Luk Chin can apply to just about anything provided it is small and can be skewered and put on a barbecue. Tonight we had loads of them and to be honest most of them were pretty crap.
For a start I don't know how to spell this in English, it is pronounced "luke cheeen"
we also had a few beers
The thing about Luk Chin is that many times, especially if you don't speak Thai (I do) you might not know exactly what sort of meat that you'll be getting. It might not even be meat as many of these things can end up being tofu disguised as meat. So many times you have a bite and it is just awful tasting (it depends on what you like, i am not trying to be mean to vegetarians) and at that point you just have to look at the bright side and realize that these are exceptionally cheap and i think this is a big part of why they are so popular.
No matter where you are in Thailand you will not have to look very hard in order to find a place that has rows upon rows of "snack on a stick" lined up for your perusal. Just take the ones you want and hand them to the operator of the stall. Normally they will put them on the grill to warm them up for you but you can always make a gesture towards the fire and they are more than happy to put them there for you.
here is some quick tips for the names of common meats if you are interested in knowing what you are getting (because it can be a bit tricky at times)
Goong = shrimp / prawn
Pla = Fish
Gai / Guy = Chicken
Moo = Pork
Nua = Beef
toe-hoo = Tofu
Pla meuk (good luck saying that correctly) = Squid
All in all i would say that if you see one of these stands you shouldn't worry so much about getting the right thing because they are so cheap that it is easy to be wrong from time-to-time. If you don't like it, give it to a street dog that will no doubt love you for your contribution to their diet. I normally order a few and stand right in front of the stand that I just ordered it from and if i like it, I order more.
This is a really fun and inexpensive way to get a bunch of snacks for very little money and it is something that me and my friends do on a regular basis, especially if we are drinking beers.
Cheers!
Toe-hoo = tofu