Foreign restaurateurs accused of stealing menu from Bangkok eatery
Thai favourite targeted by restuarant owners from Indonesia
A Thai restaurant in the Central Embassy shopping mall in Bangkok exposed the actions of a foreign couple who stole two menu books on April 29, reportedly intending to copy them to operate a restaurant in their home country.
The well-known restaurant, Kaithong Original, shared CCTV screenshots of the couple on its official page on May 1, accompanied by a lengthy caption detailing their alleged misconduct. The images showed the man, wearing a grey T-shirt, taking photos of the menu items and tableware.
Other images showed the woman discreetly placing two of the restaurant’s menu books into her bag. Staff later investigated the couple’s identity using payment information and discovered that the man operated Thai restaurants in Indonesia under various brand names.
Kaithong Original reported that a brand representative had filed a report with the police and intended to pursue legal action against the couple. The restaurant stated…
“The actions of both demonstrate a clear lack of respect for the property of others and represent a serious breach of professional ethics, particularly between businesses operating within the same industry.”
The restaurant demanded the immediate return of the stolen menu books and warned the couple against any unauthorised use, further visits, or immigration-related issues involving the restaurant.
Kaithong also noted that their menu is freely available online as a downloadable PDF, making the theft unnecessary. The act, they said, clearly indicated an intent to infringe on the intellectual property and rights of Kaithong Original.
One Thai netizen commented on the issue of imitation branding in Indonesia, stating…
“Multiple brands in Indonesia copied Thai brands, and ChaTraMue is one of them. They couldn’t think for themselves, so they copied from others. I’ve included a picture and the brand name to expose it here.”
ChaTraMue is a prominent and long-established Thai tea manufacturer, with many beverage brands, such as Amazon, using its products. The brand also operates retail outlets under its name.
In the picture shared by this netizen, the beverage store in Indonesia, which offers drinks in cups and a logo similar to ChaTraMue.
Other netizens flooded the comments with humorous takes, such as…
“Looking forward to trying Kai-ngen Original in Indonesia. (Kaithong means ‘golden chicken’, while Kai-ngen means ‘silver chicken’).”
“They’d better take the spoons and forks too, to make their restaurant exactly the same.”
“Why steal? You can download the menu online.”
“Are you stupid? CCTV cameras are everywhere!”
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