If you can’t stand the heat, don’t ask for a refund

A Thai restaurant in England has been praised for a no-refund policy for customers who try to send back spicy dishes, but not everyone is convinced.

Thai food is pretty hot. That is a fact. Chilis are a big deal. If you don’t like it, why not go to another restaurant (or country)?

All too often customers like to boast about how much heat they can tolerate, before asking for their money back after one eye-watering mouthful.

The eatery has gone viral online after displaying a no refunds notice, telling customers they can’t get their money back if they order spicy food but “can’t handle it.”

The printed warning reads: “Spice level warning: level 0-5. We will no longer issue refunds when you order your food spicy and can’t handle it.”

But not everyone is so convinced, as became clear when hundreds commented on the matter. One netizen pointed out…

“It doesn’t help that asking for the same level of spicy, yields different results by an order of magnitude, across restaurants, and even at the same restaurant, depending on the cook.”

But most people loved the idea, praising the restaurant for its initiative. Several commenters were also shocked by the idea diners had asked for refunds. One hot mouth said…

“I will be tomato-faced, sweating buckets and snotting up a storm before I return something labelled spicy for being too spicy.”

Another wrote…

“I can’t believe that there are people shameless enough to ask for money back because the food was too spicy. I feel like even if it was too much for me I’d have too much dignity to do that.”

All this is no surprise to Thai residents, completely used to visitors turning up, complaining about everything and demanding change. The country is, or at least once was, filled with tourists who demand air conditioning because they don’t like the weather, and then demand quilts to sleep under because their rooms are too cold. It is and always has been, an outrage. Visitors should be ready to take their CO2 home with them.