Difference Between Canadian and Thai Tim Hortons

 

Being Canadian, I believe it is my solum duty to visit every Tim Horton's that I come across in my travels. The one thing I've learned is that while there are some similarities between all of the Tim Horton's around the world, there are also often some very interesting differences. On a recent trip to Thailand, I was talking to a Canadian friend who complained that the Tim Horton's in Thailand aren't as good as the ones in Canada. While I don't think I can say for sure if one is better than the other, I do want to point out 3 interesting features that Thai Tim Horton's have that I don't think I've ever seen at a Canadian Tim Horton's.

The first difference is obvious right off the bat, and that's the decorations. I find that most Tim Horton's in Canada are very similar in their decoration choice. There are often a few artistic flourishes, but for the most part Tim Horton's in Canada are very fast food looking. In Thailand however I find a lot more art, and almost all of the art has a Canadian theme. 

It also almost always incorporates small details about Tim Horton's into the art. It could be street scene with a Tim Horton's featured, or sometimes it's artistic interpretations of the popular foods served at Tim Horton's. Donuts and Timbits are very common, but occasionally it's the coffee cups as well.

The real difference is that in Canada the restaurants are decorated to celebrate Tim Horton's, but in Thailand they're not only celebrating Tim Horton's, but also Canada.

The second difference between Tim Horton's in Canada and Tim Horton's in Thailand are the doughnuts. For the most part the doughnuts in Canada are just a quick dessert that no one would consider to be very fancy. In Thailand however the doughnuts are presented in a clean glass case, and are very elegantly decorated.

There is also no tradition to follow in Thailand, so the variation of flavours and types of doughnuts is huge. I would almost describe the doughnuts in Thailand as being closer to fancy desserts than the doughnuts in Canada, following food trends and always changing. In Canada they do offer higher end doughnuts, but in Thailand almost all of the doughnuts are higher end. Even if they're the simple doughnuts, like a chocolate glazed, they're presented in a much more fancy way.

The final thing that I love about Tim Horton's in Thailand is the merchandise. While there are a few things one can buy at Tim Horton's in Canada like cups, and coffee related merchandise, Tim Horton's in Thailand offers some pretty cool stuff. Hats and t-shirts are common.

They also have a bunch of "Canadian" animal characters that are not only on the doughnut boxes, but also on bags, mugs and t-shirts.

I don't think it's fair to say that one countries Tim Horton's is better than the other. It really depends what you're looking for in a Tim Horton's. What I love about all Tim Horton's in the things that make them different, but also the things that tie them together. I've visited Tim Horton's in at least 5 or 6 different countries, and I've never been disappointed.