Can I only buy it in season?
It is listed as a fruit harvested all year. Even so, the varieties and stock each seller carries differ. Look at whole fruit and prepared fruit separately.
Banana
Banana · กล้วย
In Thailand you can find bananas in many shapes, starting with small ones. They are eaten as fresh fruit, and some menus put them in roti or grill them. If you are looking for a simple street snack, 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
Differs by variety and growing area
Kamphaeng Phet Kluai Khai banana: listed as harvested all year
Use the main season, or the harvest period of a regional fruit, as a guide. Actual harvests can vary with the growing area, the variety and the weather.
What does it taste like?
Sweetness and firmness of the flesh vary with the variety and how ripe it is. It helps to tell apart bananas eaten when ripe and yellow from bananas used for cooking.
Why this fruit is known in Thailand
It is a familiar fruit used in many Thai dishes and snacks. Kluai Khai banana of Kamphaeng Phet is introduced as a regional GI fruit. If you have pictured only one kind of banana, look for varieties of different shapes and sizes at the market.
Basics to know before you buy
- Thai name
- กล้วย
- Harvest period
- A fruit to enjoy all year
- Regional fruit
- Kamphaeng Phet Kluai Khai banana: listed as harvested all year
- How to buy
- Bananas are sometimes sold by the bunch rather than by the kg. Look at how many bananas are in a bunch, and if you will eat them right away, choose ripe ones.
How to prepare and eat it
- Ask whether the price is for a bunch or for a certain number of bananas.
- For bananas to eat right away, choose ripe ones, 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. They do not apply at every street stall.
| Fruit and variety | Price | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Banana · Nam Wa (น้ำว้า) | 40–50 baht | 1 bunch |
Look separately at the price of a bag or tray of cut fruit and the per-kg price of whole fruit. Bananas are priced per bunch in this survey.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare a per-kg price with a price per tray?
Bananas are sometimes sold by the bunch rather than by the kg. Look at how many bananas are in a bunch, and if you will eat them right away, choose ripe ones.
Keep exploring
Official sources
If you want to read more about the food and the regions behind it, these sources are a good next step. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one place to the next.
Sharing image credit: TimothyPilgrim · CC BY-SA 3.0