Thai Snacks From The 1990s

Thai snacks from the 1990s

Before Doritos, Pringles, and Lay’s became the go-to snacks for Thais, kids in Thailand would use their lunch money for locally made snacks at mom-and-pop stores.

While many of these snacks have become secondary to the big international classics, they hold a unique charm and special place in the hearts of many Thais who grew up in the 90s.

Here’re 9 of those Thai snacks from the 1990s and where you can get them.

1. Tomato-flavoured crackers: kids ate them instead of pizza

Image credit: @auem_r

If you’re a K-drama fan, you may have heard that Kim Seon Ho recently took a souvenir from his Thailand tour that had Thais buzzing.

The South Korean actor, famous after his role in the Korean series Start-Up, was pictured bringing home a whole box of Fashion Food’s tomato-flavoured crackers.

The snack comes in an immediately recognizable silver, shiny bag with tons of tomato pictures on it. For many 90s kids, this was the closest thing we could get to a pizza when our parents so wrongfully denied us our delicious cheese and tomato on bread.

You can find these snacks at your local Big C for around ฿20 per large bag or you can search for “เอฟเอฟ ขนมอบกรอบ” on Shopee or Lazada for bulk purchases.

2. Cornae (คอนเน่): “American corn snack” only found in Thailand

Image credit: @brianeatssnacks

Cornae (คอนเน่) ’s packaging might have you think that it is an American corn snack, but don’t be fooled. Much like American Fried Rice, Cornae is a snack you can mostly only find in Thailand.

This cone-shaped corn chip is a slow burner. While the first few you eat may feel quite bland, as you keep on eating, you’ll find yourself unable to stop as the salty and slightly sweet taste builds on your tongue.

Image credit: @naivenarm

Whenever we would have this as kids, there would always be a hunt to find chips that had large enough openings for our fingers. This was so we could wear them on our fingers and pretend they were the long nails Khon dancers would wear. Or if you were allowed to watch horror movies, you could use them to pretend that you were Freddy from Friday the 13th.

Cornae is still available at most supermarkets for around ฿20 per bag.

3. Roller Coaster (โรลเลอร์โคสเตอร์): Cheesy ring chips that kids loved wearing

Image credit: @ngarmm

Much like its very distant cousin Cornae, Roller Coaster (โรลเลอร์โคสเตอร์) was great fun for kids due to its unique flat ring-like shapes.

Kids would wear the potato chips on their fingers as rings before proceeding to devour them.

Roller Coaster is available at most supermarkets and convenience stores for ฿20 per bag.

4. Paprika (ปาปริก้า): Potato chips shaped like pasta

Image credit: @mon_pimonnat

If you’re looking to try spicy, but not very hot chips, Paprika (ปาปริก้า) is a safe bet.

As the name implies, these potato chips are paprika-flavoured.

These chips are also shaped like pasta and are quite thick, so after the initial crunch, you’ll also get a very soft doughy texture in your mouth.

Paprika can be found around most supermarkets and convenience stores for ฿20 per bag. If you’re looking to shop online, searching for “ปาปริก้า มันฝรั่งอบกรอบ” will help you zoom in on the paprika spices.

5. Potae (โปเต้): Spiral-shaped chips

Image credit: @hachiko_1988_hom

While many Thai chips have flavours that make them stand out like cheese, paprika, or tomato, Potae (โปเต้) delivers your basic salted chip.

Where it does stand out is in its unique spiral shape.

Due to their shape, Potae chips can deliver a salty punch that’ll definitely get your mouth watering for more.

You can find Potae at your local Big C or online through Shopee or Lazada for ฿20 per bag. There are also larger cans of Potae available for around ฿45 per can.

6. Pu-Thai (ปูไทย): Crab-shaped chips

Image credit: @gohanhiwwonpai

While kids worldwide were enjoying their dinosaur nuggets, Thai kids had crab-shaped potato chips called Pu-Thai (ปูไทย).

The little cute crab chips are lightly salted with a hint of sweetness. You’ll also get a dash of squid flavour with each bite.

These can commonly be found in Tops or Big C for ฿20 per bag.

7. Kai Yang (ไก่ย่าง): Chicken-shaped chips with a dip

Image credit: @k.ataiatity

Much like Pu-Thai, Kai Yang (ไก่ย่าง) is a potato chip that is shaped like its namesake.

Kai Yang, which means grilled chicken in Thai, is a potato chip that is shaped like a cartoon chicken. The salted chip comes with its own chili dip for a spicy and salty snack.

You can find Kai Yang at your local Big C for ฿20 per bag. If you’re looking to order this online, search for “ขนมไก่ย่าง” so you can avoid finding grilled chicken.

8. Snack Jack (สแน็คแจ๊ค): Making green peas more appealing to kids

Image credit: @stephaniekkd_ng

It’s not easy to get kids to eat their veggies, especially green peas. But Snack Jack (สแน็คแจ๊ค) has turned that challenge into a great business success.

Snack Jack is a crunchy green pea chip that is salty and sweet.

The green pea snack brand is still one of the most popular snacks and has some of Thailand’s funniest commercials that you can check out here and here.

You can find Snack Jacks in most convenience stores, and supermarkets for ฿35 per 70g bag.

9. Toom Tam (ตูมตาม): Sweet, spicy, and thick corn puffs

Image credit: @_new_born_jr_

Toom Tam (ตูมตาม) is a corn puff snack. While one of the flavours is your standard barbeque, the other two flavours are a bit unique for corn snacks: chicken soup and sweet milk.

The puffs are very soft and will quickly melt in your mouth for a delicious mix of sweet and spicy.

While Toom Tam used to be a common sight in mom-and-pop stores, they’re a bit harder to find today. You can find Toom Tam at your local Makro or online for ฿20 per 90g bag.

Snacks that Thai kids from the 90s spend their lunch money on

These snacks are what kids from the 1990s grew up on. Even though some are not as easily found in markets anymore, each one has its unique charm that is sure to give us nostalgia.

Also check out other places to snack in Thailand:

Cover image adapted from @k.ataiatity, @gohanhiwwonpai, @auem_r, @stephaniekkd_ng