Foreigner accused of cheating in 8kg curry challenge at Bangkok restaurant

Gold Curry Bangkok has accused a foreign participant of cheating in its well-known curry eating contest after the man walked away with 30,000 baht in prize money.

The incident occurred earlier this month at the restaurant, which offers cash prizes for finishing large portions of curry rice within a set time.

According to a post on Gold Curry Bangkok’s Facebook page on 12 December, the man completed an 8kg curry rice challenge with five minutes to spare out of a 45-minute limit. He also successfully completed the smaller 6kg challenge, earning 10,000 baht. For his efforts, the restaurant initially awarded him a total of 30,000 baht.

The celebratory post, now amended, read: “8kg completed! Finished with five minutes to spare out of 45 minutes, successfully claiming the 20,000 baht prize. Brilliant performance – full marks, 10 out of 10!”

However, on 18 December, the restaurant made a startling reversal, revealing that CCTV footage had exposed the man’s tactic: he had secretly hidden rice in his pockets to give the false impression of having consumed all of it.

“The individual who conquered both the 6kg and 8kg portions achieved this through cheating,” Gold Curry stated. “He secretly placed rice in his pockets. We alert other establishments running eating competitions to beware of this individual.”

The man has not returned the prize money and has not been located since the incident. Gold Curry confirmed he departed with the full sum.

In replies to commenters questioning the oversight, the restaurant admitted that staff had been monitoring the contestant, but may have been distracted. “Normally, a staff member is stationed nearby to time and observe closely. Staff must have missed it twice – a loss of 30,000 baht,” one response stated.

Online reactions to the incident ranged from amusement to criticism. One commenter quipped, “He got to eat for free, got the money, the fame, and even took some home… So is he clever, or is the restaurant…?”

Another asked whether the restaurant had verified his identity beforehand, such as by requesting to see a passport. Gold Curry responded that after discovering the CCTV footage, they had reported the incident to the police and attempted to resolve it at the restaurant.

The original Thai post included a clear warning to other establishments that offer cash prizes for eating contests, urging them to be cautious of this particular individual. The post noted that video footage showing the cheating was included in the comments.

Eating competitions have become a novelty attraction in Bangkok’s food scene, and Gold Curry Bangkok is known for its giant Japanese-style curry rice servings. Winners of the 6kg and 8kg challenges typically receive 10,000 and 20,000 baht, respectively, but must complete the meal within a strict time frame and under observation.