Any idea if I will get in trouble with the authorities for banning Chinese (China) tourists from my business?

ngl the wording about taiwan is gonna cause way more problems than the china part. thailand officially follows the one china policy so singling out taiwan as separate could get the tourism board involved, not just police. i'd scrap the whole nationality thing and just make it about behavior in thai and english too, like "no pushing, no photography inside, minimum purchase for entry" or something. if u really want to filter people, put a small entry fee that's refundable with purchase, that'll naturally thin out the crowds without any legal risk

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The Taiwan wording is the part that will actually get you into real trouble, not just with police but potentially with your business license renewal. Thailand's one China policy isn't just diplomatic theater, the tourism board and commerce ministry take it seriously enough that they can flag your business for review. I've seen shops in Chinatown get visits from the district office over less political signage.

Your better move is a Thai and Chinese sign that says "entry fee 100 baht, refunded with any purchase." That's completely legal, no nationality mentioned, and it will naturally filter out the groups just coming in for photos. The ones who actually want to buy won't care about a hundred baht, and you won't have to deal with anyone from the ministry showing up at your door.

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look i get the frustration but that sign is a legal minefield for multiple reasons. thai law doesn't explicitly ban discrimination against tourists by nationality but the tourism authority and police will absolutely find a reason to hassle you if someone complains. the taiwan wording is especially risky since thailand officially recognizes the one china policy, so you're essentially declaring a political stance that could get you flagged by the ministry of foreign affairs.

a friend who runs a shop near khao san road tried something similar with a "no russian" sign during that whole visa issue and had the tourism police show up within a week. they didn't press charges but they made him take it down and he got a warning. not worth the headache.

my advice would be to focus on behavior instead of nationality. put up a sign that says "no photography, no loitering, please be respectful to staff" in thai, english, mandarin, and maybe korean if you get those tourists too. if people break the rules, just ask them to leave regardless of where they're from. keeps you clean legally and still solves your problem.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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