Why Are Thai Visa's Members Obsessed With Western Food?

[Hazri]

OP's question makes me ponder : why are Thais so obsessed with Thai food when they're in Western countries? Or other countries for that matter.

[greasemonkey]

Food and sex are the two things most of us think about on a daily basis if we are honest. Topics of a sexual nature are not allowed on Thai Visa if they were the Chiang Mai forum would be filled up with burger, fish and chips, massage and bar girl topics

When I am in thailand I crave cheese and onion pastys, and sausages in gravy, which i hardly ever eat. When im not here I crave off limit topics, which I'm to tight fisted to indulge in when im here.

[TheWalkingMan]

OP's question makes me ponder : why are Thais so obsessed with Thai food when they're in Western countries? Or other countries for that matter.

Dang, you beat me to the punch.

And I think that is the correct question. Why are Thais so obsessed with Thai food when they travel overseas? The answer IMHO is that it is the food they grew up with so it is comfortable to them. Then again, some of the western fast food places are making a mint from the native population. What's up with that?

As far as non-Thai folks craving non-Thai food? Why not? There is a great big world out there full of interesting tastes, familiar tastes and lousy tastes so why limit yourself to one brand?

When I travel to Thailand, I eat Thai food but sometimes I get cravings for western fare. The occasional sandwich or burger is a welcome addition to my diet.

TheWalkingMan

[Hazri]

WalkingMan, I agree with you. I think it's suffice to say that everybody needs their comfort food once in a while.

[tigerbeer]

its simply not true, a lot of members are also obsessed with Indian food.

[OxfordWill]

If you let a chihuahua eat as much as it can......ain't never going to be an Irish wolfhound!!!

Quote of the day.

[newbie001]

I think that it is perfectly natural for all people to prefer the food that they were brought up with.

I will agree with the OP if we were tourist. I find it quite ridiculous for tourist who are here for a few weeks that cannot live without western food especially the fast food garbage. "How was your trip to Thailand? Great, the Mcdonalds was excellent"

For those expats that live here, I don't think that it is wrong that they have cravings for familiar foods. There are those that don't eat any Thai food and only consume a western diet, which I think is strange, but not all come here for the food.

I also think that most westerners don't really eat Thai food, they eat the dishes that are popular in their home countries. Every foreigner I meet always talks about Pad Thai, to me it is nothing but greasy noodles. I prefer the norther curries, which really are more like soups.

"think it is the quality of a lot of Thai food and way meat is butchered is where the problem lies? If I order a chicken curry at home I get breast meat here I get legs, skin and bones. Like you I have eaten a lot of different foods from different countries the difference is they are made with better quality produce."

This quote I loved. Anyone who thinks that breast meat is better than dark meat knows nothing about food. Of course you get legs, skin and bones in a curry in Thailand, because if you didn't you would need to add some canned stock to create the flavor of the broth. What decent Thai cook would ever used a canned broth?

Every chef knows that the dark meat of the chicken has the most flavor. I have never found better produce in the US than I have found in Thailand. All of the GMO and selective varieties in the US are designed for better travel and pest resistance not flavor.

[Jingthing]

Yes I agree this is a different issue for tourists vs. expats. Tourists are wasting a great opportunity if they don't sample a lot of Thai as it is cooked in Thailand. For food lovers, Thai food in Thailand is one of the highlights of a trip here. However, many people aren't into being adventurous with their eating, again, their choice. People who live here can have Thai food anytime.

[eek]

Why is what other people eat any of our business anyway?

[ChiangMai2]

Why is what other people eat any of our business anyway?

well it could be handy to know if you are a chef or own a restaurant!

[JXXXL]

This quote I loved. Anyone who thinks that breast meat is better than dark meat knows nothing about food. Of course you get legs, skin and bones in a curry in Thailand, because if you didn't you would need to add some canned stock to create the flavor of the broth. What decent Thai cook would ever used a canned broth?

Every chef knows that the dark meat of the chicken has the most flavor. I have never found better produce in the US than I have found in Thailand. All of the GMO and selective varieties in the US are designed for better travel and pest resistance not flavor.

So true. In Asia, breast meat is saved for dogs and tourists.

End of the day, I don't give a sh!t what someone else wants to eat, but to say breast meat is the prime cut is just ignorant.

Thai food is certainly one of the great cuisines of the world, but if you don't like it, it's nobody's business.

[just_Elaine]

I'm obsessed with food. I like to eat all kinds of food including Thai food. I'm happy others are obsessed with food.

I don't read topics that don't interest me.. Maybe you should do the same...

[Ulysses G.]

I don't read topics that don't interest me.. Maybe you should do the same...

Words of wisdom.

[rohitsuk]

"Why are Thai visa's memembers are so obsessed with western food?".

Forgive the stark simplicity of my poor logic but could it possibly be because so many of us are western ???

And if you are tired of food bitching then stop doing it !

[TheWalkingMan]

But, I'll tell you something that I just remembered. Once I was on a flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong and a Thai woman opened her bag for something.... I took a peek inside and it was full of Thai instant noodles. So whenever someone asks the age old question as to why people want to eat the type of food from their country... I think... hmmmm... this person has not really seen enough to realize that the locals do the samething and he/she should pose the question to the locals first... think about it and then make to the jump... hmmmm... maybe the locals have it right. People like to eat foods they grew up with or are accustomed to.

TheWalkingMan

[zzaa09]

OP's question makes me ponder : why are Thais so obsessed with Thai food when they're in Western countries? Or other countries for that matter.

The only problem with such, is that one can't find truer forms of Thai/Asian food in the West - not as Asians eat everyday. What amounts to Thai, Chinese, Korean, etc dining and the promotion thereof, in the West, one would never find in Asia. The imagined hybrid Asian cuisines found are quite unsatisfactory.

[richard10365]

When I lived in America, food from other countries seemed special. The new flavors, spices and delicacies were quite exciting to eat. That might be because normally in the USA I ate American food. I paid a bit extra for the foreign food but I thought it was worth it.

After living in Thailand for the past 5 years my food taste have changed. Every day I eat Thai food. Sometimes more than 3 times a day. I love Thai food.

However, now when I eat in a good burger joint, pizzeria, sandwich shop or a restaurant like Dukes I find it just as special as I did eating foreign food in the USA.

This might be why from time to time a few people like to talk about foreign food.

[PostmanPat]

Just come late onto this thread. A lot of my thoughts have been well said already, but just recently I visited Australia with my Thai partner....and guess what, the predominant food availability there now is Asian food. Thai restaurants on almost every corner in Brisbane, the locals enjoy it, and also of course it provides a comfort zone for Asian people visiting or studying there.

Absolutely nothing wrong. So, just to go back to the thread starter.....SHUT UP and stop being so bloody pompous!! "If you live in Thailand you should (always?) eat Thai food" Thats total bilge!! Absolutely nothing wrong with Foreigners in a Foreign land wanting to enter the comfort zone of the type of food theyve been brought up on for 50 years or so dependent on their age!! GOOD Thai food I have no problem with.....but if I want to eat Fish & chips, or a meat pie, or a Lasagne etc because it helps me to live here more comfortably, thats my choice, so stop bloody lecturing us!!

Truth is, most Foreigners here dont in fact fully assimmilate into Thai ways, thats why most of us still have friends from our homelands, why we still watch Western movies and why we go to Pubs to watch Rugby, Football etc!! This is in no way a criticism, it is a fact of human nature, when do you think Thais are happiest when they live abroad? Answer. When they can meet other Thais, speak their own language, and eat their own food!! Fact of life, all over the world, so please stop carping about those of us who take pleasure in spending OUR money on Western style food!!!

OK??????????????

[ozzieovaseas]

OP's question makes me ponder : why are Thais so obsessed with Thai food when they're in Western countries? Or other countries for that matter.

Dang, you beat me to the punch.

And I think that is the correct question. Why are Thais so obsessed with Thai food when they travel overseas? The answer IMHO is that it is the food they grew up with so it is comfortable to them. Then again, some of the western fast food places are making a mint from the native population. What's up with that?

As far as non-Thai folks craving non-Thai food? Why not? There is a great big world out there full of interesting tastes, familiar tastes and lousy tastes so why limit yourself to one brand?

When I travel to Thailand, I eat Thai food but sometimes I get cravings for western fare. The occasional sandwich or burger is a welcome addition to my diet.

TheWalkingMan

Hey WM,

Well said...Just a few things to add from my point of view..

As far as Thais being obsessed with thai food when away, i definately think its due to the addictive quality of chilli in their everyday diets...especially considering a good chilli fix will stimulate the brains endorphins in the same way as a mild "high" would.

In my case ive noticed if i go a few days without a good chilli fix i will have a slight lull,which could be compared to someone addicted to caffiene going without.

The few Thais ive known in Oz seem to miss the intensity of the dipping sauces and the method of eating it with food RATHER than the actual dishes themselves.

So if you believe in the concept of people having a so-called "sweet tooth" then is it not concievable that others might have a "fat tooth" or a "spicy tooth" which needs to be fulfilled before the feeling of satisfaction?

I think our biggest problem in the west is that we have fallen into the habit of letting our "fat tooth" tell our bodies when we are full/satisfied, hence we develop larger and larger appetites from repeat visits to the likes of maccas,kfc and fish and chips styles of fast food.

I used to be a big meat eater,mexican, lots of cheese,sour cream ect ect but rarely (if ever) indulge in these on the scale like i used to.

Id have to admit that the motivation to cut down came more from being a cheap charlie in LOS than being diet conscious, but nonetheless lost 20 kgs after 9 months in LOS

Feel a hel_l of a lot healthier, and the pooying call me hansum man so its definately worked for me

Edited January 23, 2010 by ozzieovaseas

[ozzieovaseas]

When I lived in America, food from other countries seemed special. The new flavors, spices and delicacies were quite exciting to eat. That might be because normally in the USA I ate American food. I paid a bit extra for the foreign food but I thought it was worth it.

After living in Thailand for the past 5 years my food taste have changed. Every day I eat Thai food. Sometimes more than 3 times a day. I love Thai food.

However, now when I eat in a good burger joint, pizzeria, sandwich shop or a restaurant like Dukes I find it just as special as I did eating foreign food in the USA.

This might be why from time to time a few people like to talk about foreign food.

I can definately relate to you there,

I dont know about you but ive noticed i can never seem to get full on the odd trip to the burger or pizza place..i can eat it all night and still not seem to be satisfied..whereas a 30 baht bowl of dark stock noodles will see me ok for hours