Beyond Tom Yum — the full spectrum of Thai soups, from clear broths to coconut-cream curries.
Clear or slightly creamy, hot and sour, lemongrass-galangal-kaffir lime; shrimp (goong) is classic; also chicken or mushroom.
Tom Yum's softer cousin — coconut milk added for creamy sweetness; galangal (kha) is pronounced; usually chicken (gai).
A mild, gentle clear broth with glass noodles, tofu, minced pork — a rest for the palate between spicier dishes.
Green, red, yellow, Massaman, Panang — all technically wet curries that function as soups when served with rice.
Soft-cooked rice in a mild clear broth with ginger and spring onion — the Thai version of congee, eaten for breakfast and when ill.
Gaeng Jued and Khao Tom are the gentlest starting points for anyone spice-sensitive; Tom Yum and the curry soups scale up quickly from there, so ask before ordering if unsure.
A single good Thai restaurant menu typically covers most of these categories — street stalls tend to specialise in just one or two, so a sit-down restaurant is the easiest way to sample broadly.