Anyone noticed this (street noodles)

[cheapskatesam]

As many of us are aware there is free water available at most street noodle "establishments" in Thailand and there is also bottled water available for an extra price.

 

Thai people seem to get a little metal cup with some ice brought to them by default without asking however farangs (me included) get no such service and have to ask.

I suspect it's standard operating procedure for noodle vendors to refrain from giving us the cup in the hopes in our ignorance we opt to pay 10baht for a bottle of water.

 

I can imagine these little tidbits are passed down from generation to generation of noodle vendor - "listen young Somchai, don't give the farangs the metal cup because more often than not they'll pay for our water bottles"

[Dmaxdan]

Cheapskate by name, cheapskate by nature

[p_brownstone]

I would imagine that the main (though not, admittedly, only) reason for this is because the Noodle Stand owners are used to accommodating Tourists and over time have come to recoginise that finicky requirements for "hygiene" by such Farang mean that the common Tin Cup filled with ice from the local Ice Factory and topped up with local water would result in hysterics from these people.

 

Best therefore to wait until the Customer specifically defines his requirements.

 

Patrick

 

 

 

[seajae]

I have always had the cup and ice put in front of me although if busy they can be a bit slow

[thaipod]

To save the hassle. Bring your own cup.

[colinneil]

56 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

Cheapskate by name, cheapskate by nature

 

 

 Cheapskate hells teeth man even if you have to pay 10 baht for bottled water, surely that wont break the bank

You need to get out more.

When i used to be out and about, i preferred to pay for bottled water, as at least it should be clean.

Using a metal cup after lots of other people is not very hygienic.

[cheapskatesam]

But if you look after the satang, the bahts take care of themselves 

[ripstanley]

Where I live up north some bring ice in cups/glasses to Thai and non Thai and you have bottled water or water in a jug. Others both Thai and non Thai get their own ice and have a choice of bottled water or other water. No discrimination where I live.

 

[Hedghog]

14 minutes ago, cheapskatesam said:

But if you look after the satang, the bahts take care of themselves 

I throw satang away,maybe I should start saving them.

In a few years, maybe I could afford to buy some noodles and a bottle of water.

[Angry Beaver]

10 hours ago, p_brownstone said:

I would imagine that the main (though not, admittedly, only) reason for this is because the Noodle Stand owners are used to accommodating Tourists and over time have come to recoginise that finicky requirements for "hygiene" by such Farang mean that the common Tin Cup filled with ice from the local Ice Factory and topped up with local water would result in hysterics from these people.

 

Best therefore to wait until the Customer specifically defines his requirements.

 

Patrick

 

 

 

He pretty much summed it up.

Honestly, you may be thankful they don't automatically serve you that tin cup with ice. I've seen on more than a few occasions cups being reused without washing first both by the vendor and locals. There was this one time,  a local finished eating his bowl of noodles and walked up to where they stack the cups and cooler filled with iced water, took a cup and dunked it in, sipped it, and proceeded to place it back on the shelf. All ready to go for the next customer...