Hi again! I am back on the blog after a very long break! I thought today I would talk about a topic many people ask me about when I go to Thailand. “What is American food like there? Do they have McDonald’s?”. Well today I will be answering those questions and also just to give some general information, tips, and differences about U.S fast food chains in Thailand. I hope you enjoy!- Kai

McDonalds- McDonald’s menu items and prices are relatively similar to American McDonalds. There are some menu differences you may see. For example,

1. In America we have Apple Pies- whereas in Thailand they have Corn Pies, and Taro Pies. Apple Pies are usually only for a limited time here.
2. Another big difference you will notice is they have the option for a pork burger or beef burger. You will not find this in America.
3. Thailand also has a double Big Mac… it looks insane! Poom and I one day hope to try it just for fun!
4. As I have stated in a previous article, McDonald’s has their own website and delivery system.
5. McDonald’s has 2 “Ketchup” options in Thailand. “American or Tomato” Ketchup, and “Chili” Ketchup. TRY THE CHILI KETCHUP. It’s so good!! It’s really not spicy at all but it goes great with McDonald’s fries.

KFC- In my opinion.. KFC Thailand is 100x better than KFC in the United States. The only thing I miss about U.S KFC is the Famous Bowls- mashed potatoes, corn, cheese, gravy, and chicken mixed together. KFC is a lot more popular in Thailand than it is in the U.S. In the U.S I often times forget KFC’s exist and they are usually pretty worn down or empty. You will find a packed KFC in almost every mall across Thailand. Some slight differences I see would be..

1. Instead of asking for “Original Recipe or Crispy” you will need to tell the cashier “Spicy or Not Spicy”. I am really bad with spicy foods and only eat “not spicy” haha.
2. Biscuits are not a thing at KFC Thailand
3. Mashed potatoes are a bit on the pricey side and definitely taste better in the U.S.
4. French Fries are the main side the have in their meals.
5. When you eat in at KFC in Thailand they will often serve your food on plastic plates that they wash and reuse- instead of throw away plates or big trays.

Dairy Queen-

Dairy Queen is a lot smaller here than it is in the U.S. They have lots of locations throughout Thailand.. But not many options. They typically only have cones, Dilly Bars, Starkiss’, sundaes, MooLatte’s, and maybe like 10 Blizzard flavors. Some typical flavors are usually oreo, green tea, strawberry (I like this one), Kit-Kat, chocolate oreo, and sometimes a cheesecake option. I am used to Dairy Queen in the U.S where they have probably over 30 Blizzard options, Burgers, Chicken Strips, Orange Julius, and lots of other things. My favorite thing about Thailand Dairy Queen is the promotions! Dairy Queen always has plenty of new promotions that make buying ice cream super cheap. For example, Dairy Queen once had a promotion where you could get a small ice cream cone for 1 baht (About 3 cents) just by using my BTS Skytrain Rabbit Card. Dairy Queen also does lots of promotions with the local phone companies for promotions. I will make a seperate post about how to use them since they are so common, but difficult to understand at first :)fff

Burger King-

Burger King is quite similar to Burger King in the U.S. The prices are a little bit higher than McDonalds, just like they are in the U.S. Burger King also does pork and beef options for burgers. Burger King advertises their beef as Australian imported beef, so there’s a fun fact. 🙂 Burger King does not have their own delivery service but they do deliver through LineMan, UberEats, and Food Panda.

Subway- Some important things I think you should know about Subway are..

1. If you don’t want your sub toasted, you need to tell them! They usually assume everyone wants their sub toasted and a lot of the times they don’t ask.
2. Subway cookies U.S>>> Subway cookies Thailand 🙁
3. I think getting the meals at Subway in Thailand are too expensive for what you get. At every Subway I have been to you do not get to fill your own drink and it is usually 70 percent ice and not very much soda. Refills are also extra here. I highly recommend skipping the meal and just buying your drink from 7-11
4. Subway in Thailand also has shredded carrots.. So there’s that.
5. My biggest advice for ordering Subway in Thailand is to speak loudly and enunciate your words if you are speaking in English. This helps when it is very noisy or the person making your sandwich does not understand English very well.  Also pointing to what you want seems to really help.

Dominos- Personally I love Dominos in the U.S. They often have good deals where you can mix-and-match pizza,pasta,wings,breadsticks, and desserts for 6 dollars each. Dominos in Thailand is a bit pricier and you won’t necessarily find your favorite pizza on the menu. Dominos does offer a delivery service but from my experience it is very slow compared to Pizza Company (Thailand’s biggest pizza chain). I actually prefer Pizza Company when I’m in Thailand. It tastes the most like American pizza back home, and it is much more affordable compared to the “Foreign” pizza chains.

Pizza Hut- I have only tried Pizza Hut in Thailand once.. I did not like it. But that doesn’t surprise me since I don’t like it in the U.S as well. So I don’t have much information to elaborate on here haha.

Starbucks- Starbucks are pretty easy to find while in Bangkok. If you travel outside of Bangkok they will be a little harder to find in rural areas. Cafe Amazon is probably Starbucks biggest competitor in Thailand. Cafe Amazon is usually cheaper. Starbucks has a good assortment of American snacks and foods that I miss from home. I go there usually for chocolate chip cookies (Hard to find in Thailand) and Egg salad sandwiches.

Price Comparison-

Hot Chocolate at Cafe Amazon- 40 baht

Hot Chocolate at Starbucks- 125-150 baht.

Krispy Kremes- At Siam Paragon, CentralWorld Plaza, and several other malls in Bangkok they have Krispy Kremes! It is basically the exact same thing as what they have in the U.S

Cold Stone- Cold Stone is also becoming more popular in Thailand! Cold Stone is also good with phone promotions and they also have their own discount card you can purchase and use to get discounts on future purchases. In Thailand they usually have a big menu book to look through when you arrive. There is a host person who usually helps you look through the menu and will take your order. Cold Stone also offers complimentary water!

IHop- I am starting to see more and more IHops popping up around Bangkok! Siam Paragon currently has 2 in the same mall. Many Thai people consider IHop and pancakes in general a “Dessert” food rather than an actual meal due to how sweet and sugary they are. IHop in Thailand is more expensive compared to U.S IHop. I believe this has to do with the locations- Usually only found in touristy shopping malls, as well as the lack of other breakfast/pancake chains.

Taco Bell/Taco Johns.. There is none. Mexican food or American-Mexican food is not popular in Thailand. There are some Mexican sit-down restaurants around Bangkok. I went to Sunrise Tacos in Terminal 21 in Asoke. I paid roughly 10 dollars for 3 hard shell tacos… so it’s now only a “Treat yo’ self” food haha.