Food and drinks in Thailand

Food
Thai food and dining are obviously some of the most attractive things of Thailand. For tourists, Thailand offers a great variety of tastes and dining experiences. You can find here almost any type of food and many of them will surely fit your taste very well. There are all kinds of restaurants in Thailand other than Thai food. Italian, French, Middle East, Korean or Japanese... all are available in almost all tourist places. There are also fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza hut, and more. You’ll be amazed seeing all of those over there.

Thailand food ‘s prices range from cheap and simple Thai fried noodles (Pad Thai) at about less than 1 USD (25 Baht) sold right on the street to an expensive and attractive meal with 10 courses at 100 USD (more than 3000 Baht) served in a luxury restaurant located inside a 5-star hotel in Bangkok. An average meal in a local Thai food restaurant will cost you about 120 - 180 Baht whilst in better restaurants cost you from 300 - 500 Baht with extra pay for drinks.

In general, Thai food or Asian food will cost you less than the Western one. One of the most attractive things about traveling to Thailand is that local food stalls and small street-side restaurants are always quite safe. In fact, standing to wait for food at those places and see the whole progress of preparation on the spot is a good choice for tourists.

The native Thai food is unlike any other Asian food, it is often highly spiced, more than any other type of food in the area, and is usually cooked very quickly on high heat. It is also prepared using fresh produce, mostly locally grown or raised. This makes Thai food extremely healthy.
Almost all people love Thai cuisine and find it very easy to eat due to its tasty, strong but balanced flavors. The typical ingredients that make the distinctive taste for Thai food are lemongrass, lime juice, and fresh coriander. However, Thai people always know that their distinctive flavors may not match all tourists, especially Westerners, so they will ask you before cooking for sure.

Thai dishes can be classified based on the geographical regions: Thai food in the central (Bangkok and its surroundings), Thai food in the north (Chiang Mai and its northern region, including Burmese and Chinese influence), Thai food in the north-east (the Isaan region which shares a border with Laos), and Thai food in the south (the regions suffered great influences from Malaysia).

When the sun goes down, street vendors will gather in their droves, selling all kinds of food to the public. Tables and chairs will be set up, forming seating areas shared by several food stalls. An evening at the night markets is a fine way to dine, sampling from any stalls which take your fancy.

People often eat Thai food with a spoon in the right hand and a fork for pilling. They only use chopsticks to eat noodles and some other Asian dishes.

Vegetarian food
Vegetarians do not find any difficulties while traveling to Thailand as it is a Buddhist country and vegetarianism is really popular everywhere. The traditional Thai ingredient used for making vegetarian food is tofu which is often cooked with omelets (with or without eggs), burritos, and submarine sandwiches. As Thai dishes are always made available to order, it is very easy to ask and request the chef to cook vegan meals that match your needs. Bangkok has numerous delicious vegan restaurants for easy consideration but when leaving for the countryside or remote areas, do not forget to check for your own vegan options.

Drink
Water coming from the tap can not be drink directly as it can only be safe after being boiled. In Thailand, bottled water is sold everywhere at cheap prices (around 5 to 20 Baht per bottle depending on the size and the brand company). Drinking water served in local restaurants is always boiled. Ice is often added to water, juice, or beer to reduce the heat. Make sure that you get ice made from purified or boiled water. It is normally safe in a restaurant or hotel but not sure on street. There are also water selling machines in residential areas or hotels, local shops that sell UV-treated clean water for a surprisingly cheap price of around 1 Bath. This option also helps to protect the natural environment by avoiding plastic wastes from empty bottles.

Coconut water and pomegranate juice sold almost everywhere on the streets are not only cheap but also very good for your health. Another typical drink of this country is Thai iced tea due to its fresh feelings, sweet and sour flavors, and attractive orange color. If you want to make the flavors less strong, adding a little condensed milk is an ideal option.

In Thailand, Western black tea and coffee are also very popular which is usually combined with sugar or condensed milk. If you do not want that additional stuff, just remind the waiter when making your order. Apart from Red Bull – the Thai native brand of soft drink, you can find here all the most all types of soft drink available in the world.

The so-called Thai whisky means several liquors. The most well-known among them is the legendary brand of Mae Khong and its great competitor, the sweeter Saeng Som, which are both brewed absolutely from sugarcane and consequently technically rum.
Western-style beer is a bit more expensive than other local beers in Thailand. The price for a small bottle sold in bars, pubs, and restaurants ranges from 50 to 90 Baht. Among them, Thai lagers are designed to be served with ice due to their high alcohol content of around 6%. Other local brews include Singha, the cheaper and stronger Chang (5%-6% relatively), Singha Light (3.5%), Chang Draught (5%) and Chang Light is 4.2%. Foreign premium brands can be named are Tiger and Heineken, but other Asian ones including Federbrau, San Miguel, and Japanese Asahi are more common. Imported beers, either draught or in bottles also available along with the usual local brands. Beers produced in Belgium, Germany, Mexico, UK, and Ireland are also gaining more popularity. The famous neighbor brand Beerlao has started to develop the market in Thailand in some recent years. All imported beers (except Beerlao) are generally very expensive and are estimated to double the price of the local one.

Western snacks in Thailand are quite expensive but still affordable by both local people and foreign tourists due to their Western standards. Almost imported liquors are widely used but still extremely overpriced for the Thai on average.