Food & Drink ( Noodle)

Pad Thai

It shouldn’t take too long in Thailand before you get your tongue around gŏo·ay đĕe·o, the intimidating and all-encompassing word for noodle soup. Despite being an import from China, noodles have been entirely integrated into the Thai repertoire of foods, and for most Thais, a day hardly passes without a bowl or two.
You’ll find four basic kinds of noodle in Thailand. Hardly surprising, given the Thai fixation on rice, is the overwhelming popularity of sên gŏo·ay đĕe·o, noodles made from rice flour mixed with water to form a paste, which is then steamed to form wide, flat sheets. The sheets are folded and sliced into sên yài (flat ‘wide line’ noodles 2cm to 3cm wide), sên lék (‘small line’ noodles about 5mm wide) and sên mèe (‘noodle line’ noodles only 1mm to 2mm wide). At most restaurants or vendor stands specialising in gŏo·ay đĕe·o, when ordering
you are expected to specify which noodles you want.The simplest and most ubiquitous dish is gŏo·ay đĕe·o nám, a bowl of noodles served most commonly with pork stock along with meatballs and various vegetables, including a garnish of pàk chee (coriander leaf). This dish is eaten around the clock as a quick snack before work, after shopping, post-clubbing or in between the real meals. The most famous gŏo·ay đĕe·o dish among foreigners is undoubtedly gŏo·ay đĕe·o pàt tai, usually called pàt tai for short. Taking the form of thin rice noodles stir-fried with dried or fresh shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, egg and seasonings, the dish is traditionally served with lime halves and a few stalks of Chinese chives and a sliced banana flower.Another kind of noodle, kà·nŏm jeen, is produced by pushing rice-flour paste through a sieve into boiling water, much the way Italian-style pasta is made. Kà·nŏm jeen is a popular morning market meal that is eaten doused with various spicy curries and topped with a self-selection of fresh and pickled vegetables and herbs.The third kind of noodle, bà·mèe, is made from wheat flour and egg. It’s yellowish in colour and is sold only in fresh bundles. After being briefly parboiled, the noodles are mixed with broth and meat, typically barbecued pork or crab, and you have bà·mèe nám. Served in a bowl with a small amount of garlic oil and no broth, it’s bà·mèe hâang. Restaurants or vendors selling bà·mèe typically also sell gée·o, a square of bà·mèe dough wrapped around
ground meat.Finally there’s wún·sên, an almost clear noodle made from mung-bean starch and water. Sold only in dried bunches, wún·sên (literally ‘jelly thread’) is prepared by soaking in hot water for a few minutes. The most common use of the noodle is in yam wún sên, a hot and tangy salad made with lime juice, fresh  sliced prík kêe nŏo (tiny chillies), shrimp, ground pork and various seasonings. Other uses include Ъoo òp wún·sên, bean-thread noodles baked in a lidded clay pot with crab (or sometimes shrimp) and seasonings,
or gaang jèut, a bland, Chinese-influenced soup containing ground pork, soft tofu and a handful of the noodles.

Food & Drink ( Rice )

There’s an entire universe of amazing dishes once you get beyond ‘pad thai’ and green curry, and for many visitors, food is one of the main reasons for choosing Thailand as a destination. Even more remarkable, however, is the love for Thai food among the locals; Thais become just as excited as tourists when faced with a bowl of well-prepared noodles or when seated at a renowned hawker stall. This unabashed enthusiasm for eating, not to mention an abundance of fascinating ingredients and influences, has generated one of the most fun and diverse food scenes anywhere in the world.

 Rice

Rice is so central to Thai food culture that the most common term for ‘eat’ is gin kôw (literally, ‘consume rice’) and one of the most common greetings is Gin kôw rĕu yang? (Have you consumed rice yet?). To eat is
to eat rice, and for most of the country, a meal is not acceptable without this staple. There are many varieties of rice in Thailand and the country has been among the world leaders in rice exports since the 1960s. The highest grade is kôw hŏrm má·lí (jasmine rice), a fragrant long grain that is so coveted by neighbouring  countries that there is allegedly a steady underground business in smuggling out fresh supplies. Residents of Thailand’s north and northeast eat kôw nĕe·o, ‘sticky rice’, a glutinous short-grained rice that is cooked by steaming, not boiling. In Chinese-style eateries, kôw đôm, ‘boiled rice’, a watery porridge sometimes employing brown or purple rice, is a common carb.

Here are some samples of Thai food :

 Khao Pad Gai (Thai Fried Rice with Chicken )

 Kao Pad Kaprao (Thai Basil Fried Rice)

Kao Neuw ( Mango With Sticky Rice )

You should try mango with sticky rice you will love it .

When to go Thailand

The best time to visit most of Thailand is between November and February, because it rains the least and it is not too hot. This period is also Thailand’s main season for festivals, like Loi Krathong and Songkran.
If you plan to focus on the northern provinces, the hot season (March to May) and early rainy season (June to July) are not bad either, as temperatures are moderate at higher elevations. Northeastern and central Thailand, on the other hand, are best avoided from March to May, when temperatures may climb over 40°C. Because temperatures are more even year-round in the south (because it’s closer to the equator), the beaches and islands of southern Thailand are a good choice for respite when the rest of Thailand is miserably hot.
Thailand’s peak tourist season runs from November to late March, with secondary peaks in July and August. If you want to avoid crowds and take advantage of discounted room rates, consider travelling during the least
crowded months (typically April to June, September and October).
Although the rainy season (roughly July to October) gets a bad reputation, there are some bonuses: temperatures tend to be cooler, tourists are fewer and the landscape is lush and green. Depending on the region and the month, the rains might be hour-long downpours in the afternoon. October, however, tends to be the wettest month.

Thailand General Information

Geography
Thailand has a land area of 513,115 sq.km.(approx. 127,008 acres) bordered by Malaysia (South), Myanmar (West & North), Laos (North & East) and Cambodia (Southeast). The country's east coast borders the Gulf of Thailand and the west coast abuts the Andaman Sea. The country is divided geographically into four main zones-the fertile central plains, dominated by the Chao Phraya River; the 300-metre-high northeast plateau, the kingdom's most barren region ; the mountainous North; and the tropical southern peninsula.

Climate
The temperature varies from 38°C to 19°C with the annual average at about 29°C. The humidity is from 66% to 82.8%.

Seasons
There are three seasons in Northern, Northeastern and Central Thailand - hot (March to May), rainy (June to October), and cool (November to February). And there are two seasons in the South - rainy (April to November) and hot (December to March).
In the North and Northeast in winter, the temperatures are much lower during night time, especially on the mountains, with temperatures lower than 10°C.

Population
Total 63,878,267 (end Dec 2010), about 31 million males and 32 females. Of the total, 9.3% live in Bangkok.
**Note** The total population includes only permanent residents.

People
75% Thais, 11% Chinese, 3.5% Malays, and others are Mons, Khmers, Burmese, Laotians, Indians and a variety of hill tribes.

Language
Thai is the national language. English is widely understood in Bangkok and big cities.

Religion
Buddhists 94.2%, Muslims 4.6%, Christians 0.8%, others 0.4%.

Government
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy headed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX. The country comprises 76 provinces, each sub-divided into amphoe (county), tambon (district) and muban (village).

Capital
Bangkok

National flag
The red, white and blue bands symbolize the nation, religion, and the monarchy respectively.

Largest provinces
Nakhon Ratchasima 20,493 sq. km., Chiang Mai 20,107 sq. km., Kanchanaburi 19,483 sq. km.

Largest islands
Phuket 543 sq. km., Chang 429sq. km., Samui 247 sq. km.

Highest peaks
Doi Inthanon 2,565 m., Doi Pha Hom Pok 2,285 m., Doi Chiang Dao
2,195 m.

Principal rivers
Chi 765 km., Mun 750 km., Nan 740 km., Chao Phraya 370 km. or 1,110 km. if the Nan, its main tributary, is included.

Electricity
220 volts 50 cycles throughout the country.

Water
Drink only bottled or boiled water.

Clothing
Light, cool clothes are highly recommended. Thin cotton is the best. A jacket or sweater may be necessary in the cool season, especially when you are in mountainous areas in the North or Northeast.

Local time
GMT + 7 hours.

Business hours
Government offices open from 08.30 to 16.30 hours, Monday to Friday.
Banking hours : Monday to Friday, 08.30 to 15.30 hours
Most business offices open from 08.30 to 17.30 hours, Monday to Friday.
Some work on Saturday.

Major agricultural exports
Rice, tapioca, rubber, maize, pineapples, durians, longans, palm oil and herbs.

Major manufactured exports
Computer and computer accessories, integrated circuit, textiles, electronics, cars and spare parts, gems and jewellery, televisions and television accessories.

Thailand at a glance

Location, Geography & Climate


Thailand is the geographical heart of South-East Asia. The infamous golden triangle, located at the nation's northernmost point, is where Thailand's borders meet those of both Laos and Myanmar (Burma). The border with Myanmar continues to the west and then south as far as the Malay peninsula, much of which is occupied by Thailand. On the east, the border with Laos meanders southeast along the Mekong River until it reaches Cambodia, which is due east of Bangkok, the Thai Capital. In the south is the Gulf of Thailand. Roughly the size of France (200,000 sq. miles), Thailand is composed of four main regions. The northern mountainous region contains numerous ruins and temples, the ancient city of Chieng Mai, and Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon. This region is also home to the hill tribes of Thailand, distinct ethnic groups which settled in the area thousands of years ago after migrating from as far away as Tibet and central China. The north-east of Thailand occupies the semi-arid Korat plateau, the most desolate and least-visited part of the country. An interesting blend of Thai, Lao, and Khmer influences characterise the culture of the Korat. Central Thailand, which consists of the fertile plains surrounding the Chao Phraya River, is the country's most populous region and its rice basket. Thailand's alluring and congested capital city of Bangkok is located along the banks of the Chao Phraya, near the river's outlet into the Bight of Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand. The southern region of Thailand, which stretches for hundreds of miles along the Malay peninsula, abounds with stunning beaches and scores of tropical islands.
Thailand can be an extremely hot and soggy place. Its tropical climate is divided into three seasons: cool in November to February, hot in March to May, and rainy in June to October. The seasons are more extreme in the northern regions, where the dry heat can grow quite intense in late spring and the cool can become cold in the mountains. The rainy season is no detriment to travel in Thailand, as the rains can be cool and refreshing. 


History and People


The earliest people to appear in Thailand were most likely the Mons, who came into Southeast Asia from Central China two millennia ago. The Mons settled along various rivers in Burma and Thailand, building cities and rapidly developing a civilized culture. Within a few centuries they were confronted by other groups coming out of the north. As the region filled with people and villages, local kingdoms emerged and vied for supremacy over each other, giving rise to Thailand's earliest empires. The first of these were the Davaravati of Central Thailand and the Srivijaya, whose empire extended from Sumatra up the Malay peninsula to southern Thailand. Both kingdoms practiced Buddhism, which had spread from India during the time of the Mons. Eventually, the Davaravati fell to the westward expansion of the Khmers from Cambodia.
The next Thai kingdom to arise was Siam, which had its origins in the military expansion of the Mongols under Kublai Khan. As the Mongols pressed south through China, the peoples of the northwestern mountains and the Shan Plateau fled south and east. In 1220, the Thai lords founded their first capital at [link]Sukhothai[link], in the Nan River valley. Soon afterward, two other Thai kingdoms were established: Lanna Thai (million Thai rice fields) at Chiang Mai in the north, and Ayuthaya, upriver from present day Bangkok. In the mid-14th century, Ayuthaya had entered its golden age, dominating the other kingdoms and driving the Khmers out of the region entirely.
For the next few centuries the Thai kingdoms faced a stronger threat, not from the east or north, but from their neighbors to the west---the Burmese. In 1556 the Burmese captured Chiang Mai, and then Ayuthaya in 1569. The Thais rallied and recaptured both cities in the following decades, but the antagonism between the two peoples continued. The Burmese attacked Ayuthaya once more in 1767, this time practically erasing the city after a particularly bloody and protracted battle. Although the Thais managed to expel the Burmese shortly after, a new capital had to be constructed around what is now Bangkok. This chapter in Thai history marks the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty under Rama I, whose descendants have reigned in unbroken succession until the present day.
Unlike most of the other countries of Southeast Asia, Thailand (or Siam, as it was known at the time) never felt the yoke of direct European colonialism. As early as the 17th century, the Thai kings were set upon maintaining independence, having executed a French emissary to underscore their determination. As the French, British, and Dutch carved up the entire region over the next hundred years, the Kings of Siam shrewdly played the competing Europeans against each other, ensuring that no one power would gain a dominant presence. The strategy paid off handsomely, as Siam remained autonomous while reaping most of whatever benefits the colonial system had to offer.
After a peaceful coup in 1932, Siam's powerful monarchy became constitutional, and in 1939 the country officially adopted the name Thailand. Over the next several decades, Thailand was governed primarily by military dictatorships, which drew much of their support from collaboration with more powerful nations. They supported the Japanese occupation army in WW2 and later provided bases and men for the United States' efforts in Vietnam. Since that time, Thailand has weathered several coups, a number of border clashes with neighbouring communist regimes, and violent student demonstrations, finally emerging in the last decade as a remarkably stable and economically successful nation.
Today Thailand has a population of 54 million people, the vast majority of whom are of Thai ethnicity. Significant minorities of Chinese, Malay, Khmer, Mons, and various hill tribes also reside in Thailand, in addition to tens of thousands of refugees in border camps from the more troubled countries of South-East Asia.
Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand, although a variety of tribal religions continue to be practiced. Thailand's people regard their royal family with a respect bordering on awe. The main language in Thailand is Thai, although Lao, Chinese, Malay and English are also spoken by significant numbers of people.