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Mcdonald's Thailand Imposes One-Hour Time Limit For Customers


webfact

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I have the perfect solution for all those people who are outraged at McDonalds and Starbucks having their "loitering policy". Those outraged persons should invest their own money, time, and effort in creating a business offering free WiFi and aircon for their paying customers. Then be happy when bunches of people decide to freeload off of their business! laugh.pngthumbsup.gif

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Customers allowed no-more than one hour of loitering ?

So will the service-speed will improve in future, to make it less-necessary to wait for what seems like eons, before one's 'fast-food' eventually arrives ? wink.png

Edited by Ricardo
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Customers allowed no-more than one hour of loitering ?

So will the service-speed will improve in future, to make it less-necessary to wait for what seems like eons, before one's 'fast-food' eventually arrives ? wink.png

No. They will install sit-o-meters on the chairs to monitor time actually spent in the seats, LOL.

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In Pattaya I mostly see old white guys. They are reading the free paper and not buying anything. Or nursing a coffee and trying to kill the morning.

Sorry, but that's just plain BS. I'll bet you saw maybe 2 guys (ever) doing that , and decided to make an "I see this all the time" out of it. Get real.

More general comment: I'm surprised how many here apparently just don't get the Thai squatter mentality. A couple of times when tables were full I just simply found an empty chair, pulled it up to a table where one of these confabulations was taking place, said "Sorry. Hab to eat.", and began eating. In one case, I got funny looks and then the group got up & left. In the other case, the group just pretty much ignored me & carried on. Your only other real choice is just to do a U-turn before you order anything.

Edited by hawker9000
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Will they issue each table a timer that goes off after 59 minutes?

You will most likely get a time posted on your receipt and after that time, they will probably charge you for taking their space. Several restaurants come to mind in Udon that have the same policy.
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Why are you saying that? I have seen Thais doing exactly the same thing. Don't be so racist!

Some times the Thais put up with way too much "taking advantage" behaviour. I have walked out of McDs before ordering because there were no vacant tables. I've seen job interviews, tutoring and just plain hogging a table by one person spreading their laptop and papers about.

But enforcement is another matter; politely telling some one to pack up *might* cause a loss of face and that's a big no no! smile.png

I wish the same would be applied to the farang who camp out in the food court at Central Festival Pattaya. Whenever we eat there most of the (marginally) more comfortable seating is occupied by sleeping backpackers, older book/Kindle readers who may or may not bother to buy a drink to justifiy there apparent permanent residence and others who don't seem to have any occupation other than watching people pass by.

It's almost as aggravating as the farang contingent who visit the grocery store to park in front of the newspapers & magazines on sale in order to read them through without the bother of having to pay for them.

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Why are you saying that? I have seen Thais doing exactly the same thing. Don't be so racist!

Some times the Thais put up with way too much "taking advantage" behaviour. I have walked out of McDs before ordering because there were no vacant tables. I've seen job interviews, tutoring and just plain hogging a table by one person spreading their laptop and papers about.

But enforcement is another matter; politely telling some one to pack up *might* cause a loss of face and that's a big no no! smile.png

I wish the same would be applied to the farang who camp out in the food court at Central Festival Pattaya. Whenever we eat there most of the (marginally) more comfortable seating is occupied by sleeping backpackers, older book/Kindle readers who may or may not bother to buy a drink to justifiy there apparent permanent residence and others who don't seem to have any occupation other than watching people pass by.

It's almost as aggravating as the farang contingent who visit the grocery store to park in front of the newspapers & magazines on sale in order to read them through without the bother of having to pay for them.

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With a defeatist attitude like that, how would anything get done? Of course you can! If you have bought some food and wish to sit down, just sit at their table and they'll soon move.

Guys it''s very simple, if they are not eating/ordering You tell them to leave. You do't have to be polite and ask them to leave. If you are not a patron then you are loitering, plain and simple. Put a sign at all entrances, and a few inside. They will get the idea, and lose face when you tell them to get out. And it's not just students, this goes for teachers as well.

I also think that patrons who are looking for a seat need to speak up. I know I do wink.png

Problem solved...

I'll gather you won't be speaking up right then and there at McDonalds? That would just cause a really bad situation...

In the end this is something management will have to deal with. I'm sure a lot of us feel the same -- as much as we want to throw these people out by ourselves, we don't run the joint... we don't have any right... ESPECIALLY if we're white...

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  • 1 month later...

There is indeed a cultural difference. How many Eurp or Yank restaurants would allow outside vendors to come inside their shop to sell food? I find it quite an imposition. An additional imposition is to think you can sit in a food and drink shop and order nothing. Yet it seems quite tolerated here and apparently some places in the West. I was having a beer at a walkway table last night when two falang acquaintances sat down to talk, neither ordered a drink and both stayed quite a while. How many of you Brits order a tea and expect second or third helpings of hot water? Another unwarranted imposition, yet apparently tolerated. I've even been asked for my used tea bag--not really an imposition on me, but it certainly is to the shop owner.

We seem to agree that prolonged sitting without purchase is primarily a cultural difference. The main question is how does Mickey Thais' management enforce their new time limits. One poster suggested discontinuing the wi-fi. However, wi-fi is probably not the only reason many people, especially teenagers, occupy the seats--they seem to believe Mickey D's is a social experience.

Being the instigator I am, I would post charges for the tables and wi-fi usage--free for one hour with minimum of one purchase per occupant, or B200/hour. A few more baht to the local police and they would enforce the issue for Mickey Thai.

Do you really think this is (or should be) an issue that would require police intervention? Post a sign and problem over. Yea a few may still stay too long but the issue of not having enough seats because of people loitering would pretty much be over without the need for confrontations or arrests..

arrests? you have gone overboard. The local rent-a-cop (Mall police) could simply point to the signs and say "out"

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