What is The Best Ketchup in Thailand?

Aficionados of the red culinary sauce known as ketchup (Yes, we mean Americans) will be happy to know that ketchup can easily be found in Thailand. In fact, dare we say that Thailand produces the very best ketchup in the world.

The best ketchup in Thailand is made by Roza, and it beats the American Heinz hands down, possessing a thicker consistency and richer flavor.

Most Thai food stalls do not serve Thai ketchup, but you will find Thai ketchup served at many low-priced Sakon Nakhon restaurants, especially if they have french fries on the menu.

Many younger Thais enjoy putting Thai ketchup not only on french fries on a wide variety of traditional Thai dishes such as Pad Kee Mao and Pad Kra Prao. This of course makes their parents cringe, but it has caused many more Thailand restaurants to carry Thai ketchup as a condiment not only for foreigners but their young Thai customers too.

However, do note that the Thai ketchup served in restaurants often is not Roza ketchup — because it is more expensive. To sample that Thai ketchup you may need to purchase it at a large grocery store like those found at Tesco or Big C.

How to Ask for Ketchup in Thailand

So, how do you ask for ketchup in Thailand? That is what we will teach you in today’s learn Thai language lesson. Even though many restaurants in Thailand do have ketchup, the Thai wait staff may not know the English word for it, so best to commit the following Thai language lesson to memory.

Ketchup – ซอสมะเขือเทศ – sáwt má-khĕua-thâyt

มี ซอส มะเขือเทศ ไหม้

Mee sáwt má-khĕua-thâyt mâi?

Have sauce tomato (question)?

Do you have any ketchup?

Learn Thai Language Tip: If you are dining at a restaurant in Thailand which actually serves tomato sauce in a dish like spaghetti, it can be helpful to add the word fà-ràng (ฝรั่ง), which in this situation means Western, after sáwt má-khĕua-thâyt to make sure they know that you are requesting ketchup.

If you happen to forget the exact Thai phrase for ketchup, you can usually get what you need by simply asking for sáwt sĕe daeng fà-ràng (ซอสสีแดงฝรั่ง), which means Western red sauce. If you simply ask for sáwt sĕe daeng (without the word farang) you may end up getting the spicy Thai red sauce popularly known as Sriracha sauce, which is delicious in its own right.