Beaten Up By Restaurant Owner Because I'M A Vegetarian

[realthaideal]

Look, as a vegetarian, you are a person with a complication to your life, a burden, be it by choice or by facts of nature - an allergy, say. This is your onus. You are a way that most ppl are not, therefore you need to make certain things in your life a priority, and understand that other ppl who do not live in the same realm of existence as you won't get it. It's that easy. You could be Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, shellfish allergic, or simply desire everything you order be served with exactly 3 slices of carrot in it, or that the plates be served with the left hand from the right side only, OTHERS JUST WON"T GET YOUR RULES AND RESTRICTIONS. So you know what you do ?

You accept this fact and extremely proactive about your life. You prioritize you life around when and where you HAVE to eat, because otherwise you will be let down, have troubles, have to order and re-order. Like UG says, eat only at vegetarian (Je) restaurants. Carry your own healthy snacks with you on you at all times. Organize your day by doing research knowing exactly where you will eat, and have a plan when that will be. It's so easy, but soooooo many ppl just think they can waltz around asking or their special way and think the whole world will get it and understand the urgency to them. They won't. Grass is green, the sky is blue, and most ppl won't get what you're asking for. These are facts of life. You are fighting why the sky is blue, my friend.

The people who never have trouble know their day revolves around when and where they eat. This can be diabetics who know they will inject themselves and then go eat at a certain time, a young Orthodox man I met here who always carried cans of Kosher tunafish and packs of crackers with him so he could always eat according to his restrictions.Other vegetarian ppl by choice are flexi- and bend when things aren't exactly right. But if you have a health need, take care of your health, every time, you you you, not them them them, and get yourself to where you can get what you need. Otherwise, eat only where you know the ppl and they know you and get exactly what you want. That pretty much requires a special relationship, so in a tourist town, organize the way a proper Halal, Orthodox, or Je person would do, and plan your day and your meals !

But that would mean you'd never have problems and get to complain how the world just doesn't get you.........

[Jingthing]

People with peanut allergies must die quickly in Thailand.

[Maccheroncini]

You weren't Beaten Up were you?   

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I am amused too by the gentlemen who automatically assume that they should protect the little woman. There are many assumptions there, including one that the woman isn't carrying a Glock or far more experienced in hand to hand combat than most "gentlemen"

On second thought, I'm happy this topic is allowed to continue.. Otherwise we would have missed the gem above.

We live in an interesting subculture.

Edited September 18, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[november222]

a bit misleading there. you werent beaten up and if you were it wasnt because youre a vegetarian. pain in the arse maybe.

[Jingthing]

Stop kvetching over the headline. What a bore. The OP did encounter an incident of sorts. It isn't very surprising to residents here. The general consciousness about special needs is not high. I agree with the idea if you really need veg you need to go to a dedicated veg restaurant. That is of course very limiting from a culinary point of view and that is too bad. But think about it, even so called veg pad Thai at a regular restaurant probably has FISH sauce in it.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Jingthing

[chuang]

Sometimes i wonder why a vegetarian did not vist a veggie restaurant but one that sells meat...curious..

[473geo]

Sometimes i wonder why a vegetarian did not vist a veggie restaurant but one that sells meat...curious..

Perhaps his wife enjoys meat so he looked for a place that would be able to accomodate both tastes.

[bkkbill]

So has the OP made any other comments.

[Benjie]

Pork intolerance?

[gonenative]

Thanks for everone's interest in this thread. And especially thank you for the tips regarding vegetarianism in Chiang Mai. To answer some of the questions...

I am fluent in Thai. I have been coming here for ten years. I can read and write. So yes I understood what was being said.

As for the thread title, I wasn't trying to be literal. I was still shaken up when I wrote it and tried to be funny (I know a lot of people who would snicker at that title) but maybe that's not obvious to everyone. Sorry if anyone felt misled. But I think the 500+ words in the body should clarify the nine words in the title.

I am not vegetarian or, if you want to get technical, I am a "pesco vegetarian". I have a food intolerance to beef and pork so I often eat pure vegetarian food. If you don't know what "food intolerance" is then please google it.

I shouldn't have initially left my wife in the restaurant, although neither her nor I realized at first what lunitics these people were. As soon as I did I went to get her.

Edited September 19, 2010 by thaiphoon
no naming and shaming on ThaiVisa. Location details removed

[bkkjames]

People with peanut allergies must die quickly in Thailand.

Why, are the peanuts more deadlier here?

[Ulysses G.]

Too bad. You were about 10 steps away from Aom vegetarian restaurant on Moon Muang road. You could have saved yourself a terrible thrashing by going there instead.

[ChiangMaiFun]

It's a disgrace - sorry it happened - I am a vegetarian too - and being Buddhist would expect most 'Buddhists' to be too - but that is lost on the majority of Thai's! and on some farang Buddhist's too I must confess... anyway totally out of order but TIT and let's face it most of us didn't come here because we love Thai's

Edited September 18, 2010 by ChiangMaiFun

[Jingthing]

People with peanut allergies must die quickly in Thailand.

Why, are the peanuts more deadlier here?

No because those with peanut allergies often die of eating even a trace of peanut. That's why in more advanced countries informing people that there are peanuts in food products is taken very seriously. Yes of course if they didn't and they killed someone with a peanut, they would be sued to the hilt. Here a grieving family would be lucky to get 1000 baht sympathy compensation. Here of course, the OP's story is a good example about how food restrictions are generally not taken very seriously here. You are being a pest to bother them about it. For those with peanut allergies, I seriously doubt many survive here long.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Jingthing

[ChiangMaiFun]

People with peanut allergies must die quickly in Thailand.

Why, are the peanuts more deadlier here?

No because those with peanut allergies often die of eating even a trace of peanut. That's why in more advanced countries informing people that there are peanuts in food products is taken very seriously. Yes of course if they didn't and they killed someone with a peanut, they would be sued to the hilt. Here a grieving family would be lucky to get 1000 baht sympathy compensation. Here of course, the OP's story is a good example about how food restrictions are generally not taken very seriously here. You are being a pest to bother them about it. For those with peanut allergies, I seriously doubt many survive here long.

and the moral of the story? 'if you pay peanuts you get MONKies'

[Fookhaht]

...kvetching ...

Had to look that one up JT to see if I was a Kvetcher or non-Kvetcher!

(Being convinced you were using non-English in an English forum, I was surprised to find it as an "American" slang term. Where, in Brooklyn only? )

[Jingthing]

...kvetching ...

Had to look that one up JT to see if I was a Kvetcher or non-Kvetcher!

(Being convinced you were using non-English in an English forum, I was surprised to find it as an "American" slang term. Where, in Brooklyn only? )

No, most Americans would know the term.

[orang37]

GoneNative wrote:

Why did this happen to us?

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun GoneNative,

Sorry to see you have not received a bit more sympathy on this thread. What happpened, whatever its cause, is deplorable, and undoubtedly traumatic for you and your wife. And, the owner's behavior is reprehensible.

Agree that the title is somewhat mis-leading in that you were not "beaten up;" technically, however, you were "assaulted" the moment the restaurant owner laid hands on you and/or shoved you. In America, given police presence, and third-party witnesses on the scene willing to speak up, you could possibly have seen the owner arrested.

As to your stepping outside to let your wife handle the details, this may have been a very wise move on your part: since we can hypothesize that there might have been a "male-male" thing in the owner's getting enraged. But, since you describe the owner as "unloading" on your wife, not you, that's probably a weak hypothesis.

Another hypothesis: "straw that broke the camel's back," or: "wrong place, wrong time." You just have might have been there when the owner was full of frustration and rage about many other things in his personal life, or business, and you were the spark that triggered the explosion. The kind of random urban violence and "road rage" that happens in America ? The kind of uproar for which there is no "why ?" ?

In any case, we hope the memories of this event soon fade, and you are back in the state of "sabai sabai" in a restaurant you know you can trust to serve genuinely veg food.

best, ~o:37;

Edited September 18, 2010 by orang37

[Thules]

Well said ~o:37,

OP's unfortunate and unpleasant experience could have gone completely the other way in other circumstances. The merest difference in tone, smile/scowl on either/both sides may have resulted in OP extolling this restaurant's great service rather than the opposite.

In the mid 70's, (social) scientists mused about what was called 'Castrophe theory' to map out how human interactions could go disasterously wrong (or right), depending upon the outcome of the merest instances.

In this case, OP's reluctance to initially pay 'the full price' for the meal ordered, may have cascaded the event into a confrontational situation. Then again, maybe the boss was just having a 'bad day' or even just a perenual @-hole.....

One of the reasons Castrophe theory dies a death in a social context.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So how much Thai food has peanuts in it anyway... Phad Thai, and it's optional. Som Tam, VERY optional and typically only added to 'Thai' style som tam and even then it's easy to leave out. Then.. peanut sauce I suppose. Now you're getting into really fringe dishes like Miang Kham that has some peanuts on the side. Really it's not that common, and easily left out in most dishes.

Edited September 18, 2010 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Thules]

^ wtk. Fortunately, I don't get anaphalactic shock or anything like it when I eat peanuts, but they do cause me to be violently ill immediately and violently sick. And, as you can imagine, much to the distain of my fellow diners.... It's a purely involuntary reflex reaction, and i'm utterly embarassed in front of my fellows. I take great pains before ordering to ensure there is no peanut content. I can't explain my reaction, and do check when my food is delivered, but mistakes happen.

Edited September 18, 2010 by Thules

[Jingthing]

I think for some people eating food that was cooked in the same pan/wok as a peanut dish (such as a Masaman curry) would set them off.

[damian7000]

GoneNative wrote:

Why did this happen to us?

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun GoneNative,

Sorry to see you have not received a bit more sympathy on this thread. What happpened, whatever its cause, is deplorable, and undoubtedly traumatic for you and your wife. And, the owner's behavior is reprehensible.

you fraggin' people have been in thailand for too f'n long. this dude goes to a restaurant and has this happen to him and you're saying 'oh, you weren't really beat up were you?', 'why'd you leave your wife in there like that?'. i'd like to know the name of the place. go over there and take a piss in the corner of his restaurant.

[onnut]

GoneNative wrote:

Why did this happen to us?

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun GoneNative,

Sorry to see you have not received a bit more sympathy on this thread. What happpened, whatever its cause, is deplorable, and undoubtedly traumatic for you and your wife. And, the owner's behavior is reprehensible.

you fraggin' people have been in thailand for too f'n long. this dude goes to a restaurant and has this happen to him and you're saying 'oh, you weren't really beat up were you?', 'why'd you leave your wife in there like that?'. i'd like to know the name of the place. go over there and take a piss in the corner of his restaurant.

Is that so?

taking a piss in the corner of somebodys reatuarant is not going to help you to live here a long time is it?

[Jingthing]

Is piss vegetarian?

(No comments about peanuts, please.)

Edited September 18, 2010 by Jingthing

[november222]

you fraggin' people have been in thailand for too f'n long. this dude goes to a restaurant and has this happen to him and you're saying 'oh, you weren't really beat up were you?', 'why'd you leave your wife in there like that?'. i'd like to know the name of the place. go over there and take a piss in the corner of his restaurant.

he mentioined the name twice already.

post #1

We went out for a late dinner at around 10pm and, being unfamiliar with the area, found ourselves on walking street (on a Friday when it's empty) without many options but the one open Thai restauarant called "[removed]"

post #42

you've got the name and directions get in there.we we're taking the piss, but you want to go and have a piss. nice one. post a picture if you can.

Edited September 19, 2010 by thaiphoon
Name/location details removed

[onnut]

you fraggin' people have been in thailand for too f'n long. this dude goes to a restaurant and has this happen to him and you're saying 'oh, you weren't really beat up were you?', 'why'd you leave your wife in there like that?'. i'd like to know the name of the place. go over there and take a piss in the corner of his restaurant.

he mentioined the name twice already.

post #1

We went out for a late dinner at around 10pm and, being unfamiliar with the area, found ourselves on walking street (on a Friday when it's empty) without many options but the one open Thai restauarant called "[removed]"

post #42

we're taking the piss, but you want to go and have a piss. nice one. post a picture if you can.

yeah, now you know where it is, go there and take a piss in the corner. let us know whats happened when you come round and get released from Hospital!

Edited September 19, 2010 by thaiphoon
name/location details removed

[eek]

Restaurant name removed. Thank you gonenative for sharing your story. Im sorry that this happened to you. However, as you can probably imagine Thaivisa needs to exercise caution regarding some threads that involve naming and shaming.

[bkkbrad]

'Beaten Up By Restaurant Owner Because I'M A Vegetarian'

It's a good enough reason if you ask me..lol