Hygiene concerns after foreigner films dishwashing in Thai canal (video)
Restaurants at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in the central province of Ratchaburi have come under criticism after a foreigner filmed staff washing dishes in a canal filled with murky, greyish water.
Esor News reposted the video on January 3, showing the foreign woman, whose nationality was not disclosed. The page administrator wrote in the caption:
“A foreigner visited a floating market and recorded this video to ask: ‘Is it normal for Thai people to wash dishes like this?’ How should we respond?”
In the video, a Thai woman wearing a dark blue shirt can be seen washing kitchen utensils on a set of stairs leading into the canal. Two wooden boats are parked nearby. A bucket containing dishwashing liquid and a sponge is placed beside her. The foreign woman can be heard saying that the “The food was delicious.”
“I have no problem but just be aware that they wash the dishes in the same place where the boats go. Yes, this is the washer, in case you were curious.”
The video attracted the attention of Thai netizens, who flooded the comments section with criticism.
“Thank you to the foreigner for posting this. Someone will eventually stop what they shouldn’t be doing.”
“Thais often criticise India. Look at your own country.”
“I feel sick to my stomach after watching this video.”
Only pre-rinse
The restaurant featured in the video was later identified as Nai Kee-Jay Dam Noodles at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. The restaurant owner, 56 year old Rattaphon Sangkawilai, addressed the issue, explaining that the video was recorded a week ago when the market was closed.
Rattaphon admitted that the incident took place at the pier of his noodle shop but the woman in the video was not one of his workers. She was reportedly a worker from a nearby food court at the market. Rattaphon insisted that his shop’s staff always used tap water to clean kitchen utensils.
However, Rattaphon acknowledged that some vendors at the market wash dishes in the canal. He explained that they typically rinse dishes in the canal water before thoroughly cleaning them again with tap water.
According to the report on Nationa TV, Rattaphon, the woman in the video, and some other vendors also criticised the foreign woman and the Facebook page for posting the video, claiming it had damaged the market’s reputation.
Critics of the explanation pointed out that the dishwashing shown in the video did not appear to be a preliminary rinse, as the utensils were visibly covered in bubbles from the dishwashing liquid.
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