File photo for reference only

 

A Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant in Bangkok finds itself embroiled in controversy as its owner faces accusations of attempting to slap foreign tourists following a reservation dispute.

 

The incident came to light after Burapa Seiko, a Thai tour guide, detailed the altercation on the Facebook page พวกเราคือผู้บริโภค (“We Are Consumers”) on 22nd August.

 

According to Burapa, the debacle began on the evening of 21st August. He arrived at the restaurant on Banthat Thong Road at roughly 6:30 PM to reserve a table for his five foreign clients.

 

The restaurant staff declined his request, insisting that the tourists make their own reservations. Burapa informed them that he would be dining with the group, and they finally assigned him a queue number.

 

When the foreigners arrived at 6:50 PM, they waited outside until their queue number was called at 8:10 PM. The group then entered the restaurant and placed their orders. However, Burapa briefly left to buy some snacks from a store across the street at his clients' request.

 

Shortly thereafter, Burapa received a distress call from the tourists, stating that the restaurant had refused to serve them and asked them to leave. He rushed back to find out what had transpired.

 

The restaurant accused him of violating its policies by supposedly selling the reservation to the foreigners. Burapa argued that he only made the booking on their behalf and waited outside with them.

 

Despite Burapa's pleas to review security footage for clarity, the staff refused. He recounted that the owner, unable to communicate in English, yelled in Thai at the tourists, “What the f*ck! I’ll slap you now if you don’t leave. I’ll call the police to drag you all out!” She reportedly raised her hand as if about to strike one of them.

 

In the aftermath, Burapa and his clients left the restaurant, deeming the treatment unfair and violent. The story sparked public outrage, with many netizens sharing similar negative experiences at the restaurant.

 

Criticisms ranged from poor service to allegations that the restaurant had illegally occupied public footpaths. The restaurant owner has yet to address these accusations publicly.

 

-- 2024-08-24

 

 

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Should get their one star.

2 hours ago, mackayae said:

Should get their one star.

Oh I don't know, with that level of treatment it deserves a 5 star 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Burapa briefly left to buy some snacks from a store across the street

 

You sit in a Michelin recommended restaurant and buy a snack from a store across the street. Really?

Just for that he should be thrown out.

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

You sit in a Michelin recommended restaurant and buy a snack from a store across the street. Really?

Just for that he should be thrown out.

They were probably very hungry after waiting so long. 

Slappers!

Perhaps it is one of those restaurants whose selling point is they  insult and mistreat the customers.

 

Next headlines will likely be "Tour guide sued for defamation!".

35 minutes ago, 2baht said:

Slappers!

Are those on the menu? 

Could there be some truth in the accusation that the Thai Burapa was indeed selling the reservation or at least charging a service fee for getting the table, and then waiting outside?

5 hours ago, webfact said:

owner faces accusations of attempting to slap foreign tourists

Some of them need a good slap. 

 

There is not a restaurant in the world I would wait 90 minutes for. 

They waited over one hour to get a table....numpties

5 hours ago, webfact said:

When the foreigners arrived at 6:50 PM, they waited outside until their queue number was called at 8:10 PM.

 

 

You cannot be serious......I go ballistic if I have to wait for the maitre d' to seat us at our own, reserved table.

Another class act...threatening to slap someone over a reservation.  Why should the owner care?...just serve them and move on.  They deserve all the s#!^^y press they get.

 

 

Name and shame

About time for Michelin star to be revoked. But that's probably the only reason people go there...

2 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

About time for Michelin star to be revoked. But that's probably the only reason people go there...

 

I don't think so.

Easy to find which restaurant it is using Google, and it is a hit for 50 years already. Second generation of the family running the business now

The guide is suspect. He entered the restaurant with his foreign costomers then left "to buy snacks from a nearby shop'

He booked the places but was not intending to eat with them at the restaurant against company policy. Good on the busy food restaurant  spotting the deception. 

We must remove all Kebabs and Siames from the EU zone they get more than we get in our homeland and they offer nothing in their homeland

 

Quality restaurants for quality guests new TAT slogan!

☻🙈😁👮‍♂️🐒🐘🦌😬😳

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

I go ballistic if I have to wait for the maitre d' to seat us at our own, reserved table.

They did not have a reserved table, they had queue number.   Doubt that the Tang Sui Heng had a maître d', either!

1. I won't wait more than 10 minutes to get a table at a restaurant. I'm at a point in my life where I just don't have enough time left. Waiting over an hour to get a table to me is just out of the question. I don't care what restaurant it is, I don't care how good they're supposed to be. 

 

2. This restaurant needs to be called out by name. I don't care how good it is, I don't care how great the owner thinks he is, slapping around customers is just beyond the pale. Call them out by name!

Shame them

humiliate them

embarrass them, and do not be the slightest bit concerned with defamation, that's a law written by and for cowards. 

1 hour ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Name and shame

Burapa Seiko!

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

I don't care how great the owner thinks he is, slapping around customers is just beyond the pale.

No one was slapped as the OP clearly states.

The article reads as though the guide was attempting to jump the queue, against the restaurant's policy, by getting a queue number for a party that were not there in order that his guests did not have to wait in line when they did arrive, as all the other customers had to.   

His leaving "to buy snacks" probably made it appear that he had, indeed, been lying when he originally turned up to get a ticket and claimed that he was dining also just to get a ticket issued.  How many tourists actually dine with their guide?

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This restaurant needs to be called out by name. I don't care how good it is

There's only one that fits the description and it had been named before you posted.

 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The restaurant accused him of violating its policies by supposedly selling the reservation to the foreigners. Burapa argued that he only made the booking on their behalf and waited outside with them

 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The restaurant staff declined his request, insisting that the tourists make their own reservations. Burapa informed them that he would be dining with the group, and they finally assigned him a queue number.

So what was Burapa up to?

27 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No one was slapped as the OP clearly states.

OK, I see that now. Rules and regulations. I sort of get that. But, it still seems like poor form on the part of the owner. An astonishing lack of grace? A huge sense of entitlement? 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

unable to communicate in English, yelled in Thai at the tourists, “What the <deleted>! I’ll slap you now if you don’t leave. I’ll call the police to drag you all out!”

in thai? there's no such expression in thai, honey. 

you're faking it