[yWleIJm4]

True story: I was interviewing an attorney for a position with two of my colleagues. We went out for lunch to an Italian restaurants and we offered each other tastes of our various orders. My interviewee joined in and offered something -- I stretched my arm across the table and picked it up with my fork. While I was chewing, my colleagues saw the shocked expression on his face.

For some reason, he didn't accept our offer.

(I learned my lesson, now I pass my bread plate for donations.)

[RayFairhurst]

I think he didn't expect to be taken up on his offer, and he definitely didn't expect my fork to get anywhere near his plate.

For me, the moral of the story is: To avoid getting shocked, don't offer unless you're absolutely sure they hate your food. :

[yWleIJm4]

Wait, sorry, but I am a little dense; can you please clarify: 1) What's the nationality of the guy who's shocked? 2) What shocked him--your taking his offer? 3) Or was it your picking it up with your fork?

All Americans, but from different parts of our big country.

I think he didn't expect to be taken up on his offer, and he definitely didn't expect my fork to get anywhere near his plate.

[dafodilkemmy]

I noticed at the bottom of the MK picture there is a caption that says "Cheap Eats Bangkok" that made me smile as MK is certainly not classed as a cheap eat by Thai people.It is really quite expensive.KFC is also expensive for a Thai as you could buy a whole Roast chicken for the same price as 2 KFC Chicken pieces with Fries.

"CheapEatsBangkok" is our website.
The site is designed to introduce visitors to Bangkok's local cuisine.

Although not all entries are necessarily cheap, none are "fine dining" and most are what could be considered tried and true.

[RayFairhurst]

True story: I was interviewing an attorney for a position with two of my colleagues. We went out for lunch to an Italian restaurants and we offered each other tastes of our various orders. My interviewee joined in and offered something -- I stretched my arm across the table and picked it up with my fork. While I was chewing, my colleagues saw the shocked expression on his face.

For some reason, he didn't accept our offer.

(I learned my lesson, now I pass my bread plate for donations.)

Wait, sorry, but I am a little dense; can you please clarify: 1) What's the nationality of the guy who's shocked? 2) What shocked him--your taking his offer? 3) Or was it your picking it up with your fork?

About the subject of eating your own food only, I have this story. I travelled with children of a diplomat and while at the airport we ate in the restaurant. I noticed that the boy was still hungry and I offered my still untouched sandwich, since it was too much for me. The boy refused and instead ordered his own--exactly the same kind! I wondered and asked him why he had to order anew. He said that they were taught by their parents that they should only eat the food that they order, and if they are still hungry they should buy more but not take from others! I think that's the etiquette. Arrrghh-- my parents did not teach me that. In fact my training is to avoid wasting food--which would have made me accept a sandwich from that boy, had the situation been reversed. LOL. But then my parents are not diplomats!

[sEe]

I noticed at the bottom of the MK picture there is a caption that says "Cheap Eats Bangkok" that made me smile as MK is certainly not classed as a cheap eat by Thai people.It is really quite expensive.KFC is also expensive for a Thai as you could buy a whole Roast chicken for the same price as 2 KFC Chicken pieces with Fries.

[brulpcoersero]

lol i never heard of such custom. at least non of my friends do so. i assume it's just that particular group but i wouldn't consider it rude though. just a lil annoying that i couldnt' hav what i order as much as i want lol

[__CVineXPharm__]

Yes, and the doctors love it too, seems strange to see so many sick people drinking out of the same glass and eating out of the same plates and still the population of Thailand does not seem to fluctuate that much, but do seem to have quite a few deaths and funerals for so low a population count.

First of all, my apologies for replying to such an old post, but I didn't see anyone else addressing the issues so here is my reply:

Your concern is obviously one of hygiene, and I can fully relate to that. Certain illnesses are widespread, not just in Thailand and many are easily transferable - Hepatitis probably being the main concern. However, normal etiquette in Thai restaurant is that the dishes come with a spoon, and this spoon is used to transfer the food to your plate. If the spoon is missing, simply request one. You then use your own spoon and fork (or chopsticks) to eat from your own plate. For large pieces of food, e.g. fish cakes, spring rolls etc, it is however common and fully acceptable to use your own utensils to pick a piece.

If anyone at my table were using their own spoon to, say help themselves to curry or soups, I would just kindly remind them that there was already a spoon available for that purpose. If they persisted, I would either tell them off, or not eat with them again.

By all means be careful, but there is no need to be hysterical.

As for deaths and funerals, Thailand has a 100% fatality rate - the same as anywhere else on the planet.

[BruceCroucshs]

Im a Bruneian who regularly visits Thailand (monthly). I;ve not seen any differences between Thai practices and what is done in Brunei in terms of 'table manners'. As the Thais, we do share our food by offering what we've ordered and may choose to accept/ refuse food offered to me. Same thing happens when Im with Thai or indeed, Malaysian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, or Filipino friends. No one takes offence at all, in fact it's 'expected'. I sometimes do put some of my food on friend's plates (usually when eating out and ordering different dishes each, not when we all take from the same buffet). The reason we do it is that we often think people would like some but are too polite to ask (it's not Asian to ask). I suppose it is a South-East Asian thing. But my Korean and Japanese friends do the same too. I guess, to be safe, always ask/ offer first.

[LOVEBoy]

If my Thai friends hadn't coaxed me to try other food I would still be eating Chicken fried rice and omelette.

Me too, except it would be friend rice or panaeng chicken. I haven't eaten fried rice now for almost 3 years after I got sick of finding black hairs in it when ordering it from the work canteen.

[diseeKeythilt]

I have always enjoyed this way of sharing meals.

If my Thai friends hadn't coaxed me to try other food I would still be eating Chicken fried rice and omelette.
And as Whiteshiva has said, each time I have been eating with a group of Thai people, whether in some one's home or in a restaurant, I have been given a plate with my own spoon and fork, a small bowl of rice and the main dish of soup, meat and vegetables have been provided on separate plates, each with their own spoon to dish out.

I remember one evening a young boy had came into the room later than everyone else, lifted the spoon directly from the soup bowl and slurped away with a grin on his face. Yai soon changed the grin to a look of shock when she took the spoon from him and bumped it on top of his head.

Needless to say, the spoon was changed for a clean one.

[JohnTruels]

Well, as a Thai, I would say there are 2 ways serveing at resturants,
One is put the main dishes (or fruits) at the middle and we pick up WHATEAVER we want and feel comfortatable to eat into our own small dishes. This one is also the traditional way of Thai cuisine and it is seen in houses or among families.

The other one , we order our own meal which is called "single dish", we usually don't share each other axcept when one want to try another's. And it 's needed the owner's permission. Sometimes it is seen as a treat when we put our meal to others's plates, it's just the way to show our kindness and nothing else.

[RayFairhurst]

This reminds me: When I eat out with Thai male friends and foster brothers, they would wipe my plate and glass with napkin before we start eating. And while the meal is in progress, they'd keep on putting food in my plate without asking me if I want it or not. Is that because I am their guest? Or is that what's expected of gentlemen to do with ladies (as a sign of good manners)? I am wondering, too, if being close to them, I am supposed to put food in their plates also as a sign of good manners.

[RayFairhurst]

The other one , we order our own meal which is called "single dish", we usually don't share each other axcept when one want to try another's. And it 's needed the owner's permission. Sometimes it is seen as a treat when we put our meal to others's plates, it's just the way to show our kindness and nothing else.

This is also how I take it. It is a gesture of thoughtfulness. However, I still feel uneasy to do it with male friends since back home it is only done to someone very close to you, like a partner, child or other family members.

[dafodilkemmy]

I believe that "MK" were the restaurants that we ate on several occassions...but I am not 100% sure If they have one "MK" next to Tesko-Lotus in Min-Bury,..then that`s the one....

This is what MK looks like:

[DexOnenlyCymn]

Mexican dishes also use lot of chiles, and are just as HOT as some Thai dishes, and I don`t eat much of Mexican foods either, so when in Thailand I avoid those chiles..they get you on the way out Not necessarily so, most Mexican is not that hot from the kitchen, but you spice it up to suit yourself, and Mexican heartburn is caused by canned chilis and not the fresh ones or dried ones I have never gotten anything very hot there unless I asked for it to be made that way. But I much prefer Mex chuck to Thai any day.
I been thinking of maybe moving back to Mexico what with all the robbing, stealing and killing of farangs here, it is just as bad as Mexico or maybe worse now.
At least they ain't as noisy as these Thai, another noisy party going on tonite, only on the other side of me now. 2300 and my windows might bust out at any second.

[Oswczrdz]

I always loved this way of eating! My family always knew the best out-of-the-way places to eat. Anyone who wanted to, ordered a favorite dish and everything was put in the center of the table. At the same time, everyone got his/her own plate. I got to sample everything and learn to love dishes I never would have learned about on my own.
Another very pleasing aspect to this style of dining was that the one with the most money paid - and it was never me!

[NutChusty]

Yes my former Thai girlfriend wanted to go to MK Restaurant all the time, She paid the first time and I paid the second time, but then the third time she wanted me to pay again, so I said we go to KFC instead, to save money, but after eating KFC in Thailand, I thought latter I would have been better spending the extra and going to MK, at least it taste good, only think I don't like cooking my own food,

[draigenia]

Yes,...I have seen both ways of foods served. The first way is kind of awkward for a bashful, first timer, as I was, I just sat and watched as others were "fishing" with chop-sticks in the main cooking pot, for what they liked...and I felt it would be rude for me to go poking into the common pot seeking what appealed to me, so my wife was taking pity on me and was loading my plate from common pot/plates, after asking me if I like what she had "harpooned"......Second way of served foods was more in western style restaurants, like "Sizzler", where there was not so much of food "traded", and we each concentrated mostly on our own plates

[BUMbaronos]

On my first visit to Thailand, to restaurant with Thai friends there, we each ordered what we wanted from the menu and we were served our orders...but I was surprised when my friends started "raiding" my plate..each of them taking piece from my plate...and in turn giving me piece of foods from their plates,...so I ended up eating more of what I did not order then of what I did order....Later my Noochie explained to me that that is the custom in Thailand when dining out with friends...i.e. to share your food with others, and eat some of their food....Well maybe it is custom,...but I `m not sure if it is such good custom.....I mean if we each order what we like, then that`s what we should each eat, or we may end up eat food we really don`t like...but I guess on few more trips I`ll get used more to this "All for one & one for all" dining custom

Yes, they share food but its like a dish where its passed around a few people... that's how they share food when im with them. so far, taking food from friends' plates hasn't happened to me yet, maybe cos they already treat u as a close friend. If you dislike this gesture, maybe u can talk to them? or let them know u feel uncomfortable.