Navigating heat in Thai food — what the spice words mean, how to communicate your preference, and what happens when you get it wrong.
'Mai pet' (not spicy), 'pet nit noi' (a little spicy), 'pet' (spicy), 'pet mak' (very spicy) — say clearly and repeat; sometimes they still make it Thai-level.
Even 'mai pet' may include a little chilli — Thai kitchens add bird's eye chilli by habit; 'mai sai prik' (no chilli at all) is more specific.
Southern Thai food is genuinely the hottest; Isaan is consistently spicy; central Bangkok Thai food is milder by default; Chinese-Thai food is usually mild.
Drink milk or eat plain rice — water makes it worse by spreading the capsaicin; Thai people eat white rice to cool down.
Bird's eye chilli (prik kee noo) is tiny and devastating — often used whole and easy to accidentally bite into; remove from dish before eating if you see them.
