At flooded restaurant near Bangkok, the special is a splash

By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA
Associated Press

NONTHABURI, Thailand (AP) — A flood-hit riverside restaurant in Thailand has become an unlikely dining hotspot after fun-loving foodies began flocking to its waterlogged deck to eat amid the lapping tide. Now, instead of empty chairs and vacant tables, the Chaopraya Antique Café is as full as ever, offering an experience the canny owner calls “hot-pot surfing.” If you like your food washed down with plenty of water, this is the place for you. A recent severe tropical storm and heavy monsoon rains combined to raise the river’s water level. Coming straight after a monthslong coronavirus shutdown, it could have spelled disaster. Instead, the restaurant is now so popular that customers need to make reservations.