Thailand question: Weird habit or not?
March 4 2023
Dear readers,
As tourists, we have been coming regularly to the wonderful Thailand for more than thirty years, currently on Koh Lanta. The following stands out to me now. If I go somewhere alone for a drink and I ask for a small Chang, I always get the question, one, sometimes even only one?
Do Thais sometimes find it strange that you only order one beer at a time? It's not very natural, but keep finding it bizarre.
Anyone an explanation?
Regards,
Luc
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Then you are probably at a restaurant and they expect you to order a meal.
They won't ask that at a beer bar.
Regards,
jos k.
I also get that question regularly at locations where I am unfamiliar.
Mostly restaurant with terrace.
Several locations around here do that.
Three beers at a time on your side table and then you get a discount, five baht per bottle, at around thirty degrees.
And so you buy another jar of ice cream A 20 Baht.
So no, one and nice and cold, ice is frozen water.
And I'll call you at number two.
Then you ask to exchange that hot one for a cold one….
Yes, sounds logical, but that is precisely not the intention that people often walk back and forth with cold and warm beer.
But as you probably know most of these orders are 'group beers' with several people sipping three empty bottles in a glass and then possibly the next three bottles, with lots of ice if possible.
So no 'own' bottle.
As is also the case with the bottle of whiskey that is often next to it.
ICT
A matter of saying in the beginning and then they will exchange it when they come by.
If you order one each time, they also have to walk back and forth.
Moreover, these are often promotional offers... you know them, the girls who are then dressed in the colors of the brand. Walking around is also advertising.
Anyway, if I only feel like one I'm not going to order three even if the 3rd is free
Often they are offers. Whether or not temporarily.
If you immediately order 2, 3 or whatever, you will receive a reduction.
I have also noticed that they order several bottles at once, as if all the beer they are going to consume wants to be delivered that evening. The logic of this escapes me because the beer becomes less cool, ok they use ice, but still.
A reason, according to my girlfriend, may be that they get a discount with several bottles at the same time, 2 + 1 free or something.
It is also possible that you are going to have a drink in a group and if there are a few beer drinkers, you immediately need more than 1 bottle.
We often notice that too. We also kept getting that question when buying a submersible pump, a brushcutter, a generator and a blender, among other things. One? As if people regularly come to buy a few brushcutters. We are not shoppers, but this always makes it a bit fun.
In the end it is very simple why one asks 1 or more; in Thai people use a classifier in combination with a noun and with this you indicate with the classifier how much you want. Especially the Thais who are not so familiar with a foreign language literally translate your question into, for example, blender and then miss the number designation because they do not use an article. Unless you clearly indicate: one blender instead of a blender which is clear to us that "a" stands for only 1 copy.
Thank you for the explanation Ger. We suspected it had something to do with the language, but couldn't figure out how. Now that I read this, it sounds very logical indeed. Of course it still sounds funny to our ears.
You can also view it commercially. If you ask “One ?” can you get the answer “just do two”. With this you increase turnover 😉
if several are ordered at the same time, it is often cheaper… sometimes you can also have them delivered one after the other
have fun,
Erik