Thai dancing, Bangkok

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Dinner-theatres with an exclusively tourist clientele offer elaborate Thai cuisine and traditional Thai dance, both of variable authenticity. The dinners are comprised of multiple small dishes with multiple contents. Some are easily identified by westerners, others not so easily identified. Some are edible by westerners, some not so easily eaten. The Thai dance show pictured here depict ancient stories and legends with elaborate costumes and masks and typical stylized movements. Hotel desks and tourist magazines provide information. However, in all honesty, I wouldn't go this way again. There are many places to see Thai dancing, considerably cheaper, and with food you can identify and eat with mental comfort. This commercial establishment is not on the internet and may no longer be in business.

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We saw a couple of shows of Thai dancing...one at the Rose Garden not far from Bangkok and the other at the Indra Regent Hotel... The Thai ladies are wonderful dancers and their costumes are always really beautiful. If you get the chance then make sure you see a show...

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One thing I always do whenever I arrived in a place is to buy the local english newspapers with those separate classified ads, lifestyle & tourism and advertisement pages .... looking for local flavors, itineraries, hotel and tour deals.

We booked this package from a local travel agent I found on the newspaper, I forgot how much it cost but it's cheap (most people doesn't like the word which may connote other meaning), value-for-money!

The cultural show is a traditional Thai banquet amidst watching classical dance performance. It was a low season I guess, so the whole place is not even half-full. The food is a set menu that includes some local vegetables and seafood. The performance was OK, colourful, pretty faces and you can take photos along with the performers after the performance.

It's fun for the whole family!

There are two popular places that holds these cultural dance shows, we took the first one:

1) The Chao Phraya Cultural Centre near Sathorn Bridge, offers a combination of seafood, classical dance and craft demonstrations. (02 439 3477)

2) Sala Rim Nam (02 437 2918) (regular ferry from Tha Oriental pier) serves an excellent Thai set dinner (indoors) accompanied by a Thai classical dance show.

3) Supatra Riverhouse (02 -411 0305) located in an authentic Thai style house on the banks of the river, makes a great choice for a pre-theatre dinner if you're thinking of visiting the Patravadi Theatre close by which is famous for the performing arts. The restaurant at Supatra Riverhouse also stages classical dance shows during the high season (November - April)

If you get a chance to view thai dancing, do it. Its really different to anything in the western world, very serene and calm, but often tells a story....

Even if you dont understand whats going on, its still worth watching just to marvel at the costumes, and listen to the music....

You shouldn't leave before seeing some Thai dance. It's not as graceful or intense as Balinese Dance, but still very interesting. Many of the dances are centered around the tale of the Ramayana. If you go to a few dances(or see many around southeast asia), you will become very familiar with this story.

The Oriental Hotel's thai restaurant, Sala Rim Naam has a wonderful dance/dinner show. Very intimate. Make reservations early for good seats. The silom village trade center on th silom has a dance as well. The patravadi theater on the other side of the tiver has dances as well. Plus has a nice restaurant overlooking Wat Phra Kaew at night.

Would you like to watch Thai dance? There are quite a few places you can enjoy the show. But I would recommend you to go to Sala Rim Naam which is in the Oriental Hotel. It is an expensive dinner show that costs you about US$40. But it is worth for that. (Have to make a reservation) You take a small boat to across the Chaophraya River from the hotel to the restaurant. You will like the lightings along the river. It is very beautiful.

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Before, During, and After feasting on all the delicious delectable dinner dishes offered at the Flow restaurant enjoy a traditional Thai dance show on the open terrace.

I was so inspired by these people, that I now also want to dance.