Vietnam and Thailand are adjacent countries so there is some overlapping but apparently the cuisine of each is quite different. Also, Vietnamese style vermicelli noodles (Pho) are widely used in Thai cooking and the Thai street dish Khanom Jin (Chinese desserts) may have come from Vietnam. I know nothing about this subject but a local Vietnamese Restaurant has become a Thai one and I wondered how different it might be. (My son and daughter-in-law once watched Vietnam play Thailand at football in Vietnam. They have an opinion.)
1. Vietnamese cooking is generally simpler than the elaborate approach of the Thais
2. Thai dishes tend to emphasise more contrasting flavours (and temperatures)
3. Thai dishes tend to be hotter than Thai ones
4. The Vietnamese prefer long-grain rice to the glutinous short grain varieties preferred by the northern Thai
5. Thai dishes are heavier on coconut milk, shrimp paste and fish sauces
6. Vietnamese soups are much lighter than Thai ones
7. Traditional Vietnamese cuisine embodies the five elements (earth, water, air, wind, fire) and ingredients are selected based on these elements to balance each other out
8. Modern Vietnamese cuisines are heavily influenced by French (as well as Chinese) cuisine, such as the use of baguette style bread rolls (Bánh mì) made with rice flour instead of wheat flour. The pork roll (Bánh mì Thit) also uses liver pâté as a spread.
9. Thai dishes such as Green Curries and Tom Yum use more herbs eg lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric (although aniseed and coriander seeds are common in both cuisines)
10. You don't see stone pot and other entree soups, vermicelli bowls or grilled meats in Thai cuisine
