When it comes to visiting Thailand let’s face it, you are going to enjoy the food. Food is central to Thai culture, and Thai food has become popular worldwide. Known for being rich and spicy, Thai food it going to be a highlight of your time in Thailand. So where can you find the best Thai food when you are in Thailand? Our family has lived in Thailand for many years and some of the best food we’ve found has come from the most unusual places. Thailand food courts boast a wonderfully authentic experience when it comes to Thai food.
Food courts are a great cheap option for food all around Thailand. The food cooked in Thailand food courts generally are cooked the same regardless of who orders then, a problem often faced in fancier restaurants that try to cater to more western taste by cutting back on the flavors. So, if you want an authentic experience, food courts are a perfect place to go.
However if you have children who are picky eater, Thailand food courts offer variety of different food options to choose from. You will surely find something even your pickiest of eaters will enjoy. This is amazing because you will be able to sample all the authentic tastes you want, knowing that you are eating like a local, but you will still be able to find something for those who are picky eaters also. And best yet, prices are always set at local prices and will be cheap.
Find the Food Court
Food courts can be found in shopping complexes from the fanciest malls in Bangkok all the way down to the local grocery complexes in small towns throughout Thailand. While some food courts in Bangkok are going to be a bit more expensive than those in the countryside, the price of the food stays reasonable in whichever location you find yourself in. It will generally be the cheapest place to eat unless you go for street-food, which is also amazing.
When you are in a mall you can look for the food court in one of two places. It will either be on the top floor or the bottom floor. In smaller malls that are centered around a grocery store and are more local, the food courts the food courts usually be on the bottom floor, often found in the basement and near the grocery store. If the mall is a larger mall, you will normally find them on the top.
Grocery store malls like Lotus or Big C’s across the nation, the foot courts are found in a separate section directly outside of the main grocery store and off to the side. In these types of places you will also find several restaurants next to the food court like Swensen’s and Pizza Company. These restaurants are not part of the food court, so you have to pay at them separately.
The Cash-Card System
Thailand food courts use a cash-card system. This means you will be required to buy a temporary card and top up money on them. So, before you can order, you must get a card to pay for your food. You can choose how much money you put on the card. There is usually a ten-baht deposit put on the card which you will get back after you finish. This means if you add 100 baht to a card, you will have 90 baht of spending value. You must get one of their cards as cash is not accepted in most food courts. There are a few exceptions where you will find a food court what accepts VISA or cash, but more often than not it is a cash-card system.
Ordering Food
Once you have your card, you can go to the stall that you want to buy food from, order, and give your card. They will subtract the amount of your meal from your card and hand your card back. Food courts are great places to sample foods from all over Thailand. There usually are stalls that sell foods from different regions of Thailand.
Family tip: Get a cash-card for both mom and dad, so each of you can split up and order from different places at the same time. If your kids are able to order on their own get them one also.
Drinks
It is usually not advertised at most food courts, but you can often find free drinking water. To find the free drinking water you will look for a tray of drinking cups and a water dispenser. Overturned cups are clean, right-side up cups are dirty.
If you want to buy drinks, most Thailand food courts have a specific stall designated for drinks. You cannot order drinks from the food stalls; you will need to go to the drink vendor.
Silverware
Silverware will either be provided next to each food vendor or you will find it at a central location somewhere near the tables. It is common for there to be a receptacle of boiling water for sanitizing your silverware. Go ahead and dunk your silverware to keep the germs away!
Receiving Your Food
There are two methods to receive your food from Thailand food courts. You will have to assess what other people are doing to figure out what is expected. The first is you will be told to sit down, and they will bring you the food. Either you will get a buzzer or number to take to the table, or you will just be told to sit and they will bring it. The second method is they will call you up to receive the food from them. Just pay attention to what others are doing. Thais are very nice and always friendly and go out of their way to help if you do not know what is expected.
Cleaning Up
Almost all food courts expect you to leave the trays and plates on the table. There are almost always cleaning walking around whose job it is to clean up the tables and get them ready for the next person. Pay attention to those around you to see if they are putting their dishes away when they are finished, but this will only happen at the fancier malls where the service many foreigners who expect to clean up after themselves already. It is culturally appropriate to leave your dishes on the table when you are finished.
Cashing Out
When you are finished eating it is time to return your card. Return to the place where you got your card to trade your card back in for your remaining amount. You will receive back whatever you did not spend, plus the deposit back. If you are a frequent visitor to a specific Thailand food court it is acceptable to keep the cash-card and keep using it over many days, but the only reason you might want to do this is to avoid having to wait in line to add money and cash out after each meal.
One great food court in Bangkok that offers food from all over the country can be found at Siam Paragon called Gourmet Eats. Siam Paragon is found at the center of downtown Bangkok. Mega Bangna Food Patio is a good food court on the east side of Bangkok near Suvarnabhumi Airport. Read the article on how to use the Airport Rail Link from Suvarnabhumi airport to get into the city.