#9 of 20 Thai dishes to die for · Noodles · Central Thailand (Bangkok, Ayutthaya)

Boat Noodles (Kuay Teow Reua) ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ

Small, intense bowls of rice noodles in a dark spiced broth of pork or beef, thickened with blood — once sold from boats on the canals.

Spice:: 🌶🌶🌶 Spicy
Also spelled:: kuay teow ruea, guay tiew reua, kuay teow

What is Boat Noodles?

Kuay teow reua takes its name from the vendors who sold it from boats on Bangkok’s and Ayutthaya’s canals. Bowls were small so they didn’t spill, and they stayed small: you order several and stack the empties.

The broth is dark and deep — star anise, cinnamon, soy, and traditionally a little pig’s or cow’s blood that thickens and rounds it out. Toppings are pork or beef slices, meatballs, liver and crispy pork rinds.

This is the dish behind the generic word “kuay teow” (rice noodle soup) that you’ll see on signs everywhere; boat noodles are its richest form.

Regional versions

Victory Monument has a whole alley of boat-noodle shops; Rangsit and Ayutthaya have their own famous canal-side versions.

How to order it

Choose noodles: sen lek (thin), sen yai (wide), sen mee (vermicelli). “Moo” or “neua”.

Watch: Boat Noodles on YouTube

Embedded from the creators’ own channels (Mark Wiens, Pailin's Kitchen). View counts as of 14 Oct 2026.

Thai Boat Noodles in Bangkok at Victory Monument (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) Mark Wiens · 414,559 views (as of 11 Oct 2026)

Thailand Street Food - 5 MUST-EAT Thai Noodle Soups in Bangkok!! 🇹🇭 Mark Wiens · 3,654,074 views (as of 11 Oct 2026)

How to Make My #1 Noodles Of All Time - Boat Noodles! Pailin's Kitchen · 320,682 views (as of 11 Oct 2026)

Top 3 places not to miss for Boat Noodles

Only places backed by the MICHELIN Guide, reputable food press or a creator who filmed there; each one shows its source. We list fewer rather than pad the list.

1. Doy Kuay Teow Reua ต้อยก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ

Ratchawithi Soi 18, behind Wat Makok (Victory Monument), Bangkok

Dark, thick, traditional boat-noodle broth in small bowls by the canal; called Bangkok’s best by Condé Nast Traveler.

Source: Condé Nast Traveler Google Maps ↗
2. Boat Noodle Alley

Victory Monument, Bangkok

A canal-side row of boat-noodle shops selling tiny bowls you stack up.

Source: Mark Wiens, “Thai Boat Noodles at Victory Monument” Google Maps ↗
3. Rung Rueang Pork Noodle Bib Gourmand

Sukhumvit Soi 26, Bangkok

Tom yum-style pork and fish-ball noodles at a bargain; MICHELIN Bib Gourmand.A different style of pork noodle soup, but a must on any Bangkok noodle crawl.

Source: MICHELIN Guide Google Maps ↗ Famous for: Tom Yum Goong

More by city: Bangkok food map