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. Hundreds of restaurants and thousands of coffeeshops, noodle shops, snack bars and street-side food stalls are scattered in the downtown district in Bangkok and many, many more in the provincial tourist centers. As Thailand produces all kinds of foodstuff, food prices here are, of course, very reasonable. Good Foods in Thailand: - Thai Foods, Seafoods, Western & Asian Foods, Chinese Foods THAI FOODS Thailand, being an Asian crossroads for centuries, owes its rich culinary art to the cuisines of India, China, Malaysia and Indonesia. The success of the country’s cuisine lies in the blend of 4 basic tastes-salty, sweet, sour and pungent- which form a wide range of flavors, making the dinner want to eat more and more. However, foreigners must note that chilies amply used in a number of Thai dishes, such as curry, fried dishes and even soups. So if you are trying Thai hot food for the first time, watch out for the little green or red chillies or ask the chef to make the dish less hot than usual. Take plenty of not so hot cooked rice along with the hot dishes. This is the way to smother the fire in your mouth, which cannot be done with sweets or even a cold drink. Normally, each Thai restaurant has its own specialties, so ask the waiter for recommendation. Some favorite Thai dishes are: Kai Ho Bai Toei (seasoned fried chicken in leaf wrappers); Thotman Plakrai or Thotman kung, Fish or shrimp fritters in Thai style; various kinds of yam (Thai salad); Tomyam (hot and sour soup); curry and namprik with fish vegetables. And perfect your Thai meal by ending it with Thai sweets, such as salim, thapthim krop, lotchunng, khanom chan, coconut-cream gelatine, thong yot, foi thong, etc. 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 gourmet or just ordinary diners. WESTERN & ASIAN FOODS Most coffeeshop in tourist hotels serve an approximation of European food, some also Chinese and Japanese. For mere authentic dishes, you can try the nationality restaurants, mostly located in the leading in the busy shopping areas. There you will find the food and desserts in their original tastes. Western cuisine available in Bangkok and provincial tourist centers are American, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Scandinavian and Swiss. Asian cuisine includes 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 in large numbers in the late Ayuthaya period over 200 years ago. 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.