NMoasis said:I find picking those itty bitty leaves from the Thai basil plant tedious and time consuming. Obviously I'm not a dedicated chef! 
I grow it because it's a pretty plant and smells good.
It's a pretty plant that also tastes good. Not as strong as the big green and purple, both of which I usually grow; more subtle. You don't actually need to pick the leaves. You cut some stems, from just above where you want them to branch, wash them and lay them on a rack in the sun, or in a gas oven (the pilot light gives just enough heat) or just an airy drying place where the cats won't walk across them, wait until they're crisp and then shred them between your palms over a clean dish-towel. Discard the stems; decant leaf-crumbs into a jar. Repeat throughout the summer, whenever you have excess growth.
