Most of the manners of Thai eating come from the fact that most Thai meals are taken communally rather than in small groups or couples. That means that you probably don't want to order a steak that you'll devour yourself. Since dining is such a social activity and status matters so much in Thai society many of the rules of etiquette are based on perceived status among the group. Here are some guidelines on eating Thai style, of course if you're in a western style restaurant you can ignore these and many younger Thais have adopted western customs.