Thai food hygiene: Restaurants told to get their act together or face fines of 50K next month

[Mr Meeseeks]

5 hours ago, JP canada said:

How about just starting with clean toilets, soap and maybe something sanitary to dry my hands with besides my shirt. Or not! Think about it the next time you pick up that bottle or container of condiments that never get cleaned. 
 

If this basic standard cannot be met for the customers... you can imagine the kitchens. 

From my experience, Thai men tend not to wash their hands properly or even at all after using the toilet, so it's not really a concern. 

 

We had a massive campaign during COVID-19 in an attempt to get the staff to wash their hands properly but they continued as normal, apparently thinking using alcohol gel is a substitute. 

 

It's very hard to change a culture of poor hygiene. 

[Thingamabob]

If any cleaning occurs anywhere in Thailand it usually consists, at best,  of the dragging of an over-wet mop across the floor. Nothing else gets touched in most cafes, restaurants or households.

[Misab]

I have a better idea put a smiley ????    neutral   ☹   on the door like they do in many European restaurants.

When the department of hygiene has visited a place where hygiene was in top the department give the restaurant a happy smiley to be placed on the front door, when a place was almost in top, but there were a few small problems then the department place a neutral smiley on the front door. For the bad places they place a bad smiley on the front door.  Now the restaurant have for instance one month to fix the problem and get a happy smiley. If shops with neutral or bad smileys remove the smiley, they should be fined 50.000 Bahts, if they copy and replace a neutral or bad smiley with the happy smiley, they should be fined 100.000 Bahts, if they don’t pay, they should be closed down.  

And of course, the department of hygiene shall have a home page, and under each city / town you can read what smiley they have given different restaurants.

Customers will very quickly learn to visit places with the happy smiley which will encourages others to get a happy smiley. And tourist will appreciate to know where they can eat without being sick.

[Accidental Tourist]

from 1995 to 2008 I been working in the Thailand Hotel industry...when I arrived I was surprised over the very low standard in the so called 5 star establishments... when I left there where no real changes to the better... Hygiene or HACCP training was and probably still is a foreign word in Thailand

[paulikens]

i hope that includes not dragging the bin through the restaurant!!

[paulikens]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

From my experience, Thai men tend not to wash their hands properly or even at all after using the toilet, so it's not really a concern. 

 

We had a massive campaign during COVID-19 in an attempt to get the staff to wash their hands properly but they continued as normal, apparently thinking using alcohol gel is a substitute. 

 

It's very hard to change a culture of poor hygiene. 

@Mr Meeseeks  it makes ya wonder how covid didn't spread more in thailand

[KhunFred]

That's good news. I'm tired of not being able to make it the short walk home from eating before I experience the "Aztec two step".  I have had terrible luck with food in Thailand in the five years I have lived here.

[Virt]

Never had food poisoning during my 12 vacations to Thailand and eaten in all kind of places.  Did have the runs tons of time, but I blaim that on all the cold iced changs. 

Imodium is my best friend ????

[Bruntoid]

On 11/27/2020 at 12:33 PM, peterdarby said:

Nice timing, hit them up while they are still recovering from the lost income during lockdowns.

Bizarre - are you saying there’s actually a time when hygiene is not important ?? 

[Stargeezr]

I have spent many years in Thailand for vacations, and the only time I had an upset stomach

was from bad food served at a top end restaurant. I normally eat simple meals like Chicken, or Shrimp

fried rice dishes with veggies. The time I got sick, I tried an exotic dish that was the special of the

night.  I follow the business people when I eat the street food as they all realise that they could get

sick from a dirty vendor.  I do enjoy the Thai food, and I am convinced that the spices used, keep

me regular. 555

Geezer

[A512]

shortage of restaurants coming soon, just wondering what those people will start to do in order to earn an income.. great strategy like always ????‍☠️

[Burma Bill]

 

On 11/27/2020 at 12:19 PM, webfact said:

to smarten up their cleanliness

 

The end of the "Bangkok Belly Syndrome" ????? (I hope so)

[Daveyh]

It's the norm here for untidiness, uncleanliness & rubbish is everywhere. The food prepared is no different as people will never meet european standards here, it is useless to try & enforce it. High end restaurants mainly run by europeans or trained Thai chefs who have worked abroad will probably meet the standards, but it's an uphill struggle to try & enforce cleanliness in most restaurants .......... for instance they sweep the floor whilst you are eating your meal!!???  The mentality & mindset is just not there ....... wearing plastic gloves whilst serving food & fruit in the street may look good, but the gloves are taken off/put back on how many times a day?? Another ruling for the archives which will never be adhered to ...... they'll find a way of circumventing the ruling & carry on as before ...... fact.

[mal2018]

On 11/27/2020 at 4:38 PM, Elkski said:

Don't need touch less toilets.  Just toilets with sinks with soap and warm  water.   I see all these restaurants washing dishes in tubs using a hose with chickens,dogs, and cats,  and rats around. 

Also working hand dryers would be a good idea. Saw a woman in Tesco food hall Phuket rinsing a floor mop in the same sink that dishes are washed so a bit of education and/or training wouldn't hurt either.

[mal2018]

4 hours ago, Daveyh said:

It's the norm here for untidiness, uncleanliness & rubbish is everywhere. The food prepared is no different as people will never meet european standards here, it is useless to try & enforce it. High end restaurants mainly run by europeans or trained Thai chefs who have worked abroad will probably meet the standards, but it's an uphill struggle to try & enforce cleanliness in most restaurants .......... for instance they sweep the floor whilst you are eating your meal!!???  The mentality & mindset is just not there ....... wearing plastic gloves whilst serving food & fruit in the street may look good, but the gloves are taken off/put back on how many times a day?? Another ruling for the archives which will never be adhered to ...... they'll find a way of circumventing the ruling & carry on as before ...... fact.

It's more important to sqeeze your spots so that at least you look clean before serving food.