Dining

Thai cuisine combines thebest of both Chineseand Indian culinarytraditions - noodles, curries,sweet and sour dishes, andexotic spices.

Thai Food

Thai cuisine is unique, blending a multitude of spices and ingredients that make each dish a special joy. It is common to be served dishes that include hot, sour, sweet and salty flavours at one meal. A typical Thai meal will include soup, salad, fish, rice, vegetables, and sometimes a meat dish, either pork, chicken or beef. Thai cuisine combines the best of both Chinese and Indian culinary traditions - noodles, curries, sweet and sour dishes, and exotic spices. All dishes are served with an array of natural herbs and liquid condiments.
Thai food can be found everywhere. Street vendors selling noodles and BBQ sit side by side with gala seafood restaurants and flashy eateries staffed by traditional Thai dancers and servers, which have the diner believing they are indeed royalty, themselves.
Food courts, or food centres, usually in large shopping malls or in traditional markets, are regular stops for Thais and comprise numerous stalls offering every imaginable type of cuisine. Most food courts and food centres have menus with colour pictures of dishes to assist diners in their choices. In the provinces, Thai food is the normal fare.Open-air garden restaurants and riverside restaurants are peaceful venues favoured by Thais for dining in the evenings, especially in Bangkok. Menus are extensive, service is prompt and prices, like everywhere in Thailand, are reasonable. In Bangkok, many of the hotels offer dinner cruises during the evening along the Chao Phraya River. Gentle breezes, candlelight, traditional music and dance create a romantic atmosphere. Seafood restaurants are very popular in Thailand. They offer a wide choice of the freshest fish and seafood from charcoal grilled to broiled to individual requests. A fine selection of local and imported wines is also available.
Some tourist-orientated restaurants present Thai classical and folk dances. Guests sit at low tables, often in traditional surroundings, with teak paneling and floors, exquisite porcelain, and classic paintings. A combination of Thai cuisine, music, silk, orchids and graceful dancers are sure to produce a memorable evening.

Table Etiquette
Dining is, above all else, the most important social event in Thai life. Using the correct utensils (a fork and spoon) and proper eating gestures will garner much respect from Thais. The fork is used to push small amounts of food onto the spoon. The spoon is the only instrument to enter your mouth. To Thais, using a fork to put food into one's mouth is as uncouth as using a knife in Western countries to put food into the mouth. Noodles are eaten with chopsticks.
Normally, several food platters and a large bowl of rice are set on the table. When serving oneself, put no more than one or two spoonfuls on the plate at a time. Never fill the plate at one time as in Western countries. It is customary at the start of a meal to have a spoonful of plain rice first. If Thais are hosting, they will undoubtedly encourage guests to eat more of the non-rice dishes as a gesture of their hospitality. When eating with Thais, always try to finish the food on ones's plate. This will please the host, communicating the message that the food was delicious.

International Food
Chinese food in Thailand is second to none. Indian, European, Mediterranean and other Asian cuisines are plentiful in major cities. American and Continental breakfasts are served in most hotels and coffee shops. Western-style fast food, snack shops and ice-cream parlours are fast gaining popularity.