Eating like a Thai has its own style. A Thai meal is different from a farang meal in many ways, and knowing how to eat like a Thai will enhance the enjoyment of Thai food.

In a Thai meal, there is no extended sequence of appetizers and main courses. Instead, there is first the savoury (kow) part and then the sweet (waan) part. The trick is to know how to arrange the savoury part to make it really mouthwatering (aroy). The kow part should consist of many things with contrasting tastes- sour, sweet, fatty and salty- and including the hot chillies too. Textures are also important, liquid like soups and curries, dry things like fried fish or meat, and vegetables, also cooked or fresh, as in a yam, or soft like a boiled vegetable, or crispy like the deep fried pork skin from the north. Eating this is mixing the flavours and textures, by the spoonful in turn, by taking each course in your own particular order. Think of it as making your own buffet table. For this reason, the main course should have many dishes, served at the same time, so you can mix and match the flavours in your own way. And it is important to keep the flavours distinct, so you eat by a spoonful in turn by taking a small helping of each one for each mouthful.

It is not done to just pour everything on to your plate and let them mix before you eat. (Only monks do that because they are not supposed to enjoy the worldly pleasures.) As for the sweets, just something simple, like fresh fruit, or some concoction of rice flour and sugar and fruit, will wash out the mixture of savoury flavours, and refresh you palette for the après dinner conversation.
By observing these simple tips, you would experience a Thai meal as variety in miniature. Bon appetit !