The many restaurants in Pattaya that offer Thai food strictly follow the rule. So never leave the this town without sampling the best of Thai food.

Of course, there are other factors that contribute to the taste and aroma of Thai food. For one thing, most Thai cooks prefer to cut meat and vesetables on chopping boards made from the trunk of a tamarind tree, believing that this will somehow enhance the flavor.

Then there are the herbs and spices, and how they are prepared before being added to a particular dish. Seeds of spices are sometimes roasted on a frying pan or wok first before being mixed with other ingredients. In some instances, seeds are crushed in order to release its natural oils. Others fry them.

Meat is usually sliced into small pieces, while vegetables are cut in certain shapes and sizes depending on how they will be used.

One of the most well-known dishes is tom yam kung (spicy and sour prawn soup). Start by soaking a generous amont of tamarind in warm water. After 10 minutes, mash it to a pulp with your fingers. Remove the seeds and set aside. Prepare the prawns by separating the heads from the body. Put the prawn heads plus one cup of water and curry paste in a pan. Bring to a boil. Then, add the tamarind mixture and prawns.

Another dish that's easy to make is pad Thai (Thai fried noodles). To make it tastier, add the prawns after stir-frying the pork for two minutes and toss in the other ingredients.