Grocery Shopping (cooking) in the sticks?

[elektron]

I'm living near Erawan Park in Sri Sawat, Kanchanaburi for the summer (I'm here for a summer internship). My food options are pretty limited; I have one restaurant, and a rather meager convenience shop very near to me, but otherwise I have to walk 40 minutes to get to the market. In my hotel room, I have a hot water boiler, and one of my coworkers said he would loan me a rice cooker.

I love trying local foods, which I do when I am out with my coworkers for lunch, but for breakfast and dinner I would rather not buy something pre-prepared. I speak very little Thai (I'm practicing every day!), so I was hoping to get some help navigating all the different kinds of foods I might be able to buy and prepare myself. An idea of what to look for at the market when I'm there in terms of fresh fruit and vegetables, and what seasonings might go well with each would be very appreciated.

Edited June 29, 2018 by elektron
added "cooking" to topic title

[grollies]

Stir frys are good mate. If you're not veggie:

 

Pork or chicken with onion, garlic, broccoli, leaf green veg (any). Oyster sauce, soy sauce, stock cube, splash of water, yellow bean sauce, all should be available at market/convenience store.

 

Curries, fish, chicken, pork (we don't eat beef). Red curry paste, fish sauce, splash of water, coconut milk if you like, holy basil and some green peppercorn. Lob a fried egg on top. Sprinkle your egg with nam plah prio (fish sauce and chopped chillies, garlic, squeeze of lime).

 

You'll need a gas stove single ring but all doable. Google is your friend also but keep the ingredients simple. Great food but if I were working I'd eat out two meals a day (fruit for lunch) and forget cooking......cheaper. Good luck.

[JLCrab]

OP lives in a hotel room where cooking especially stir fry may not be appreciated.

 

My answer: Tuna fish.

[grollies]

5 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

OP lives in a hotel room where cooking especially stir fry may not be appreciated.

 

My answer: Tuna fish.

?

 

.

''I was hoping to get some help navigating all the different kinds of foods I might be able to buy and prepare myself.''

 

Tuna fish....sandwiches?

[JLCrab]

Yes and hard boiled eggs for egg salad sandwiches. My comment is based on living in a hotel room for a while and being told not to cook anything about which those in the neighboring rooms will complain of the smell.

[grollies]

5 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Yes and hard boiled eggs for egg salad sandwiches. My comment is based on living in a hotel room for a while and being told not to cook anything about which those in the neighboring rooms will complain of the smell.

One of the reasons my missus built an outside kitchen here. I barred her from the indoor kitchen in the UK to the outhouse after dry frying chillies.

 

Living in a hotel room you can buy takeout food to eat in the room right?

 

Surviving on butties might become a bit of a chore.

[tutsiwarrior]

I've lived long term in hotel rooms when I was working and found that you can cook most things in a microwave, see google for many recipes, do the washing up in the bath tub, etc...fresh ingredients are easy to find, go down to your local market and have a look around...but yer limited by the small hotel minibar fridge capacity...vegetables take up a lot of space so you got to use them when you buy them...

 

rice cookers can be used for a lot of things, there have been many posters on here with a lot of suggestions in that regard...slow cooked meat, veg curries, etc...

 

eating the hotel food or available street/fast food every day gets old real quick...I dislike not being able to control what I eat as one's quality of life suffers tremendously...especially when there's so many good cheap fresh ingredients around that you can easily prepare yerself...even in a hotel room...

 

 

[Rc2702]

Need more info OP. Do you have a freezer compartment in the room?

[Damrongsak]

Have your co-worker show you a few simple dishes that could be cooked in a rice cooker.  Maybe that person or someone could help procure a "kit" of ingredients that they commonly have available.  Or loan you a bicycle so you could ride to the market.

 

Perhaps the hotel has an electrical outlet outside in the back so you won't have to worry about odors.  My wife always did her frying outdoors, even when there was snow on the ground.

Edited June 29, 2018 by Damrongsak

[Gecko123]

Another route you might consider...

 

Given that you are only going to be there for a few months, become a regular customer at the local restaurant and tell them what foods you like to eat and they can prepare whatever you want to order. That'll get you out of your room more and give you a good opportunity to practice your Thai. Housekeeping is probably not going to appreciate you cooking in your room, it can be a fire hazard, and washing dishes in the bathroom sink is a drag. Hoof it down to the talaat nat once or twice a week to pick up fruit and snacks and you should be fine.

[Formaleins]

When things get desperate, go look up Tesco Shoponline, they will deliver to you as well for about 60 Baht!

[CanuckThai]

A local lover/friend is required (with a motorcycle or car)...everything else will fall into place

Edited June 30, 2018 by CanuckThai

[Expatthailover]

Some of the multicookers available are marvelous.

Rice, casseroles, soups etc etc all in the one pot, no smell and some have a built in stirrer.

Combine that with an airfryer and you have a veritable kitchen at your disposal with little to no chance of cooking odours. 

As an earlier poster mentioned get your groceries delivered and bobs your uncle.

Maybe an ice box might help.

[grollies]

3 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Another route you might consider...

 

Given that you are only going to be there for a few months, become a regular customer at the local restaurant and tell them what foods you like to eat and they can prepare whatever you want to order. That'll get you out of your room more and give you a good opportunity to practice your Thai. Housekeeping is probably not going to appreciate you cooking in your room, it can be a fire hazard, and washing dishes in the bathroom sink is a drag. Hoof it down to the talaat nat once or twice a week to pick up fruit and snacks and you should be fine.

Probably the OPs best bet. Good post