The Dinner Story

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This next section is not going to win me any friends, but I hope it will influence people. We are all adults here and sometime we forget who and where we are. Your not in Kansas anymore.

We arrived in Chiang Mai a little tired and way too hot, making most people irratable, so that did set the stage for what happened next. The hotel is a resort type set up with many buildings and a very confusing layout. The reception is in building one, while our rooms were in building three. Not too bad until you consider we had no idea where building three was, let along how to get there. To further compound the problem the rooms were not numbered in a normal convention. For example room 3205, my room, is usually on the third floor. But here it is in building three on the second floor and down a hall with no directional label.

Our hotel host determines it was best to lead us, since we couldn't follow the Thai direction signs anyway, so he began to lead us on a journey that required two elevators, countless halls with twists and turns until no one had any idea where we were going, let along where we were in the complex itself. People were more confused and a little more riled up adding fuel to the upcoming holocost.

We get to the rooms, finally; our host disappears. We now have no idea how to get back to reception area, where we need to be in 45 minutes for the included hotel dinner. Ok, well, Rick and I enter the room, and to our surprise find it to be spacious, clean and very well appointed with a large shower, sitting area complete with couch and a full kitchen. Ok we could live here for three nights.

We unpack, shower and even do some laundry and still have 15 minutes before dinner. Dinner...we now realized we had no idea how to get to dinner. So we go out, have to use our room key to leave the hallway, high security area I suppose, then we walk this way and that, until we find an elevator on the other side of another locked door. We use the key card again to get to the elevator and is passes us right by. So we decide to take the stairs to our left, down one flight, and end up out on the sidewalk, with no idea which way to go. Of course we chose badly and ended up in the town area, where we bought some Tylenol for Rick, his hips hurt from too much walking.

We reverse course and finally arrive at the main entrance only to discover a shirt cut back to our room. By leaving reception and turning toward the road and taking a left, we walk right into building three and right under our room. Good to know.

Rick and I arrived a few minutes early only to find most of the crew were already sitting down to dinner in nice private air conditioned room. That was the only thing that went well from here on out.

We were tired, true but as travelers we had come to expect a certain class of service and quality of food. Yes, we were not in the US anymore but some folks forgot that tidbit. The waiters and hostesses did not speak any English and we no Thai setting the stage for a cascade of events. First there was no menu and we were not dining buffet, so we had no choice of what we were to eat. Add to this the fact that the food came Family Style, many plates put on the table center to share.unfortunately the food looked like nothing we recognized and the staff gave no indication of what was what.

Tan tried to help, but people were reaching across the table, adding unknown food to their plates. The first dish was a plate of some kind of beef but it was fatty, boney and VERY spicy hot. No warning given and my traveling companion to my right was shedding a tear or tow from the effect of the hot pepper. She quickly drank water which only made it worse. Unfortunately everyone complained about this dish and several guests did not even try it.

Next came a soup, also unknown. It was a miso like soup with fatty pieces of pork(?). You added your own rice, no one really liked that idea at all, and worst of all it was not really thermostically hot, like Americans expect soup to be. This dish was also tossed out of contention as an edible option. Next came some kind of meat with kale, it was ok, but not warm nor flavorful. The guests we less than happy, as evidenced by the conversation which centered around the unedible food.

Add to this the notion that you had to pay separately for your beverage. Now that was the last straw. In the past everyone commented that with China Spree, and offshoot of World Spree, beer and pop were included, and if you wanted wine that you paid for. Not so here and the complaining was voracious. Now neither the food nor the staff had any chance. the comments were fast furious and negative. Several people actually had reached the dessert stage and had not had even a bite. This was outrageous.

Desert, killed the deal. Americans expect dessert to be sweet and flavorful and large at a minimum. We were served a plate of a variety of small, and I do mean small choices. Now the choices were very colorful, but we were left to our own devices to guess at what any of it was.

Several of us were brave enough to pick up a red something and bit into it only to discover it was not sweet, nor was it tasty and the consistency was not pleasant at all. Bite after bite was taken from the variety of options only to be disappointed with each succeeding bite. This was going from worse to well, "woorser."

People were outraged and not afraid to say it. The coup de grace came when we were presented with our bills for pop, beer and wine, which reminded everyone of the fact that these were not included. The meal was a disaster, people were angry; not to forget, hungry.

I spoke with Tan, our guide who filmed our conversation so that he could show my concerns to his superiors. I was constructive but made it clear that Americans would not easily accept this kind of meal in the future. He understood.

As for parting comments, I just wanted to say, it was not just the staff of the hotel at fault, we played a role in the situation. First we expected the staff to understand us as if we were home, we are not home and we simply forgot that fact. The staff did not speak English and we did not speak Thai, but to allow that to direct the result was just poor judgment on our part.

Second we are not in New York or Cleveland. We are in Thailand, a guest, by our own choice, in their country. Respect that. We are eating their food the way they eat it. I assure you if the Thai people came to New York and were served a pastrami on rye without preamble they too would be upset, but they would be unlikely to say so. They have too much respect for themselves to make scene, while we Americans have no such compulsion. We were pissed and wanted everyone to know it.

Finally, it was just one meal. A bad one true; but not the end of the world. To dish on World Spree or the staff was not necessary. This is Thailand and the people here were treating us to a genuine Thai meal from this area; it was not the Thai food we were used to. If you are really a traveler, you must know not everything goes like you want it. Go with the flow. Try new things. No, you will not like everything, but at least you tried. To walk away having tried nothing or just one or two bites, is disrespecting yourself as well as your hosts. It was a tough meal. people left hungry, I had to take Rick to Subway so he didn't go to bed hungry. I did try everything, did not like much but at least I tried. I hope we can get past this fiasco and leave the ugly American behind where he belongs.

I hope I did not offend, I tried to be accurate and hoped by pointing out my observations we can not repeat the events ever again. Good Night.

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