While pad thai might be the dish that Thailand is best known for around the world, there’s so much more to the country’s food – and while some meals might be best left for the adventurous, there are countless options that are guaranteed to set your tastebuds watering. We take a look through the different regions of Thailand and taste-test our top five dishes. 

Khao Soi

Possibly one of the most pleasurable curries to come from Thailand, this northern dish is a mild curry served typically with chicken (gai), beef (neua wua) or pork (moo). It’s poured over deep-fried crispy egg noodles and accompanied with greens, shallots, lime and fried ground chillies, which can be added to your taste. The contrast between the tender meat and crunchy noodles makes it one of the most remarkably textured dishes. 

Where to try it: The Service 1921, Anantara Chiang Mai Resort  

Gaeng Som

Southern Thai-style food gets its rich herbal flavour from spices, roots and herbs, and this dish combines them into one of the favourite meals from the region. Taking its intense orange colour from turmeric and a sour edge from tamarind, you can typically find this thin curry with fish, prawns or pork, along with pineapple, bamboo shoots and papaya to balance the flavours. 

Where to try it: Experience this and other southern Thai favourites at Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas

Miang Kham

Whether beginning your meal or hungry for a snack, miang kham (which translates as “one bite wrap”) is a traditional northern Thailand appetiser where coconut, lime, shallots, chili, ginger and peanuts are carefully wrapped in vine leaves for a delicious mouthful. The dish exemplifies the Thai cuisine concept of incorporating sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter ingredients to create a refreshing burst of flavour in your mouth. 

Where to try it: Spice Market, Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel

Grilled Seafood

Everywhere you go in Thailand, you’ll always find fresh seafood – but why not enjoy it mere steps away from the sea? Whether you’re craving massive prawns smothered in garlic, succulent whole fish, lightly charred calamari, mouth-watering shellfish or scallops infused with succulent flavours, it’ll be hard to resist seconds. Sit back with your plate packed and watch the sun go down in the most spectacular of settings. 

Where to try it: Beach barbecues at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas, Anantara Bophut Koh Samui Resort and Anantara Hua Hin Resort 

Tup Tim Krob

Thais have a wonderful sweet tooth and while there’s an array of delicious desserts to sample (and sweet fruits to snack on), this has to be one of their most refreshing. Also known as 'red rubies’, it’s made from water chestnuts tinged with red food colouring and lightly tossed in cassava flour, then placed in coconut milk and ice and lightly seasoned with salt. A perfect treat on a hot day, it shows off the balance of sweet and salty flavours in Thai desserts. 

Where to try it: Dee Plee, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort

Story courtesy of David Page