What Comprises a Thai Meal

What Comprises a Thai Meal

:: Titbits These can be hors d'oeuvres, accompaniments, side dishes, and/or snacks. They include spring rolls, satay, puffed rice cakes with herbed topping. They represent the playful and creative nature of the Thais

:: Salads A harmony of tastes and herbal flavours are essential. Major tastes are sour, sweet and salty. Spiciness comes in different degrees according to meat textures and occasions.

:: General Fare A sweet and sour dish, a fluffy omelette, and a stir-fried dish help make a meal more complete.

:: Dips Dips entail some complexity. They can be the major dish of a meal with accompaniments of vegetables and some meats. When dips are made thinly, they can be used as salad designs. A particular and simple dip is made from chillies, garlic, dried shrimps, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and shrimp paste.

:: Soups A good meal for an average person may consist simply of a soup and rice. Traditional Thai soups are unique because they embody more flavours and textures than can be found in other types of food.

:: Curries Most non-Thai curries consist of powdered or ground dried spices, whereas the major ingredients of Thai curry are fresh herbs. A simple Thai curry paste consists of dried chillies, shallots and shrimp paste. More complex curries include garlic, galanga, coriander roots, lemon grass, kaffir lime peel and peppercorns.

:: Single Dishes Complete meals in themselves , they include rice and noodle dishes such as Khao Phat and Phat Thai.

:: Desserts No good meal is complete without a Thai dessert. Uniformly sweet, they are particularly welcome after a strongly spiced and herbed meal.

Thai Food & Fruits

Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.

With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America.

Thais were very adapt at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other daily products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non spiced items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

Eating & Ordering Thai Food

Thai food is eaten with a fork and spoon. Even single dish meals such as fried rice with pork, or steamed rice topped with roasted duck, are served in bite-sized slices or chunks obviating the need for a knife. The spoon is used to convey food to the mouth.

Ideally, eating Thai food is a communal affair involving two or more people, principally because the greater the number of diners the greater the number of dishes ordered. Generally speaking, two diners order three dishes in addition to their own individual plates of steamed rice, three diners four dishes, and so on. Diners choose whatever they require from shared dishes and generally add it to their own rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with rice. Soups are enjoyed concurrently with other dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes, not independently. Spicy dishes are "balanced" by bland dishes to avoid discomfort.

The ideal Thai meal is a harmonious blend of the spicy, the subtle, the sweet and sour, and is meant to be equally satisfying to eye, nose and palate. A typical meal might include a clear soup (perhaps bitter melons stuffed with minced pork), a steamed dish (mussels in curry sauce), a fried dish (fish with ginger), a hot salad (beef slices on a bed of lettuce, onions, chillies, mint and lemon juice) and a variety of sauces into which food is dipped. This would be followed by sweet desserts and/or fresh fruits such as mangoes, durian, jackfruit, papaya, grapes or melon.

Visa Information

Passports
All visitors entering Thailand must possess valid passports.

Visas
Immigration Information
According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements dated 1 October B.E. 2545 (2002), 20 December B.E. 2545 (2002), 18 October B.E. 2547 (2004) and 6 May B.E. 2548 (2005), passport holders from 40 countries and 1 special administrative region – Hong Kong SAR – are not required to obtain a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes and will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 30 days on each visit. Foreigners who enter the Kingdom under the Tourist Visa Exemption category may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.
- Please note that Tourist Visa Exemption does not apply to foreigners holding Travel Document for Aliens issued by these 40 countries.
- Foreigners entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category must possess adequate finances for the duration of stay in Thailand (i.e., cash 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family).

Temporary visitors to Thailand for the purpose of pleasure who are exempted from applying for entry visas must be of the nationality of and holding valid passports or travelling documents issued by:

1. Australia : Commonwealth of Australia 2. Austria : Republic of Austria
3. Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium 4. Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil
5. Bahrain : State of Bahrain 6. Brunei : Negara Brunei Darussalam
7. Canada 8. Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark
9. Finland : Republic of Finland 10. France : French Republic
11. Germany : Federal Republic of Germany 12. Greece : Hellenic Republic
13. Hong Kong : Hong Kong SAR 14. Iceland : Republic of Iceland
15. Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia 16. Ireland : Republic of Ireland
17. Israel : State of Israel 18. Italy : Republic of Italy
19. Japan 20. Korea : Republic of Korea
21. Kuwait : State of Kuwait 22. Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg
23. Malaysia 24. Netherlands : Kingdom of the
Netherlands
25. New Zealand 26. Norway : Kingdom of Norway
27. Oman : Sultanate of Oman 28. Peru : Republic of Peru
29. Philippines : Republic of the Philippines 30. Portugal : Republic of Portugal
31. Qatar : State of Qatar 32. Singapore : Republic of Singapore
33. Spain : Kingdom of Spain 34. South Africa : Republic of South Africa
35. Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden 36. Switzerland : Swiss Confederation
37. Turkey : Republic of Turkey 38. United Arab Emirates
39. United Kingdom : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
40. United States of America 41. Vietnam : Socialist Republic of Vietnam

They must enter the kingdom by passenger transports such as aircraft or sea-going vessels of 500 registered tons and up; or through channels of immigration check-points or border check-points on the Malaysian boundary; or enter by means of passenger aircraft, sea-going vessel, rail, bus, taxi, touring coach or hired motor-cycle and having:

- Fully paid ticket or other document belonging to the vehicle owner or to the operator of the vehicle which is to be used for leaving the kingdom within the period specified, or
- Documentary evidence of the owner or operator of the vehicle showing fully paid reservation for the departure from the kingdom within the period specified.
Exempted are Malaysian nationals entering the kingdom by means of bus, hired car, touring coach or hired motor-cycle through immigration check-points or border check-points bordering on Malaysian territory, who need not have travelling ticket or documents mentioned under Items I and 2. Persons mentioned in the above conditions are exempted from visas and are permitted to remain in the kingdom for a period not exceeding fifteen days from the day of entry. They are not allowed to extend their stay for more than fifteen days, unless under unforeseen circumstances such as illness or delay of aircraft departure. Visitors wishing to stay in the kingdom for more than fifteen days are advised to apply to missions in their countries. In the event there are no Thai diplomatic missions, they may apply to missions in neighbouring countries, or forward their request and supporting evidence to the Immigration Division, Soi Suan Phlu, Sathon Tai Rd., Bangkok 10120, Thailand. Tel: 2873101-10 Visitors to Thailand may Obtain Visas on Arrival at

-The Bangkok International Airport
-The Chiang Mai International Airport
-The Phuket International Airport
-The Hat Yai International Airport

They must also have a fully paid ticket which enables them to travel out of the kingdom within the stipulated time. The application for a visa must be accompanied by a photograph as well as the necessary fee. Visitors from some countries may now visit Thailand for up to 30 days without requiring visas: Please contact your nearest Thai consulate for the list of countries.

Validity of Visas

Every kind of visa is valid for a so-day period from the date of issue

Length of Stay

-Transit Visa 30 days
-Tourist Visa 60 days
-non-immigrant Visa 90 days

Note: Please check the period of stay stamped in your passport by the Immigration officer. Visitors who overstay their visa will, at the time of their departure, be fined 200 Baht for each excess day.

Visa Extensions

Apply for extensions of stay at the Immigration office. Fee 1,900 Baht.

Mobile Visa Extension Service

A good news for tourists who would like to extend their period of staying in Thailand. Immigration Bangkok provides visa extension service at the Emerald Hotel Rachadapisek Road , BangkokWorking hour 09.00 – 12.00 every Wednesday effective April 23, 2003One Stop Service for the tourists hold visa and duration for extension as below :
-Transit Visa 30 days
-Tourist Visa 30 days
-Visa on arrival 10 days
-Without Visa 10 days

Applicant must bring your passport (with copies of the first page and recent visa page)1 photo (4x6 cm.) Application fee is 1,900 Baht.For more information please call 0-2287-3101-10 Ext. 2263 , 2265

Re-Entry

Application fee for re-entry permit is 1,900 Baht

Exit Visa

Not required.