Warning: Pad Thai can be very spicy. I've had it where it contained raw chilli. Not a problem for me, but my dinner mate was sweating throughout the entire meal; also a specific soup to avoid is tom yum which is made traditionally of seafood but I have seen it offered with vegetables. It can get very spicy very quickly.

@BurhanKhalid - Pad Thai should not come with any chili, if it was done properly. Thai noodle dishes are mellow and then each diner adds sweet (sugar), sour (vinegar), salty (fish sauce) and spicy (ground red chili) to suit their tastes. Unfortunately Thai restaurants outside Thailand or those who cater exclusively to foreigners often add more chilis because their customers expect it.

Thai restaurant I went to recently applied American standards to interpret "not too spicy" and served it extremely bland.

@wgroleau - what are 'American standards'? I have eaten at Thai restaurants in America whose localized versions were quite spicy.

(+1) The warning about restaurants adding chillies to match foreigner's expectations should be included your answer I think.

Vietnamese "bánh mì kẹp thịt" is a variation of Western hamburger, and be sold in every corner of Vietnam

I don't know what people are like in those countries, but I can tell you that if someone from Thailand came to this part of the US speaking little to no English, handed the server a note that said in English "I can not eat spicy foods, please do not use any peppers", there is a good chance that some ignorant server will do precisely the opposite.

@DarrenRinger I think the suggestion was to have the tour guide write "I can not eat peppers" in the local language.

@Tom: Many Americans are total wimps on spices. Apparently this restaurant assumed I was one of those. Other dishes were more to my taste (spicy).

@DarrenRinger - There is always the possibility of a idiot taking your food order anywhere in the world. But that is not a reason to not try & communicate your needs.

@WGroleau - Spicy food wimps abound the world around. I even have Thai friends (born and raised in Thailand) who can't tolerate spicy foods, and have had tour guests from the UK, Australia who also were totally unable to handle any spiciness. Its wrong to stereotype.

@Tom That's true, but I would suggest at least attempting it in spoken, not written English. Using a note would be viewed as being overly shy or "weak" by many and might incite some kind of reprisal. Especially in the south, those who are not open and amicable are viewed with suspicion or hostility. EDIT: Plus, you never know how well they can read, or how good their reading comprehension/literacy really is. Odds aren't always good. In larger cities I would not expect this to be a problem.

@WGroleau You said it.....I am an American, and I can certifiably state a lot of my fellow contrymen/women stay within their mcdonalds and pizza comfort zone......Heck, some people can't even stomach fried calamari.....which is just pure yum when done correctly with a fresh marinara sauce.

@DarrenRinger - We aren't talking about the USA and the country bumpkin town you live in, we are talking about Thailand and SE Asia, where folks will do their best to accommodate your needs. Comparing life in a US town to a Thailand town is way beyond apples & oranges.

@Tom That's precisely why I said, "I don't know what people are like in those countries, but . . . [in] this part of the US". Try to keep your cultural slurs in check for this discussion.

@darrenringer - you are the one who marked the southerners as being possibly ignorant, not open, illiterate and such. Claiming a note might invoke a reverse reaction. You are the one who belittled them. I grew up in the south and the people I knew and encountered would not mistreat a foreigner who had a note about a dietary issue.

I'm not belittling anyone. It is a fact that literacy rates are not high, worldwide (not just in the south). It is also a fact that you will get a much better response from people if you speak to them rather than pass them a note. I am trying to be helpful. I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but please keep me out of your accusations from now on.

I live in Thailand. And there is nothing here for a meat and potato kind of guy.That said, good phrases to know are mai pet - no spicy. mai sai nam tan - no sugar. kin mai dai - cannot eat.

@dan-klasson - I also live in Thailand and there is plenty for meat & potatoes kind of guy (did you read my answer above?).