How To Order Thai Food A Certain Spice Level

[Jingthing]

OK, I am normally a phet phet kind of guy. Never met a chile-laden dish I can't eat, but sometimes I do cry (but I like it). However, I will be entertaining a farang friend for two months and she can't eat like me. She likes some spice, but not too much. Somewhere between phet nitnoy and phet.

So, how in Thai would I ask for this spice level?

What I know now:

mai phet - not spicy (yuck!)

phet nitnoy - a little spicy (so boring)

phet - more spicy (now we're talking)

phet phet - make me cry and point at me and laugh (made my day!)

So, again, is there a way to express a spiciness level between phet nitnoy and phet?

Edited January 10, 2007 by Jingthing

[Briggsy]

OK, I am normally a phet phet kind of guy. Never met a chile-laden dish I can't eat, but sometimes I do cry (but I like it). However, I will be entertaining a farang friend for two months and she can't eat like me. She likes some spice, but not too much. Somewhere between phet nitnoy and phet.

So, how in Thai would I ask for this spice level?

What I know now:

mai phet - not spicy (yuck!)

phet nitnoy - a little spicy (so boring)

phet - more spicy (now we're talking)

phet phet - make me cry and point at me and laugh (made my day!)

So, again, is there a way to express a spiciness level between phet nitnoy and phet?

Yes, mai phet mahk

or

prik 3 met for som tam dishes

[Jingthing]

Thanks.

mai phet mahk is pretty good.

However, I am afraid that as soon as they heard those damning first two words, mai phet, they would tend to go on the safe side and forget about the mahk part (considering we're farangs).

Its worth a try. But I am really looking for a phrase that is more positive on the spice (no use of mai) but conveying a desire for medium or moderate. Like when you order a steak done medium.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Jingthing

[Briggsy]

Yes I take your point. My girlfriend uses mai phet mahk and gets something in line with what you requested but she has a Thai face!

Sometimes I use phet thammada. I don't know if the grammar is correct but it seems to fit the gap between phet nit noy and phet.

[Jingthing]

Yes I take your point. My girlfriend uses mai phet mahk and gets something in line with what you requested but she has a Thai face!

Sometimes I use phet thammada. I don't know if the grammar is correct but it seems to fit the gap between phet nit noy and phet.

Thanks. What does thammada mean? I wouldn't want to be asking for a spicy soiled baby diaper.

Edited January 10, 2007 by Jingthing

[sbk]

thammada means normal. I would say phet khlang --medium.

[PeaceBlondie]

On the subject, is there a real Thai phrase for "no chili taste at all, none whatsoever, zero"? I've tried every way to say it, and I gave up eating Thai food. Seriously, I mean less phet than tomato catsup.

[DragonQuest]

i just say "Nid-noy spicy" and they seem to understand me and give me a big smile lol

[Phil Conners]

I usually tell them how many chillies I want, i.e. "3 prik".

[Briggsy]

Peaceblondie,

I suggest you try mai sai phrik loey.

Jingthing

Phet glang is another alternative to phet thammada.

[realthaideal]

"On the subject, is there a real Thai phrase for "no chili taste at all, none whatsoever, zero"? I've tried every way to say it, and I gave up eating Thai food. Seriously, I mean less phet than tomato catsup."

Hi Blondie- This one is easy. Just tell them not to put any chillies at all. Try the phrase "Mai sai prik." Which is "Don't put chillies." There are ways to say it more politely but this will work for simple purposes. And when I listen to Thais order food they are only polite with all of the kraps, n kaa's only about half of the time.

I have one Farang friend with the typical atrocious Western accent when she tries to speak Thai and so she often meets with little success when ordering. I've coached her to sort of repeat the idea in a few different ways simultaneously so that something sticks. I feel that Thais themselves often have gray areas when describing things and tend to elaborate in this similar way as well, despite being native speakers. It's more of a thing to make sure the other person is listening and giving full attention. It's a check of understanding.

So I told her to say like this....

"Mai sai prik. Kin phet mei daii."

That is "Don't put (any) chillies. (I) can't eat spicy (food)."

This actually how they speak. Be sure to say mei - rhymes with month of 'May', NOT mai - rhymes with something you own 'my.' Also stretch out the vowel sounds of 'daai' longer than you feel comfortable with as a Westerner. Holding it for what feels like one and a half notes gives it that lyrical Thai sound and will help you be understood much better.

My friend has much more success using two phrases back to back like this. Chances are if they understand your Thai only half way, with two phrases, you get one whole one through to them out of the deal.

Let us know if it works for you.....

And what about all the delicious Thai dishes that aren't spicy at all like Khao Man Gai, Laad Hnaa, and so on ? Have you tried these ?

[manutoo]

When I arrived in Thailand, at 1st, I had really hard times to eat spicy.

I used several times "mai phet" (not spicy), but usually, the result was a dish more spicy than when I said "phet nid noi" (a bit spicy). And I'm pretty sure the cookers or waiters understood me.

PeaceBlondie, about "not spicy at all", realthaideal is right. I didn't know how to say that in thai, but my gf did a few times, and the result was really a dish not spicy at all (and not really aroy as well... )

[sbk]

Peaceblondie,

I suggest you try mai sai phrik loey.

Jingthing

Phet glang is another alternative to phet thammada.

Talked to my staff about this as it seemed incorrect to me. She agrees, 'phet thammada' would only work if it were a place you ate at regularly and they knew the level of "phet" that you usually ate. In essence, you are asking "for the usual".

Phet glang means quite specifically 'medium'.

As for no spiciness at all, well "mai sai prik" does mean "no chilies" but "Gin phet mai dai" means "I cannot eat spicy food" and should work.

[britmaveric]

Why don't you just add spice yourself, ie the spicey tray??

[Briggsy]

I like your term "the spicey tray".

[britmaveric]

I like your term "the spicey tray".

:D

[dee123]

when i first came to thailand all i could say was "cow pat",i used to point at all the other peoples dishes and say -same same-they never understood,...so it was cow pat again!

[meadish_sweetball]

If you end up with something too spicy and look at the lady with blood shot eyes, smoke coming out of your ears and fire spurting out of your mouth toasting the soi dog trying to get a bite from your table, she will probably take the hint until next time.