Tell us about the funny, stupid ways restaurants in Thailand have lost your business ...

[Jingthing]

Owned a restaurant in the states for 7 years. There is no harder job on earth. But, you must always prepare the best food possible, and give your customers the service they desire. Every time!

Yes, I have never owned but I can relate to owners.

I think smart owners or managers schmooze with regular customers and really listen to them if they have something to say.

I wouldn't bail on a "relationship" with a restaurant over something trivial or a few less than great meals if I felt there was communication and caring from the people running it.

My fruit example was a classic case of that not happening.

There is also the self interest and competition factor.

For example if Pattaya had a great Mexican restaurant it would basically take the owner physically chasing me out of the restaurant to keep me away ... basically, I would put up with shocking amounts of abuse ... supply and demand. They've got the supply, they've got a monopoly, I've got the demand ... got me by the short hairs.

Fruit guy didn't.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

My standards are pretty flexible. Have walked of a place that was swarming with so many mossies that I could not remain despite moving tables and mosquito coils. Also drunk people being loud and abusive has caused me to take my leave.

Another place recently offers a tomato and fresh mozzarella sandwich with pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar reduction. The server asks me what kind of condiments I want on the sandwich (mayo, mustard, chili sauce etc., ) I tell her not necessary as it has pesto already. Then the manager comes out and says in perfect English he can give me the pesto but "we have not served it to anybody that way before". So I showed the guy the laminated menu description of the item clearly listing the pesto and asked him if he thought that should cause be for concern? No answer. Not a nice face either. So I got the pesto. I would have paid extra for it but I was not charged. If they had though I would never have returned as I expect menu items at a pricy western restaurant to conform with their description.

Maybe basil is expensive? Another place served me a margarita pizza with no basil. When I complained it came back garnished neatly with 6 tiny sprigs. A Pizza Margherita with no basil is not, it is a CHEESE PIZZA and that is fine but it should be listed as such.

That reminds me of a one off pizza experience I had. Well regarded place. Menu literally said one of the pizza choices had basil leaves. Then -- no leaves. I only ordered it because I like that. I complained. The owner comes out and says, no, that's not what it means, the basil leaves are in the tomato sauce! Sure thing, buster, ba-bye. It's bad enough not honoring a menu but blatantly lying about flaws ... OMG.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Jingthing

[Slip]

Once upon a time on Koh Chang a friend ordered a pepperoni pizza. Upon arrival it turned out to be a normal tomato/ cheese jobby covered in green, red and yellow peppers. When my friend complained he was told 'no, no, no- this is pepper only'. Sorry it doesn't quite fit with the original topic but seeing as we're talking about pizzas; and it gave us all a good laugh...

Edited May 24, 2015 by Slip

[neverdie]

Here's one of my recent ones.

A place I was a semi regular at and I know for sure the owner recognized me.

High season and low.

They're empty low season and crowded high season.

Always got a small plate of "free" fruit at the end of the meal, and being a regular had come to expect that.

So anyway, high season comes, and no fruit.

I see on another table of two with a massive serving of fruit (which I know is "free"), so much that I'm sure they won't eat more than 10 percent of it. The portion was absurd.

So wanting a tiny plate of fruit as before, I speak to the owner, asking why no fruit and pointing to the other table.

He gives me this insulting rude dismissive response as if he was so stupid as to think I was asking for a mountain of fruit and says something like only for over 1000 baht tables.

But for me nothing.

I roll my eyes.

That was it.

There are about 10 other local places I can get the same type of food, just as good, generally lower priced as well.

No it wasn't the value of the fruit, yes for 10 baht I can get some fruit on street. It was the rudeness of the owner and the disdainful attitude he displayed in response to a legit request from a year round customer.

Yes I think beyond being rude he was also stupid to treat a year round customer that way, but also funny to me that he was so stupid, and to add the absurdity of the wasted MOUNTAIN of fruit he was giving to richer tables.

Also sure it is POSSIBLE they really did change their policy on fruit, but if a REGULAR asks for something so cheap to give that they have come to expect ... brain cells, wake up please.

This is very dramatic JT.

Do you think one of the local TV channels might. Run a mini series based on these atrocities ?

[Jingthing]

Once upon a time on Koh Chang a friend ordered a pepperoni pizza. Upon arrival it turned out to be a normal tomato/ cheese jobby covered in green, red and yellow peppers. When my friend complained he was told 'no, no, no- this is pepper only'. Sorry it doesn't quite fit with the original topic but seeing as we're talking about pizzas; and it gave us all a good laugh...

That's hilarious! A true classic. Did that really happen or an urban myth?

[neverdie]

It's not funny, but places that charge 3 or 4 times the retail price for soft drinks lose my business as do the ones that add on an extra charge for diet drinks. They are the same price retail, so why the extra charge?

They're trying to discourage you old boy from drinking that rubbish, it's killing you, look at the guts ur trying to squeeze into ur shorts each day

Consider it a health service, you should tip extra.

[Slip]

Once upon a time on Koh Chang a friend ordered a pepperoni pizza. Upon arrival it turned out to be a normal tomato/ cheese jobby covered in green, red and yellow peppers. When my friend complained he was told 'no, no, no- this is pepper only'. Sorry it doesn't quite fit with the original topic but seeing as we're talking about pizzas; and it gave us all a good laugh...

That's hilarious! A true classic. Did that really happen or an urban myth?

True I promise- I was sitting at the table at the time.

[marko kok prong]

Okay,it was Malaysia,1989,but i ordered a cheeseburger,it came,cheese in a burger bun with an egg,i sent it back,no meat,i told them,it came back with cheese and no egg,'no,no,no i said no meat',and sent it back,by this time the staff were frantic,they brought it back again with just the egg,then it dawned on me,a cheeseburger was really a cheese roll with an egg,not like Maccas,i smiled and ate the thing,calm was restored,no tip.

[mikebell]

Restaurant by the sea between Ambassador and Pattaya. A lovely spot and we went regularly; sometimes in a party of 15+. Last time was for my niece's birthday. Most of us had G & Ts but my wife wanted red wine. In retrospect had she chosen white, the restaurant would not have lost 10,000 baht a year for ever.

Half way through the meal & the wine, my wife gave a gurgle of disgust & spat out a small jingjock. It was dead. The owner came over to apologise. It was supposedly a 'new' bottle?! We did not get charged for the wine or the reptile but they certainly did not compensate for the Vin Extraordinaire.

[totally thaied up]

About a year ago, I was going to a coffee shop most days and got the best mocca ever. I mean, the chocolate they were using was just divine and the coffee was in mini fresh bags they ground on the spot and was never burnt.

One morning, I went for my brew and the owner just finished making it for me when I heard a "meowing" from behind the counter and she then picked up a cat and put in on the bench she was making coffee with and I then watched the cat shake itself right next to my brew. It then walked up next to the coffee cups and gave itself a rub on the piled up cups. The owner did not notice a thing...

Just say, I took the drink, paid for it and then after a few minutes of sitting down looking at my drink looking for cat hairs in it, I just left and never went back....

Shame as it certainly was one of the best mocca's I have had here....

[manarak]

It's not funny, but places that charge 3 or 4 times the retail price for soft drinks lose my business as do the ones that add on an extra charge for diet drinks. They are the same price retail, so why the extra charge?

I agree, I think this is a good indicator of how much they respect the customer.

When the price gets above double the normal retail price it tends to make me go "hmmmm". A good part of the enjoyment is gone at that point. Wines and specialty beers are an exception though. If people really want to plurge on these, it's ok. But 100 baht for a small beer or 70 baht for a small coke - no way.

[Slip]

Okay,it was Malaysia,1989,but i ordered a cheeseburger,it came,cheese in a burger bun with an egg,i sent it back,no meat,i told them,it came back with cheese and no egg,'no,no,no i said no meat',and sent it back,by this time the staff were frantic,they brought it back again with just the egg,then it dawned on me,a cheeseburger was really a cheese roll with an egg,not like Maccas,i smiled and ate the thing,calm was restored,no tip.

I feel like I may not be believed now, but this is also a true story that I watched as it happened, My missus ordered a cheese burger. Upon receiving it she immediately noticed that it was just a burger bun with salad and a slice of cheese. When she complained she was told- "yes- this is cheeseburger- made from cheese". That was in Jomtiem as I recall.

[marko kok prong]

One time in Greece,i had broken glass in the stiffado,must have been an accident in the kitchen,i alerted the manageress,who was mortified,she said all our drinks would be free,i informed her i had no intention of paying for a meal with glass in it,and as we had only just started it was not like we had eaten the lot,next thing my girlfreind and i where husseled out by two burly greek lads,which of course caused a hell of a scene,as my then girlfreind was very nuerotic,and had already thought she had seen a sniper,aiming at our apartment balcony,she went into a sort of howling screaming,yelling'they are trying to kill us with glass in the food',the next day we walked past the place,it was empty,if they had offered us or at least me a free dinner,it would have done the trick,along with the drinks,i mean it could have badly injured me.

[Jingthing]

OK I have kind of a mystical funny one from years ago in Pattaya.

I had been frequenting a lower quality / lower cost sort of OK Chinese dim sum buffet for awhile.

The main man running it was familiar with me and we talked sometimes.

A few times I commented to him ... everything here has pork, it would be nice to have more variety.

But I still thought it was OK sometimes, just wanted more variety.

So one day ... nothing unusual about it, the main man looks me in the eye and says definitively: This is the last time you will eat here.

No he wasn't angry at me, at least he didn't express that, he was just saying what he was saying, which I took to mean, I think this place isn't good enough for you anymore ... been there, done that.

I was taken aback at the directness of the comment ... not sure how I responded, probably denied it.

I never went back. He had planted the seed.

Now the 64 baht question is whether I would have returned again if he hadn't said that? I'll never know.

In case you're wondering, I'm a good subject for hypnotists ...

Edited May 25, 2015 by Jingthing

[green job]

had one close to us, excellent Farang food.

Than something changed....the chef I guess.....

Gordon Bleu: the cheese inside is something I have never seen before, I don't know if it is cheese or some soja replacement....and it is 50% of the total weight of the dish.

steak: raw, medium, well done.....everything the same well done

point is: they start good, when they got customer they start to save money to increase profit.

How blue was Gordon?

[green job]

Went to a restaurant regularly for about 2 years and noticed that the standard was dropping, not seriously so but noticeably but still convenient for us. Last time about 3 hours later started running to the toilet, every 15 minutes. Had this several times before especially in India so just keep drinking lots so water. Late at night my wife wants me to go to hospital but refused as "I can handle this". By early morning no better and I was too weak to refuse my wife's insistence to see medical help. Was hospitalized immediately and 36 hours later and a THB 21,000 we went home. Most expensive THB 700 (For two) I have ever had and never been back. Lost a bit of weight but soon went back on as was very hungry.5555

I have have never had a problem in Thailand with food,even street food,OK it must have something to do with, most is boiled in oil.

I was rushed to hospital,and spent a week there,due to samonella.the cause was food on a flight from Germany to Bkk

[WitawatWatawit]

Was an irregular regular at quite a good restaurant in the Bangna area. It got its fair share of foreign customers. So one day my daughter (she was 6 or 7) and I stopped there for a meal. The head waiter assigned a new girl to us, and she was clearly very new to waitressing and Bangkok. She was very hesitant/scared about approaching the foreigner, and when she finally plucked up the courage, she quickly dropped two menus in front of my daughter and stepped back. I was a little annoyed, but quickly dismissed it and decided to try and help her. I selected the food for us and called the waitress over, but she went straight to my daughter, ignoring me completely (Wow! I'm a scary guy ). I politely tried to draw her attention to me, but she was petrified and I could not give her more than one order before she turned and fled. After calling her back, I felt this was getting just a tad too silly, so I called the head waiter over and gave my order. The waitress brought the food and piled it all in front of my daughter and fled once again. When I asked for the bill, she dropped it straight in front of my daughter and, you guessed it, fled again. I felt embaraased, a little anyway, and sorted the bill out with the head waiter. I said to him that if she was so terrified of foreigners - many of us would go there for small gatherings - that he should keep her away from them as her attitude could be misinterpreted as being rude and offensive. He looked at me as if I'd deeply offended him and spat out the word "farang" right at me. I was stunned. In the 18 years since, this place has not got a single baht out of me.

[colinneil]

Before my accident, i was in Banphai, saw a new restaurant, they had a big board outside advertising beef steaks.

Ok i have to try this, asked for steak and chips plus 1 beer chang.

Waited, waited,. waited. Saw waitress leave she crossed the road, came back 5 minutes later carrying a bag of frozen chips and a bottle of chang.

Next she brought the smallest steak i have even seen, nothing on the plate only the small steak, beer please i ask phep nung phep nung.

Finished the steak still waiting for the beer.Finally beer arrived, no glass!! asked for a glass, i was given a plastic cup.

Ok bill please, you not finish she says, next 12 chips arrived on a plate. 225 baht for a ridiculously small meal and small chang.

Passed 3 weeks later restaurant gone.

[Jingthing]

While the original intent of this thread was to focus on restaurants that you had been loyal to blowing it and making you not want to go there anymore, I am liking these stories of places that are blowing it on the first visits. The former is like a relationship broken, the latter is like a failed first date ... but I can see the entertainment value in hearing about BOTH kinds of situations.

So, please keep them all coming!

Personally I am always open to trying new places that I am hoping might become places that I will want to return to. Most don't make the cut. Usually the reasons the first time places don't become regular places are pretty mundane and not entertaining to share ... such as just boring food and menu and there being better places to go offering the same thing better. But I can see that sometimes the way they blow it is more interesting.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Jingthing

[green job]

Once upon a time on Koh Chang a friend ordered a pepperoni pizza. Upon arrival it turned out to be a normal tomato/ cheese jobby covered in green, red and yellow peppers. When my friend complained he was told 'no, no, no- this is pepper only'. Sorry it doesn't quite fit with the original topic but seeing as we're talking about pizzas; and it gave us all a good laugh...

That's hilarious! A true classic. Did that really happen or an urban myth?

True I promise- I was sitting at the table at the time.

Last time we were on Koh Chang we were sitting at a cocktail bar at Kai bai. On the cocktail menu they had Bloody-Married ( Bloody Mary ) I did take a photo

I will post if I can find.

[HooHaa]

Once upon a time on Koh Chang a friend ordered a pepperoni pizza. Upon arrival it turned out to be a normal tomato/ cheese jobby covered in green, red and yellow peppers. When my friend complained he was told 'no, no, no- this is pepper only'. Sorry it doesn't quite fit with the original topic but seeing as we're talking about pizzas; and it gave us all a good laugh...

That's hilarious! A true classic. Did that really happen or an urban myth?

True I promise- I was sitting at the table at the time.

but a pepperoni pizza really is only peppers.

pepperoni as spicy dried salami only exists in the US mind.

[green job]

Once upon a time on Koh Chang a friend ordered a pepperoni pizza. Upon arrival it turned out to be a normal tomato/ cheese jobby covered in green, red and yellow peppers. When my friend complained he was told 'no, no, no- this is pepper only'. Sorry it doesn't quite fit with the original topic but seeing as we're talking about pizzas; and it gave us all a good laugh...

That's hilarious! A true classic. Did that really happen or an urban myth?

True I promise- I was sitting at the table at the time.

but a pepperoni pizza really is only peppers.

pepperoni as spicy dried salami only exists in the US mind.

are you sure about that?