why farang/foreigners use chopsticks with Thai food

sometimes Thais definitely do use chopsticks and not just for noodles. I remember being at this outdoor catering children's day event once and the various dishes that kept turning up were all eaten using chopsticks, including the rice. Everything except the soup was eaten with chopsticks. The only implements available to use at least that night to use were chopsticks and plastic spoons.

Thai food outside Thailand is mostly very ordinary.

I hardly eat Thai food in a resto at least outside Thailand. It's just so disappointing, also they seem to think that they're entitled to charge 20% more than what Chinese and Indian food sellers charge, at least in the UK.

#18 yes sarcastic, how else can you answer that question :)

"Chinese food outside China and Vietnamese food outside Vietnam tend to survive closer to original recipes than Thai does, sadly"

BangkokBoy, have you been to the US? Or the UK?

Americans eat a lot of Chinese food, and it has been 'Taco Belled', it's sweetened, disgusting, horrible. (Of course you can find good Chinese restaurants in the US, but the mass marketed version is a perversion.) The largest chain: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/. See also: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1808496,00.html

The average Chinese takeaway in the UK, with its menu of gloopy sweet and sour, lemon chicken, and a menu a mile long consisting of a choice of five different meats for each dish (each loaded with MSG and thickeners), is little better.

I always laugh when i see Thais in a restaurant which has knives and forks and they dont know how to use them properly. They're almost as bad as Americans. Absolutely clueless!

~~~sometimes Thais definitely do use chopsticks and not just for noodles. I remember being at this outdoor catering children's day event once and the various dishes that kept turning up were all eaten using chopsticks, including the rice. Everything except the soup was eaten with chopsticks. The only implements available to use at least that night to use were chopsticks and plastic spoons.~~~

Perhaps they were Chinese Thais. Just a thought as there are millions of ethnic Chinese living in Thailand.
Anyway from Singapore to Chiang Rai the fork and spoon technique is the method of choice for the vast majority of dishes, nations, locals and ex-pats.

Because I like using them. and I don't give a ***k! Who cares?

"~~~sometimes Thais definitely do use chopsticks and not just for noodles. I remember being at this outdoor catering children's day event once and the various dishes that kept turning up were all eaten using chopsticks, including the rice. Everything except the soup was eaten with chopsticks. The only implements available to use at least that night to use were chopsticks and plastic spoons.~~~

Perhaps they were Chinese Thais. Just a thought as there are millions of ethnic Chinese living in Thailand.
Anyway from Singapore to Chiang Rai the fork and spoon technique is the method of choice for the vast majority of dishes, nations, locals and ex-pats."

Chopsticks are like a badge of pride for some Thai-Chinese!

“Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks.”

“give me a break... the question in the OP should be why don't Thais use chopsticks to eat their rice, not why do foreigners do so.”

Pretty pinheaded view of the world I’d say.

“Sounds to me like there are a few people out there that are feeling inadequate because they haven't mastered something as simple as using chopsticks, hence their criticism of those people...”
Oooo... and an amateur psychologist too!

"Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks."

Could you illustrate the proper method of eating rice with chopsticks?

"Using a spoon for rice looks infantile quite frankly, something my baby will do before she is able to use chopsticks."

So if I am eating some Laab Gai with my fork and spoon as this is a dish even Mr Miyagi would struggle with using chopsticks, I should then completely switch eating utensils to chopsticks to eat the rice portion of my dinner? What if I am in a Thai restaurant that only has forks and spoons and no chopsticks (a regular occurance) should I refuse to eat there ebcause all the people eating their own food in their own country look infantile?

Rice eating snobbery. Thats a new one.

I simply employ a prossie to feed me thus removing any need for cutlery.