A video clip and photos of maggots wriggling on noodles at a Bangkok outlet of a popular buffet restaurant chain went viral on Thursday.
A diner at a buffet restaurant finds a cluster of maggots feasting on a soba noodle.
The video clip was first uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday by user Mademoisellesmull, and was later shared on the popular Pantip.com web board by a person using the pseudonym purrpaww.
According to purrpaww, a friend went to Central Ladprao and decided to eat at Shabushi. While she was eating, some of the soba noodles fell on the table and she saw a cluster of writhing maggots feasting on the food.
Purrpaww wrote that the diner took several photos and recorded a short video of the maggots in front of her, paid her restaurant bill and left immediately.
On YouTube, Mademoisellesmull wrote that the maggots did not come out of the electric table embedded heater but emerged from the tableside.
"I didn't think the video and photos will be widely shared. I initially post them on Instagram and Facebook but my friend asked me to post the video on YouTube as well," Mademoisellesmull wrote.
YouTube user me031223 wrote that the maggots on soba noodles could be a set up in an attempt to attack the restaurant.
Another YouTube user, Ibrahim Benjulamard, wrote that it seemed peculiar that the video clip showed a dish with the restaurant's name in the first few seconds. Instead of slowly panning the camera, the video clip suddenly showed the maggots out of nowhere.
On Pantip, a user who went by the name Kratae Lek Kwa Krarok commented, "To be fair, this can happen in any restaurant at any country."
Pantip user Amecchi wrote that it was worse than seeing cockroaches in restaurants.
Oishi Group, Thailand's leading Japanese restaurant and beverage operator, which owns the Shabushi restaurant chain, later issued a letter of apology to customers on Thursday afternoon.
Oishi Group said it was very sorry for the incident in Shabushi at Central Ladprao because the company "has always adhered to the principles of quality of product, quality of service and cleanliness."
The company had instructed its staff and relevant agencies to urgently investigate the issue.