There is nowhere in the world that compares to Thailand when it comes to the variety of foods that are available 24 hours a day. Thailand is a paradise for the gourmet as the many food districts offer an incomparable international selection in addition to Thai cuisine.

Thailand is filled with wonderful and exotic dinning areas. We have listed some of the more famous and popular dining areas in Bangkok.

Upscale restaurants are mostly located around Silom and Sukhumvit. Expect to pay from B200 to B300 in smaller establishments, and B500 or more at fancier restaurants. For a truly memorable experience, one should indulge in a "royal" Thai dinner. Such recipes were created for the royal court in the past and kept secret until recently. Royal cuisine emphasizes the quality of the ingredients and artful presentation, featuring intricate carvings on fruits and vegetables.

Yaowarat Road

Known as Bangkok's "Chinatown", Yaowarat Road provides the best Chinese food in the city, no matter if it's from the most expensive restaurants or the cheapest food push-charts.

At lunchtime, noodles, seafood and dim-sum dumplings are available. At night, the atmosphere on the streets is filled with the electric light glowing from hundreds of hawker stalls. Birds' nest soup is nutritious and always popular among locals and visitors. Khao Tom, or boiled rice, is available every night and just waiting for anyone who likes to have an early morning snack.

Phahurat

Not far from Yaowarat, Phahurat offers a variety of Indian food, particularly Northern Indian cuisine. Sub-continental dishes such as Punjabi and Pakistani foods are also available.

Siam Square

Known as the most popular shopping center of Bangkok, restaurants ranging from high price to economical are located both in the shopping malls and blocks around the center point. Several Thai restaurants and American fast food franchises are easily found, as well as Chinese and Japanese cuisine. This is a wonderful area to relax and dine while taking a break from shopping.

Sukhumvit Road

Restaurants and food push-carts abound here! The aroma of spices emanate from the Western area thanks to the enclave of Pakistani and Middle Eastern cuisines, known as "Little Arabia". There, both northern and southern Indian specialties are available.

Italian, French, British, German, and Mexican fares also line the road, offering marvelous atmosphere and reasonable prices. Soi Thonglor, or Sukhumvit 55 is filled with restaurants of every kind, from well-decorated with high prices to simple with standard prices.

Soi Lang Suan

Cool and chic restaurants here are a blend Thai, Asian, and European influences. This area surges with ambience thanks to the radiant glow of lights from the various pubs and restaurants.

Silom Road

This is easily the most bustling area of Bangkok and is teaming with many restaurants of both Thai and International cuisines. Plenty of seafood stalls spread out along the section near the Saladaeng Intersection. Indonesian and Irish Pubs are found on Convention Road. Soi Thaniya harbors many Japanese restaurants and is ideal for both Japanese visitors and sushi lovers alike.

The Thai version of fast food is available at most shopping complexes and Soi Lalai Sap's Lunch Market. Another interesting one-stop eatery is Silom Village in Soi 24, where many delectable Thai dishes are served in a relaxing atmosphere.

Bang Lamphu

Considered a favorite among backpackers, Khaosan Road is located in this area. Most foods and restaurants are appropriately priced for budget-minded diners and guesthouses provide open-air restaurants serving both Thai and international foods. For nightlife, pubs and bars can also be found here.

During the day, the Bang Lamphu market is an excellent choice as various Thai foods, ancient Thai snacks and sweets are readily available.