Dining Out in Thailand
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When you come to Thailand to visit (and I highly recommend that you do!) you will discover there is an abundance of options for eating out. There are a few things I have learned about eating out in Thailand that are worth mentioning.
One of the first things you will notice is the majority of restaurants are open air, which is a great way to fully enjoy the incredible weather here. While most restaurants have adequate chairs and tables for dining purposes, do not expect to find a lot of fluff, such as tablecloths, napkins, or other paraphernalia. What you will mostly find is gorgeous tropical plants everywhere offering a very pleasant, beautiful, and relaxing atmosphere. And of course, great Thai food! |
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Menus will vary greatly too. You may find anything between a xeroxed single page menu to a 3 inch book with pictures. Sometimes you will find a pencil and small sheets of paper to write your order on.
Restaurants and food booths are everywhere. If you are bold enough, you can stop at one of the sidewalk booths and enjoy real down home Thai cooking. This is the most inexpensive way to dine out in Thailand. |
There are a few basic rules of thumb to go by when dining in a restaurant.
If you are with a group of people (more than one), do not expect to all get your food at the same time. I found this very funny at first. It is customary to go ahead and start eating when you receive your food, no need to wait for everyone to get their order. A good solution is to order an appetizer that can be enjoyed by all, that way everyone has something to eat while waiting for their main dish.
When you are done eating, do not sit and wait for your bill, unless you are enjoying the atmosphere and want to spent a few hours at your table. When you are ready to go, you must ask for your bill.
Tipping is not necessarily expected, but personally I find tipping to be a very rewarding experience. I have always like the custom in America. I know the person who served me my food is barely making a living, and when I have been treated well, enjoyed the food, I like to show a little bit of appreciation by leaving a small tip. The amount of course would depend on your bill, an example would be for a 400 Baht tab, a 10 to 20 Baht tip would be quite acceptable.
Another interesting food fact from Thailand is the shopping malls. The shopping malls themselves are incredibly big, usually 3 or 4 floors, a couple of blocks wide. Every indoor shopping mall has food courts. What I find interesting is how the food booths work. None of the individual vendors accept cash. You must first stop at a cashier booth, and purchase a dining card, what ever denomination you want. 100 B is usually sufficient for 2 people.
You then take your dining card, and walk around to the various booths to decide what you want. You give your card to the vendor, and he debits it for his payment. After you have selected your food from the different vendors and enjoyed your meal, if you have any Baht left on your card you take it back to the cashier for a refund.
There are several American fast food chains here, but don’t expect the same food as in America. KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Sizzlers, just to name a few. Last night we ordered a vegetarian pizza from Pizza Hut. While it was good, it is the first time in my life I have ever had pizza with corn and pineapple as the main vegetables. It also had chunks of tomatos, green peppers, a couple onions, and I think I saw a slice of mushroom or two. And do not expect to get any little packets of Parmesan cheese along with your pizza. What you will get is little packets of ketchup and little bags of dried hot chili peppers.
If you are with a group of people (more than one), do not expect to all get your food at the same time. I found this very funny at first. It is customary to go ahead and start eating when you receive your food, no need to wait for everyone to get their order. A good solution is to order an appetizer that can be enjoyed by all, that way everyone has something to eat while waiting for their main dish.
When you are done eating, do not sit and wait for your bill, unless you are enjoying the atmosphere and want to spent a few hours at your table. When you are ready to go, you must ask for your bill.
Tipping is not necessarily expected, but personally I find tipping to be a very rewarding experience. I have always like the custom in America. I know the person who served me my food is barely making a living, and when I have been treated well, enjoyed the food, I like to show a little bit of appreciation by leaving a small tip. The amount of course would depend on your bill, an example would be for a 400 Baht tab, a 10 to 20 Baht tip would be quite acceptable.
Another interesting food fact from Thailand is the shopping malls. The shopping malls themselves are incredibly big, usually 3 or 4 floors, a couple of blocks wide. Every indoor shopping mall has food courts. What I find interesting is how the food booths work. None of the individual vendors accept cash. You must first stop at a cashier booth, and purchase a dining card, what ever denomination you want. 100 B is usually sufficient for 2 people.
You then take your dining card, and walk around to the various booths to decide what you want. You give your card to the vendor, and he debits it for his payment. After you have selected your food from the different vendors and enjoyed your meal, if you have any Baht left on your card you take it back to the cashier for a refund.
There are several American fast food chains here, but don’t expect the same food as in America. KFC, McDonalds, Burger King, Sizzlers, just to name a few. Last night we ordered a vegetarian pizza from Pizza Hut. While it was good, it is the first time in my life I have ever had pizza with corn and pineapple as the main vegetables. It also had chunks of tomatos, green peppers, a couple onions, and I think I saw a slice of mushroom or two. And do not expect to get any little packets of Parmesan cheese along with your pizza. What you will get is little packets of ketchup and little bags of dried hot chili peppers.
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If you are vegetarian like I am, most restaurants will accommodate you with a “J” version, using tofu instead of chicken or pork. Not very much beef in Thailand. There are also scores of Vegetarian restaurants to choose from.
Yes, Starbucks is in Thailand too. But you may want to try one of the local coffee houses while here. I thought this one was very innovative. The kitchen is actually inside the bus. So, buy your tickets, pack your bags, and head on over to this wonderful paradise called Thailand. Enjoy the beauty of the country, the friendliness of the people, the afford ability of experiencing a touch of luxury, and have a romantic enchanting dinner at one of the many options available to you! |
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