Food.

It must be one of the things that people love most about Thailand. That spicy, tasty and filling food Thailand is so famous for, all the way from fried rice, to national dishes like Tom Yum Gung. But how to know where to eat? What to order? And how to know if it's going to be good? Well, here are my basic tips for getting your grub in Thailand.

First off, what you have to realize when thinking about food in Thailand, is that the more expensive looking restaurant, or food shops as most people call them, will almost never be the best ones. I know, I know, Thai food shops sometimes look kinda dirty. Not a place where westerners would like to eat. But they're not, haha. Trust me. My aunt owns a small Thai food shop. Food shops may look rough on the outside, but the food is what matters. That goes especially for people on the road in Thailand, travelling between provinces. In the smaller and less advanced provinces, it might be that the only grub you get is from exactly that kind of food shop. But trust me when I say, 85% of the time the taste will be delicious. And the food will be prepared in a way that's not dirty at all. Now, of course there are top grade restaurants in cities like Bangkok or Hua Hin that serve amazing Thai food, but those restaurants come with a hefty price. For comparison, at a normal local food shop, you can expect to pay up to 50 baht  for a plate of any kind of rice or fried noodles. At a real restaurant with air condition and personnel, expect to pay 100+ baht. So if you want to save money and get the authentic experience, choose the normal Thai food shop, not the fancy looking restaurant.

Now, the main courses you will get EVERYWHERE are

1. Khao Phad - Fried rice (pronounced Kao Pat)

Fried rice is probably the most known dish all around in Thailand. It's a well rounded, filling meal that consists of rice, egg and meat of your choice.

2. Phad Krapao - Rice topped with fried meat of your choice and basil. Often served with an fried egg on top. (pronouced Pat Krapaow)

Phad Krapao must be the most eaten dish by locals in Thailand. Absolutely delicious, can be spicy though, so don't forget to order "Mai Ped"(not spicy) if you can't take some good old chilli.

3. Phad Zee Ew - basically the same as fried rice, but with noodles instead. Delicious too if you're craving for a change from fried rice. (pronounced Pat Zee-Ew)

So now we've gone over choosing at place to eat and the three main courses you'll get anywhere, for cheap. But how will you know if a foodshop is good or not? Well, in Bangkok you can pretty much count on the food being at least ok. If you sell shit food in Bangkok, you go out of business quick. But on the road, a good way to guess is to look at if there's people in it. If there's people in the foodshop, it will be ok. Because people in the provinces stay local. They eat local, and buy local things. But either way, the chances that the food will be literally bad, are extremely slim. Food is just that good here in Thailand.

That's it for today folks. after writing all this stuff about food, I think I'm going get something to eat myself. Have a nice one :-)