Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to Eat & Drink
Prepared food is available just about everywhere in Thailand, and it shouldn't come as a
surprise that the locals do much of their eating outside the home. In this regard, as a visit-
or, you'll fit right in.
Open-air markets and food stalls are among the most popular places for Thais to eat. In
the mornings, stalls selling coffee and Chinese-style doughnuts spring up along busy com-
muter corridors. At lunchtime, eaters might grab a plastic chair at yet another stall for a
simple stir-fry, or pick up a foam box of noodles to scoff down at the office. In most small
towns, night markets often set up in the middle of town with a cluster of vendors, metal
tables and chairs, and some shopping as an after-dinner mint.
There are, of course, restaurants
(ráhn ah·hăhn)
in Thailand that range from simple food
stops to formal affairs. Lunchtime is the right time to point and eat at the
ráhn kôw gaang
(rice-and-curry shop), which sells a selection of premade dishes. The more generic
ráhn
ah·hăhn đahm sàng
(food-to-order shop) can often be recognised by a display of raw in-
gredients - Chinese kale, tomatoes, chopped pork, fresh or dried fish, noodles, eggplant,
spring onions - for a standard repertoire of Thai and Chinese dishes. As the name implies,
the cooks attempt to prepare any dish you can name, a slightly more difficult operation if
you can't speak Thai.
Maintained by a Thai woman living in the US, She Simmers (
www.shesimmers.com
) is a good resource
for those making Thai food outside of Thailand.
