In general, for a big families, a large pot of steamed rice will be prepared ahead of time while several combined Thai dishes are served up at the table "family style" and are shared amongst diners in no particular order.
However, it is traditionally to allow an elderly sit at the table before you sit, and the foods from the table should be served to an elderly first before you can start.
It is customary to include a dish of soup called Tom, usually is a clear soup made with meat and vegetables, a dish of stir fry called Pad, which can be a choice of meat stir fried with vegetables and oyster sauce, a dish of curry called Kaeng, a dish of fried food called Tod, and the most traditional type of food that has been part of Thai cuisine for centuries, it is a dish of dips (mostly made of shrimp paste, chillies, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice) called Nam Prik orNam Prik Kapi served with assorted fresh veggies.
All of these food dishes except the rice are called Kab Kaow literary means "with rice".
Thai foods cooked in the country side are normally simply prepared and enjoyed in casual settings. Dinner time is usually early in the evening around 5-7 pm. Fork and spoons are often used while some families in rural areas use only short spoons or even hands on rare occasions.
Generally, Thai people from each region of Thailand eat their comfort foods or their signature dishes. For example, people in the south mostly enjoy traditional southern dishes in their daily diet.
Thai people like to have 3 to 5 meals a day with a small portion per serving in comparison to western servings which are normally 3 meals a day with larger serves.