The National Culture Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find out what most foreigners prefer when it comes to ordering Thai dishes conducted a survey. At least 500 restaurants located around the world that serve Thai food were asked to answer a questionnaire.

The results are as follows:

1. Tom yam kung (spicy shrimp soup) 99%

2. Kang Keaw wan kai (green chicken curry) 85%

3. Phat Thai (fried noodles Thai style) 70%

4. Phat kraphao (meat fried with sweet basil) 52%

5. Kaeng phet pet yang (roast duck curry) 50%

6. Tom kha kai (chicken in coconut soup) 47%

7. Yam nua (spicy beef salad) 45%

8. Mu or Kai satay (roast pork or chicken coated with turmeric) 43%

9. Kai phat met mamuang himmaphan (chicken fried with cashew nut) 42%

10. Phanaeng (meat in coconut cream) 39%

Adapted from What's on Chiangmai.

What about Larb Gai or larb moo ?

I don't know how to spell it, but it's almost the only thing I eat when at home...

Phat Pau (Pota Pow) Nua-Guy-Moo.

Spicy meat, peppers, and veggies over rice.

Breakfast- Lunch- Dinner I'm not too experimental with food, if I find something I like, I tend to stick with it. I do the same when I'm in the state and when I'm here on base in Iraq. I recieved a few too many surprises when I ordered food in the Balkans, cyrillic writing blew me away.... and the same for arabic in the middle east. If it hadn't been for a single waiter speaking french in Macedonia, I'd have starved to death. Now, if I luck upon something good, I just stick with it, an old habit.

They are talking about dishes popular in restaurants overseas. I've had Yum and Laab overseas and it just wasn't as good as it is here, the ingredients aren't as fresh or something.

Green curry. Boring. Tom Yum Kung. Boring. Rarely eat them . I like them but they bore me. Love Yum dishes ,somtam etc etc.

massaman...just like Irish Stew without the craik

massaman...just like Irish Stew without the craik

Pad Thai

Pad Thai

Absoluletly - vege version with Tofu for me. I could eat it every night!

I'd go along with the top 4...................................Me? I like Kang Pha...Jungle curry or

Yellow chicken curry with pumpkin

Yellow chicken curry with pumpkin

Lovely. Nice!

funny like all dishes are meat.

what about pat pa ro meet (or whatever to write it) - fried mixed vegetables. For me with tofu, mushrooms and a lot of garlic - topped up with naam daam (swet black soya souce)?

what about a banana pancake - so popular with tourists?

for me...

beef massaman, also known as rengdang in maylasia

laap beef, not dip (rare) like my missus likes it

They are talking about dishes popular in restaurants overseas. I've had Yum and Laab overseas and it just wasn't as good as it is here, the ingredients aren't as fresh or something.

There are quite a few 'market stalls" in Auckland that do a mean Laab.sadly, there are only a handfull of restaurants that have it though.

I know of only one place in Auckland that does a Hanglay Pork Curry...you southerners woulddn't know about this one though.

You know, when fried rice is done right, it makes a darn good meal. Not just rice and soy sauce, but, lots of tomato, fried egg, garlic, onion, coriander, and topped with lime juice. Oh yeah, and meat!

As the saying goes "one man's meat is another man's poison". Enjoy and relish the food that you love the most. We never know what is going to happen tommorrow!

Krung or Boo Phat Pok Galee

Larb Kung

Phat Kapao Talay Rummit

Yum Tur Poo

Tord Man Bla Gai

Goy Bla Sap or Larb Bla

Gang Pet Young

Tom Yom Kai Bla sai Kai Mot Dang

Moo Joom

Moo Gatak

Sur Long Hai

Yum Kai Mot Dang

Dum Sum sai Boo Suk

Yum Kai Boo

Pla Muk Yad Sai Moo Sap

All with icy cold beers.

Hanglay Pork Curry.

The wifes mother makes it when i'm in CM. Fantastic.

Gaeng Som is hard to beat when done correctly, i.e. very spicy and with good quality fresh fish. Can't see it being that popular with tourists though, a bit pungent for unprepared palettes. And never seen it on a Thai restaurant menu outside of Thailand...

Massaman and pad thai is my favourite, Im always satisfied with pad thai, you just cant cook it wrong IMO, its nice anywhere you go

I'm not normally a sook, but thai food brings out the worst in me.

I'll try anything, and am prepared to suffer in order to "have a go".

I'm not sure I enjoy the amusement other thai's get when they see the sweat pissing out of me as I eat.

Having said all that, I am a creature of habit and never seem to eat thai food without ordering my two regular dishes;

tom kah kai - chicken/coconut sour soup, and,

kao pad kai - chicken fried rice

I thought cow pad gai was the favorite for foreigners. Available everywhere for 25 Baht!

My TW does an unbeatable massaman....yummy yummy

So does mine, massaman curry is one of the reasons ive put on 10 kgs over the last year

I thought cow pad gai was the favorite for foreigners. Available everywhere for 25 Baht!

My TW does an unbeatable massaman....yummy yummy

Just to spice up the menu, I have a write up about the good qualities of chili.

Chili As Slimming Secret?

If you are a first-timer to Thailand, one thing that will strike you most is the whistle-bait waistline of Thai women. In general, young Thai women are attractively slim and you’ll wonder if they ever eat at all.

Nevertheless, they do. Thais, particularly women, have hearty appetites. In addition, rice, known to be fat-generating diet, is their staple. They have rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With fruits, sweets and other foods in between. So if they are not going to the midriff, where do all those food go?

The secret is probably in the red-hot chili, which they eat by the tons. A previous article in the Reader’s Digest says the capsaicin in the chili is known to be an efficient fat-burner. Of course, the chili is known to be good for the heart, and the respiratory and the digestive systems.

The “chili-vorous” Thais have chili in almost every dish. Where most people use salt for their boiled egg, for example, the Thais prefer chili. Quite strange but who can fault them if it’s doing a lot of good to their bodies or their figures.

Here’s another thing about chili. Although nobody has probably done a research on it, but chili must have something to do with that much-vaunted Thai smile and high spiritedness of the Thai people. Capsaicin is also said to be a mood-lifting chemical that can cheer you up for hours (hence the phrase “chili-buzz”).

With most Thais having a regular dose of chili from morning till evening, is it any wonder they smile a lot and enjoy life to the hilt?

They are talking about dishes popular in restaurants overseas. I've had Yum and Laab overseas and it just wasn't as good as it is here, the ingredients aren't as fresh or something.

There are quite a few 'market stalls" in Auckland that do a mean Laab.sadly, there are only a handfull of restaurants that have it though.

I know of only one place in Auckland that does a Hanglay Pork Curry...you southerners woulddn't know about this one though.

Hangalai pork curry is delicious, there is a Restaurant near me run by people from Lamphun and go there for that and there Khaosoi gai often

I love my gŭay-dtĭeow

Here’s another thing about chili. Although nobody has probably done a research on it, but chili must have something to do with that much-vaunted Thai smile and high spiritedness of the Thai people. Capsaicin is also said to be a mood-lifting chemical that can cheer you up for hours (hence the phrase “chili-buzz”).

I'm not entirely certain, but most indicators seem to point to it.... they are extremely good for the teeth.

I was going to pay a visit to the dentist before I left the UK for a quick scrape, but I ran out of time.... after I had been here for a couple of months I discovered that I didn't need to, the nasty stuff just fell off by itself.

... Chili As Slimming Secret?

... If you are a first-timer to Thailand, one thing that will strike you most is the whistle-bait waistline of Thai women. In general, young Thai women are attractively slim and you’ll wonder if they ever eat at all ...

... With most Thais having a regular dose of chili from morning till evening, is it any wonder they smile a lot and enjoy life to the hilt? ...

So are you saying that a couple of hundred years ago Thais were fat and miserable?

... Chili As Slimming Secret?

... If you are a first-timer to Thailand, one thing that will strike you most is the whistle-bait waistline of Thai women. In general, young Thai women are attractively slim and you’ll wonder if they ever eat at all ...

... With most Thais having a regular dose of chili from morning till evening, is it any wonder they smile a lot and enjoy life to the hilt? ...

So are you saying that a couple of hundred years ago Thais were fat and miserable?

There is no reference to hundreds years ago and no implications that Thais were fat or miserable. Chilis has been the Thai people's main ingredient in their food. Hope you will agree?

Chillies were brought from America, it's not a native Thai plant. 200 years ago is about right for widespread chilly use here.

White/black pepper is just not the same stuff.