The north is a region of forests and mountains, and rivers and waterfalls, often set against a backdrop of swirling mists and fog. Living amongst this scenic splendour are Thailand’s hill tribes – peoples whose conventions and customs differ from mainstream Thai culture and whose ways of life have altered little in generations. Many of Thailand’s superior handicrafts are produced by northern hill tribes. The north is also a region of adventure. Rafting on rapids, mountain treks, mountain biking and even elephant safaris make exploring the region as exhilarating as it is fascinating.

The food of the north is as distinctive as its culture. Instead of the soft rice in the central region, a steamed glutinous variety is preferred. This is traditionally kneaded into small balls with the fingers and used to soak up more liquid dishes. Northern curries are generally milder than those of the central and northeastern Thailand. The influence of neighboring Myanmar is evident in such popular dishes as "Gaeng Han Lay", a pork curry that relies on ginger, tamarind, and turmeric for its flavor, and "Khao Soi", a curry broth with egg noodles and meat, topped with spring onions, pickled onions, and slices of lime. A favorite regional specialty is a spicy pork sausage called "Naem". The traditional form of meal in the north, especially when guests are being entertained, is called a "khantoke" dinner - 'khan' (bowl) and 'toke' (a low round table).

Diners sit on the floor around the table and help themselves to assorted dishes, which, besides glutinous rice, may include one or two local curries, a spicy minced meat dish, a salad, fried pork rind, and various sauces and condiments.

The Northeast of Thailand, a vast plateau covering nearly one third of the country, is usually known as Isan. It extends northwards to the Mekong River which divides Thailand from Laos, and to the south and it ends at the Dong Rek mountain range along the border with Cambodia. It is known to be an arid region with soil of poor quality, but for tourism, Isan is one of the country’s most intriguing destinations with many Stone Age and Bronze Age dwellings and artifacts, and several significant temples that are a legacy of the great Khmer empire. Isan is a comparatively poor region whose main income is from agriculture, and many of the younger people in the villages migrate to the city. But Isan folk have a distinctive character and dialect and a vigorous culture, with their old traditions still reflected in the many festivals unique to the region.

Northeastern food reflects the influence of neighboring Laos in a number of dishes. As in Laos and the north, glutinous rice is the staple. It is eaten both as a base for other dishes and as a sweet when steamed in bamboo with coconut milk and black beans. Northeasterners like their food highly seasoned. Many connoisseurs of Thai cooking particularly esteem regional specialties like "Laab", "Som Tam" (green papaya salad), and "Gai Yang" (BBQ chicken).

Chao Phraya River. It is separated from North-East Thailand (Isan) by the Phetchabun mountain range, and another mountain range separates it from Myanmar to the west. In the north it gently changes into the more hilly Northern Thailand. The area was the heartland of the Ayutthaya kingdom, and is still the dominant area of Thailand. Central Thailand contains the Thai capital of Bangkok. Central Thailand is the most populated region in the country. The Central region has a dramatic history, and its heritage of ancient temples, battlefields and ruins and two capitals, Ayutthaya and Bangkok, are a continuing fascination for visitors.

Much of what we now know as Thai cuisine evolved from the central region. Rice, fish, and vegetables, flavored with garlic, black pepper, and fish sauce, along with an abundance of fresh fruits, comprises the basic diet of Sukhothai.

With the rise of Ayutthaya, other elements were added to the increasingly complex Thai blend. The fiery hot chili pepper, an essential ingredient now, was introduced at this time, along with the equally popular coriander, lime, and tomato. These may have been brought in from South America by the Portuguese, who opened relations with Ayutthaya in 1511 and also left a lasting imprint in the form of popular Thai sweets based on egg yolks and sugar.

Other ingredients came from India, Japan, Persia, and most important of all, China, though in almost every case their contributions were subtly altered and transformed to suit the Thai taste. Unlike the north and northeast, where glutinous rice is popular, Central Thais like the fragrant plain variety. This is usually steamed but sometimes fried or boiled. In addition to freshwater fish, there is seafood from the nearby gulf, as well as a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits such as the like of mangoes, durians, custard apples, and guavas. Sino-Thai food is popular in places like Bangkok, particularly in the form of numerous noodle dishes.

Thailand's East Coast unfolding some 500 kilometres from the south of the Chao Phraya river to the Cambodian border, is dotted with beach resorts for all seasons. Pride of the coast is Pattaya, the Kingdom 's most developed beach destination. For vacationer who prefers a more traditional style resort holiday, there is a wide choice of quieter spots, ranging from the long sandy stretches of Rayong to offshore islands Koh Chang and Ko Samet.

Besides its varied beaches, the East Coast has the added advantage of being within easy reach of Bangkok. Pattaya is less than a two-hour drive from the capital along a modern highway. the East Coast also boasts a number of superb international-standard golf courses, making the region a prime attraction for the golfer and for the seeker of sun, sea and sand. The eastern region due to the sea, so more dishes with seafood, vegetables, rural grass as the main raw material. There are many kinds of fruits, such as: durian, rambutan, mangosteen, etc.,as well as desserts are also well-known.

This region extends southward along a narrow peninsula lying between the Andaman Sea its west side and the South China Sea on the east. It is a rich land in terms of the abundance of its natural resources, the fertility of its soil, the diversity of its people and its commercial viability.

The South is made up of 14 provinces from Chumphon in the north down to the Malaysian border 1,200 kilometres from Bangkok. It has a long coastline on either side with sandy beaches and offshore islands on both, and a rugged central hinterland of mountains and forests. The occurrence of two seasonal monsoons means that the climate differs from the rest of Thailand. The southwest monsoon sweeps the west coast and the Andaman Sea from May to October, while the northeast monsoon moves across the Gulf of Thailand form November to February. The peninsula forms a barrier so that rain rarely falls on both coastlines simultaneously.

Thai food of the south tends to be exceedingly chili hot compared with Thai food from other regions of Thailand. Specially favored dishes of the south are a whole variety of gang (spiced soup or curry) for examples, gang liang, gang tai pla, and budu sauce. Boiled rice mixed in budu sauce known as khao yam is a delicatessen of the southern people. Salty is taste, khao yam is taken with an assortment of vegetable. Considered special ties of the south are sataw, med riang and look niang.

“Sataw” is a green pod when stripped reveals green berries. Strawberries sometimes chopped into thin slices are cooked with meat and chili or simply added to any gang or maybe boiled with other vegetable in coconut milk, or taken raw with chili sauce. The berries can be preserved by pickling and eaten without further cooking.

“Med riang” is very much like a bean sprout but much larger in size and dark green in color. It is ready for eating after the outer skin is removed. It can be cooked with vegetable and meat or pickled for eating with gang, chili sauce or lon (ground meat or fish in chili sauce). “Look niang” is a round berry in a hard and dark green skin. When the skin is removed it is ready for eaten. The inner layer may or may not be removed depending on individual taste. Look niang may be raw or with chili sauce, lon, gang liang especially gang tai pla. Ripe look niang boiled and mixed with coconut flakes and sugar is served as a dessert.