Open Letter To Western Fast Food Resturants

[dotcom]

To McThai Minor Food Group Yum Brands BK Foods DQ et al.

Will you kindly start to print your menus & promotions in Thai & English?

You are insulting the rest of the people who might be visiting Thailand & wish to purchase some of your food.

This is typically what happens when western companies come here, set up businesses hire a bunch of local MBS's & then go home & forget about it.

[roygsd]

To McThai Minor Food Group Yum Brands BK Foods DQ et al.

Will you kindly start to print your menus & promotions in Thai & English?

You are insulting the rest of the people who might be visiting Thailand & wish to purchase some of your food.

This is typically what happens when western companies come here, set up businesses hire a bunch of local MBS's & then go home & forget about it.

Why not go the whole hog and insist they only speak english!

If you feel that insulted dont visit those business's, alternatively stop being so petty.

Roy gsd

[britmaveric]

Tis thailand, so dare say it will be in Thai. Go to most foreign countries and the same is true. One of the reason the pics are there.

[marcus]

Let me guess.... you are one of these native English speakers who complain all the time the rest of the world doesn't speak English ?

[Ulysses G.]

Most - if not all - of them have menus in English already. I have never even had to ask for one.

[hanno]

I think the menus should be in German as well, seeing how many Germans come to Thailand. Oh, and Russsian. And French. Japanese maybe? Swedish, of course! And my wife gets really ticked off because menus are not in Vietnamese

OP, your post reeks a liitle bit of colonial arrogance, if I may say so

[Carib]

I want all restaurants and fatty fast food joints in the westernworld to have a menu in chinese, amongst all other languages, they are insulting the rest of the world who might be visiting and wish to purchase something...

Shees

[dhind1]

Have to agree with the replies already seen.

This is Thailand and the menu should be in Thai. There is often an English version available if you ask, and there is always the photo.

You should not feel insulted that the menu is in Thai, you came to Thailand so.....

[Chaimai]

To McThai Minor Food Group Yum Brands BK Foods DQ et al.

Will you kindly start to print your menus & promotions in Thai & English?

You are insulting the rest of the people who might be visiting Thailand & wish to purchase some of your food.

This is typically what happens when western companies come here, set up businesses hire a bunch of local MBS's & then go home & forget about it.

Why not go the whole hog and insist they only speak english!

If you feel that insulted dont visit those business's, alternatively stop being so petty.

Roy gsd

I would go the whole hog a bit further and get the government to decree that all street vendors have to have multi-lingual menus and pictures in Thai and Falang !

I love street-side noodles with pork or bplah balls and I prefer yellow noodles - without my g/f it would be difficult to order, or at least get an order right. Yep, dotcom is right, that is a total insult to me and the lack English menu is designed entirely to make me look stupid - and just because I can't understand their language sufficiently, it's a downright disgr...... Oh, rewind - I forgot, I am in Thailand and I have just remembered how accommodating English establishments would be at making it easy for foreign visitors (NOT!)

[soic]

Last time I went home to the states I don't remember seeing any of the fast food menus in any other languages. I'm American and it still frustrates me how many of my countrymen expect the rest of the world to learn our language. As a matter of respect and courtesy, I have always made it my responsibility to learn the language of every country I visit, if nothing else, just the basic introductions, hello and most of all Thank you! When I worked in Romania, some of my co-workers were upsetting the hotel staff by demanding english. I wound up being the interpreter, even though I spoke almost none of the language at the time. Thanks to them and their arrogance, I learned Romanian almost fluently. Foarte proste colleaga was my favorite saying to them...

[DP25]

I agree with the OP. Western fast food companies should provide their menus and promotions in English. For some locations, the vast majority of customers are unable to speak or read Thai. To have the promotions only listed in Thai when 90% of the customers can not read it is just silly. The fact is that at western fast food restaurants many of customers are not Thai. American fast food chains in some places provide their menus and web sites in Spanish for similar reasons.

I remember when Pizza Company changed their menus a couple years ago. They didn't even bother printing the descriptions of the pizzas in English, only in Thai, and they only printed the names of the pizzas in English. Apparently some mba dork that designed the menus assumed that all farang already knew what toppings came on a 'tropical load' or a 'meat deluxe,' or whatever other names they invented for their pizzas. It was no problem for me as I can read Thai, but it was funny watching all the farang struggle with the menu, as they couldn't read what the toppings were and the staff could not explain it.

[junki3korean]

well...............how hard is it to order a bigmac or a samurai burger at mcdonald???!?!?

[lomatopo]

To McThai Minor Food Group Yum Brands BK Foods DQ et al.

Will you kindly start to print your menus & promotions in Thai & English?

You are insulting the rest of the people who might be visiting Thailand & wish to purchase some of your food.

This is typically what happens when western companies come here, set up businesses hire a bunch of local MBS's & then go home & forget about it.

Did you correspond directly with these franchisers? Or are you hoping they are reading your post?

FWIW I can't remember the last time I saw a menu or promotional flier which did not have English.

[Cuban]

If the subject is fast food 'menus' it is pretty much cut and dried as to what they might be offering. McDs serves burgers, Pizza Hut serves pizzas and KFC deep fried mystery meat.

The issue about special offers and promotions is a little one that I would like to see promoted, if only in sign language, 2-4-1 deals etc.

The problem for the restaraunt is one that you will encounter if you visit a place like Somsaks (?) in Pattaya Beach Road Soi 1 - his menu is in Thai / English / German - it's like reading a technical manual it's so thick.

Pictures are great - but on a menu it does have the feeling of being dumbed down - I almost expect the drinks to be served in thick plastic cups with a handle on each side.

What would be of more use in these fussy food days would be a simple list of expressions connected with food, to allow people to communicate clearly.

Food without...

Please give me extra...

Meat...

Sugar....

Child size....

Garlic...

Is there MSG...

Sea food...

Shellfish...

Cheese.. etc.

There is a link posted on the Thai Food forum that gives a run down for some of these phrases in connection with Thai food.

[h90]

From at home, I remember that they all have their menus just in German, neither in English nor in Thai.

Good luck my Thai wife didn't see that, she would have very insulted...........

[PhilHarries]

Personally I wish they'd bulldoze all the fast food restaurants they there'd be no need for menus in any language.

<edit : to all those who bleated "well it is Thailand" or similar the OP did ask for the menus to be in Thai AND English.>

Edited August 16, 2008 by PhilHarries

[Ulysses G.]

Personally I wish they'd bulldoze all the fast food restaurants they there'd be no need for menus in any language.

After they knocked down all the Thai restauraunts for me, there wouldn't be a lot left.

[sweetchariot]

Last time I went home to the states I don't remember seeing any of the fast food menus in any other languages. I'm American and it still frustrates me how many of my countrymen expect the rest of the world to learn our language. As a matter of respect and courtesy, I have always made it my responsibility to learn the language of every country I visit, if nothing else, just the basic introductions, hello and most of all Thank you! When I worked in Romania, some of my co-workers were upsetting the hotel staff by demanding english. I wound up being the interpreter, even though I spoke almost none of the language at the time. Thanks to them and their arrogance, I learned Romanian almost fluently. Foarte proste colleaga was my favorite saying to them...

It's not your language, it's English.

[garro]

Last time I went home to the states I don't remember seeing any of the fast food menus in any other languages. I'm American and it still frustrates me how many of my countrymen expect the rest of the world to learn our language. As a matter of respect and courtesy, I have always made it my responsibility to learn the language of every country I visit, if nothing else, just the basic introductions, hello and most of all Thank you! When I worked in Romania, some of my co-workers were upsetting the hotel staff by demanding english. I wound up being the interpreter, even though I spoke almost none of the language at the time. Thanks to them and their arrogance, I learned Romanian almost fluently. Foarte proste colleaga was my favorite saying to them...

It's not your language, it's English.

Perhaps you should investigate your language a bit further. It is actually a Germanic language which didn't become the official language of England until a few hundred years ago - prior to this the official language was French. It is called English for convience sake and could just as easily be called something else. The only reason it continues to have so much influence in the world is its association with the United States, but like Latin and Frence before it English will eventually lose steam.

[sweetchariot]

Last time I went home to the states I don't remember seeing any of the fast food menus in any other languages. I'm American and it still frustrates me how many of my countrymen expect the rest of the world to learn our language. As a matter of respect and courtesy, I have always made it my responsibility to learn the language of every country I visit, if nothing else, just the basic introductions, hello and most of all Thank you! When I worked in Romania, some of my co-workers were upsetting the hotel staff by demanding english. I wound up being the interpreter, even though I spoke almost none of the language at the time. Thanks to them and their arrogance, I learned Romanian almost fluently. Foarte proste colleaga was my favorite saying to them...

It's not your language, it's English.

Perhaps you should investigate your language a bit further. It is actually a Germanic language which didn't become the official language of England until a few hundred years ago - prior to this the official language was French. It is called English for convience sake and could just as easily be called something else. The only reason it continues to have so much influence in the world is its association with the United States, but like Latin and Frence before it English will eventually lose steam.

That's as maybe, but the only reason English is spoken in the states is because we went there and took over. Same with many other countries in the world who use our mother tongue as their first language.

[garro]

Last time I went home to the states I don't remember seeing any of the fast food menus in any other languages. I'm American and it still frustrates me how many of my countrymen expect the rest of the world to learn our language. As a matter of respect and courtesy, I have always made it my responsibility to learn the language of every country I visit, if nothing else, just the basic introductions, hello and most of all Thank you! When I worked in Romania, some of my co-workers were upsetting the hotel staff by demanding english. I wound up being the interpreter, even though I spoke almost none of the language at the time. Thanks to them and their arrogance, I learned Romanian almost fluently. Foarte proste colleaga was my favorite saying to them...

It's not your language, it's English.

Perhaps you should investigate your language a bit further. It is actually a Germanic language which didn't become the official language of England until a few hundred years ago - prior to this the official language was French. It is called English for convience sake and could just as easily be called something else. The only reason it continues to have so much influence in the world is its association with the United States, but like Latin and Frence before it English will eventually lose steam.

That's as maybe, but the only reason English is spoken in the states is because we went there and took over. Same with many other countries in the world who use our mother tongue as their first language.

And the only reason you speak English is because your country was invaded, and apparently if the United States hadn't 'saved your asses' you would be speaking a more popular form of German.

[sweetchariot]

This could go on for ages, and get us both a holiday. Suffice to say we were doing OK for the first 2 years whilst you were hiding across the Atlantic.

And you still speak ENGLISH

[garro]

This could go on for ages, and get us both a holiday. Suffice to say we were doing OK for the first 2 years whilst you were hiding across the Atlantic.

And you still speak ENGLISH

Who said anything about the across the Atlantic?

My home country is across the Irish sea.

[Familyonthemove]

I think McDonalds in London should print their menus in Polish ... or Australian.

As for McD here, what's wrong with pointing at the pictures .... works for me.

Also works in massage parlours!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

This could go on for ages, and get us both a holiday. Suffice to say we were doing OK for the first 2 years whilst you were hiding across the Atlantic.

And you still speak ENGLISH

Who said anything about the across the Atlantic?

My home country is across the Irish sea.

and as Bing Crosby sang ... ' The strangers came and tried to teach us their tongue '

[garro]

This could go on for ages, and get us both a holiday. Suffice to say we were doing OK for the first 2 years whilst you were hiding across the Atlantic.

And you still speak ENGLISH

Who said anything about the across the Atlantic?

My home country is across the Irish sea.

and as Bing Crosby sang ... ' The strangers came and tried to teach us their tongue '

Sorry Grandad, but this song is well before my time. Did you listen to it on your gramaphone?

[DB84]

Don't most if not all fastfood joints have pictures of their food - just point?

[russianrobert]

To McThai Minor Food Group Yum Brands BK Foods DQ et al.

Will you kindly start to print your menus & promotions in Thai & English?

You are insulting the rest of the people who might be visiting Thailand & wish to purchase some of your food.

This is typically what happens when western companies come here, set up businesses hire a bunch of local MBS's & then go home & forget about it.

I agree with dotcom.

Not because i'm a quasi colonialist but because from the restaurants point of view it makes good business sense.

I'm in the restaurant business and have worked in many developing markets. You wouldn't believe how difficult it is sometimes to get restaurants and restaurant companies to understand the advantages of dual signage.

[BigSnake]

Never encounter this problem, most case an english menu is present with or without request; beside that KFC, McDonald, Burger King, Dairy Queen, etc ALL have many pictures that you can point out what you want if all else fail.

[Cuban]

KFC, McDonald, Burger King, Dairy Queen, etc ALL have many pictures that you can point out what you want if all else fail.

Minor gripe - in a KFC the other day (Chon Buri town - so farang aware but I was one of two farangs in the whole center) and asked for two pieces of fried chicken (in my bestest Thai) pointing at the chicken pieces in the hot tray, assistant asked in Thai "Spicy?", 'yes' I replied, again in Thai. At which point she took two pieces of spicy chicken and two normal! Four lumps more than enough.