The good thing about Thailand is there is an abundance of street food and not only is it as good as anything you'll find in a restaurant here, it's cheap. That said you won't be eating on the street every day. But it's nice when you see something which piques your interest.
You'll see street food everywhere in Bangkok but there are some hot spots. China town, near the malls and markets ect. Spend some time looking at Mark Wiens on YouTube. He's gone to the trouble of seeking out some the best restaurants and street food.
One favourite of mine is is ผัดไทย ประตุพี / Pad Thai Pratu Pee. Pad Thai is everywhere in Thailand and it's always good, but this place is special and not overpriced. It opens in the afternoon so you could tie it in after a visit to the grand palace or wat saket which is around the corner.
Thipsamai Pad Thai
313 315 Maha Chai Rd, Khwaeng Samran Rat, Khet Phra Nakhon, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10200, Thailand
+66 2 226 6666
https://goo.gl/maps/6m8Tuic3qtG2Most of the big malls will have food courts. Again the quality is great although you will pay a bit more in places like Siam Paragon or Emquatier.
There's lots of western food about. If you're staying on Sukhumvit you'll see it. Naturally it costs a bit more. Don't bother with wine or steak unless you want to pay silly money. Some good burger joints though.
Phuket is probably the most expensive place in Thailand, although food wise it's more or less the same as in Bangkok. It depends really though if you eat local or foreign and where you are staying. Places like Kata and Karon are a bit more upmarket so be prepared to pay more. Patong is more varied and has some great street food markets. My favourite is Banzaan which runs every night. Everything from mango sticky rice to bbq crocodile.
Money wise thailand is cheap compared to Europe, but it's not as cheap as it was 10 years ago. The £ is shit and the bhat is doing well. If you're going drinking every night and going for craft beers then you'll be nearly uk prices. Usually I budget 5-8k bhat a day. Some days I'll spend more sometimes less. No matter how much you decide to take, take double. Because everyone always spends more than they intend to when they go somewhere new.
Some tips to keep the costs down:
Avoid tuk tuks. In chiang mai they are ok, but in Bangkok they are a rip off. In Phuket you definitely want to avoid them. To give you an example I usually pay 200-300 bhat for a metered taxi from Suvarnabhhmi to Sukhumvit. In Phuket it's 600 bhat to go from patong to Karon beach. Utter rip off and the tuk tuks there are basically a mafia.
Taxis in Bangkok are ok but make sure they use the meter. When you get in make a point to ask if they will use the meter. If they say no, smile and wait for the next one. Avoid taxis in Phuket.
The traffic in Bangkok is quite often shit, so you won't want to use a taxi most of the time unless it's really early or really late. Get acquainted with the BTS and MRT skytrain. It's dirt cheap and reliable. Imo it beats the socks off the London Underground. Has Wi-fi and AC as well. I'll always try and use the skytrain and if I'm feeling lazy a motorbike taxi.
