Most Baffling Thai Service

[lazurus]

Thais have some unusual ways of serving customers, what have you come across?

[PhilHarries]

Are you trying you take over from Jingthing? He is the uberschturmpollmeister.

Pepsi in a bag p1sses me off only because I know that in 99% of the cases the bag ends up in the bushes (not from me as I only drink pepsi or coke diluted with sang som or JD).

Never had a massage in a toilet, guess I'm lucky or maybe just too <deleted>' tall for them to reach my shoulders .

I've only had ice in beer when way up country and ice in beer is a million porsen more agrreable than warm/hot beer.

Many things are baffling in Thailand, and all south east Asia, but that's the beauty of travel.and long may it remain so.

[anothertorres]

for a good story...

i'm sitting around one day and i'm hungry and thinking what to do. next thing i know, the doorbell rings. it's Pizza Hut. the delivery kid asks if i want a pizza. i ask if he has it on him now and he says no, but he can bring me one in 20 minutes tops. i thought about it for a second but decided that i didn't want a pizza and i thanked him and sent him on his way.

in hindsight, i don't know if he was trying to make a little cash on the side or just knows from coming to the house before that i tip well but i just didn't want this to become a regular thing where he shows up every week ringing doorbells.

anyway, thought it was kinda cool that, regardless of whether he was trying to make a little extra cash, he stopped and asked.

[toptuan]

Eating out with a friend, and finishing my entire meal before he is served his/hers. One time, at a group dinner of 13 foreigners, ALL TWELVE finished before the unlucky 13th one got his meal served. Normal in Thailand, but still baffling to me.

Another time, I went to a little roadside eating place and asked if they had "kai jeaow sai yasai" (egg omelette stuffed with meat and veggies). "Sure!" After 15 minutes, no food, and then I observed cook's husband getting on his bicycle, disappearing for 20 minutes down the road, and coming back with the ingredients. After another 20 minutes (do the math--we're up to nearly an hour now), and my VERY fresh meal was presented at my table. Good thing I had an interesting magazine with me and plenty of time that Saturday morning.

[sanook2me]

Easy....

That irritating rubber advertising thingy they put on your bonnet when filling with up the car with petrol..! i always think..if that scratches my bonnet i'm going to <snip>... I never think..okay i will buy it! surely no one does!

Whistling security guards that whistle for you to keep reversing then stop whistling when you are about to crash Its the other way just watch football! whistle means STOP!

Bus tickets and the way the bus conductor clips it.... I have studied them for so long and cannot get to grips with it.... not irritating or anything...just curious...

The most important one!

ATM machines giving cash first then the card! how many times do you grab the cash and walk off...should be card first followed by cash!

i think this is a moan but baffling for me.

Last week in my local restaurant just after lunch all of the tables had left over plates from the previous customers who had paid and left.... then one person came in and had no clean table to choose from there are over 10... so he moved the plates to another table and cleaned it himself....what baffled me was there were 3 staff just sitting down talking...then i realised it...they only deliver the food outside so its not their job to clean up...there is no initiative here from staff.! one job only..

Edited May 30, 2010 by Jai Dee
Racist slur deletd

[dasy]

the irritated project developer explaining what to do this day at the construction site: he point to a wall saying : paint this blue, coming back 30 min later finding a blue circle on the wall right where he pointed his finger. Priceless!!

after 10 years still keeps amazing me and above all amusing me.

Cheers

dave

[LindsayBKK]

I don't catch Tuk Tuk's anymore as some want to take you to a shop first.

Off course they say you don't have to buy anything just walk in the shop and walk out.

"Then they will give me gas money" he says.

I said "Mai OW"! just take me to BTS station like I said!

Get a Taxi it's got Air Con.

[gotglue]

I don't catch Tuk Tuk's anymore as some want to take you to a shop first.

Off course they say you don't have to buy anything just walk in the shop and walk out.

"Then they will give me gas money" he says.

I said "Mai OW"! just take me to BTS station like I said!

Get a Taxi it's got Air Con.

And as for the taxi's that refuse to go where you want. I always open the rear door of the car first then ask. If they say "mai..mai pai" , i just leave the rear door wide open and walk off....(against the flow of traffic mind you)

Edited May 29, 2010 by gotglue

[Birdman]

A rather dull polling, all that is quiet normal here.

I rather be baffled by some service in Europe like the forced consumer stress to order a relatively expensive drink even to a relatively inexpensive meal at the restaurants or to get served by hectic, unfriendly waiters.

[h90]

A rather dull polling, all that is quiet normal here.

I rather be baffled by some service in Europe like the forced consumer stress to order a relatively expensive drink even to a relatively inexpensive meal at the restaurants or to get served by hectic, unfriendly waiters.

The most baffled service in Europe was a restaurant owner he put one after the other expensive drink on my table for free, because he loves Thailand and would like to stay there the same as me.....

[DP25]

And as for the taxi's that refuse to go where you want. I always open the rear door of the car first then ask. If they say "mai..mai pai" , i just leave the rear door wide open and walk off....(against the flow of traffic mind you)

Always surprised at the horrible behavior some people will happily admit to.

The bathroom massage has to be the weirdest thing about Thailand. I never tell friends here for the first time about it, so they get a nice surprise the first time some strange man starts rubbing them while at the urinal.

[yabaaaa]

Customer service in Thailand IS baffling.

[yabaaaa]

Easy....

That irritating rubber advertising thingy they put on your bonnet when filling with up the car with petrol..! i always think..if that scratches my bonnet i'm going to hit that little f*cking Burmese immigrant... I never think..okay i will buy it! surely no one does!

Whistling security guards that whistle for you to keep reversing then stop whistling when you are about to crash Its the other way just watch football! whistle means STOP!

I always tell them not to put it on the car, and as for the whistles or any help with parking I always tell them not to, or the wife does as they stand right behind the parking sensors totally defeating what I KNOW to be a reliable parking aid.

[yabaaaa]

And as for the taxi's that refuse to go where you want. I always open the rear door of the car first then ask. If they say "mai..mai pai" , i just leave the rear door wide open and walk off....(against the flow of traffic mind you)

Always surprised at the horrible behavior some people will happily admit to.

The bathroom massage has to be the weirdest thing about Thailand. I never tell friends here for the first time about it, so they get a nice surprise the first time some strange man starts rubbing them while at the urinal.

Your'e right its better to close it so it o nly half latches on

[apetley]

A few years ago I had a mate visit Thailand.

After taking a girl back to his hotel for a promised massage all she wanted to do was have sex with him!

Thais eh!

[Jimi007]

The guy that comes around to the house in his pickup truck full of potting soil, plants and pots to plant them in. Or the one I like more is the guy that comes by every evening on his motorbike, with side car and sells home made coconut ice cream! Yumm!

[Birdman]

A rather dull polling, all that is quiet normal here.

I rather be baffled by some service in Europe like the forced consumer stress to order a relatively expensive drink even to a relatively inexpensive meal at the restaurants or to get served by hectic, unfriendly waiters.

The most baffled service in Europe was a restaurant owner he put one after the other expensive drink on my table for free, because he loves Thailand and would like to stay there the same as me.....

where exactly would that be?

[dingdongrb]

I find it amusing when going to a restaurant and sitting down the wait staff immediately comes standing at your table waiting for you to order when you have yet to look at the menu... If with friends I tend to just chat away with the friends without even glancing at the menu while looking at the wait staff until they leave.. Geez give me a few minutes to decide, what you got and what I want.

....and speaking of service, what do you all do when a Thai cuts in front of you while you are waiting in queue for something?

[gotglue]

And as for the taxi's that refuse to go where you want. I always open the rear door of the car first then ask. If they say "mai..mai pai" , i just leave the rear door wide open and walk off....(against the flow of traffic mind you)

Always surprised at the horrible behavior some people will happily admit to.

The bathroom massage has to be the weirdest thing about Thailand. I never tell friends here for the first time about it, so they get a nice surprise the first time some strange man starts rubbing them while at the urinal.

??? and what about the "nice surprise" the lavy attendant gets after some unexpecting tourist give him a kicking

[purplehaze]

Asking the bank for 2 ATM cards for a joint bank account one for me one for the Mrs,as I work overseas.

"No no cannot" was repeated many times. &lt;deleted&gt;.21st century banking or what.

[surangw]

trying to get an iced tea with no sugar added.

[Jimi007]

I find it amusing when going to a restaurant and sitting down the wait staff immediately comes standing at your table waiting for you to order when you have yet to look at the menu... If with friends I tend to just chat away with the friends without even glancing at the menu while looking at the wait staff until they leave.. Geez give me a few minutes to decide, what you got and what I want.

....and speaking of service, what do you all do when a Thai cuts in front of you while you are waiting in queue for something?

I like when the wait staff stand there too... Have you ever been out with a large party of Thais at a big Thai restaurant here? There is a staff person there the whole time to refresh you drinks... Even when you bring you own bottles of alcohol! I love that!

As far as rude Thai in a queue, happens a lot! Thailand is for Thai's as you know. You're an alien! Once in a while I get a bit perturbed and say; you didn't see me here? In Thai. Most say sorry, but once in a while I get the Thailand is for Thai treatment. And I usually say something in Thai under my breath a bit. Something like; ah, no problem, you're a big hurry. Please hurry...

[Birdman]

I find it amusing when going to a restaurant and sitting down the wait staff immediately comes standing at your table waiting for you to order when you have yet to look at the menu...

...get used to that, because that is the way it is here and it is considered as normal and polite by the locals. Read your Lonely Planet introductions to a foreign country first...

[jdinasia]

Calling the "Call Center" (for Air Asia I think!)

Pasaah Thai got nueng

Pasaah Angkrit got song

There is some clear thinking in their IT/Communications department!

[PhilHarries]

A few years ago I had a mate visit Thailand.

After taking a girl back to his hotel for a promised massage all she wanted to do was have sex with him!

Thais eh!

UNBELIEVABLE!

I hope he started a thread here on TV complaining about it.

All Thaksin's fault I'd say.

[lannarebirth]

Didn't read it. Anyone talked about the masseuse in the men's room yet? Off putting the first time, but after awhile you kinda miss it if it's not on offer. I'll shake myself though, thank you!

[Birdman]

A few years ago I had a mate visit Thailand.

After taking a girl back to his hotel for a promised massage all she wanted to do was have sex with him!

Thais eh!

that was clearly a confusion by her only to be revealed later in that evening

[KunMatt]

The most important one!

ATM machines giving cash first then the card! how many times do you grab the cash and walk off...should be card first followed by cash!

Done that twice so far including once in Panthip Plaza (probably the worst place I can imagine to lose your bank card!), of course my card was gone from the ATM just 6 seconds later when I realised and turned around. Called the bank and cancelled it immediately and then found out the next day that someone had tried to withdraw 20k for the rest of the day at various places all over Bangkok.

It should be card first then cash so you can high-tail it with the wad before all the murderers and muggers who hide around ATMs have a chance to jump you!

[tonititan]

I voted for the Pepsi in a bag because that one still makes me laugh, but really it would be the steaming hot mocha latte in a plastic bag - with a straw!

[surangw]

Didn't read it. Anyone talked about the masseuse in the men's room yet? Off putting the first time, but after awhile you kinda miss it if it's not on offer. I'll shake myself though, thank you!

I don't think it was a masseuse