A passenger enjoying Thailand’s traditional sweet treat, roti sai mai, during a flight has attracted attention online after another traveller jokingly compared the dessert to Peking duck wraps.
The encounter was shared on Threads on October 5 by a model using the account @runqianlin, who filmed a fellow passenger preparing the snack on board an aircraft.
In a Chinese-language caption, the model joked that someone appeared to be rolling Peking duck wraps during the flight and asked whether they could have some.
However, the passenger was not preparing the famous Chinese dish. The food appeared to be roti sai mai, a traditional Thai dessert made by wrapping fine strands of spun sugar in thin, soft roti sheets.
The footage showed the passenger handling a pale green roti sheet with candy floss in the middle, ready to be rolled and eaten.
According to Kapook, which reported the story yesterday, October 7, the clip attracted comments from viewers who immediately recognised the snack as a Thai speciality.
Some found the comparison with Peking duck amusing, while others joined in with jokes about the passenger preparing an elaborate meal on a plane.
One commenter joked that with the right attitude, even economy class could feel like first class.
Another compared the roti to northern Chinese pancakes commonly eaten with savoury fillings, joking that the passenger might next produce a container of sweet bean sauce.
The sweet is particularly associated with Ayutthaya, where it has long been sold by local vendors. It is made with colourful strands of sugar floss, which are rolled inside thin pancakes that can be plain or flavoured with pandan.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes the dessert as a speciality with roots in Ayutthaya’s Muslim community, where recipes have been passed down through generations.
The earlier guide to roti sai mai also explains how the sweet is prepared and where visitors can find it in Thailand.
The story Thai candy floss wrapped mid-flight draws Peking duck jokes as seen on Thaiger News.
