THAI CUISINE
Thai cuisine is unique, blending a multitude of spices and ingredients to make each meal an explosion of flavours. Although certain northeastern and southern dishes can be tongue tingling hot, wonderful meals can be enjoyed without worrying about chilies. First-rate Thai cuisine is generally a fortuitous combination of ultra-fresh ingredients (local meat, poultry, fish, vegetables), healthy spices and herbs (several of which have positive medicinal properties) and native ingenuity.

A typical Thai meal will include soup, a salad, fish and / or meat and of course rice and vegetables. The flavours range from sweet and our to hot and spicy as well as fresh and mild. A Thai meal is a communal affair, during which a group of diners will share several dishes, including steamed white rice. A century ago, meals were eaten by hand, pressing the rice into small round balls. Today a spoon and fork are used for eating rice, with chopsticks being used for Chinese-type noodles.

Thai cuisine combines the best of Chinese and Indian culinary traditions- noodles, curries, sweet and sour dishes, exotic spices and condiments while retaining its own very special character. Thai sweets and desserts tend to be egg or coconut based, and succulent Thai fruits-some 20 major popular kinds, including mangoes, durians, pomelos, bananas, pineapples, grapes, melons-are second to none in quality or choice.

Foreigners may know Tom Yam Kung, a famous, original Thai spicy-sour soup that has for a long time been an export commodity of Thailand. Some people take to Thai food immediately; others find the pungent and spicy test, laden with garlic and chilies, a bit of a challenge.

TASTE OF THE NORTH
Most northern dishes are generally milder than those of other region and patterned by Burmese influence. Rice is always the main dish, with curries being secondary to the meal; but the northern people prefer Khao Nieo, a steamed glutinous rice, kneaded into small balls and used to soak up sauces and dips.

Kaeng Hang Le, is a spicy pork curry that relies on ginger, tamarind, and turmeric; Khao Soi, a curry of eggnoodles and meat that also originated in Burma, is heavily laced with coconut cream, and served with spring onions, pickled cabbage and slices of lime; Nam Phrik Ong, another delectable accompaniment, is a northern-style chili-dip served with dried shredded pork and freshly cooked vegetables; Miang (tea leaves) is also Burmese and is eaten as an hors d'oeuvre. The exclusive method for serving northern food is on a Khan Toke (small circular table). It is normally set up in lavish surroundings. Diners sit on the floor around the table and help themselves to assorted dishes; perhaps a minced meat dish seasoned with chili, a salad, and numerous sauces.

TASTE OF THE NORTHEAST
North-eastern (Isan) food reflects the influence of neighbouring Laos in a number of dishes. Glutinous rice is the staple diet, and all food is highly seasoned. This is supplemented by a heady mixture of strong bitterness and saltiness, creating an excitingly forthright taste locally known as seab.

Som Tom (green papaya salad), is one of north-eastern Thailand's favourite dished that has became popular nation-wide, and even in Thai restaurants overseas, This is a spicy salad made from raw papaya, dried shrimp, crab, lime juice, garlic and chilies. For the genuine Isan version, Pla Ra, fermented fish, is also added to the dish; Lap, is minced meat, chicken or pork, cooked in heavily seasoned dried chilies; Kai Yang, or grilled chicken, is another dish that is always ordered after the formula of Lap, Nam Tok and Som Tam. Bathed with herbs and sauces, it is eaten with a sweet sauce used as a dip.

TASTE OF THE CENTRAL PLAINSThe central region also has what is termed the 'Royal Cuisine,' a more sophisticated version of regional cuisine. Influenced by the kitchens of the Royal court, dishes are elaborately prepared, making it as much an art form as a culinary masterpiece. As the largest agricultural area in the country, rice is an essential element of every meal. Various kinds of curries are used to bring a splash of variety.

Kaeng Phet, or curry, is eaten with rice; Tom Yam, the most frequently ordered dish all over Thailand, is mixed with kung or shrimp, fish and chicken and is flavoured with lemon grass, chilies and kaffir lime leaves; Kaeng Khieo Wan, a spicy green curry with ingredients comprised of coconut milk, sweet basil and chilies; Tom Kha Kai, a thick coconut milk curry made from chicken or meat with lemon grass.

Kaeng Som, a spicy-sour soup with fresh vegetables, shrimps or fish; Kaeng Liang, a traditional herbal, mild and spicy soup with vegetables; Phat Phak, or fried vegetables with oyster sauce, and Phat Prieo Wan, sweet and sour versions, are best known to complement rice and curry; Yam, this spicy salad dish is full of torpedo-shaped chilies, is quite popular and often ordered with a pre-dinner drink; Nam Phrik, the most original Thai dish of all, offers an array of different versions, all incredibly pungent to a foreign nose.

TASTE OF THE SOUTH
The people of the southern peninsula are known for being impetuous. They talk fast and act fast and have a spice and zest for life. Southern cooking seems to reflect these characteristics to a certain extent. Vegetables are taken raw or cooked. The most notable is the large tree-grown bean known as Sato, a bit like garlic because everyone knows when you've been eating it!

Kaeng Tai Pla, quite famous among southern curries is cooked from fish kidneys with added vegetables; Kaeng Luang, a yellow curry with fish and bamboo-shoots. If you have agelicate palate, approach this dish with extreme care; Muslim dishes are of course, common in this strongly Islamic region. Khao Mok Kai, exhibits strong Middle Eastern influences with its saffron rice and marinated chicken; Kuai Tieo Khaek, noodle curry, inspires thoughts of India, though it is believed to have originated in the Malay peninsula.

INTERNATIONAL FOOD
Chinese food in Thailand is second to none. European, Mediterranean, Asian and Oriental cuisines are represented in gourmet restaurants. American, English and Continental breakfasts served in most hotels and coffee shops often specialist in European dishes. Western-style fast -food shops, snack bars and ice-cream parlous are fast gaining popularity among Thais.

Chinese food
Thailand is an ideal place for enjoying genuine Chinese food that tastes exactly like that of its country of origin. The Chinese culinary art was first brought to Thailand by the Chinese who migrated to this country in large numbers in the late Ayutthaya period over 200 years ago. As a result of the long history of contact between the two peoples, the Thai and the Chinese cultures are now well mixed in many aspects, including the art of cooking. Chinese food is commonly served in restaurants and hotels in every part of Thailand, especially in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Indeed, Thailand is the only place outside China (and Taiwan and Hong Kong) that provide tourists with such a wide choice of delicious Chinese dishes.

RESTAURANTS AND FOODSHOPS
{add sea-food.jpg} Food parks, or centers, usually in large shopping malls and hotels, are regular stops for Thais and comprise of numerous restaurants offering every imaginable type of Asian cuisine. Most have color pictures of dishes to assist diners in their choices.

Open-air garden restaurants and riverine restaurants are more peaceful and are favoured in the evenings by most Bangkokians. Menus are extensive, service is prompt and prices are reasonable. All kinds of regional Thai food can be sampled. Special set dinners can be enjoyed on dinner boat cruises on the Chao Phraya River. Gentle breezes. Candlelight dining and tranquil music create a romantic atmosphere.

Seafood restaurants are also popular. They offer a wide choice of fresh ingredients: charcoal grilled or broiled to individual requests and a fine selection of local and imported wines.

Some tourist-oriented restaurants present selected Thai classical and folk dances. Guests sit around low tables, often in traditional surroundings, with teak paneling and floors, classic paintings and precious porcelain. A combination of Thai cuisine, music, silk orchids and graceful dancers are sure to produce a memorable evening.

Where to taste in Bangkok
Finding good Thai, and Chinese dishes in Bangkok, is quite easy. Many Thais like to eat out in 'food streets' and this is something that visitors will find every interesting, It is a great experience and the food is tasty and inexpensive.

Yaowarat
Bangkok's 'Chinatown' street houses offer the best Chinese food in the city, both in expensive restaurants and on the cheapest food stalls. Noodles, seafood and at lunchtime, dim-sum dumplings dominate the menus. At night the neon glow from hundreds of hawker stalls electrifies the atmosphere of the streets. Seafood stalls line the pavements and sukiyaki stalls are equally thronged. Birds nest soup is nutritious and always popular with locals and visitors alike. Khao Tom, or boiled rice, is available every night-just waiting for the 'night owls' who like to have an early morning snack.

Phahurat
If Yaowarat is Chinatown, then Phahurat is "little India". A short walk takes you from one food world to the other. The Phahurat area accommodates a number of authentic Indian restaurants, particularly northern Indian cuisine. There are also interesting alternatives serving Punjabi and Pakistani fare.

Sukhumvit
This road has just about everything to offer in the way of food. Starting from Soi 4, (Nana), an enclave of Pakistani and Middle Eastern restaurants fills the Sois (small lanes) with the aroma of spices. Futher up the road, Indian cuisine takes over, with restaurants offering both northern and southern Indian specialities, European restaurants are interspersed offering Italian, French, British, German and Mexican food along both sides of the street. American food is featured in fast-food outlets and in hotels.

Bang Lamphu
Known mostly to foreign back-packers, Thanon Khao San is the place to find the most economical accommodation and guesthouses, visited by folk who know about Bang Lamphu. Most eating places in this area cater for budget-conscious diners. Many quest houses on Khao San road have open-air cafes serving standard Thai and Chinese dishes. Other kinds of food to be found in this area include Indian, Jewish and Muslim.

Silom
One of Bangkok's major business areas linked with several streets lined with food stalls and leading restaurants. Seafood stalls sprout along the roadside near Saladaeng Intersection after sunset until late into the night. Nearby Convent Road offers everything from Indonesian food to the Gaelic fare of an Irish tavern. At Thanon Thaniya, close to Phat Phong.

Siam Square
The shopping area is crammed with medium to high-priced restaurants as well as international fast food. Economically priced American, European, Italian, Mexican and Chinese food can be found here. Dozens of food stalls sell meatballs, grilled squid, and fried bananas along the walkways that connect the streets.

Dining Information from Tourism Authority of Thailand