Jim McMahon

This new restaurant in Thailand is making a splash on social media. Soon after the riverside Chaopraya Antique Café opened in Nonthaburi in 2021, the country was hit by a severe tropical storm and heavy monsoon rains. More than 30 provinces were flooded, and the river rose, frequently putting the restaurant’s outdoor deck under water. (This problem may grow worse in the coming years, as scientists predict rainfall will continue to increase as a result of climate change.) Instead of shutting down, however, the café decided to embrace the situation. Now when the tides flow onto the deck, customers stay sitting in the water, often laughing and cheering as waves surge through the restaurant. They call it “hot-pot surfing.” Positive reviews have spread online, and the café has become so popular that you might need a reservation to snag a table. “This is a great atmosphere,” guest Siripoj Wai-inta, 24, told the Associated Press as he dined in water up to his shins. “So I wanted to challenge myself and try out this new experience.”