “crack, pop, and melt” becoming common.

Some restaurants are incorporating technology to enhance this experience: North Restaurant in Bangkok, for example, pairs storytelling, projection mapping, and scent cues with Lanna-inspired dishes to create an immersive connection to the ingredients’ origins.

Health and wellness remain central to the industry, with gut health emerging as a key concern.

Consumers are viewing the gut as foundational to overall well-being, influencing metabolism, aging, and brain health.