Can I not buy it out of season?
It is listed as a fruit available all year round. What a shop actually stocks, in terms of variety and quantity, still differs, so look at whole fruit and prepared fruit separately.
Banana
Banana · กล้วย
In Thailand you can meet bananas of several shapes, from small ones upward. They are eaten as fresh fruit, and some menu items put them in roti or grill them. If you are looking for a simple snack on the street, also look at roti with banana.
Bananavarieties · TimothyPilgrim · CC BY-SA 3.0
Resized for display · Photo provided under CC BY-SA 3.0
When is the best time to eat it?
A fruit to enjoy all year round
Differences by variety and growing area
Kluai Khai banana of Kamphaeng Phet: listed as available all year round
Use the main season, or the season of a regional fruit, as a guide. Actual availability can vary with growing area, variety and weather.
What does it taste like?
Sweetness and the firmness of the flesh differ with variety and ripeness. It helps to tell apart bananas eaten when ripe and yellow and bananas used for cooking.
Why this fruit is known in Thailand
It is a familiar fruit used in many Thai dishes and snacks. The Kluai Khai banana of Kamphaeng Phet is introduced as a regional GI fruit. If you have thought of only one kind of banana, look at the market for varieties of other shapes and sizes.
Basics to know before you buy
- Thai name
- กล้วย
- Season
- A fruit to enjoy all year round
- Regional fruit
- Kluai Khai banana of Kamphaeng Phet: listed as available all year round
- How it is sold
- Bananas are sometimes sold by the bunch instead of by the kg. Look at how many are in a bunch, and if you will eat them right away, choose ripe bananas.
How to peel and eat it
- Ask whether the price is for a bunch or for a set number of bananas.
- Choose ripe bananas to eat right away, peel them and eat.
- Banana roti and grilled banana are different menu items from whole fruit, so look at their prices separately.
Price reference
Bangkok retail prices · 14 October 2026
These are prices by variety and grade surveyed by Thailand's Department of Internal Trade. Not every street seller charges the same price.
| Fruit and variety | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Banana · Nam Wa (น้ำว้า) | 40–50 baht | 1 bunch |
Keep the price of a cut-fruit bag or tub separate from the per-kg price of whole fruit. In this survey, bananas are priced per bunch.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare a per-kg price with a per-pack price?
Bananas are sometimes sold by the bunch instead of by the kg. Look at how many are in a bunch, and if you will eat them right away, choose ripe bananas.
Keep exploring
Official sources and references
If you want to read more about these dishes and regions, these sources are a good place to start. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one eatery to another.
Sharing image credit: TimothyPilgrim · CC BY-SA 3.0