It is about time restaurants should change their habits.

[wabothai]

East meets west. It's not quiet on the eastern front.

[NoshowJones]

If i had a restaurant in my country and it was frequented by thais, i would for sure observe and listen to them how, in which order, if applicable, according to their customs, they want their food served. If i would do it according to their wishes they would come back and inform their friends to go to my restaurant because i am a guy who understands and complies to their wishes/customs.

To do it otherwise is just plain bad businessacumen.

But maybe, for all the defenders, thai restaurantowners just dont like to make, more, money.

I think the thai government should hire you as a restaurant consultant to get this country on the right track. they dont seem to realize what an asset they have and how quickly they could become a first world country!!

Wooowwww, its the very 1st time i have seen you posted something critical about Thailand.....that they are on the wrong track.

I had to reread it twice......

Aren't you getting AYJAYDEE mixed up with Berkshire?

[myluckythai]

First of all. Trying to see sense or reason is futile.

Second of all, knowing what you now for so long already, wouldn't you want to be ahead of these irritations by mentioning before they serve that you want all the food at the same time. Might safe you a useless feeling of discontent

[LawrenceN]

It is about time eateries stop calling themselves restaurant.

They don't. They call themselves "lest-a-long."

[NoshowJones]

yeah! I think youre in the wrong country pal!

I fail to see why pgs is in the wrong country, it seems you are one of the 'if you don't like it go home brigade'.

Well, I guess you could just stay here and whine about it. But don't expect that to change things.

Read post 77#.

[SoiBiker]

yeah! I think youre in the wrong country pal!

I fail to see why pgs is in the wrong country, it seems you are one of the 'if you don't like it go home brigade'.

Well, I guess you could just stay here and whine about it. But don't expect that to change things.

Read post 77#.

I did. I'm still chuckling at 'flask of tea'.

[Grindting]

Do you also go to Germany and ask for British ale or that Greek stuff that smells and tastes like turpentine? I am constantly amazed at the people who leave home but should have stayed home.

My gosh if you want stuff like french fries go someplace that knows how to serve them. I have Eskimo friends and they eat a lot of seal and whale. However they don't spend all day carping about no seal or whale meat at MK's.

Nikuya Japanese Bbq Buffet has great beef and pork and salmon and salads and sushi and ice cream. You can get it yourself so if you want the ice cream first (or a sherbet shrub) before your BBQ Beef you can do that For your health or palate there is nothing quite as bad as french fries except perhaps French Canadian French Fries called Poutain. Many people have heart attacks just looking at a photo of poutain so I won't include one.

You're an idiot. He's complaining about a restaurant serving western food close to western prices but providing no service, not the food itself. It's common sense being ignored

You order a starter, then a main.. Sometimes they bring someone's main before the starters have even come out, or bring the starters with the main. If they don't know what a 'starter' or 'appetiser' is, then it shouldn't be on the menu! The owner of the restaurant knows what it is, yet has failed to train his staff properly, that's all it is, and that's all the OP is complaining about. Jesus Christ

As he said, it's not like that in top restaurants (although I have experienced this incompetence in some 5 star hotels), but in average aspiring restaurants.

But to settle the OP, it's the same in Indonesia and Cambodia and Vietnam (although service is better in Cambodia and Vietnam in the tourist areas). Indonesia is worse, and only in the absolute top TOP restaurants have the staff been trained in how to serve food according to how it is listed in the menu (drinks, then appetisers, then mains, then deserts etc). Everywhere else, even in pretty expensive restaurants which are more expensive than in the west, it's a complete shambles.

Initially I thought it was the Indonesian 'padang' food culture of everything being brought out at the same time no matter what it is. But after experiencing it in higher end places and then again in Bangkok and other SE asian countries, it is just clearly down to lack of training by the management, and general lack of common sense by the employees. And overall incompetents. There is No excuse, just have to live with it, and enjoy our time off when we go back to the west

[Yarinda]

Without ordering anything yet, the first thing they usually serve me is a small bucket of ice!

[Grindting]

And to note; its not just westerners that get frustrated at the service, it's also locals. My wife's gets very vocal about it. But her sister even more so, she gets furious when dishes are coming out 15, 20 to 30 minutes later than when everyone else has already started or sometimes even finished their meal. They don't just sit there thinking 'oh this is asia'.. They don't let them get away with it without a bit of scathing when they are paying top dollar for a western style meal in a western style restaurant (or a top thai or Indonesian restaurant either).

What pisses me off most actually is when you've both finished your meals the staff don't bother asking if you want the dirty dishes taken away, they just ignore you and you have to request it. Staff just gormlessly mull around doing nothing until requested. Again just a lack of common sense, training, enthusiasm, work ethic, the works...

As my wife has noted, in london you've got a decent restaurant with 4 staff running around doing everything (and doing it well), compared with in Jakarta in a decent restaurant where it's 15 staff who are all completely useless.

Basically in south east asia, they've taken some guys off the street, slapped a uniform on them, and told them to get on with it. And that's not just in restaurants it's in every single service industry.

[thehelmsman]

I suddenly realized why I read these threads besides killing time. It is because reading the majority of all these comments makes me feel much better about myself. I know some are only written for a laugh, which I like but, many get carried away and reveal themselves in such a way I can only shake my head. It's those of you who make me feel better about myself. Thank You...........

[ulfson]

How about in some restaurants with picture menu. You point out a certain dish and getting something completely different.

[overherebc]

A picture of Poutine

Don't use the other spelling especially in France

[kinmaew]

Stupidity is too light a word at one place I took the TGF to. Food came and TGF pointed out that there was a bug in her food, the waiter just looked at it and brushed it away like "sweeping your problems under the carpet" (Prevalent in most aspects of Thai life). Unless you know of a good reputable foreign managed place I would forget it. I prefer to eat "Ahaan Rim tang" street food, or like those seafood restaurants they have a better clue and the food is always excellent but forget about silver service and Thais as they have absolutely no idea. May I suggest one excellent place I visited in Bkk recently, in Soi Thong Lor (near Tong Lor soi 6 and get the green bus down with BTS station at top of street) its a restaurant called "Phuket" with absolutely excellent food real home cooked delights and not too many people so service is good to. This place is gold and better get going my green curry is ready.

[Robert24]

This doesn't happen a lot from my experience. Most restaurants I go to, food is served together (all dishes within minutes).Can't remember when I received a dish and then had to wait 30 mins to get the other dishes. Although I must say I don't eat western food.

[laobali]

Buffet.

French fries from a buffet? No thanks.

[Strangebrew]

Firstly one should have understanding of time needed to cook dishes ordered. I have never had an issue with meals arriving late or cold.

[laobali]

Quite simple really - when you order, stress very strongly that you don't want the meal brought out in drips and drabs. You could offer them a monetary incentive.

Then all the dishes except one will be served stone cold.

Adapt or die (or as others have said, leave).

[slipperylobster]

Tell them you want "unsalted fries", they have to cook them new...

good way to get fresh french fries, and they will come with your burger.

Then ask for some salt, and salt them up.

[SoiBiker]

This doesn't happen a lot from my experience. Most restaurants I go to, food is served together (all dishes within minutes).Can't remember when I received a dish and then had to wait 30 mins to get the other dishes. Although I must say I don't eat western food.

I think there might be some exaggeration of the waiting times going on.

[MartinL]

...that's if you live in Thailand...

Why do people always trot this one out when somebody doesn't agree with them?

Because a lot of TV members live in other countries, and do not understand Thailand the way a resident does.

Possum's phrase " ... that's if you live in Thailand ... " referred to AYJAYDEE. It seems he was right - this thread suggests AYJAYDEE lives mostly abroad. Canada is mentioned here:-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/766585-return-ticket/?p=8500691

[SoiBiker]

Lets not get into the whole 'how many days per year do you need to spend here before you can say you live here?' question. That other thread about it was extremely tedious.

[off road pat]

Some people have to much free time,...and waste it to complain about futilities....life is far to short....carpe diem, "seize the day"....

Everybody has two lives,....the second one starts when they realize they have only one left...!!!!

Edited October 8, 2014 by off road pat

[SoiBiker]

Some people have to much free time,...and waste it to complain about futilities....life is far to short....carpe diem, "seize the day"....

You gotta feel for them. Imagine moving somewhere and then finding out you hate it there.

[Bernard Flint]

SIR

U need to chill out hahahahahahah, are you a female, with a period????

[cbluck58]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Quite simple really - when you order, stress very strongly that you don't want the meal brought out in drips and drabs. You could offer them a monetary incentive.

Never understand why farangs seem to be afraid to ask for what they want - I have no problems in restaurants of simply asking them to bring all the food at the same time, if that is how I am inclined at the time - just ask politely and explain if needed.

I also have had no problems on occasions when asking them to bring the children's food first because they were hungry .

How do you expect people from a different culture , with a different language to understand what you want if you are too timid to ask.

I am not talking about being boorish and demanding here , just politely asking for what you want - works for me all over LOS.

[Wombat6]

I get Peed off when I order an Australian Steak (on the menu and advertiised as such) and get served up Thai beef. These idiots are giving Australian Beef a bad name. Thai beef is tough , stringy and tasteless in comparison. . i have complained when this happens and received the appropriate price reduction,

[bkkcanuck8]

I get Peed off when I order an Australian Steak (on the menu and advertiised as such) and get served up Thai beef. These idiots are giving Australian Beef a bad name. Thai beef is tough , stringy and tasteless in comparison. . i have complained when this happens and received the appropriate price reduction,

It is not just a Thai thing, often they will advertise steak as Kobe or Wagu etc. based on lineage (genetics) of the cattle and not the actual product (from Japan). Steak is more than just a product of genetics, but feeding, how they are killed, is the meat aged (most places do not age beef properly -- too expensive; asia tends not to age at all because it gets stir-fried). If cattle tenses up at the time you execute it the meat will be tougher.... Which is why I have always wondered if you get a cattle loaded on beer just before executing it - will the beef be better

[SoiBiker]

I get Peed off when I order an Australian Steak (on the menu and advertiised as such) and get served up Thai beef. These idiots are giving Australian Beef a bad name. Thai beef is tough , stringy and tasteless in comparison. . i have complained when this happens and received the appropriate price reduction,

Do you check it's passport or something?

[trainman34014]

How about in some restaurants with picture menu. You point out a certain dish and getting something completely different.

Ah; that happened to me once and when i showed the girl what i wanted the second time she said '' You have round eye and can see clearly, my eye too thin ' !!

[AYJAYDEE]

...that's if you live in Thailand...

Why do people always trot this one out when somebody doesn't agree with them?

Because a lot of TV members live in other countries, and do not understand Thailand the way a resident does.

Possum's phrase " ... that's if you live in Thailand ... " referred to AYJAYDEE. It seems he was right - this thread suggests AYJAYDEE lives mostly abroad. Canada is mentioned here:-

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/766585-return-ticket/?p=8500691

I am fortunate enough to be able to own houses in two countries and have done so for over 20 years. like many retired folks,we spend varying amounts of time in each depending on weather, family and health issues. flying back and forth has certainly not affected my understanding of either society pal.