Why so many Thai restaurants abroad ...

[gk10002000]

Restaurants sound like a good idea at first.  People have a vision of entertaining, socializing.  They imagine getting paid cash, and stuffing that in their pockets.  Then the realities.  Every find a reliable dishwasher person?  Sure the job skills are little, but so is the pay.  Many owners are surprised when they have spend time doing dishes because of the dishwasher no show.  Health insp  ector issues?  I assure you it is not rare to have to pay some "tea money" here and there.  It varies of course from city to city.  Some are no issue.  Liquor license issues?  Been known to happen.   Long hours?  I mean really long hours.  Been known to happen.  Boredom while hanging around while open but no customers?  Can wear one down.  Open on weekends?  Headaches with employees, things breaking, supply issues, run to costco at the last minute, etc.  And of course the reason many open restaurants is because by the numbers, Thais don't bring a lot of job skills to the USA.  So food is one of the few things they can more easily try. 

[Emster23]

Quite a few Thai restaurants in US Pacific NW, and been there quite some time. Absurdly high prices?  Well, wages over there also seem absurdly high compared to Thailand. Showed wife article about Nong's Khao Mun Gai in Portland. Only serve one dish (guess what it is), very popular. She say "I go America and open one". Well, you'd need food handlers card, business license, high rent,pay taxes, food inspections... very different.

 Years ago got some take away from Thai Orchid restaurant in Portland. Staff was Thai. They seemed quite puzzled and didn't understand my request for nam pla (fish sauce). Like having to ask for mustard at McDonald's here... and then being charged extra.

[jobwolf]

Simply because most prople don't know what they are eating.

They sure don't know how unhealthy all the sauces and spices from Bottles and cans are. 

They are full of MSG and Salts and also sugar. Nothing more unhealthy then this dangerous mixture.

Most people are just s..... or at least completely ignorant about food.

[TSF]

Stacks of Thai restaurants around where I'm living in Perth, at least 8 within a 2K radius of me and I'm not in the city center. High prices? Yes compared to Thailand but comparable to the average cost of a main dish in Chinese/Indian and other similar restaurants. Is the food good? Not particularly, very little resembles genuine Thai food, most I've tried is best described as generic SE Asian...sort of stir-fry Chinese style. Every Thai believes that foreigners (yes they call us foreigners even in our own countries) can't eat spicy food, so the vast majority of Thai restaurants serve bland food tamed down for the foreigners. 

[Sprigger]

The reason there are so called Thai restaurants abroad is simple, Pattaya steamed rice 20 baht. London steamed rice £3.95. 

[Destiny1990]

In my country Thai food its been highly popular since about 35 years ago the first Thai restaurant came.

And since 35 years and till this day my parents go to a Thai restaurant 1-2 times a week.There are uncountable Thai restaurants nowadays in my Country it snowballed.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Destiny1990

[PhonThong]

A lot of Thai restaurants are actually run by Laotians. They came to the U.S. years ago as refugees and qualified for low-interest business loans. 

I know the majority of Thai restaurants in the Fort Worth, Texas area are actually serving Lao food and calling it Thai. My wife says it is quite bland just like Lao food. 

 The other thing that annoys me, is Thai restaurants selling Thai sushi. When did there ever become such a thing as Thai sushi? Isn't sushi a Japanese name? Were the Thai's ever big on fishing for Tuna fish? Or even that poison fish used in authentic Japanese sushi?

[AYJAYDEE]

Just now, PhonThong said:

A lot of Thai restaurants are actually run by Laotians. They came to the U.S. years ago as refugees and qualified for low-interest business loans. 

I know the majority of Thai restaurants in the Fort Worth, Texas area are actually serving Lao food and calling it Thai. My wife says it is quite bland just like Lao food. 

 The other thing that annoys me, is Thai restaurants selling Thai sushi. When did there ever become such a thing as Thai sushi? Isn't sushi a Japanese name? Were the Thai's ever big on fishing for Tuna fish? Or even that poison fish used in authentic Japanese sushi?

Lao food is bland?? lol.

 

[PhonThong]

Just now, AYJAYDEE said:

Lao food is bland?? lol.

 

It is. 

[AYJAYDEE]

1 minute ago, PhonThong said:

It is. 

not where we eat it!!

 

[PhonThong]

1 minute ago, AYJAYDEE said:

not where we eat it!!

 

Are you talking about eating it in the U.S.?  Because that is what I was saying.

[AYJAYDEE]

1 minute ago, PhonThong said:

Are you talking about eating it in the U.S.?  Because that is what I was saying.

I'm talking about real Lao food

[Time Traveller]

9 hours ago, hatesfudge said:

Here (US) Thai's we know don't go they cook at home

They may try a Thai restaurant once then laugh at the absurdity of the prices 

I guess the Thais you know must be retarded. Considering most of the ingredients used in Thai cooking would have been imported from the other side of the world. Common sense would assume prices won't be the same.  

[nss70]

Good Thai restaurants in falangland are few and far between.

When we lived in the south of the UK we found just 2. One in Guildford and the other in Eastleigh.

The rest were mostly poor to passable, London seemed to have the worst. Some new ones were ok for while and dropped in quality pretty quickly. All the ones we tried were run by Thais and had Thai cooks.

I think the main problem is most places westernise their food to fit western tastes (they think) and/or concentrate on fancy presentation to justify stupid prices. Therefore, anyone who likes actual Thai food is most likely going to find it too sweet, too mild, too bland etc.

[CLW]

Most restaurants at home are that universal asian style and so tastes the food. God knows where all the chefs and owners come from and which regional cuisine they cook.
Hard to find a good thai restaurant and then with a hefty price tag.

[tifino]

many are masquerading as Thai, so the best way is for to take the mrs along, and she can interrogate them...

 

...first up would be what local dialect comes out (if any, is the little clue)

 

 

if in doubt - stay home, and open one's jar of Pantai Soy and Chili Paste, which fixes everything 

[lvr181]

"QUOTE: the government of Thailand has intentionally bolstered the presence of Thai cuisine outside of Thailand"

 

Another pronouncement out of cloud cuckoo land? 

 

Many Thai restaurants, (in western countries) are operated by Filipinos. Speak a little Thai to them or look for photos of King and Queen - that will be a clue.

[Jingthing]

Interesting. 

In U.S. cities I've lived in it's always been easy to locate Thai restaurants run by Thais. Some of them even have Thaitown neighborhoods. Also easy and cheap access to basic imported Thai ingredients such as coconut milk and rice noodles at large Asian supermarkets at similar prices to Thailand (which always amazed me). I used to cook Thai food there because the restaurants are expensive and the only ingredient I had a problem finding were those mini-eggplants often used in green curry. Produce such as kefir lime leaves and Thai basil locally grown in California but more expensive on the east coast. 

 

In the U.S. what the Thai restaurants have been able to do is market the idea that it's a more premium cuisine. That's quite a coup, pardon the pun. Americans expect there to be access to cheap Mexican and Chinese food, and they won't usually accept French level prices for Thai food, but still the public accepts higher prices than the more "traditional" ethnic choices for Thai food.

 

I certainly know exactly what people mean by places labeled Thai that aren't really at all Thai  (or anything really). I'll never forget the "Thai" restaurant I ate at in a small town in Arkansas. OMG! But in the bigger U.S. cities, usually very easy to avoid, and very rarely that bad. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[Rodwalloper]

in our area there are 22 Thai restaurants, 3 are very good so we cant complain.

 

[smotherb]

It seems many foreigners like Thai food, how else do so many Thai restaurants abroad survive? The fact that the Thai food is not as good or does not contain the same ingredients as the food in Thailand is simply a great big, DUH? Many so called Thai restaurants are simply chasing the name, the owners and/or staff are not Thai and most likely have never had good Thai food. Long-time friends, a Thai-American couple in Florida, run a very nice Thai restaurant; the staff is mostly Thai, they dress in traditional Thai clothes, they even offer traditional Thai music and dance and a good selection of Thai handicraft. The food has Thai names and is very well presented, but they set chopsticks along-side the silverware and do not provide prik nam pla. The food is also very mild with very little spice; why? Because the customers prefer it that way; they are cooking to their customers' tastes and not for the Thai palate.  When my wife and I go there, they prepare our food the way the staff eats it, but they know we know Thai food.

[Wake Up]

Thai wives or ex wives opening up a business. Never been in a Thai restaurant in Texas not run and owned by Thai women. 

[oldhippy]

6 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

thats why so many go under!!

 

Could it be lack of restaurant management skils?

 

[TSF]

30 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

Thai wives or ex wives opening up a business. Never been in a Thai restaurant in Texas not run and owned by Thai women. 

Yep, same in Perth, all run by Thai women who are or were married to Aussies.

[moe666]

I am from Albuquerque NM most of the Thai Places here are run by Laos. My friends place the food is excellent and getting the ingredients no problem until the yellow shirts blocked the airports. Someone mentioned getting leaves all fresh stuff is sent by air.

 

I have had very good Thai food in Cardiff and in Edinburogh, The worst in Brussels 

 

But where ever you go no Philippino food

[moe666]

1 hour ago, oldhippy said:

Could it be lack of restaurant management skils?

 

The same reason 50 percent of all new businesses go under under funded

[Tony125]

9 hours ago, andy said:

Most are run by ethnic Chinese or Vietnamese and consequently the food just tastes a bit off.  Add that to important ingredients that are very limited in availability in the US (krapow leaf, etc), and the result is usually disappointing.

 

Having said that, I have had good Thai food in Los Angeles.

I am fom Boston MA USA we had a few real Thai restaurants and a number of Chinese owned /operated  ones that served some Thai (style) food. People usually like the difference between Thai and American Chinese food.  I dated a Thai girl who was going to school in US and owned a restaurant. She said I try hard to make as in Thailand but sometimes it's hard to get fresh spices/ingrediants here, said it was easier on West Coast.   There are at least 2 Thai rest in boston whose food is pretty close to what you get here but of course, costs more.

[sanemax]

14 hours ago, oldhippy said:

All the Thai places that I know are Chinese or Sushi places that serve some Thai dishes.

That sounds like they are Chinese and Japanese restaurants

[Jingthing]

Definitely easier on the west coast, no doubt.

Anyway,  I've noticed that some of the more impressive Thai restaurants I've experienced in the U.S. are not a Thai wives situation.

More like run by monied hiso Thais that may have bought their U.S. visa based on massive investments. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[Tony125]

3 hours ago, smotherb said:

It seems many foreigners like Thai food, how else do so many Thai restaurants abroad survive? The fact that the Thai food is not as good or does not contain the same ingredients as the food in Thailand is simply a great big, DUH? Many so called Thai restaurants are simply chasing the name, the owners and/or staff are not Thai and most likely have never had good Thai food. Long-time friends, a Thai-American couple in Florida, run a very nice Thai restaurant; the staff is mostly Thai, they dress in traditional Thai clothes, they even offer traditional Thai music and dance and a good selection of Thai handicraft. The food has Thai names and is very well presented, but they set chopsticks along-side the silverware and do not provide prik nam pla. The food is also very mild with very little spice; why? Because the customers prefer it that way; they are cooking to their customers' tastes and not for the Thai palate.  When my wife and I go there, they prepare our food the way the staff eats it, but they know we know Thai food.

When I go to Thai restaurants in Massachusetts I usually speak some Thai to the owner or staff  which usually ends up with half the people coming out to talk to me asking where in Thailand I have traveled . Even met a girl whose uncle owned a restaurant in Ayuthya I had been to several times. The staff usually ask's me  " do you want the dish Thai style or farang"  meaning do I want it mild or pet.

[connda]

Why so many Thai restaurants abroad ...

Because they can charge and receive $10 to $15 for a dish that will only get them the equivalent of $1 in Thailand.

 

Plus they can hire virtual slave labor to do the cooking and grunt work.  Entice Thais to go to the US on a tourist visa and work 'under-the-table' (and illegally) for chicken scratch.  Owners make a killing.

Edited April 2, 2018 by connda