I need to advise my parents-in-law on where to dine in Bangkok (their first trip there). I have been to some wonderful Thai restaurants but can't seem to remember any names. Anyone have some good recommendations? Looking for unique, Thai, fine dining experiences.

Thanks!

It depends on what they are looking for: touristy ambience or downright-local flavor.

Touristy places I've recently tried that I thought was nice:
1) Dining cruise down the Chao Phraya river. This was run by the Marriott by the river - I believe the name was Manohora Cruises. Old rice barge, open-air candlelit dining, Thai classical music on tap, fresh breeze on your face as you go through a multi-course set Thai dinner. It takes roughly 2-2.5 hours and passes through all the river sights at night (all the major temples, the Royal Barge museum etc) with some commentary from the boat operator.
Added touch, the pier in which you wait for the boat had lots of ambience - lit torches, lots of greenery and wood and local artifacts (this is the Marriott hotel itself) which made for great atmosphere.

Local Flavor:
1) The Nam Tork noodles at a chain called Kway Teow Ler Tha Siam. One can be found in the basement of the MBK shopping mall in Siam Square. More a fast food place but the noodles are amazing if you like hot spicy fare. Interestingly, these type of noodles used to be sold off boats in the Chao Phraya where they'd dock and make steaming bowls of noodles for customers who'd be waiting on the pier. Most of their restaurants traces this heritage through old phots on display. Beware though: it IS hot.

Depending how shockable they are, I enjoyed the food at Cabbages and Condoms - (Can't remember the Thai name).

I'd second Cabbages & Condoms. Very tasty and a nice garden with lights in the tree canopy above.

I also liked Spice Market in the Regent Hotel. Even more of a tourist trap than C&C, though.

Run a search on here for some other ideas:

http://www.travelforum.org/thailand/

Cabbages & Condoms: Too gimmicky and caters almost exclusively to tourists. Food is good, though.

My favorites:

BUSSARACUM Thai Cuisine

HARMONIQUE
22 Charoen Krung Soi 34
Phone: 02-237-8175
Near Wat Muang Kae, the Oriental Hotel, & the GPO.
Eat indoors (A/C) or in open-air courtyard.

BAAN KHANITHA
3/1 Sukhumvit 23, Soi Prasan
Phone: 02-258-4181
Former private residence, serving Royal Thai cuisine with some regional specialities.

Personally I prefer eating on the streets with the locals. But the Chinese restaurant at the Oriental Hotel is fabulous. It's in the little house in front of the hotel. Also, Sunday Brunch at the Oriental is one of the finest in the world.

Blue Elephant

they even have a web site!

Great upscale Thai cusine in a beautiful old building. they also have a daily cooking class. In July I took a 5 day cooking class with them - it was fantastic!

Here is an article about the cooking school from the Bangkok Post. I'm the younger guy in the pictures! The teacher, Chef Chang is awesome.

http://search.bangkokpost.co.th/bkkp...03_real26.html

Brady

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All of the restaurants listed are pretty good, for most of them it is just like eating in the USA. In other words 'why bother?'

The best food is on the streets. Choose a place with lots of Thai's and you can not go wrong. Almost all of the small Thai restaurants will have English language on the menu.

ZEN Reastaurant in MBK has very good Japanese food.

For first time visitors I'd also vote for Cabbages and Condoms and the Spice Market. They are both good places to start your Thai dining experience.