Everything on the table is an accompaniment to rice, the most important component to rice, the most important component of the meal. Generally the rice is served with a curry, a fish dish, a stir-fry, a salad, a soup and vegetables. All the food is served at once. Unlike European tradition, soups come in a large bowl and are eaten with the meal, not before it. Meals begin when the host says “kin khao” or “eat rice”. The food is not necessarily eaten piping hot.
Thai people eat with a spoon and fork, the fork being used to push food onto the spoon or to pick up pieces of meat or sliced fruit. Chopsticks are only used with noodles, and the sticky rice is eaten by hand. When eating in Thailand there are further subtle areas of etiquette to be observed. Platters of food are left on the table, and not passed around, as stretching is not considered rude and someone on the other side of the table will always be happy to spoon things onto you plate. You should only take a couple of spoonfuls of each dish at a time as an accompaniment to rice.
