The Golden Arches are the ultimate symbol of fast, fried, greasy, know-it’s-bad-for-you-but-you-eat-it-anyways food.
For some, it’s a standard go-to. For others, it’s that once in a blue moon late night/road trip/guilty pleasure splurge. For me, it’s the perfect fast food spot for international food showdowns. There are over 38,000 locations across 100 countries, but does it taste the same everywhere?
I headed to a McDonald’s in Thailand to for a Thailand vs USA McDonald’s showdown to find out.
The History of McDonald’s in Thailand:
The first McDonald’s in Thailand opened in 1985 at the Amarin Plaza, making it the 35th country in the world to welcome the Golden Arches. As of June 2019 there were 245 restaurants in the country, and it was the second most popular fast food restaurant in Thailand in 2018 (with the most popular being KFC). (Couldn’t find great data on the popularity of McDonald’s in Thailand…just FYI.)
McDonald’s in Thailand has similar branding as its American counterpart, but the menu has regionally unique items such as kaprao rice, shrimp glass noodles pie, and steamed rice a la cart. But don’t worry, you can still get your chicken nuggets and Bg Macs.
Unique menu items are fun to try, however, it’s hard to do a proper cross continental comparison. (Although it sure would be fun if McDonald’s in the US brought over some Asian specialties…) So, for this Thailand vs USA McDonald’s showdown, I decided to take on a menu item I’ve never had:
The quarter pounder with cheese.
Let’s Dive into a Thailand vs USA McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Showdown
Quarter Pounder in Thailand:
The Experience:
It was 11:20 pm in the Bangkok Airport. The day consisted of a 9am flight from Krabi to Bangkok, 9 hours of frolicking around the Chatuchak Weekend Market, and 4 hours at the airport. I diligently dragged myself to the McDonald’s to scoop up dinner. The ordering system was completely digital with 5 (or so) LCD order screens set up. I selected the food, paid with card, collected my ticket, and my number popped up on the “order in process” list.
In less than 10 minutes my order number was called. Easy!
The Food:
McDonald’s is a once a year type of spot for me, but would the McDonald’s in Thailand make me a Golden Arches fan girl?
Alas, after the first bite, I can report that the answer is a big fat no.
The patty was dreadfully flavorless and painstakingly dry. The cheese, pickles, sprinkle of onions, and dash of ketchup tried to save the day. But a patty that tasteless can’t be saved.
The fries, however, were tasty! Golden, a bit crispy, salty, and quite satisfying.
The Price:
(According to the official website as of August 13th, 2022)
Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 149 THB/ $4.22 USD
Fries: The official website doesn’t have the price, but on a blog I found that a large fries was 74 THB/$2.09 USD
McDonald’s in the USA
The Experience:
I went through the drive thru, placed the order, pulled up to a pay window, pulled up to the next window where I got the drink, then pulled up into limbo where a woman ran out with the food. A strange system, I much admit.
The Food:
With a home field advantage, surely the quarter pounder in the United States would be better than Thailand.
Well…it’s not.
The patty seemed thinner than the one in Thailand, but was equally as bland and tasteless. There were more pickles and onions on top and the same amount of cheese. My taste buds were just as dissatisfied as they were for the Thailand quarter pounder experience.
The fries, however, tasted nearly identical to the ones in Thailand. Crispy, salty, greasy , and undoubtedly satisfying.
The Price.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese: $4.49
Fries: $2.99
The Quarter Pounder Side-by-Side
And the winner is…..
The United States!!!!
The fries tasted nearly identical, as did the burgers. The patty in Thailand was a bit thicker while there were more topping in the US, but neither quarter pounder deserves to be called “good.” However, when compared to income levels and overall food costs, the quarter pounder in Thailand is mega expensive. Why pay 149 THB for a tasteless disc of meat when there’s likely an amazing food stall down the block serving up meals for 50 THB or less?
Hungry for another McDonald’s showdown? Check out the Australia vs USA battle of the breakfast sandwiches HERE.
2 thoughts on “The Ultimate Thailand vs USA McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Showdown”
did you try it in australia? I actually think its not too bad here. Not the best in the world, Japan seems to do McDonald’s as well as it can be done. Thailand last time i was there had the super sized drinks you get in the US, dont know many other countries (well none off the top of my head) that offer that size of drink!
We tried the breakfast and the big mac! I will say the breakfast sandwiches in Australia are super tasty!