Dining in Thailand doesn’t have to mean bowls of rice and som tam. One of the great things about the kingdom, and particularly Bangkok, is that international options are never far away. French, Mexican, Italian and Indian restaurants all serve up authentic dishes in luxury settings.

Le Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok has great food and an even better wine cellar. The a la carte French menu is legendary for its seafood, and reservations are required for both lunch and dinner times.

Alternatively something like a quality dinner cruise on a converted rice barge such as The Manhora along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, or there’s the Dusit Thani, which has an impressive eight high-class restaurants, with cuisines from every corner of the globe. Fantastic Vietnamese food is served up in the capital’s Thien Duong restaurant, or for something farther East check out the Cantonese cuisine at The Mayflower. If you prefer Western tastes, then Tony Roma’s at Nana serves up Bangkok’s finest ribs in rich sauces.

Outside of Bangkok, Chiang Mai has good options, including the French food at Le Coq d'Or Restaurant and at the Dhara Dhevi, or the Chedi, found in the erstwhile British consulate.