Central: Bangkok and the plains
Sweet, sour and rich: green curry, tom yum, pad thai, massaman. This is what most visitors think of as Thai food, and it is the most balanced of the regional styles.
Bangkok's Chinatown is the best single place to eat in the country.
North: Chiang Mai and beyond
Sticky rice instead of jasmine, less sugar, more bitterness. Khao soi (curry noodles), sai ua (herbed sausage) and nam prik relishes.
Khantoke dinners are the tourist version; the market stalls in the old city are the real thing.
South: the Andaman and the Gulf
Fiercely spicy and sour, with seafood and coconut. Gaeng som, massaman from the Muslim south, and crab everything.
If you ask for 'not spicy' in the south, taste it first — the baseline is higher than in Bangkok.
Vegetarian and halal
Vegetarian is easy in cities (ask for 'jay' — vegan Chinese style) and harder on small islands. Halal food is widely available in the south and in Muslim communities nationwide.
