Would you like a rat with that? Tops store shut after rodent dances on the donuts

[Estrada]

There are rats all over the place here. Tell me you couldn't go out tonight and film rats running through the local street markets or across the filthy restaurants all over the nation. I'm sure every Tops, BigC and Tesco has some too. Cockroaches are even easier to find. It's normal here. As the water in the sewers and under buildings rise in BKK you'll see even more. No use stressing out too much.

Tescoo Seacon square used to regularly have rats running around for the 20 years as well as many types of insects. That seems to have stopped after I complained to Tesco HQ about the rats and showed the Manager an infestation of insects in tomato puree that had been left sometime by employees.

One should get stressed out because rats can carry Leptospirosis.

[dunroaming]

Not sure why there is so much concern about which Topps store it is. Do you think that is the only one with rats running all over the food?

[Rayk]

Which Tops store????

The one that's closed.

[Rayk]

I was in Testo the other day and there was a cockroach walking around on the checkout area.

Welcome to Asia.

[johncat1]

The mouse is definatelly a rat. Problem is Thais can't tell the difference between a rat and a mouse. Bit of a stupid question to ask the owner how the rodent got in. We are talking about a small rat here not a <deleted> elephant. A rat or mouse will get through the smallest hole

[Gulfsailor]

Oh, a mouse. I have a mouse living in the drawer under the tv. He made himself a nice home there with pillow stuffing. Everyday he takes two little wrapped candys from the candy jar in the kitchen and takes them home to eat. Once a month I clean his home by throwing out all the wrappers. Occasionally he nibbles the corners from my Makro Ciabattas. Bad mouse!

[RBOP]

Dont be so harsh. That Rat is the cook. No one seen the movie?

[WhizBang]

Ii have seen cockroaches (plural, not singular) running around on the lower floor of Terminal 21, and not in the gourmet food market.

One was running across the counter and the staff just swatted it away and continued on as if nothing was unusual.

[patsfangr]

I was in Testo the other day and there was a cockroach walking around on the checkout area.

Welcome to Asia.

I've seen this often in Tesco and Big C. One day, I saw a rat run across the floor in Foodland, and take refuge under a shelf. (No, I didn't report it.) Look, the entire world is infested with rodents and insects. Most large food stores, including those here in Thailand, do their best to minimize the presence of these creatures. There is no way to totally eliminate them. Not here. Not anywhere.

It is an unfortunate truth that they can carry diseases. So can the water you drink and the air you breath. It is reasonable to expect those who sell food to the public to take measures against rodents and insects. It's their responsibility to do so. But it's unreasonable to expect that you'll NEVER see a rodent or insect in a store; just as it is unreasonable to expect that you'll never see one of them, or a snake, in or around your home. They've both been around a lot longer than people have. They survive. And they do so by eating whatever they can get to. Deal with it!

(And before anyone asks silly questions about whether I'd enjoy eating rat feces; please read the part where I said: "It is reasonable to expect those who sell food to the public to take measures against rodents and insects. It's their responsibility to do so." I expect those measures to be taken. I just don't expect them to be 100% effective; so I don't condemn a store because of a video that spots one!)

Edited June 23, 2016 by patsfangr

[elgordo38]

that's a pedigree Siberian hamster

Its not a rat either according to the gentleman giving the interview its a big mouse.

[Winniedapu]

that's a pedigree Siberian hamster

They don't look as if they are very good dancers. Maybe they were just practicing.

It's a rat-dance. It's called the "find all the cakes and sh|t on them".

The difference between TOPS and many other Thai food emporia, is that this lot got caught on camera. Odds are you've had more than one luverly serve of rat poo in Thailand. Sometimes disguised as sprikles (vermicelli. or rather vermincelli).

Edited June 23, 2016 by Winniedapu

[mesterm]

This is just the one caught on camera.

Edited June 23, 2016 by mesterm

[Sooo Upto Me]

Which Tops store????

Sukhumvit, Soi 33.

And which department store??? Central? Robinson???? Asoke??? Nana???? Anyone????

Can't u read English? It Cleary says TOPS store Soi 33 Suk rd Bangkok

[recom273]

There is a good chance this guy just wandered in the front door.

Do tops really deserve all this bad press ?

[Mook23]

[wdr]

Simple answer, they do no advertising in Thaivisa. I got haevely censored show Air Asia stranded me in Kuala Lumpur on transit. Case is now handled by Malaysia's Consumer Protection Agency.

Ads from Air Asia you find always on Thaivisa! ☺☺☺☺

[smew]

As always a lot of talk but no action...

[mikiea]

that's a pedigree Siberian hamster

he was pissed , no coffee .

[mikiea]

As always a lot of talk but no action...

ha ha ha like no Thai ever seen a rat ..... that is funny

[Crash999]

My stomach hurts, I don't know why....

Yeah me too. And I've got this strange craving for cheese.

[hobobo]

Will anyone be fired?

Nope, TiT. Probably get an extra holiday, like the bus driver.

W

The rat will be transferred to an inactive post!

[wandasloan]

 

I don't understand what stories are allowed and what stories are not allowed. Why is it that this store can be named and shamed but similar stories have their names censored on here? Just curious.

As the story states, this store named itself. It identified itself to the public. It identified its owner to the public. This is not a case of the passive tense where "the store can be named and shamed". It is the active case where the store was happy to identify itself.

There is no question that any store can be named and shamed. The decision is up to the publisher, whether he has the energy and Vitamin M to go through a 10-year defamation suit charging him for naming and shaming a prominent store, say. Very few stories are worth criminal defamation suits. Even if you win one, you lose. If you lose one, you could go to prison.

So stories where the store doesn't identify itself, most publishers take the cautious road, since there are numerous such stories and going to prison numerous times after paying numerous millions of baht in court, really aren't worth it.

There are occasional stories that warrant being brave and name-dropping in a defamatory story, but I've never seen one on ThaiVisa.

And no, truth is not a defence, it's mitigation at best.

[mike324]

Consumers pay a premium to buy these goods in the expectation that a 'reputable ' company would have higher standards than the average bakery. Tops baked goods are far from cheap. As for the PR spin doctor calling it a mouse....

There is no premium to buy these goods, they are not consider as premium goods to begin with. The majority of Tops bakery goods are actually cheaper than those chain bakery such as Yamazaki, Saint Etoile, Gateux House, etc.

[Winniedapu]

 

I don't understand what stories are allowed and what stories are not allowed. Why is it that this store can be named and shamed but similar stories have their names censored on here? Just curious.

As the story states, this store named itself. It identified itself to the public. It identified its owner to the public. This is not a case of the passive tense where "the store can be named and shamed". It is the active case where the store was happy to identify itself.

There is no question that any store can be named and shamed. The decision is up to the publisher, whether he has the energy and Vitamin M to go through a 10-year defamation suit charging him for naming and shaming a prominent store, say. Very few stories are worth criminal defamation suits. Even if you win one, you lose. If you lose one, you could go to prison.

So stories where the store doesn't identify itself, most publishers take the cautious road, since there are numerous such stories and going to prison numerous times after paying numerous millions of baht in court, really aren't worth it.

There are occasional stories that warrant being brave and name-dropping in a defamatory story, but I've never seen one on ThaiVisa.

And no, truth is not a defence, it's mitigation at best.

And so the libel laws of Thailand do what they were designed for. Again.

W

[Jonmarleesco]

Which Tops store????

Sukhumvit, Soi 33.

And which department store??? Central? Robinson???? Asoke??? Nana???? Anyone????

Department store? There aren't any of those in 33; I wasn't even aware there was a Tops in there, but it is apparently one of the small versions.

[Jonmarleesco]

 

I don't understand what stories are allowed and what stories are not allowed. Why is it that this store can be named and shamed but similar stories have their names censored on here? Just curious.

As the story states, this store named itself. It identified itself to the public. It identified its owner to the public. This is not a case of the passive tense where "the store can be named and shamed". It is the active case where the store was happy to identify itself.

There is no question that any store can be named and shamed. The decision is up to the publisher, whether he has the energy and Vitamin M to go through a 10-year defamation suit charging him for naming and shaming a prominent store, say. Very few stories are worth criminal defamation suits. Even if you win one, you lose. If you lose one, you could go to prison.

So stories where the store doesn't identify itself, most publishers take the cautious road, since there are numerous such stories and going to prison numerous times after paying numerous millions of baht in court, really aren't worth it.

There are occasional stories that warrant being brave and name-dropping in a defamatory story, but I've never seen one on ThaiVisa.

And no, truth is not a defence, it's mitigation at best.

'There are occasional stories that warrant being brave and name-dropping in a defamatory story ...' The issue in Thailand isn't about name dropping in connection with a defamatory story, but doing so in connection with a true one.

[GAZZPA]

I don't understand what stories are allowed and what stories are not allowed. Why is it that this store can be named and shamed but similar stories have their names censored on here? Just curious.

Very good point, would this not be defamation?

[ratcatcher]

[seancbk]

And I'm sure this is the first time rats were ever spotted at this store so Central Food Retail is now jumping all over the problem.

I'm sure none of the current store employees or management ever saw any rodents until this particular incident.

I was eating in a restaurant last weekend with some friends who were visiting Bangkok.

I pointed out the happy looking rat that was running back and forth across the restaurant and we all had a laugh.

I've lived practically all my life in Asia and my friends previously lived in Hong Kong and now live in Chennai, India.

As far as we were concerned seeing a rat is no big deal.

[tails]

which store is hardly the point... almost all food sold in this way can't be trusted