Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [112]
Bangkok has recently passed a citywide ordinance banning street vendors from setting up shop on Mondays. The footpaths are so uncluttered on these days that a roadside eater might feel both hungry and abandoned.
How Much?
A bowl of noodles or a stir-fry dish bought from a street vendor should cost 25B to 30B, depending on the portion size and ingredients. Climbing up the scale are the canteen shops that have a selection of pre-made dishes, sturdier chairs and a roof. For these luxuries, you’ll probably pay 30B to 50B.
Thai restaurants with an army of servers and laminated menus usually offer main dishes for 60B to 120B. Add ambience, air-con and fancy uniforms, and a main jumps to 120B to 200B. Anything above 300B will deliver you into the arms of some of the city’s fancier restaurants. An exception is top-end hotel restaurants, which feature prices close to what you’d expect to pay at any flash hotel in the world.
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PRICE GUIDE
$$$ more than 500B
$$ 200-500B
$ less than 200B
Price is for a meal for one person, including an appetiser or dessert, a main course and a drink.
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In most parts of the city, Western food occupies the high end of the scale, costing from 200B to 350B. One obvious exception is Banglamphu, where fà·ràng food comes in under 200B a plate.
Note also that nearly all hotel restaurants include ‘++’ (often referred to as ‘plus plus’), which implies an additional 7% for VAT (value added tax) and a 10% ‘service charge’ on top of your total bill.
Booking Tables
If you have a lot of friends in tow or will be attending a formal restaurant (including hotel restaurants), reservations are recommended. Bookings are also recommended for Sunday brunches and dinner cruises.
Otherwise, you shouldn’t have a problem scoring a table at the vast majority of restaurants in the city, especially if you arrive during off-peak hours. Following the European tradition (or because of the wretched evening commute), peak dinner time starts around 8pm. The lunchtime crush typically starts around noon and lasts for close to an hour.
Tipping
You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that tipping in Thailand isn’t as exact as it is in Europe (tip no one) or the USA (tip everyone). Thailand falls somewhere in between, and some areas are left open to interpretation. Everyone agrees that you don’t tip streetside vendors, although some add a little surcharge when tallying up a bill for a foreigner. To avoid getting annoyed about this double-pricing scheme, consider it an implicit tip.
When eating at a restaurant, tipping becomes more a game of finesse. Some people leave behind roughly 10% at any sit-down restaurant where someone fills their glass every time they take a sip. Others don’t. Most upmarket restaurants will apply a 10% service charge to the bill. Some patrons leave extra on top of the service charge; others don’t. The choice is yours.
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KO RATANAKOSIN & THONBURI
Despite the riverfront setting, there are surprisingly few restaurants along this stretch of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya (Chao Phraya River).
THE DECK
Map International/Thai $$
0 2221 9158; www.arunresidence.com; Arun Residence, 36-38 Soi Pratu Nok Yoong; mains 200-690B; 8am-10pm Wed-Thur, 8am-11pm Fri-Sun; air-con 503, 508 & 511, ordinary 15 & 53; Tha Tien (N8)
The Deck’s claim to fame is its commanding views over Wat Arun, but the restaurant’s short but diverse menu, ranging from duck confit to Thai-style pomelo salad, sweetens the pot. Consider arriving early for a sunset drink in Amorosa ( 5.30pm-1am), the hotel’s rooftop bar.
RACHANAWI SAMOSORN (NAVY CLUB RESTAURANT)
Map Thai $
0 2222 0081; 77 Th Maharat; mains 70-150B; 11am-2pm & 4-10pm Mon-Fri, 4-10pm Sat & Sun; air-con 503, 508 & 511, ordinary 15 & 53; Tha Chang (N9)
Commanding one of the few coveted riverfront locations along this stretch of Chao Phraya, this restaurant has a reputation among locals in the know for cheap and delicious seafood-based Thai nosh.
To find the restaurant, use