One of the great enjoyments of being in Bangkok is that you can eat 24 hours a day. No matter what sort of food you are looking for, be it Western or Eastern, you'll have little trouble finding it with the taste that will satisfy your fancy or remove your homesickness. Hundreds of restaurants and thousands of coffee shops, noodle shops, snack bars and street-side food stalls are scattered in the downtown districts in Bangkok and many, many more in the provincial tourist centres. As Thailand produces all kinds of foodstuff, food prices here are, of course, very reasonable.Thai Food
Thailand, for centuries an Asian cross-cuisines of India, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. The success of this country's cuisine lies in the blend of 4 basic tastes -salty, sweet, sour and pungent- which form a wide range of flavours. However, foreigners must note that chilli is amply used in a number of Thai dishes. So if you are trying Thai hot food, watch out for the little chillies or ask the chef to make the dish less hot than usual. Take plenty of cooked rice along with the hot dishes, which is the best way to smother the fire in your mouth.
Normally, each Thai restaurant has its own specialities, so ask the waiter for recommendations. According to the survey conducted by the Office of the National Culture Commission in 1999, the top ten Thai dishes loved by foreigners are listed below in order of their popularity viz. tom yam kung or spicy shrimp soup, kaeng khiao wan kai or green chicken curry, phat thai or fried noodles of Thai style, phat kaphrao or meat fried with sweet basils, kaeng phet pet yang or roast duck curry, tom kha kai or chicken in coconut soup, yam mua or spicy beef salad, mu or kai sa-te or roast pork or chicken coated with turmeric, kai phat met mamuang himmaphan or chicken fried with cashew nuts, and phanaeng or meat in coconut cream. You may perfect your Thai meal by ending it with Thai sweets or Thai fruits.Seafood
More and more visitors to Thailand have discovered to their delight that Thailand is not only a kingdom of fruits, but also a kingdom of seafood. Anyone who has experienced Thai seafood will readily agree to its great variety and its savoury taste and sweet smell.
A secret of seafood deliciousness lies in its freshness. As Thailand has a long coastline, and Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and most other cities are close to the sea, fresh supplies of fish, crabs, prawns, lobsters and other shellfish are always available and all eaters will find them most palatable no matter whether they are gourmets or just ordinary diners.Western & Asian Food
Most coffee shops in tourist hotels serve an approximation of European food, some also Chinese and Japanese. For more authentic dishes, you can try the nationality restaurants, mostly located in the leading hotels and in the busy shopping areas. There you will find the food and desserts in their original tastes. Western cuisines available in Bangkok and provincial tourist centres are American, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Scandinavian and Swiss. Asian cuisines include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Muslim and Arabic.Chinese Food
Thailand is an ideal place for enjoying genuine Chinese food that tastes exactly like that of its country of origin. The Chinese culinary art was first brought to Thailand by the Chinese who migrated to this country in large numbers in the late Ayutthaya period over 200 years age. As a result of the long history of contact between the two peoples, the Thai and the Chinese cultures are now well mixed in many aspects, including the art of cooking. Chinese food is commonly served in restaurants and hotels in every part of Thailand, especially in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. Indeed, Thailand is the only place outside China (and Taiwan and Hongkong) that can provide tourists with such a wide choice of delicious Chinese dishes.
Bangkok opened its elevated Skytrain service several years ago to great acclaim. The two lines reach a surprising number of hotels, sights, and shopping districts in the city, as if the Skytrain was constructed to serve the needs of the tourist rather than the locals who continue to favor the much cheap
er buses. Skytrain maps are available all over town. The main routes and destinations are the river, hotels along Silom Road, the Patpong entertainment district, hotels along Sukhumvit Road, the shopping centers near Siam Square, and the Jatujak Weekend Market. You can either buy stored-value tickets (minimum 200 BHT) or purchase a per-ride ticket from vending machines. Stored-value tickets and change for the vending machines are available at the station booths. Plans are now in place to extend the Skytrain 
service in future years.
