Thailand is a land of contrasts. The bustling, chaotic, and fast paced metropolis of Bangkok often seems a million miles away from the peaceful, easy going countryside. Wealthy businessmen cruise around in luxury European cars alongside those risking their lives in the pollution and traffic on bike, and palatial, air conditioned shopping malls tower above street side flea markets. Thailand is indeed many different places to many different people, but there is something that all sides of the country share – a love of good, simple food.

Good food in Thailand is not a privilege of the elite. Ask anyone, rich or poor, where the best food can be found and you’ll always get the same answer – on the street.

In part one of this series on Thai street food, we’ll be looking at some of the most common stalls involving rice.

Khao Raad Geng – Rice with Curry

Thai Curry and Rice Stall by NeilsPhotography (Flickr)

Like all curries, those in Thailand taste better when they’ve been left bubbling for a while. Street vendors know this too well so the curry stall will have rows of cauldrons, each with a different variety of Thai curry. As they’re all cooked in advance, there’s no way they can tone down the spice for the delicate western mouths so prepare for a taste of really authentic Thai food!

A meal at one of these stalls is ordered by selected 1, 2 or 3 types of curry from the counter, which will be ladled onto a generous helping of Thai rice. These stalls are particularly convenient for visitors as food can be ordered almost entirely using the medium of mime! If the vendor’s smiling to herself while serving your curry, it probably means you’ve asked for something incredibly spicy!

Khao Man Gai/Khao Kaa Moo – Rice with Boiled Chicken/ Rice with Pork

Boiled Chicken with Rice Stall

Rice and meat. It seems so simple and unadventurous that most tourists ignore this national favourite and opt for something green or red instead. However, as with many things in life, sometimes the simplest things are also the best. The rice is steamed in a stock of the meat, and balance of flavours between the succulent meat, the spicy sauce and the soft, slightly meaty rice are near perfection when done well. People will travel for miles to get a good Khao Man Gai!

The ‘meat and rice’ stalls can be spotted by looking for carts with single large cauldrons of broth in the middle and whole, boiled chickens hanging in glass cabinets (hanging cooked pork for the pork variety). You’ll be able to hear the sound of rapid chopping as small pieces of meat are expertly sliced with an enormous cleaver.

The choice at these stalls is pretty simple. Boiled chicken, fried chicken, pork leg, or crispy pork set atop a mound of rice with a bowl of broth on the side. With the chicken you’ll get a chunk of boiled chicken blood as a tasty extra which you don’t have to eat, although I’ll promise you it is pretty good!

Although just a small selection of the variety of food on the streets of Thailand, I hope this article can help inspire confidence to seek out and try some of the food that fuels the soul of Thailand and it’s people. Good luck and happy eating!

Ahaarn Dtaam Sang – Food Made to Order

By oksidor (Flickr)

These stalls can be easily recognised by a large display of fresh meat, fish and vegetables on the front of the cart. There will be a skilled Thai chef working the wok and the constant clinking sound of utensil against pan. Look out for a periodic fireball shooting up from the stall as one of the popular ‘Fai Daeng’ (red fire) dishes are prepared for hungry customers. The dining experience is enhanced further if you can find a seat with a view of the wok; you’ll find out the Thai meaning of Fast Food!

If you’re eating here, I recommend the classic fried rice (Khao Pad) with pork (Moo), chicken (Gai) or shrimp (Goong). Ask for a scrambled egg to go on top and eat with a little chilli sauce and feshly squeezed lime. Another favourite is the devilishly spicy stir-fried pork with holy basil. If you’re in a group try eating banquet style (gap khao) and order Tom Yam Taley Nam Khon (Spicy Tom Yam Soup), Pad Pak Bung Fai Daeng (stir-fried ‘red fire’ morning glory) and Gai Pad Med Mamuang Him Mapaan (stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts).

Sometimes beauty can come from the most unlikely of places and we have to look no further than Picasso, The Elephant man and most of The Rolling Stones to see that sometimes, even the ugliest things on the outside can have a special place in our hearts.

Bangkok is a perfect example of a city which I know I should hate, especially as a lover of mountains and fresh air, but somehow, after getting over the warts on the surface, the soul of the City of Angels has won me over and there’s nowhere I’d rather be.

Here are four things about Bangkok which you should hate, but you just can’t help loving:

1. The Pavements (sidewalks)
   
   

   One of Bangkok's street elephants outside a restaurant. (Photo by Szymon Kochanski)

   Definitely not suitable for wheelchairs, Bangkok’s pavements are full of obstacles. Nowhere in the world will you have to watch out for massive holes deep enough to swallow a man, motorbikes taking a shortcut, whole families of stray dogs and fully grown elephants! Such obstacles should be frustrating, but in reality they are exciting and make you feel alive. Just watch where you step if you’re walking behind one of the 500 or so urban elephants! The pavements are also home to some of the best food in the world from street vendors and makeshift restaurants with plastic stools. In the evenings whole streets are turned into dense markets packed with people buying and selling all kinds of goods imaginable. If you’re trying to get somewhere it’s a nightmare, but if you’ve got time to take it all in, a simple walk down the street can be a truly unforgettable experience.

2. The Roads
   
   

   Bangkok Roads - Fast and Crazy but with Smiles all round!

   Driving in Bangkok is a test of brinkmanship. If you’re used to the polite, Western style of driving you might be better off closing your eyes when navigating the jammed streets of central Bangkok. The main style of driving here is ‘every car, motorcycle, bus and 22 wheeled truck  for itself.’  Buses never stop and instead just slow down, sometimes 3 or 4 lanes away from the pavement,  to let passengers on or off. Crossing the roads in Bangkok requires a special skill which those who remember the old computer game ‘Frogger’ will have mastered – wait for the gaps in the traffic to line themselves up, time it right then close your eyes and run! This may sound like a nightmare of stress and danger, but look closely and through the madness, the soul of Bangkok starts to make itself seen. Despite such conditions, road-rage is non-existent; the faces of the drivers are pictures of calm. Laughter and smiles are plentiful as crowds of people sprint across the road, narrowly escaping being injured by the 3 lanes of traffic.

3. Thai Time-keeping
   
   

   One of the few public clocks in Bangkok (Photo by Travelinman43 - Flickr)

   One thing you may notice as you walk around the metropolis of Bangkok, is an absence of clocks. In Western cities you only need to turn your head and you can see the time being proudly displayed. The main reason for this lack of time is that time is simply not that important here. It is quite common for Thai friends to be 2 or 3 hours late when meeting each other in shopping malls and Thai people rarely book more than a day or two in advance for anything. If you are taking part in any day organised by Thais don’t even bother asking for a schedule, and if you are lucky enough to get one don’t expect it to be any kind of indication of how the day will turn out. This is undoubtedly infuriating for time-obsessed Englishmen like myself, but after being broken down by many years of poor time-keeping, part of this approach to punctuality (though still not all) begins to make sense. By living your life less governed by time, there is a lot less to worry about and get stressed about. Getting stuck in a traffic jam isn’t such a problem. You don’t need to miss lunch if you’ve got somewhere to be, and if your 2 or 3 hours late for a party it’s no problem – you’ll still be there before most people!

4. Tuk-Tuks
   
   

   An Iconic Thai Tuk Tuk (Photo by Nokan)

   These three-wheeled, motorised chariots are an icon of Thailand, and a favourite of tourists. Their gurgling, 2-stroke engines give them their name and their drivers are almost always charming, charismatic chaps who claim that they are faster and cheaper than their four-wheeled, air conditioned counterparts. In reality, their lack of a meter and the fast-talking, ever-so-friendly man at the controls means they are always more expensive, and their insistence on taking you to everywhere in Bangkok except where you want to go means they take much longer. As frustrating an experience as it can be, however, I challenge anyone not to be grinning like a mischievous schoolboy as you race the wrong way down one-way streets towards yet another tailors or gem shop. Get in one knowing you’ll be taken in the wrong direction and charmed into buying an overpriced suit and you’ll have a great time!

Thailand is often called the land of smiles and any visit will prove this name to be just. Thai people are naturally very laid back and ‘sanuk’, meaning fun is an important part of life. Thailand is the only country is South East Asia which has never been colonized by a Western power and it is this which makes Thailand a place of spiritual mystery to the Western visitor. It is a country steeped in unique culture and traditions.

The Revered Thai Monarch

One of the most important aspects of Thai culture is the monarchy. The royal family has earned enormous respect from the Thai people and pictures and shrines paying homage to various members of the royal family align most streets and are present in almost all shops and houses. In 2006 and 2007, yellow shirts were worn by almost all Thai people on Mondays as a sign of respect in anticipation of the kings 60th year on the thrown in 2006 and his 80th birthday in 2007.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

Buddhism is the main religion with some 95% of people following the ways of Theravada Buddhism. This forms a major part of everyday life in Thailand and orange robed monks are a common site in any part of Thailand, from high-tech luxury malls to the most rural villages. Thailand also follows a Buddhist calendar and most Thai people and businesses use the Buddhist year of 2551. New Year is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of April and the traditional ceremony involves pouring water over images of Buddha. Nowadays the festival is a time when the whole country erupts into a huge water fight, with people standing on the street with hosepipes and water guns waiting to soak passers by.

A Spirit House

Another important part of Thai culture is ghosts or spirits. All Thai people believe in spirits and most houses will have a small spirit house or ‘saan pra poom’ where Thai people will leave food and other offerings for the well-being of the departed. You will also see a lot of spirit houses around central Bangkok and Thai people will often wai in respect while passing. Fortune tellers hold a position of huge respect in Thailand and almost every major decision in Thai life must be taken with counsel from a fortune teller first, from the date for a wedding, to the location for a building. Most Thai people will make often visits to fortune tellers.

A Golden Statue Showing the 'Wai' pose.

The Thai way of greeting is the wai which involves placing the palms of ones hands together and bowing the head. The higher ones hands are held, the more respect is shown. This is an essential technique to master for anyone visiting Thailand and is used when saying hello or goodbye. Another major philosophy in Thai culture is that the head is the most sacred part of the body and the feet are the least sacred. It is considered extremely rude to touch a Thai persons head and even ruder to put your feet anywhere near anyone’s head. When the King travels by car, along with closing all the roads, the pedestrian bridges are also closed so that nobody’s feet will be above the King’s head and if a coin with the King’s head is dropped, it must be picked up immediately.