One of the greatest joys of visiting Thailand is the plethora of dining options in any area. From high-class hotel restaurants and power-lunch points, to streetside noodle stands, you'll find it all, and in this volume we list the whole range.
Storefront restaurants and street vendors, apart from those in a specified night market area, are open early morning to late at night. Restaurants catering to tourists also open from morning until late. You're not expected to tip at a Thai restaurant, but rounding up the bill or leaving 20B (50¢) on top of most checks is acceptable. A 15% to 20% tip will shock and awe in smaller restaurants, but are accepted (sometimes even tacked-on) at fine-dining outlets.
The larger cities and towns play host to a whole range of Western and international restaurants, Bangkok in particular covers all the bases, but going for authentic Thai is usually a far better option than the bland, faux-Western dishes served at many budget traveler restaurants (the same place that serves soggy hamburgers on sweet rolls probably makes a great Pad Thai).
One-dish meals like noodle soup or fried-rice or noodles are popular for solo travelers, but Thai meals are best when shared family style. There are many regional variations, but the most notable are the barbecue, sticky-rice and spicy papaya salads in Isan (the northeast) and the fiery coconut curries of the south; always ask about regional specials. Most family meals consist of a meat or fish dish (often a whole fish), fried or steamed vegetables, a curry, stir-fried dishes of meat and vegetables, and a soup, such as fiery Tom Yam. Meals are lengthy and boisterous affairs, and food is picked-at slowly. Drink flows freely in Thailand, and local beer, as well as rice whiskey, accompany most meals.
Thais are very practical about table manners. If something is best eaten with the hands, then feel free. If there are seeds or bones to spit out, you just go ahead and spit 'em out. Single-serve noodle soups are usually eaten with chopsticks and a Chinese spoon, but you won't be bothering anyone to ask for a fork. Rice dishes are eaten with a spoon and fork, the spoon commonly held in the right hand, and the fork in the left is used only to load the spoon for delivery; follow locals, but do whatever you're comfortable with.
