I just discovered about ghost restaurants in China.

You buy hot food off a delivery app in China. The app claims the food comes from the 5-star reviewed "Chung's Noodles" or wherever.

However, Chung's Noodles does not exist. As soon as you place your order, an online auction occurs where the kitchen which bids to make the ordered meal at the lowest price, gets the order. These kitchens are usually just someone's apartment.

The delivery driver is guided to the apartment block of the bid winner, picks up the order, the customer receives their food and are none the wiser.

However, the problem with this is low-quality cheap ingredients and a complete lack of oversight regarding food hygiene.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves.

These unregulated yet profitable behaviours tend to get busted in China and then new opportunities in SE Asia are sought. One would think that these illegal Chinese kitchens in Pattaya are catering to the Chinese tourist market. It has put me off ordering online though.

2 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this

Thanks for this very worthwhile information.

Maybe I should post a topic of what my neighbours do in their apartment

3 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Thanks for this very worthwhile information.

Maybe I should post a topic of what my neighbours do in their apartment

Is it illegal?

2 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Is it illegal?

Are you a cop?

3 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Are you a cop?

No, you can talk about your neighbours here in confidence. What are they doing?

1 minute ago, Briggsy said:

No, you can talk about your neighbours here in confidence. What are they doing?

Thanks for your optimism but a few here are ex Green berets, ex SAS types. These dudes are sorta cool, living in their little fantasy world.

Take care, it's the foreign police, volunteer worker you got to be careful of, these guys will dob you in, I reckon they'd inform the cops about their grandmother if she was doing something illegal

Edited June 2Jun 2 by SAFETY FIRST

Hell of a scam. I don't use food delivery apps, and if I lived in China, I'd probably still not use food delivery apps.

7 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I just discovered about ghost restaurants in China.

You buy hot food off a delivery app in China. The app claims the food comes from the 5-star reviewed "Chung's Noodles" or wherever.

However, Chung's Noodles does not exist. As soon as you place your order, an online auction occurs where the kitchen which bids to make the ordered meal at the lowest price, gets the order. These kitchens are usually just someone's apartment.

The delivery driver is guided to the apartment block of the bid winner, picks up the order, the customer receives their food and are none the wiser.

However, the problem with this is low-quality cheap ingredients and a complete lack of oversight regarding food hygiene.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves.

These unregulated yet profitable behaviours tend to get busted in China and then new opportunities in SE Asia are sought. One would think that these illegal Chinese kitchens in Pattaya are catering to the Chinese tourist market. It has put me off ordering online though.

Perhaps they are cooking for friends or family or neighbors, or maybe their local religious facility and feeding destitute farangs. Set up a surveillance post and determine if delivery drivers are making frequent stops.

9 hours ago, Briggsy said:

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves.

Were you stood in the kitchen watching or just a peeping tom neighbour.

I often cook a large stew, enough for 3-4 meals and freeze for as and when fancied.

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Perhaps they are cooking for friends or family or neighbors, or maybe their local religious facility and feeding destitute farangs. Set up a surveillance post and determine if delivery drivers are making frequent stops.

Yeah, and maybe not too.

Sounds similar to these kitchens in London that support food delivery apps, sort of tells you you have no idea where you may be ordering from. I often wished there were more of them in Pattaya, as I sat over too much time in a restaurant, as they were more focused on serving the Grab or Panda guys.

Into every slightly dodgy venture these Chinese.

If there is coin to be made fair play to them.

17 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yeah, and maybe not too.

Sounds similar to these kitchens in London that support food delivery apps, sort of tells you you have no idea where you may be ordering from. I often wished there were more of them in Pattaya, as I sat over too much time in a restaurant, as they were more focused on serving the Grab or Panda guys.

Into every slightly dodgy venture these Chinese.

......and it's only just begun....watch this space......their illegal activities and in many cases, some pretty serious criminality is already starting to make Western shenanigans seem like child's play,,,,,,,,At least Thai social media and mainstream news outlets are reporting the Chinese cases equally as well as continually highlighting Western foreigners misdemeanors, antics and for the most part petty crime.......

I use food delivery apps all the time, these days primarily lineman since food panda is no longer around. I know the restaurants that I'm ordering from, I know their menus, and their food arrives fresh and hot and it's a bargain. I'm paying somewhere around nine baht for delivery, which is incredible, and it's an absolutely wonderful service.

I know nothing about remote pirate kitchens, and the story and saga means less than zero to me. What happens in China stays in China, it's their problem not ours.

18 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I just discovered about ghost restaurants in China.

You buy hot food off a delivery app in China. The app claims the food comes from the 5-star reviewed "Chung's Noodles" or wherever.

However, Chung's Noodles does not exist. As soon as you place your order, an online auction occurs where the kitchen which bids to make the ordered meal at the lowest price, gets the order. These kitchens are usually just someone's apartment.

The delivery driver is guided to the apartment block of the bid winner, picks up the order, the customer receives their food and are none the wiser.

However, the problem with this is low-quality cheap ingredients and a complete lack of oversight regarding food hygiene.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves.

These unregulated yet profitable behaviours tend to get busted in China and then new opportunities in SE Asia are sought. One would think that these illegal Chinese kitchens in Pattaya are catering to the Chinese tourist market. It has put me off ordering online though.

There's a video about it on Youtube. very interesting.

There are lots of kitchens in Thailand that have no seating and a clientele who show up on a motorcycle wearing green jackets. I’ve noticed two places near me recently.

I really don’t see the harm. Food hygiene? Is it differ from most of the street food places? Probably not. Might be better.

I don’t think they should be allowed to operate out of apartments or condominiums though.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I'm paying somewhere around nine baht for delivery, which is incredible, and it's an absolutely wonderful service.

Do you tip.....and if so how much normally?

To me, the most disturbing aspect of the OP is that they bid out each order, so you may not get food from the same place two times in a row. And, of course, the low bidder has every incentive to cheap out the recipes. It's not as if they count on happy customers and repeat business.

I've never had food delivered in Thailand during the last 20 years. No issue with those that do but never gave it any thought and just realized I have never done it. I wonder if ordering food is a common practice for most here?

Most here are in pathetic health. To each his own and know some great unhealthy people. Ordering fatty and high calorie food seems just what an unhealthy person would do. Why get off the couch and further away from the fridge full of beer when I can have tasty junk delivered.

Edited June 3Jun 3 by atpeace

23 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

What happens in China stays in China, it's their problem not ours

Well frequently not I believe!

On 6/2/2026 at 2:13 PM, Briggsy said:

I just discovered about ghost restaurants in China.

You buy hot food off a delivery app in China. The app claims the food comes from the 5-star reviewed "Chung's Noodles" or wherever.

However, Chung's Noodles does not exist. As soon as you place your order, an online auction occurs where the kitchen which bids to make the ordered meal at the lowest price, gets the order. These kitchens are usually just someone's apartment.

The delivery driver is guided to the apartment block of the bid winner, picks up the order, the customer receives their food and are none the wiser.

However, the problem with this is low-quality cheap ingredients and a complete lack of oversight regarding food hygiene.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves.

These unregulated yet profitable behaviours tend to get busted in China and then new opportunities in SE Asia are sought. One would think that these illegal Chinese kitchens in Pattaya are catering to the Chinese tourist market. It has put me off ordering online though.

You're making some assumptions that may not be based on facts here in Thailand. If you use a valid delivery service the restutaunts listed have to pay to be listed advertise on them and provide their menu details.

On 6/3/2026 at 6:32 AM, spidermike007 said:

I use food delivery apps all the time, these days primarily lineman since food panda is no longer around. I know the restaurants that I'm ordering from, I know their menus, and their food arrives fresh and hot and it's a bargain. I'm paying somewhere around nine baht for delivery, which is incredible, and it's an absolutely wonderful service.

I know nothing about remote pirate kitchens, and the story and saga means less than zero to me. What happens in China stays in China, it's their problem not ours.

What you dont see is the delivery companies charge the resturaunts between 20 and 30% of sales volume to list on their sites. This is the majority of profit a resturaunt makes on a dish and they often lose money on the sales thinking they can make it up in volume which doesnt happen unless they have 2 different price structures for dining in or delivery.

52 minutes ago, Dan O said:

What you dont see is the delivery companies charge the resturaunts between 20 and 30% of sales volume to list on their sites. This is the majority of profit a resturaunt makes on a dish and they often lose money on the sales thinking they can make it up in volume which doesnt happen unless they have 2 different price structures for dining in or delivery.

I was wondering if Chinese tourists / Chinese expats in Thailand use different Chinese language apps, perhaps informal apps, to order food, rather than the main Thai language delivery services.

The illegal ghost shops (i.e. people making food at very cheap rates in unregulated homes and apartments) were run through a hidden auction app unknown to and unseen by the buying public but in cahoots with all the major Chinese food delivery services in China, including the market leader, Temu.

These major Chinese food delivery services in China also offered food from real restaurants. So, it didn't happen on every order. If this happened in China it could happen in Thailand but I think it would be more likely when people order off unofficial apps.

These ghost restaurants are all over Europe also. But to get back to topic, if possible, I would never blindly trust a chinese entity.

2 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I was wondering if Chinese tourists / Chinese expats in Thailand use different Chinese language apps, perhaps informal apps, to order food, rather than the main Thai language delivery services.

The illegal ghost shops (i.e. people making food at very cheap rates in unregulated homes and apartments) were run through a hidden auction app unknown to and unseen by the buying public but in cahoots with all the major Chinese food delivery services in China, including the market leader, Temu.

These major Chinese food delivery services in China also offered food from real restaurants. So, it didn't happen on every order. If this happened in China it could happen in Thailand but I think it would be more likely when people order off unofficial apps.

Key words there are "happens in China" and "informa delivery apps". If anyone chooses to use those types of apps has no room to complain, especially if scammed. Thailand has formal delivery apps. There could be some random informal delivery apps run for any nationality but again if thats their choice then they get what the pay for.

On 6/2/2026 at 11:22 PM, Liquorice said:

Were you stood in the kitchen watching or just a peeping tom neighbour.

I often cook a large stew, enough for 3-4 meals and freeze for as and when fancied.

But every day...?

On 6/3/2026 at 6:21 AM, Off Piste said:

starting to make Western shenanigans seem like child's play,,,,,

Phrasing!

On 6/2/2026 at 2:13 PM, Briggsy said:

I just discovered about ghost restaurants in China.

You buy hot food off a delivery app in China. The app claims the food comes from the 5-star reviewed "Chung's Noodles" or wherever.

However, Chung's Noodles does not exist. As soon as you place your order, an online auction occurs where the kitchen which bids to make the ordered meal at the lowest price, gets the order. These kitchens are usually just someone's apartment.

The delivery driver is guided to the apartment block of the bid winner, picks up the order, the customer receives their food and are none the wiser.

However, the problem with this is low-quality cheap ingredients and a complete lack of oversight regarding food hygiene.

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves.

These unregulated yet profitable behaviours tend to get busted in China and then new opportunities in SE Asia are sought. One would think that these illegal Chinese kitchens in Pattaya are catering to the Chinese tourist market. It has put me off ordering online though.

First, you say you think they were doing "this", then you say "these illegal restaurants" without the slightest bit of evidence.

Did you know that a large percentage of the Thai food you order on Grab or other apps is made at very small local restaurants, market stalls, and some on street-carts? It wouldn't surprise me if a lot is made in private homes, hopefully without nosy neighbours. This is the way you'll get the best food as specialists in specific dishes are preparing it.

On 6/2/2026 at 12:31 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Take care, it's the foreign police, volunteer worker you got to be careful of, these guys will dob you in, I reckon they'd inform the cops about their grandmother if she was doing something illegal

A few years back someone I knew was pulled into something or other (I know it wasn't from him acting up in public, he's not the sort). After it was over he said that he now has a completely different perspective on the words "tourist police."

On 6/2/2026 at 2:20 PM, Briggsy said:

Is it illegal?

Is it noisy? Does it sound like a metal 'spatula' hitting the sides of a wok then sounds of sexual pleasure. Perhaps it's chow mien, a mixture of inputs?

On 6/2/2026 at 9:13 AM, Briggsy said:

The reason I am posting this here is that I think the Chinese couple who were staying in the room next to me in Pattaya were doing this. They were constantly cooking clearly too much for themselves

The youngest sister of my first wife had one of the typical noodle stalls on a street corner; they can be really profitable if the location is right. Back at our house, there was constant cooking and preparation going on, because at the street cart itself, all that was happening was keeping it heated and portioning it out as fast as possible.

So, before needing an outrageously complex setup like "ghost restaurants", this is just normal procedure for a busy street stall, as you have hundreds around every Thai city.

Edited June 4Jun 4 by jts-khorat