McDonald's Thailand imposes one-hour time limit for customers

By Coconuts Bangkok

Thai Ronald McDonald: Not creepy at all. Photo: FastFoodHut.com

BANGKOK: -- Cultural differences can be funny. For instance, in the United States, if one were to spend more than an hour inside of a McDonald’s, it could likely be chalked up to a medical emergency (“fast” food being the entire point of the operation), whereas in Thailand, hanging out in your local Mickey-D’s is perfectly acceptable behavior. Or it was, rather.

The Bangkok Post is reporting that McThai, the operator of Thailand’s McDonalds franchises, has just announced that customers will not be allowed to loiter in their restaurants for upwards of an hour.

This means no more Filet-o-Fish with [more...]

Full story: http://www.coconutsb...-for-customers/

-- COCONUTS Bangkok 2012-12-19

I wish them the best of luck with enforcing that...

Sod you - almost makes you want to try to hang out in a McD like that... mind you, i can understand as last time i was in MBK, there was nowhere to sit.

But But But l don't stop eating Bigmacs all day. ................

Some times the Thais put up with way too much "taking advantage" behaviour. I have walked out of McDs before ordering because there were no vacant tables. I've seen job interviews, tutoring and just plain hogging a table by one person spreading their laptop and papers about.

But enforcement is another matter; politely telling some one to pack up *might* cause a loss of face and that's a big no no!

In busy places I wonder if they will have a designated enforcer?

Bit of a crappy job in a country where face is important.

Will they issue each table a timer that goes off after 59 minutes?

Some times the Thais put up with way too much "taking advantage" behaviour. I have walked out of McDs before ordering because there were no vacant tables. I've seen job interviews, tutoring and just plain hogging a table by one person spreading their laptop and papers about.

But enforcement is another matter; politely telling some one to pack up *might* cause a loss of face and that's a big no no!

It just isn't going to happen. I have never seen a Thai confront any such issue.

If these leads to a cultural change they can start on the < Snip! > who pay their 10,000 Baht bill in Makro will folded up 20's and 100's !

I would make them change their small notes at an exchange counter before they started shopping.

I somehow can understand that measure. Running a shop comes with overhead, such as electricity for airconditioning and staff salaries. Last time I was at Mc there was a group of 5 students occupying 2 tables with satchels and tablet computers and sharing 1 Coke between them; or rather, one of them was drinking and the others were just "hanging out". When I had finished my own meal, they were still there, and the single Coke showed no sign of being nearly finished. McDonalds, like any other restaurant operation, depends on sales turnover.

This happens in Britain too - it's quite common to walk into a McDonald's or Burger King before 9am and see at least one sales team holding a meeting there, having bought no food or drink at all. I'd throw them out.

maybe you get a token to put into your table and after one hour, it will go up and so you will leave

insert token to get the table down and the timer starts

The two McD's we go to quite regularly always seem to have a lot of students hanging out using the free wi-fi and sharing one Coke while my family goes through 400 or 500 bahts worth of burgers and fries. Just get rid of the wi-fi and they'll buzz off somewhere else. I think that is what this is all about.

I don't frequent McDonald's all that often, but there is one near a hospital that I go to for regular medical checkups. If I arrive early, I usually pop in and get something to eat. Depending on the time, I occasionally stop back before heading home. I've seen the place full to the point where there was no place to sit and the same people were sitting at the window tables when I went in before the appointment and 2 1/2 hours later when I left.

How long does it take to eat even a reasonable amount of junk food ? Surely not 1 hour.

McDonalds in Lotus near my house, there is a Filipino lady tutoring 3 girls in math & English, seen her often, so the operator is within reason. Next the food courts will start enforcing.

How long does it take to eat even a reasonable amount of junk food ? Surely not 1 hour.

I think you will find that is the whole point - they are not eating during most of that time......

Yeah wiz the wifi. Go to Starbucks, and the kids playground with it, and the stupid toys. make yer mind up what you selling toys or Hamburgers.

Selling cheap Chang is an idea too and a chrome pole.

Do all Thailand McD's have free wifi? And is that why this is an issue???

I don't frequent McD's here or elsewhere for food reasons, so don't have to worry about getting booted out...

And frankly, sitting at a cramped, undersized table and hard chair in a McD's fast food outlet isn't exactly my idea of a fun or pleasant place to hang out....

According to the info on tables, this only applies to training and meetings, not for individual customers. Guess somebody didn't read well.

Some times the Thais put up with way too much "taking advantage" behaviour. I have walked out of McDs before ordering because there were no vacant tables. I've seen job interviews, tutoring and just plain hogging a table by one person spreading their laptop and papers about.

But enforcement is another matter; politely telling some one to pack up *might* cause a loss of face and that's a big no no!

I wish the same would be applied to the farang who camp out in the food court at Central Festival Pattaya. Whenever we eat there most of the (marginally) more comfortable seating is occupied by sleeping backpackers, older book/Kindle readers who may or may not bother to buy a drink to justifiy there apparent permanent residence and others who don't seem to have any occupation other than watching people pass by.

It's almost as aggravating as the farang contingent who visit the grocery store to park in front of the newspapers & magazines on sale in order to read them through without the bother of having to pay for them.

I wish them the best of luck with enforcing that...

It won't be hard, just tell them to go after the hour is up. It's not as if any Farang will be working in McDonalds to give the Thai guys the chance of getting about six of them together then you know what.

Starbucks suffers from the same ailment. In fact, I think there's a thread here at TV somewhere about it. Wifi, aircon, table & chairs >> ANY fast food joint offering these things is going to have the same problem. Business owners here just don't know how to manage their establishments. It can be done "gently" but firmly. But I don't think they'll touch this. I'd put up signs, "tables are for the convenience of customers ONLY", and maybe add'l small signs on each table for awhile, and then I (the manager; I wouldn't expect the employees to do this) would make rounds frequently/regularly, every day, basically throwing people out who weren't buying. Yeah, there'd be grousing and some angry faces perhaps. A temporary effect. But I really DON'T think it would hurt the business reputation as I'm sure some will say it might. The only traffic you'd lose, and those that would be "put out", would be what was the non-paying traffic anyway. Have to get control of the WiFi, too. 60min connections (per MAC address) only; then disconnection with no ability to reconnect for, say, 8hr. Individual password slips handed out at the counter (with purchase only), good for the same 60min only. I don't know - whatever it takes. But Thais are bad about this. Thais treat these private business spaces the same way food and product stand operators treat sidewalks & roadways. If it's empty space, it can be squatted upon.

I don't frequent McDonald's all that often, but there is one near a hospital that I go to for regular medical checkups. If I arrive early, I usually pop in and get something to eat. Depending on the time, I occasionally stop back before heading home. I've seen the place full to the point where there was no place to sit and the same people were sitting at the window tables when I went in before the appointment and 2 1/2 hours later when I left.

Are you being treated posssibly for addiction? McD before Dr. appointment and after again?

Why anyone would want to spend more time in the stale chip fat atmosphere than it takes to wolf down a double McDisgusting burger with cholesterol and diabetes, I simply can't say.

An hour actually seems a bit long for somebody ordering a small coke. They should simply put up signs that there is no loitering and/or that tables are for dining customers only. I don't think anybody believes there will be much enforcement or confrontations asking people to leave but they just want to get the word out that people should find other places to hang out or have meetings.

There is indeed a cultural difference. How many Eurp or Yank restaurants would allow outside vendors to come inside their shop to sell food? I find it quite an imposition. An additional imposition is to think you can sit in a food and drink shop and order nothing. Yet it seems quite tolerated here and apparently some places in the West. I was having a beer at a walkway table last night when two falang acquaintances sat down to talk, neither ordered a drink and both stayed quite a while. How many of you Brits order a tea and expect second or third helpings of hot water? Another unwarranted imposition, yet apparently tolerated. I've even been asked for my used tea bag--not really an imposition on me, but it certainly is to the shop owner.

We seem to agree that prolonged sitting without purchase is primarily a cultural difference. The main question is how does Mickey Thais' management enforce their new time limits. One poster suggested discontinuing the wi-fi. However, wi-fi is probably not the only reason many people, especially teenagers, occupy the seats--they seem to believe Mickey D's is a social experience.

Being the instigator I am, I would post charges for the tables and wi-fi usage--free for one hour with minimum of one purchase per occupant, or B200/hour. A few more baht to the local police and they would enforce the issue for Mickey Thai.

Nothing will happen, I asked the same of the Suzuki mall Starbucks as to why students could study all day, literally no seats to customers. I wrote to Starbucks Thailand and surprise I received a reply....they would look into it. Nothing changed. Singapore Starbucks has a policy, no study between 12-2pm, 5-7PM, all weekend and it is enforced....at these times students are asked to leave.

Some times the Thais put up with way too much "taking advantage" behaviour. I have walked out of McDs before ordering because there were no vacant tables. I've seen job interviews, tutoring and just plain hogging a table by one person spreading their laptop and papers about.

But enforcement is another matter; politely telling some one to pack up *might* cause a loss of face and that's a big no no!

I wish the same would be applied to the farang who camp out in the food court at Central Festival Pattaya. Whenever we eat there most of the (marginally) more comfortable seating is occupied by sleeping backpackers, older book/Kindle readers who may or may not bother to buy a drink to justifiy there apparent permanent residence and others who don't seem to have any occupation other than watching people pass by.

It's almost as aggravating as the farang contingent who visit the grocery store to park in front of the newspapers & magazines on sale in order to read them through without the bother of having to pay for them.

It's all about the air conditioning, stay in a guest house = pay electric bill, go to mall= no bill.

How about canceling wifi Internet service at McDonalds, that ain't a Starbucks or an internet cafe anyway.

There is indeed a cultural difference. How many Eurp or Yank restaurants would allow outside vendors to come inside their shop to sell food? I find it quite an imposition. An additional imposition is to think you can sit in a food and drink shop and order nothing. Yet it seems quite tolerated here and apparently some places in the West. I was having a beer at a walkway table last night when two falang acquaintances sat down to talk, neither ordered a drink and both stayed quite a while. How many of you Brits order a tea and expect second or third helpings of hot water? Another unwarranted imposition, yet apparently tolerated. I've even been asked for my used tea bag--not really an imposition on me, but it certainly is to the shop owner.

We seem to agree that prolonged sitting without purchase is primarily a cultural difference. The main question is how does Mickey Thais' management enforce their new time limits. One poster suggested discontinuing the wi-fi. However, wi-fi is probably not the only reason many people, especially teenagers, occupy the seats--they seem to believe Mickey D's is a social experience.

Being the instigator I am, I would post charges for the tables and wi-fi usage--free for one hour with minimum of one purchase per occupant, or B200/hour. A few more baht to the local police and they would enforce the issue for Mickey Thai.

Do you really think this is (or should be) an issue that would require police intervention? Post a sign and problem over. Yea a few may still stay too long but the issue of not having enough seats because of people loitering would pretty much be over without the need for confrontations or arrests..