With Kids - Bangkok - page 48

and even if you bring your own most taxis have no seatbelt in the back. Taxi drivers gen-
erally won't temper their speed because you're travelling with a child, so if need be don't
hesitate to tell them to cháh cháh ('slow down').
For moving by foot, slings are often more useful than prams, as Bangkok sidewalks are
infamously uneven.
Infants
Nappies (diapers), international brands of milk formula and other infant requirements are
widely available. For something more specific you'll find the Central Chidlom ( Click
here ) as well stocked as anywhere on earth (there's an entire floor devoted to kids). In
general, Thai women don't breastfeed in public, though in department stores they'll often
find a changing room.
Eating
Dining with children in Thailand, particularly with infants, is a liberating experience, as
Thai people are so fond of kids. Take it for granted that your babies will be fawned over,
played with - and even carried around - by restaurant waitstaff. Consider this a much-de-
served break, not to mention a bit of free cultural exposure.
For the widest choice of food, child-friendly surroundings and noise levels that will
drown out even the loudest child, you may find the food courts of Bangkok's many
megamalls to be the most comfortable family dining options. Highchairs are rare outside
expensive restaurants.
Because much of Thai food is so spicy, there is an entire art devoted to ordering 'safe'
dishes for children, and the vast majority of Thai kitchens are more than willing to oblige.
Many a child in Thailand has grown up on a diet of little more than gaang jèut, a bland,
Chinese-influenced soup containing ground pork, soft tofu and a handful of noodles, or
variations on kôw pàt, fried rice. Other mild options include kôw man gài, Hainanese
chicken rice, and jóhk, rice gruel. For something bland, big hotels usually sell their baked
goods for half price after 6pm.