Restaurant safety in Thailand (Covid-19) -- does the type of food matter?

[Jingthing]

It's well known that due to fear and xenophobia Chinese restaurants and even Asian restaurants in general are suffering severe slowdowns in their business globally. Some have already gone out business, closed temporarily, or are under such threats if this situation lasts much longer.

 

From my POV to avoid going to a "Chinese" restaurant in suburban Milwaukee (for example) even if their clientele is mostly Chinese Americans would be irrational and punishing that business for irrational reasons. 

 

However, I have questioned whether such avoidance is quite so irrational in Thailand in areas that have experienced massive tourism from China.

 

Personally I stopped going to Chinese restaurants for awhile but was not feeling very good about that. First of all because I miss the food and they're not on Grab (most are on Chinese language delivery apps that I can't use) but also feeling that they could use our support now more than ever due to huge decline in Chinese tourists.

 

So the other day I did go to a Chinese place and it was packed. The tables were packed and they were close together. All the Chinese and Thai customers that walked in were wearing masks (which of course they needed to lower to actually eat the food).

 

While I loved the food, it occurred to me the problem with that place was not really about the Chinese food being served but that it was crowded and had very little space between the people. 

 

Is there any rational reason here in Thailand that a similarly closely packed restaurant that served food from a not red flag country, say Argentinian for example, would not have pretty much the same level of risk?

 

I'm not sure. I'm asking. 

 

Of course it's not only the packed spaces but the demographics of the crowd that might concern people, irrationally or not. 

 

In my example I assume some of the Chinese people there were from higher risk countries though of course I didn't canvas them for their travel histories or current body temperatures.

 

But why would that be different here in Thailand than visiting --

 

Italian restaurants (presumably with Italian tourists there)?

 

Iranian restaurants (same thing)?

 

or

 

even, here I go 

 

American restaurants?

 

I don't have answers here. People are welcome to comment. Have you changed your restaurant habits? If going at all are you avoiding crowded and closely packed places or not? Are you avoiding Chinese or other ethnicities out of safety concerns?

[Matzzon]

Yeah, as pizza very much is a sliced thing and is shared a lot. Avoid that at all cost. However, a T-bone with french fries will be perfectly safe.

 

 

[Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai]

19 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Yeah, as pizza very much is a sliced thing and is shared a lot. Avoid that at all cost. However, a T-bone with french fries will be perfectly safe.

 

 

Agree 100% if you get your meal at the Birdsville Hotel, Birdsville Australia. Think it be virus friendly meal in virus friendly pub.

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[Moonlover]

Your biggest risk is probably the journey to or from.

[Jingthing]

What about buffets? 

 

What about sharing dishes at the table which is part of Asian culture? 

[Logosone]

You could of course just switch to frozen pizza. If any British people need some help with how it works with frozen pizzas, whether you have to take it out of the box and so on, just PM me and I will send you instructions.

[Jingthing]

11 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Your biggest risk is probably the journey to or from.

Possibly. 

But this is about restaurants. 

For Chinese restaurants around the world this isn't a trivial issue. 

It would be another thing if they're being forced out of business for rational reasons. 

 

[Kwasaki]

I'm in Petchaburi at mo don't really think about whether where I eat is Chinese or from Mars. 

Went to a small eating place owned by a Muslim family and had a noodle soup dish with beef meat balls, spring type onions and veg for 10 baht, it was a nice size for me midday, never in 20 years found a place so cheap.  

Edited March 14, 2020 by Kwasaki

[fxe1200]

I keep on going to the same Thai restaurant for years. I now only eat cooked food freshly made in the wok. There I can be also sure, that they do not add sugar or MSG to the meals. Excessive amounts of MSG consumed for dinner in the evening prevents me from sleeping for a couple of hours. It does not have to be Chinese for me at all. Sizzler would be the other non MSG option. But I would not touch the salad bar until this pandemic virus spreading is over.

[elgenon]

Sorry Jingthing. Isn't your favorite restaurant Chinese? I think one of the Xenophobic ideas is that the Chinese will pretty much do anything to make money. Including less than the best practices pertaining to food.

Good luck in pursuing Chinese food.

[elgenon]

18 hours ago, Jingthing said:

What about buffets? 

 

What about sharing dishes at the table which is part of Asian culture? 

To that point, all buffets in Las Vegas have been shut down.

[tonray]

I would ask for extra Pla Ra in your dish....I'm 100% certain even corona virus cannot survive that

[Jlop]

It's more about crowded places then what kind of food you eat.I wouldn't be comfortable in any crowded restaurant regardless of the type of food or (presumed) ethnicities surrounding me. It might be ok if you go at a less busy time.

[Jingthing]

17 minutes ago, elgenon said:

Sorry Jingthing. Isn't your favorite restaurant Chinese? I think one of the Xenophobic ideas is that the Chinese will pretty much do anything to make money. Including less than the best practices pertaining to food.

Good luck in pursuing Chinese food.

Yes my favorite type of food is indeed Chinese encompassing of course the myriad of provincial variations there. Trying to make money isn't exactly exclusive to Chinese people. It is true some of these new viruses have been linked to wet markets in China where live "exotic" animals are stacked on top of each other mixing their fluids. I have read that the market for those exotics is a small percentage of wealthier Chinese in China. That's very unfortunate and they should stop that once and for all. But I don't really see the link to Chinese restaurants all over the world. All Chinese people and restauranteurs are hardly collectively guilty for that practice in China. 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Jingthing

[elgenon]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes my favorite type of food is indeed Chinese encompassing of course the myriad of provincial variations there. Trying to make money isn't exactly exclusive to Chinese people. It is true some of these new viruses have been linked to wet markets in China where live "exotic" animals are stacked on top of each other mixing their fluids. I have read that the market for those exotics is a small percentage of wealthier Chinese in China. That's very unfortunate and they should stop that once and for all. But I don't really see the link to Chinese restaurants all over the world. All Chinese people and restauranteurs are hardly collectively guilty for that practice in China. 

Unfortunately that's what tends to happen. A small number get the larger group smeared.

 

Too bad you don't have a Chinese friend who could order for you on a delivery app. Maybe have your English translated and photograph it and send it.

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, Jlop said:

It's more about crowded places then what kind of food you eat.I wouldn't be comfortable in any crowded restaurant regardless of the type of food or (presumed) ethnicities surrounding me. It might be ok if you go at a less busy time.

Yes I agree the crowded places where people are sitting close are definitely not good in these times.

[angloirishaussie]

My wife is from Hainan china and yes very much like some westerners (that bloke from bizzare foods)

the more exotic food is as ive seen mainly for the wealthy as a status symbol

In Hainan wealth is relatively new and people have eaten rats and mice out of necessity in the past

Its not by choice,now people can afford to eat beef and other meats its different

 

All the best to those in Pattaya  

[Max69xl]

19 hours ago, Jingthing said:

What about buffets? 

 

What about sharing dishes at the table which is part of Asian culture? 

I guess you're not the type of guy that shares food the Asian way. So why asking? All types of food has to be cooked properly,that's the ground rule. Not sharing cutlery while sharing food might also be a good idea. BUT, if authorities keep saying that we're not supposed to sit closer than 1 meter to each other, then sharing food will be a bit problematic,don't you think? 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

I guess you're not the type of guy that shares food the Asian way. So why asking? All types of food has to be cooked properly,that's the ground rule. Not sharing cutlery while sharing food might also be a good idea. BUT, if authorities keep saying that we're not supposed to sit closer than 1 meter to each other, then sharing food will be a bit problematic,don't you think? 

Your guess is wrong. Be careful with assumptions. I actually hate it when people don't want to share dishes but different times call for different habits. 

[Dumbastheycome]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Yes my favorite type of food is indeed Chinese encompassing of course the myriad of provincial variations there. Trying to make money isn't exactly exclusive to Chinese people. It is true some of these new viruses have been linked to wet markets in China where live "exotic" animals are stacked on top of each other mixing their fluids. I have read that the market for those exotics is a small percentage of wealthier Chinese in China. That's very unfortunate and they should stop that once and for all. But I don't really see the link to Chinese restaurants all over the world. All Chinese people and restauranteurs are hardly collectively guilty for that practice in China. 

IMO it is the venue rather than the food that presents a risk if it is crowded regardless of the national origins of customers.

To date there has been no risk of transmission identified in food.

Social distancing is a practical tactic.

 

[Max69xl]

28 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Your guess is wrong. Be careful with assumptions. I actually hate it when people don't want to share dishes but different times call for different habits. 

So keep sharing food in the US. Every type of Asian food is not supposed to be shared while eating together. When reading your questions and reasoning it shows that you have no clue about the subject. Try to use Google and you will find out why the epicenter of the Coronavirus is in Wuhan, Hubei. 

[Morty T]

Since personal hygiene is next to non existent for Thais, it really isn't an issue. The threat and dangers of eating at a Thai restaurant have always been present even before all this started.