Thai eating habits

[still kicking]

 I have been told Thais eat many times a day. But I have been told only small meals. B.S. I just came back from a 2-hour trip from Ratchaburi to Bangkok. In 2houers or less they needed to eat 5 times and 2 pitstops. They ate more in one meal than I have the whole week. And the Noice of the people talking in the van. Ones we reached home they got stuck into Chipps and sweets 

[Negativ]

34 minutes ago, still kicking said:

 I have been told Thais eat many times a day. But I have been told only small meals. B.S. I just came back from a 2-hour trip from Ratchaburi to Bangkok. In 2houers or less they needed to eat 5 times and 2 pitstops. They ate more in one meal than I have the whole week. And the Noice of the people talking in the van. Ones we reached home they got stuck into Chipps and sweets 

 

Now you know why they are all turning into obese swines these days :D

[OneMoreFarang]

One very important habit is lunch at 12:00.

Try to continue any office meeting just a little after 12:00 and it is a failure.

They must go for lunch at 12:00. 12:05 is definitely way too late. 

[Sticky Rice Balls]

eating and food is big part of thai culture..is why when they eat its not alone and food is shared..its baked into the culture...what thais tell you and what they do is usually the exact opposite--hence "face"

[Iron Tongue]

Eating many small meals was the norm for people living in high temperature, humid environments back when there was no refrigeration or electricity.  Preparing too much food caused rot & wastage.  Also helped regulate the carbs load to maximize energy needed for farming.

Unfortunately, the habits of a mostly agrarian society didn't change with the introduction of refrigeration, sugar,  packaged foods, and a more sedate lifestyle.

 

 

[Skipalongcassidy]

Just face it... Thais are inferior... right guys... in fact anyone who is not just like you is inferior... losers.

[bkk6060]

Yes, they like to order several dishes to share.  But, what surprised me is the food waste here.  Even in the rural areas ordering many dishes at restaurants, then 1/2 of it to waste.  And, they don't seem big on doggie bags.  But. even if they take it back home it usually is not eaten and goes to waste.

[Pumpuynarak]

They remind me of pigs at the trough.

[PJ71]

51 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Yes, they like to order several dishes to share.  But, what surprised me is the food waste here.  Even in the rural areas ordering many dishes at restaurants, then 1/2 of it to waste.  And, they don't seem big on doggie bags.  But. even if they take it back home it usually is not eaten and goes to waste.

Totally agree, the waste is crazy, ok if you have a compost heap or dogs....

[mfd101]

Amongst the poor peasants who constitute my family here, not so much. Small brunch around 1000ish. Long breaks from work in the fields in the heat of the day, say 1200-1500 - mostly sleep & gossip, little or no food. Small dinner at 1800 more or less sharp on time. More work after to close down the chooks et al outside. Everyone slim.

[youngster30uk]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Yes, they like to order several dishes to share.  But, what surprised me is the food waste here.  Even in the rural areas ordering many dishes at restaurants, then 1/2 of it to waste.  And, they don't seem big on doggie bags.  But. even if they take it back home it usually is not eaten and goes to waste.

Depends how and where you live, We have dogs and lots of chickens, Zero food waste at my house

[goldenbrwn1]

One thing i have noticed in the last 10/15 years here, is the amount of Thais with acne issues these days. Either full blown or covered in scars from it. Not sure if this is a cause of eating habits changing and the copious amounts of sugar in their diet??

[Luuk Chaai]

Basic human chemistry..stop eating carbs / sugar..then your body can run optimal and you can even go OMAD(that would be 1 meal a day )

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Amongst the poor peasants who constitute my family here, not so much. Small brunch around 1000ish. Long breaks from work in the fields in the heat of the day, say 1200-1500 - mostly sleep & gossip, little or no food. Small dinner at 1800 more or less sharp on time. More work after to close down the chooks et al outside. Everyone slim.

When I first came to Thailand I was going out with an office girl and it was 1200 so she took me in to the back of the office where the staff were having lunch, they were all sharing the food and I keep remembering this fish head on the plate which had it's two eyes staring at me, and yes, they ate it.

[still kicking]

13 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

Just face it... Thais are inferior... right guys... in fact anyone who is not just like you is inferior... losers.

Yes Donald 

[BangkokReady]

Perhaps it's simply a cultural mismatch.  Like the way Thai people work.  They tend to work very slowly with lots of breaks.  But that can be explained by the weather.  It's a hot country and there is an abundance of produce all year round.  That doesn't really demand action like most Western countries.

 

It's easy to get confused and think that this should be considered a negative thing, but it's simply how things are.

 

You have to think about why you think something is "normal" and why how someone else behaves seems "weird" or "wrong".

[it is what it is]

15 hours ago, Pumpuynarak said:

They remind me of pigs at the trough.

 

charming.

 

i'm pretty widely traveled and in my experience you see people who eat politely and people who don't in pretty much every country.

 

i often think people on this forum have limited experience of countries and cultures outside their own and thailand. traveling more widely will give you a wider perspective and understanding of different cultures and behaviours.

[richard_smith237]

On 4/18/2024 at 11:56 PM, still kicking said:

 I have been told Thais eat many times a day. But I have been told only small meals. B.S. I just came back from a 2-hour trip from Ratchaburi to Bangkok. In 2houers or less they needed to eat 5 times and 2 pitstops. They ate more in one meal than I have the whole week. And the Noice of the people talking in the van. Ones we reached home they got stuck into Chipps and sweets 

 

Just curious - who was paying for all this food ?

 

 

[still kicking]

15 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Just curious - who was paying for all this food ?

 

 

As usual my Thai wife 

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, still kicking said:

18 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Just curious - who was paying for all this food ?

 

 

As usual my Thai wife 

 

Ergo, you ??...

 

I wonder if the eating 5x in 2 hours would have existed if they were paying for the food themselves ?

 

Anyway, it was probably inexpensive and they were in holiday mode and wanted to try a number of different things hence the numerous stops... 

 

I recall being in Chiang Mai and going to a 'well recommended' Khao Soi restaurant with friends - we weren't even hungry, but it 'just had to be tried'.....   (and it was excellent too !!)... 

 

 

 

 

 

[Confuscious]

I don't really car how many times a day Thai people eat.
But what makes me puke is the way thai people eat.
Mouth open and showing how they chew the food to pulp and some of them making loud noises while chewing or slurping the food.
Did nobody learn them to eat with their mouth CLOSED?

[Skipalongcassidy]

9 hours ago, still kicking said:

Yes Donald 

STILLKICKING TDS>>> 

[SAFETY FIRST]

4 hours ago, Confuscious said:

I don't really car how many times a day Thai people eat.
But what makes me puke is the way thai people eat.
Mouth open and showing how they chew the food to pulp and some of them making loud noises while chewing or slurping the food.
Did nobody learn them to eat with their mouth CLOSED?

It's an Asian thing. 

 

Many years ago I worked for Philips projects, we had many Chinese engineers working in the office. 

Lunch time in the canteen was the most bazaar thing I had ever seen in my youth, all these Chinaman, chomping at their rice and noodles. I never ate lunch in the canteen, too noisy. 

 

[Rampant Rabbit]

usually with mouth wide open with lots of noise  slapping chops............... id  have gotten a whack when I was a  kid for  that and still find it  disgusting

[rexpotter]

And then the toilet paper and hiding the toothpick. What are they hiding?

[KhunLA]

Not to go off topic, but people (anti EV'ers) try to tell me, they drive for 6-8hrs without stopping.   Yea, you must be driving by yourself.

 

Personal experience, and the wife has needed to stop, less than 1 hour from the house at the start of an O&A (out & about).  Geez, you couldn't P before we left.   Hour later, 'honey, I'm hungry'.

 

I'm usually good for about 3+ hours, if wife & dog don't insist on stopping.  That's a welcomed stop, and I'm definitely hungry, as usually before noon, and I'm not a big breakfast eater, if at all.

 

Returning home, and again, didn't eat  much for brekkie, maybe coffee & pastry, so first stop will be after 12 or 1 pm, depending when checked out of hotel,  If later check out 11 or 12pm, then it's munch and top up car, before hopefully a 3+ hr drive before stopping or arriving home.  Fits my first meal at home schedule.

 

During the day at home, yep, we're eating something every few hours.  Me, 11-noon for first meal, then 2 or 3pm, then 5-6pm, dog walk while sun setting, then snack 8ish pm.

 

I prefer no noise while eating, as I enjoy eating my food hot, not talking.  If with daughter/friends, I'm usually done before they barely started.   "Damn you eat fast" ... "NO, I eat, y'all talk"

[bunnydrops]

20 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

When I first came to Thailand I was going out with an office girl and it was 1200 so she took me in to the back of the office where the staff were having lunch, they were all sharing the food and I keep remembering this fish head on the plate which had it's two eyes staring at me, and yes, they ate it.

Thais love fish heads. There was a restaurant near Samsen train station that became famous for its deep-fried fish heads. They had to start restricting the number of orders due to all the fish bodies they had to throw away.

[bunnydrops]

3 hours ago, rexpotter said:

And then the toilet paper and hiding the toothpick. What are they hiding?

Think about the last time you saw a lumber mill or a paper mill in Thailand.

[Moonlover]

On 4/20/2024 at 6:43 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

They remind me of pigs at the trough.

ASEAN NOW continuous its slide into ignominy  with this offering.

[Korat Kiwi]

It's already been mentioned about eating with mouths open. I also get a bit riled up with noisy kids, as we don't have any at home it's when we go out somewhere. 

 

It could be a food court, KFC or a restaurant.  Some little brat will be throwing a tantrum or squealing loudly. Parents don't bat an eyelid. 

 

I've also noted that food hygiene can vary widely.  Food left in a pot overnight and not refrigerated will not be eaten by me. (Missus can't understand why).  Markets with uncovered food and flies having a merry dance on the produce. 

 

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are still my meal times... Haven't yet evolved to the many meal timings Thais have. 

 

I can understand rest/meal stops when driving.  It's good to have a break and the missus is normally dying for a smoke by then.  Top up with a cold drink from 7 11 and hit the road again.