Food and drinkVegetarian in Thai
“Vegetarian” in Thai is มังสวิรัติmang-sà-wí-rát; the strict Thai-Chinese vegan diet is เจjee.
vegetarian adjective
- mang mid
- sà low
- wí high
- rát high
- Low: flat and lower than your normal voice, dropping a little at the end.
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
jay: Thai-Chinese vegan food (no meat, dairy, eggs, garlic or onions) adjective strict vegan
- jee mid
- Mid: level, in your normal speaking voice.
How to use it
มังสวิรัติmang-sà-wí-rát means no meat, though eggs and milk may be fine. Thai cooks may still season a vegetable dish with fish sauce, oyster sauce or shrimp paste, so spell it out: ไม่ใส่น้ำปลาmâi sài náam-bplaa, no fish sauce.
Easier still is เจjee food, the strict vegan diet of the Chinese-Thai tradition, with no garlic or onions either. Look for yellow flags with a red เจjee; they're everywhere during the vegetarian festival around October.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- mangsavirat
More food and drink in Thai
All food and drink- ข้าว kâao Rice
- ข้าวเหนียว kâao-nǐaw Sticky rice
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง kâao-nǐaw má-mûang Mango sticky rice
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones