EATING IN THAILAND
VEGETARIANS & VEGANS
Open-air markets and food stalls are among the most popular places
where Thais eat. In the mornings stalls selling coff ee and Chinese-style
doughnuts spring up along busy commuter corridors. At lunchtime, mid-
day eaters might grab a plastic chair at yet another stall for a simple
stir-fry, or pick up a foam box of noodles to scarf down at the offi ce. 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 aff airs. Lunchtime is the right time to
point and eat at theráhn 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 ingredi-
ents – Chinese kale, tomatoes, chopped pork, fresh or dried fi sh, 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 diffi cult operation if you can’t speak Thai.Vegetarians & Vegans
Vegetarianism isn’t a widespread trend in Thailand, but many of the
tourist-oriented restaurants cater to vegetarians. That doesn’t mean that
all Thais are monogamous carnivores; there are, however, home-grown
practices of vegetarianism and veganism rooted in a strict interpreta-
tion of Buddhism made popular by Bangkok’s ex-Governor Chamlong
Srimuang. Now there are several nonprofi t ráhn ah·hăhn mang·sà·wí·rát
(vegetarian restaurants) in Bangkok (see the boxed text, p 121 ) and several
provincial capitals where the food is served buff et-style and is very inex-
pensive. Dishes are almost always 100% vegan (ie no meat, poultry, fi sh
or fi sh sauce, dairy or egg products).
During the Vegetarian Festival, celebrated by Chinese Buddhists in
October, many restaurants and street stalls in Bangkok, Phuket and in
the Chinese business districts of most Thai towns go meatless for oneTAST Y TR AVELThailand’s cuisine is intensely regional and virtually every town is associated with a spe-
cifi c dish that’s unavailable (or at least not as tasty) outside the city limits. To help you
look (and eat) like a local, we’ve listed a few of the more ubiquitous regional specialities:» (^) Ayuthaya: gŏo·ay đĕe·o reu·a (‘boat noodles’) Rice noodles served with a dark,
intense spice-laden broth.
» (^) Chiang Mai: nám prík nùm and kâab mŏo (roast chilli ‘dip’ and deep-fried pork
crackling) Available at virtually every market in the city, the two dishes go wonder-
fully together, ideally accompanied by par-boiled veggies and sticky rice.
» Hat Yai: gài tôrt hàht yài This city’s namesake fried chicken is marinated in a dried-
spice mixture, which gives it a distinctive red hue.
» (^) Khon Kaen: gài yâhng Marinated free-range chicken (gài bâhn) grilled over hot
coals – a northeastern speciality said to be best in this town.
» (^) Lampang: kôw ŧaan Deep-fried sticky rice cakes drizzled with palm sugar are a
popular treat in this northern town.
» (^) Nong Khai: năam neu·ang This Vietnamese dish of balls of pork served with rice
paper wrappers and a basket of herbs has found a home in northeastern Thailand.
» (^) Phetchaburi: kôw châa This odd but delicious Mon dish of chilled fragrant rice
served with sweet/savoury sides is said to be best in this central Thai town.
» (^) Trang: mŏo yâhng Roast pig, skin and all, typically eaten as part of a dim sum
brunch, is a speciality of this southern town.
Thai Food Master
(www.thaifood-
master.com),
maintained by a
longtime foreign
resident of Thai-
land, contains
helpful step-
by-step photos
that illustrate
the making of a
variety of Thai
dishes.