How to eat out with Thai friends - Idoit proof survival guide
OK I don't know if anyone would find it useful or not. But, doesn't matter. Feel like sharing it.
First of all. This is not 100% Thai standard. Most are based on my experiences and some complaints and bitchy opinions from other Thai friends.
Ever wonder what to do when go out eating with your Thai friends? Since we have non-Thai friends come to visit sometimes. Apart from taking them to party their ass off in RCA. Things we have to do is.. going to eat!
This is Idoit proof survival guide. How to eat out with your Thai friends.
STREET FOOD
Since everything cost 20 - 35 Baht on the street (except in China town.. some simple dish can be expensive even on the street) If you're visitor. We normally pay for you anyway. Considering you're "guest" and this is a hospitality for us to do so. Anyway, ALWAYS try to offer to share the bill. Even 90% of chance that we'll refuse it.
For example if the bill comes out 120 baht. Your friend(s) will pay all that. Or share between them without letting you pay any single Baht.
You'll NEVER see me and my friend count how much MY dish costs, how much YOUR dish costs.. we always go 50-50 with the bill or a little more or less. It depends. Not a big deal.
Don't ever offer to pay ONLY what you ate. It's considered rude. If you wanna pay. Offer to share the bill even it would turn out less that what you ate. It's still better than wanting to pay only what you ate.
Sounds weird but it's true.
And if you insist to pay for everyone. And if they let you do. That's OK too. But it won't happen to "well-mannered" Thais that often. Unless you're really really close friends.
NICE RESTAURANT
Food in "nice" restos cost around 70-150 Baht/dish. With 2-3 people bill would come around something like 400-500 Baht approximately. (including drinks) This case, ALWAYS offer to share the bill. We always do. Even I eat only 100 baht food plus another 20 Baht for a soft drink. Or 120 Baht PLUS a little bit more. Same rule : Don't ever offer to pay ONLY what you ate. But if you drink beers, always pay for your beers.
65% of chance that your Thai friends will let you share the bill. (depends how expensive it is..haha) and depends at what time of the month too. Especially for people they work in the office. First week of every month is a "generous" week coz it's a pay day in the end of every month. When it comes to 3rd week or last week of month. Always keep in mind that your friends might be broke :-)
For example bill comes out 1200 Baht for 4 people. That's 300 Baht each. We'll always put 300 baht on a table. And generally if we see that someone ate not that much we always return something like 100 baht back to him without having to calculate it. Just giving back some money is already OK. None of Thais think it's a big deal to share exactly same amount of money for food.
Can pay more or pay less for what you ate. We don't really care much about it.
What we do here, we put the money on the table so one of us will collect all the money and pay to a waiter. If they really don't want you to pay. They will just push it back to you. If you really insist (please do! lol) they might take it. But if you insist to pay more than 2-3 times and they still say No, Mai pen rai. It means that they really don't want you to pay.
Strange way to show your manner. But it will work well. You'll see
Restaurant we went last night!
POSH INSANELY EXPENSIVE PLACES
This case you can pay only what you ate. Can pay a bit more or a bit less between your friends. Even paying exactly only what you ate is OK. Plus a few tips for waiter. if the bill is over 1000 Baht. Minimum tip is about 50 Baht. If we're really satisfiled with services (food came quick and hot, waiter is serving good and polite AND fast!) usually we tip 100 B.
CLUBBING
Since you're not gonna eat there. Only issue is BEER! (or whatever drink it's gonna be) Cocktails cost around 100-120 Baht in normal (not too posh) clubs. Same for beers. if you're 4-5 people together it will go by "round" Someone goes buying 5 bottles for 5 people first round. Then second round will be second person. Like that.
If you'll go for a bottle of Black Label or something (usually costs 900-1100 Baht. Depends on promotions.. Red Label is cheaper) in this case, go with the same rule for "POSH INSANELY EXPENSIVE PLACES" Except for "mixers" that will be randomly paid with everyone later.
What NOT TO DO
- Calculate EXACTLY what you ate and only pay for that. It's considered quite rude here actually. As it makes you look like a stingy person.
- Sitting there still, Without offering to split the bill or pay some of it. Even you know that your friends will treat you but always offer. If they don't want it. They will insist you NOT to.
Otherway round, If you find your Thai friends just sit there still waiting for you to pay.(unless you've told them in advance that it would be your treat) You should consider making new friends already.
- Insist to pay half of little money at EXACT amount. Like.. "OK that's 85 Baht right? So I owe you 42 Baht and 50 Satang!" Who don't give a damn about 2 baht 50 Satang, really. Don't do that. It's ridiculous.
What TO DO
- Offer to treat your friends next time would be appreciated.
- Treat them with something else. Like movies later on, or few beers next time is OK too.
- Saying Thank you after every meal. Even it's just street food. That's all we wanna hear.
Not much, isn't it.
First of all. This is not 100% Thai standard. Most are based on my experiences and some complaints and bitchy opinions from other Thai friends.
Ever wonder what to do when go out eating with your Thai friends? Since we have non-Thai friends come to visit sometimes. Apart from taking them to party their ass off in RCA. Things we have to do is.. going to eat!
This is Idoit proof survival guide. How to eat out with your Thai friends.
STREET FOOD
Since everything cost 20 - 35 Baht on the street (except in China town.. some simple dish can be expensive even on the street) If you're visitor. We normally pay for you anyway. Considering you're "guest" and this is a hospitality for us to do so. Anyway, ALWAYS try to offer to share the bill. Even 90% of chance that we'll refuse it.
For example if the bill comes out 120 baht. Your friend(s) will pay all that. Or share between them without letting you pay any single Baht.
You'll NEVER see me and my friend count how much MY dish costs, how much YOUR dish costs.. we always go 50-50 with the bill or a little more or less. It depends. Not a big deal.
Don't ever offer to pay ONLY what you ate. It's considered rude. If you wanna pay. Offer to share the bill even it would turn out less that what you ate. It's still better than wanting to pay only what you ate.
Sounds weird but it's true.
And if you insist to pay for everyone. And if they let you do. That's OK too. But it won't happen to "well-mannered" Thais that often. Unless you're really really close friends.
NICE RESTAURANT
Food in "nice" restos cost around 70-150 Baht/dish. With 2-3 people bill would come around something like 400-500 Baht approximately. (including drinks) This case, ALWAYS offer to share the bill. We always do. Even I eat only 100 baht food plus another 20 Baht for a soft drink. Or 120 Baht PLUS a little bit more. Same rule : Don't ever offer to pay ONLY what you ate. But if you drink beers, always pay for your beers.
65% of chance that your Thai friends will let you share the bill. (depends how expensive it is..haha) and depends at what time of the month too. Especially for people they work in the office. First week of every month is a "generous" week coz it's a pay day in the end of every month. When it comes to 3rd week or last week of month. Always keep in mind that your friends might be broke :-)
For example bill comes out 1200 Baht for 4 people. That's 300 Baht each. We'll always put 300 baht on a table. And generally if we see that someone ate not that much we always return something like 100 baht back to him without having to calculate it. Just giving back some money is already OK. None of Thais think it's a big deal to share exactly same amount of money for food.
Can pay more or pay less for what you ate. We don't really care much about it.
What we do here, we put the money on the table so one of us will collect all the money and pay to a waiter. If they really don't want you to pay. They will just push it back to you. If you really insist (please do! lol) they might take it. But if you insist to pay more than 2-3 times and they still say No, Mai pen rai. It means that they really don't want you to pay.
Strange way to show your manner. But it will work well. You'll see
Restaurant we went last night!
POSH INSANELY EXPENSIVE PLACES
This case you can pay only what you ate. Can pay a bit more or a bit less between your friends. Even paying exactly only what you ate is OK. Plus a few tips for waiter. if the bill is over 1000 Baht. Minimum tip is about 50 Baht. If we're really satisfiled with services (food came quick and hot, waiter is serving good and polite AND fast!) usually we tip 100 B.
CLUBBING
Since you're not gonna eat there. Only issue is BEER! (or whatever drink it's gonna be) Cocktails cost around 100-120 Baht in normal (not too posh) clubs. Same for beers. if you're 4-5 people together it will go by "round" Someone goes buying 5 bottles for 5 people first round. Then second round will be second person. Like that.
If you'll go for a bottle of Black Label or something (usually costs 900-1100 Baht. Depends on promotions.. Red Label is cheaper) in this case, go with the same rule for "POSH INSANELY EXPENSIVE PLACES" Except for "mixers" that will be randomly paid with everyone later.
What NOT TO DO
- Calculate EXACTLY what you ate and only pay for that. It's considered quite rude here actually. As it makes you look like a stingy person.
- Sitting there still, Without offering to split the bill or pay some of it. Even you know that your friends will treat you but always offer. If they don't want it. They will insist you NOT to.
Otherway round, If you find your Thai friends just sit there still waiting for you to pay.(unless you've told them in advance that it would be your treat) You should consider making new friends already.
- Insist to pay half of little money at EXACT amount. Like.. "OK that's 85 Baht right? So I owe you 42 Baht and 50 Satang!" Who don't give a damn about 2 baht 50 Satang, really. Don't do that. It's ridiculous.
What TO DO
- Offer to treat your friends next time would be appreciated.
- Treat them with something else. Like movies later on, or few beers next time is OK too.
- Saying Thank you after every meal. Even it's just street food. That's all we wanna hear.
Not much, isn't it.
posted by bee at
12:37:00 PM
6 Comments:
Very interesting information. I love this kind of information. You can´t read it in Lonely Planet (lol)
he he he :-)
Hope it's useful ;-) more or less
a1AGGd write more, thanks.
Please write anything else!
Good job!
actually, that's brilliant. Thank you. I'm going to pass that on to a couple of people.
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