Doggy Bags In Thailand?

[mafaso]

Today I was eating in Angela's bakery and I could not finish my delicious club sandwich and so I asked for the rest to go. The Thai girl I was with started laughing and making comments about it. Her English is very poor so I could not quite understand what she was saying but I got the feeling that I was doing something that she thought was unusual or a little embarrassing. Then I started thinking about it and I've never seen a Thai person ask for a doggy bag to take home left overs. This is such a common thing in the West that I have never given it a second thought about doing it here. Although here the portions are about half what they are in the West therefor it is not needed as often.

Does anyone have an opinion about this? I want to know if Thai's just don't do it because they never need too or do they not do it because it is somehow embarrassing or wrong to ask to take the uneaten food away.

Any comments? I've asked some Thai girls I know but they wont give me a straight answer because I think they are worried about embarrassing me by telling me what I'm doing is embarrassing.

I hate to see uneaten food go to waste and to leave a complete half of an uneaten club sandwich for the trash doesn't seem right.

[londonthai]

if you couldn't understand her than most probably she couldn't understand you.

the next time take your own bag with you - but I would believe they do take-aways and do pack them in bags. Just ask for an empty bag without explaining too much.

[JacknDanny]

Today I was eating in Angela's bakery and I could not finish my delicious club sandwich and so I asked for the rest to go. The Thai girl I was with started laughing and making comments about it. Her English is very poor so I could not quite understand what she was saying but I got the feeling that I was doing something that she thought was unusual or a little embarrassing. Then I started thinking about it and I've never seen a Thai person ask for a doggy bag to take home left overs. This is such a common thing in the West that I have never given it a second thought about doing it here. Although here the portions are about half what they are in the West therefor it is not needed as often.

Does anyone have an opinion about this? I want to know if Thai's just don't do it because they never need too or do they not do it because it is somehow embarrassing or wrong to ask to take the uneaten food away.

Any comments? I've asked some Thai girls I know but they wont give me a straight answer because I think they are worried about embarrassing me by telling me what I'm doing is embarrassing.

I hate to see uneaten food go to waste and to leave a complete half of an uneaten club sandwich for the trash doesn't seem right.

Thais do it plenty of times!!!

Dont worry about it

[taxexile]

in a restaurant it's quite acceptable to ask to have any uneaten dishes put in a polystyrene carton to take home , if there is a sizeable portion left.

if you ask for a couple of spoonfuls of curry to be wrapped in a 20baht curry shop then you might get some funny looks

if there was only a tiny piece of sandwich left then it might have seemed a strange request.

they might have been laughing at their inability to understand english too well.

[BambinA]

Doggy bags are common in THai

I think she might laugh becoz the word 'doggy bag'

[Pink Mist]

Doggy bags are common in THai

I think she might laugh becoz the word 'doggy bag'

perhaps "canine container" was appropriate

[Rooo]

Doggy bags are common in THai

I think she might laugh becoz the word 'doggy bag'

perhaps "canine container" was appropriate

[BambinA]

Doggy bags are common in THai

I think she might laugh becoz the word 'doggy bag'

perhaps "canine container" was appropriate

lol it makes me thinks about Bridget Jones 's Diary 2(Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason )

Bridget Jones: I will not f-ck it up again, Mum.

Mum: Bridget! Language!

Bridget Jones: Sorry. I will not f-ck it up again... mother.

[leemond]

Does anybody else have any more life shattering dilema's or are we at the top of the tree with the can I take a half eaten sandwich out of a cafe dilema?

Is it considered rude to get out of bed on the left hand side?

Would I cause offense if I was to cut my sandwich horizontally rather than the more widely accepted diagonal method?.

Would this caue offence to the sandwich too?

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Does anybody else have any more life shattering dilema's or are we at the top of the tree with the can I take a half eaten sandwich out of a cafe dilema?

I think that I left a knife in the fork compartment in my cutlery drawer back home!

What should I do? Is this acceptable in Thai culture?

[Shrubbery]

Would I cause offense if I was to cut my sandwich horizontally rather than the more widely accepted diagonal method?.

Would this caue offence to the sandwich too?

It depends on whether you leave the crust on whether you cut it horizontally.

Diagonally cut sandwiches look much better without the crust.

Witha horizontally cut sandwich the crust sometimes help to keep it rigid thus less drops out of the sides. But that also depends on whether you eat it from the middle or from the end.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Shrubbery

[mafaso]

How far can the sandwich be thrust into the mouth before it is socially acceptable to bite down?

[leemond]

Diagonally cut sandwiches taste better too!

I think we should start a poll.

Is it acceptable in Thai culture to drive according to the highway code or is this considered discourteous. Would Thai's take offence at me having my lights on at night?

I am at my wits end worrying about what side of the bed I should be getting out of (I am currently sleeping on the sofa). Which in itself must be a considered bad form. Please help!

[Shrubbery]

How far can the sandwich be thrust into the mouth before it is socially acceptable to bite down?

Are we talking about a horizontal or diagonally cut sandwich. And would that be with or without he crust.

I think a diagonally cut sandwich should be gently eased in to one's mouth and perhaps 2 cm consumed at a time. This should let one appreciate the filling more.

A horizontally cut sandwich should also be eased in and perhaps 2-3cm would be acceptable.

[Shrubbery]

Diagonally cut sandwiches taste better too!

I think we should start a poll.

Is it acceptable in Thai culture to drive according to the highway code or is this considered discourteous. Would Thai's take offence at me having my lights on at night?

I am at my wits end worrying about what side of the bed I should be getting out of (I am currently sleeping on the sofa). Which in itself must be a considered bad form. Please help!

I agree, diagonally cut do taste better. They look "posh" too. Even better when there is some cucumber and a few crisps on the plate.

[leemond]

I am glad we have found common ground on the great diagonal versus horizontal cutting sandwich technique.

I believe millons were spent in research and development at Brevill before they went with the now international standard of diagonally cut cheese toasties!. We just have to now convince our flag waving cousins of the merits of such a technique which they can apply to their Croque Monsieurs.

Now, spoon or knife for taking the top of a boiled egg?

[mafaso]

Sandwiches are the perfect food. At the top of my list for sure. There are so many varieties available, a combination of meat, cheese, sauces, vegetables, toasted, not toasted, plus it is fast and easy to make and you get to eat it with your hands!

It's the perfect food.