Why do farangs go all the way to LOS to eat western food?

[gamini]

21 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Because I can afford to!

the best Italian restaurant I have ever eaten  anywhere in the world, including Italy is in Chiangmai.

[cnx355]

22 hours ago, madmen said:

Sugar in everything, 70% high carb White rice and slivers of poor quality meat. Msg in everything, I no longer touch it and much prefer cooking Western veges and fish or pork etc at home

 

Same reason for me. Too much sugar in most everything they cook. I still eat Thai food at home when my wife cook and in the food court I avoid the white rice and noodle. But if I am traveling around and I am invited by Thai  friends , I eat what is on the menu. A lot easier to find healthy food in a western restaurant.

Edited August 29, 2019 by cnx355
Ading text

[brokenbone]

37 minutes ago, ben2talk said:

 but something people should understand is that we're not supposed to eat that much meat - it's the least eco-friendly option and whilst i eat some meat every day, it isn't a large portion.

 

The Thai's have a better balance in this respect.

 

maybe you are not suppose to eat loads of meat due to

some morbid religious belief, but i sure am meant to consume meat,

lots of meat

Edited August 29, 2019 by brokenbone

[OOTAI]

I remember back to when I first took my wife (not married then) to Australia and we were having a conversation about Thai food and I said to her, "Only 1 thing wrong with Thai food>" She immediately said let me guess, "not enough meat". Another time we were having lunch and we ate a whole chicken between us, she says to me, "if I told my Mum that we had just eaten a whole chicken, she wouldn't believe me."

So I believe that the amount of meat is a economic consideration, i.e. most can't afford a lot of meat.

 

As for me I eat just about anything but so far have refused frogs, rats, snails, ant's eggs and lots of other Thai fare.

My wife (of more than 17 years now) is a fantastic cook and when we were living in Australia people were always asking her when she was having the next dinner for friends.

 

When I went to work in Indonesia she asked me what the food was like, my reply, "Its OK."

Her reply, "It must be awful because you would eat <deleted> and say its OK."

 

Nowadays I use the comment I learned from an American friend, his response when asked, "what's the food like?" was, "It'll make a turd!"

[Moonlover]

Living as I do in rural Issan, if I were to rely solely on Thai food I would soon get very bored with it. Hundreds of restaurants all serving virtually the same menus.

 

Fortunately wife has lived abroad and has absorbed knowledge of foods from different countries and cultures so I do not suffer too much from 'variety starvation'.

 

On the odd occasion when I eat out alone, when wifey's out working, I do seek out some western food, even if it is just a burger or some such. But I could murder someone for a good Indian curry!

Edited August 29, 2019 by Moonlover

[puchooay]

1 hour ago, moe666 said:

As many have said it is hard to find good Thai food, there are many places with good food but they are usually away from the tourist areas, located closers to the Thai housing estates.

That's a given in any country.

 

If you want to eat authentic, traditional food try to avoid catering geared towards tourists. It is often cooked to what the chef feels the tourist palate may be. Similar to eating Indian, Chinese or Thai food in UK or wherever. Just not the same.

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, Grusa said:

Now, Thai food is rare, and poor quality...even the Thai have stopped eating it.

 

 

 

Now that is QUITE a post..      

[Jane Dough]

For the same reason that my wife travels to England with khao horm mali and a rice cooker. 

 

Rooster

[Just Weird]

22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

but why would expats eat western food routinely when local dishes are so much cheaper and just as good?

Because westerners have a taste for it, same as Thais in Europe/US/Wherever who like to eat Thai food that they were brought up on even though the local food wherever they are may be cheaper and just as good?

[khunPer]

22 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I can understand a 3 day tourist not eating local cuisine as afraid they'll get sick, but why would expats eat western food routinely when local dishes are so much cheaper and just as good?

Why do expats eat foreign food in their home-countries instead of local dishes?

 

For some of us expats it's a variation in food – and for our local friends it's exiting and exotic to eat Western dishes – just like you at home, in your Western country, would head for a Thai restaurant, or other exotic variety.

 

By the way, the only Western tourist I know that got sick from food in LoS, decided to eat German Food in a German (managed) restaurant; however, looking at the bright side of life they got three days free 5-star quality hospital accommodation paid by travel insurance, instead of their modest bungalows...????

[Matzzon]

Why do farangs go all the way to LOS to eat western food?

 

Why in the world would you believe that is the reason why they go to Thailand? 

 

I don not believe that at all. Some eat local food, some western food and some a mix of them.

By the way, why would it be of interest for you to know that?

[ThaiBunny]

I know the OP will find this hard to believe, but in the Thai diaspora eating Thai food at home or in Thai restaurants (staffed by Thai nationals) is considered the norm

[madmen]

2 hours ago, malibukid said:

palm oil, it's a killer

Especially when re used 10 days straight By the KFC carts

[RocketDog]

21 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

I enjoy eating Thai food but there's nothing wrong with eating a bit farang grub in Thailand.

 

Food is just food. Who cares where it comes from!

Sorry to disagree, and what you eat is up to you, but real food and what is manufactured to look like real food are completely different things.

 

I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but I took a nutrition course in college thinking I would meet girls.

 

It changed my life forever.

 

I read Diet for a Small Planet and became aware of how much of a western diet is nearly nutritionally useless at best and poisonous at worst. All through college and my working years I maintained as large a garden as I could, including a very large greenhouse at my home in Colorado. Growing my own veggies proved to be a wondrously fulfilling hobby.

 

Being young I went through my crusader stage with friends and relatives but quickly realized that most of them thought as you do.

 

Since my twenties I have paid particular, some would say obsessive attention to what I ate and drank. To this day I eschew sugar, most drinks of all kinds except for beer and milk, and abandoned most flesh food for equivalent protein sources such as nuts, grains, beans, eggs, and cheese.

 

That said, and back on topic, I have been forced by food boredom and some acquiescence to my Thai significant other to eat some fish (fried/baked/frilled only thank you) and chicken. I will add that my Thai GF has embraced my food habits (mostly! You can't take the Thai girls away from their somtum)  and lectures her friends and relatives on proper nutrition and regales them with her story of not being sick in the two years since we've been together. I don't really agree with this as I already know the kind of reception and hidden smiles she encounters from them.

 

The truth, as several others have noted, is that Thai food is mostly empty calories woefully deficient in protein and excessively spiked with artificial flavors, colors, herbicides, pesticides, and copious amounts of sugar. If I were to remove all non-real-food items from the local 7-11 the shelves would be nigh near empty. The girth of the average Thai person is rapidly escalating at a rate that puts the road carnage to shame as they embrace western fast food.

 

Ditto for the majority of street food.

I will say that I'm gratified to see fresh greens, often gathered along some local road, garnishing many Thai dishes. I also fully understand that poor food is cheap food and many can't afford better. I thank the gods that I can though.

 

The 'civilized' world is quite literally eating itself to death. I say this shamelessly from an informed perspective. The sober fact is that most Westerners eat poorly because of ignorance and/or taste, not because of cost.

 

Putting my money/effort where my mouth is, I bake my own bread, make my own yogurt, roast my own peanuts, and maintain a garden at my rental house. I spend my money buying wholesome products where I can find them and avoid most of the worthless/poison commonly available food offered here at minimum cost. The most basic natural foods are generally the most nutritious. Rice is great, but hardly serves as the primary staple, especially with only tiny slivers of protein for flavoring. Starch, oil, sugar, and salt are not staples that encourage health.

 

I have cultivated my 'abnormal' food habits for most of my 70 years so it doesn't seem like such a burden to me now.

 

I am willing to eat many foods from many places providing that they are generally nutritious. Unfortunately, as stated previously, that rules out most food from most countries, and food in the Kingdom is no exception.

 

You can call me a food nazi and I'll even answer to that name but I'm healthy, strong, and look younger than my three brothers by at least ten years.

 

You are what you eat. To maintain that what one consumes is not important is simply a hollow stance with lethal consequences.

 

I can live with that.

 

Sorry for the sanctimonious lecture; it's one of my hot buttons. It wasn't aimed at you personally Johnathan, you just triggered it with your glib statements.. . ????

 

[DJ54]

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Mexican food wherever I go, most of it I can cook.

Any good Mexican in NE Udon Thani or Khon Kaen...

[Hummin]

off topic

Edited August 29, 2019 by Hummin

[Hummin]

off topic

Edited August 29, 2019 by Hummin

[madmen]

14 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Sorry to disagree, and what you eat is up to you, but real food and what is manufactured to look like real food are completely different things.

 

I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, but I took a nutrition course in college thinking I would meet girls.

 

It changed my life forever.

 

I read Diet for a Small Planet and became aware of how much of a western diet is nearly nutritionally useless at best and poisonous at worst. All through college and my working years I maintained as large a garden as I could, including a very large greenhouse at my home in Colorado. Growing my own veggies proved to be a wondrously fulfilling hobby.

 

Being young I went through my crusader stage with friends and relatives but quickly realized that most of them thought as you do.

 

Since my twenties I have paid particular, some would say obsessive attention to what I ate and drank. To this day I eschew sugar, most drinks of all kinds except for beer and milk, and abandoned most flesh food for equivalent protein sources such as nuts, grains, beans, eggs, and cheese.

 

That said, and back on topic, I have been forced by food boredom and some acquiescence to my Thai significant other to eat some fish (fried/baked/frilled only thank you) and chicken. I will add that my Thai GF has embraced my food habits (mostly! You can't take the Thai girls away from their somtum)  and lectures her friends and relatives on proper nutrition and regales them with her story of not being sick in the two years since we've been together. I don't really agree with this as I already know the kind of reception and hidden smiles she encounters from them.

 

The truth, as several others have noted, is that Thai food is mostly empty calories woefully deficient in protein and excessively spiked with artificial flavors, colors, herbicides, pesticides, and copious amounts of sugar. If I were to remove all non-real-food items from the local 7-11 the shelves would be nigh near empty. The girth of the average Thai person is rapidly escalating at a rate that puts the road carnage to shame as they embrace western fast food.

 

Ditto for the majority of street food.

I will say that I'm gratified to see fresh greens, often gathered along some local road, garnishing many Thai dishes. I also fully understand that poor food is cheap food and many can't afford better. I thank the gods that I can though.

 

The 'civilized' world is quite literally eating itself to death. I say this shamelessly from an informed perspective. The sober fact is that most Westerners eat poorly because of ignorance and/or taste, not because of cost.

 

Putting my money/effort where my mouth is, I bake my own bread, make my own yogurt, roast my own peanuts, and maintain a garden at my rental house. I spend my money buying wholesome products where I can find them and avoid most of the worthless/poison commonly available food offered here at minimum cost. The most basic natural foods are generally the most nutritious. Rice is great, but hardly serves as the primary staple, especially with only tiny slivers of protein for flavoring. Starch, oil, sugar, and salt are not staples that encourage health.

 

I have cultivated my 'abnormal' food habits for most of my 70 years so it doesn't seem like such a burden to me now.

 

I am willing to eat many foods from many places providing that they are generally nutritious. Unfortunately, as stated previously, that rules out most food from most countries, and food in the Kingdom is no exception.

 

You can call me a food nazi and I'll even answer to that name but I'm healthy, strong, and look younger than my three brothers by at least ten years.

 

You are what you eat. To maintain that what one consumes is not important is simply a hollow stance with lethal consequences.

 

I can live with that.

 

Sorry for the sanctimonious lecture; it's one of my hot buttons. It wasn't aimed at you personally Johnathan, you just triggered it with your glib statements.. . ????

 

This will make you sick. Im strict keto but mostly atkins style. under 20 grams of carbs from veg and 80% protein and everything cooked in butter or lard and my cholersterol is good and Im never craving snacks and being in ketosis Im always slim

 

2 chubby girls I knew in Oz were strict vegetarians but thats a lot of carbs and fruit sugar ...they were ALWAYS eating/grazing

Edited August 29, 2019 by madmen

[natway09]

I eat Thai food expertly cooked by my wife at home 5 or 6 times a week Yummy.

A good Aussie mince pie with plenty of gravy, peas , mash & buttered carrots once a week

A nice grilled haddock once a week with salad good too.

Very rare to eat out

[RocketDog]

Just now, madmen said:

This will make you sick. Im strict keto but mostly atkins style. under 20 grams of carbs from veg and 80% protein and everything cooked in butter or lard and my cholersterol is good and Im never craving snacks and being in ketosis Im always slim

Thanks for the info.

Maybe it would make you sick, but it hasn't done so to me for several decades. I'll stick to what works for me

 

It's a big world and we all have to seek our own salvation with diligence.

 

Cheers!

 

 

[The Theory]

21 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

I buy XXL eggs

I wouldn’t buy XXL if I were you since they come from old and large hens. 

But of course it’s your choice of size. 

Edited August 29, 2019 by The Theory

[The Theory]

21 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

1) What diet your used too, i.e. clean food, like veggies high in fibre, good carbs like brown rice, brown pasta, brown bread, protein, eggs, good fish with omega 3, chicken, meat, and good fats, like Almonds, Avocadoes etc etc etc

????

[Chicken George]

Mostly eat at home. Using quality ingredients. We don't buy veg at local markets unless its from stalls or shops that sell products that have been grown without pesticides. Rarely eat at Thai good shops as I consider it mostly flavored poison as does my Thai wife... As for saying "all this way to eat Western food" well people eat what they like.. 

[DrPhibes]

20 hours ago, 55Jay said:

Ah, is this another installment of The Big Nose who's Thaier than Thou, thing? 

 

Anyway, sure, I like Thai food but don't chain myself to it.  Why?   I really enjoyed Arabic food, and the food of their various slaves, while living in the Gulf for many years, but I didn't do it 7x a week.  Nor did I with Greek living in Greece.  Or Japanese living in Japan.  I wasn't choking down hot dogs and hamburgers every day in the US of A either.

 

I've recently developed a craft beer fetish after a couple months abroad, so I'm all into that, spending over the odds in Thailand for it, but it's a nice change of pace from swilling the local Thai <deleted> soaked in ice cubes.  You gotta live a little! 

Agree with the craft beer.  Chiang Mai German Microbrewery (only microbrewery in the North) just reopened here in CM after being closed for few years.  I used to live in Fort Collins, CO with a thriving independent brew scene.  This is a welcome treat!

[DrPhibes]

1 hour ago, DJ54 said:

Any good Mexican in NE Udon Thani or Khon Kaen...

Salsa Kitchen if you ever get to Chiang Mai.   Tasty.

[spidermike007]

I always order my food without sugar or MSG. The restaurants comply, and the food tastes exactly the same to me. Barely any noticeable difference. I agree. It is bizarre to come here, and not adapt to the food, and the spices. Anyone can adapt to spices. Takes a little time. But they are good for you, and after awhile, you crave them. 

 

I tend to mix it up. I eat alot Thai food. But, my wife is a gourmet cook, and cooks to my specs, so why not? And I mix it up with Italian, Japanese, and others. And I cook at home too. Really great home made soups, pasta dishes, salads, and other dishes. Keeps it from getting monotonous. 

 

I used to have a friend on Samui, who hated Thai food, disliked Thai woman, would not ride his motorcycle in the rain, and did not like anything about this place. I kept on asking him why he lived here. It seemed bizarre to me. I feel fortunate. I love the food, I really like alot of Thai people, I love the rain, and find the place quite pleasant, in most aspects, except for the heinous and hapless army. 

 

 

[Dnyy]

Why the hell anyone cares what others are eating? Eat what you want and let others do the same. No need to wonder about anything. Why are Thais eating McDonald's? Why are Japanese eating German Food in Bangkok? Because eat whatever the **** you want!

[UK Martin]

23 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I cook and eat Thai,Indian,Western,Mexican,Italian,ect,even dishes

I makeup myself,also buy dishes from the market when too tired

to cook,eat out ,mostly Thai, Indian,wish there was a British Chinese

 style takeaway nearby.

regards worgeordie

Golden Bowl - Western Style Chinese will deliver all over Bangkok... you can find it on FB.

[cardinalblue]

Thai food is quite bland and very expensive in America...

 

Thai food is cheap cheap cheap here...

[ianezy0]

22 hours ago, giddyup said:

You are what you eat.

Is that a polite way of saying I look like a carrot ?????