Originally Thai food was eaten with the fingers (my husband’s grandmother still prefers to use her fingers) but nowadays fork-and-spoon dining is the norm, particularly when eating in public. To most Thais, pushing a fork into ones mouth is as uncouth as putting a knife in the mouth in western countries. Thais use their fork to steer food onto the spoon or to spear sliced fruit. Chopsticks are reserved for eating Chinese noodle dishes. Noodle soups are eaten with a spoon in the left hand (for spooning up broth) and chopsticks in the right.
Thais are not fussy about dishes being served piping hot, in fact it is considered impolite to take a spoonful of steaming hot food, as it implies that you cannot wait to gorge yourself. The exception being noodle dishes which are served straight from the pan. Don’t pick up a serving plate to serve yourself. Proper Thai etiquette means leaving the plate on the tabletop and reaching over to it with your spoon. Most Thais will automatically place food on your plate if they notice you are out of platter range. Don’t be offended, they are just being helpful.
Thais do not chat a great deal during a meal. It is considered quite bad manners actually, particularly within Chinese families (there are a large number of Chinese living in Thailand). If eating at home Thai people will leave the eating area immediately after finishing their meal, taking their empty plate with them.
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